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news
Broken bike (CC licensed image by garryknight, www.flickr.com)Community sentence for driver who claimed car's A-pillar meant he didn't see cyclist he killed
A driver who claimed that the A-pillar on his car had created a blind spot that meant he did not see a cyclist he killed has been given a community sentence.
Bradley Schofield, from Wisbech in Cambridgeshire, pleaded guilty in June last year to causing death by dangerous driving after he turned out of a junction into the path of cyclist Paul Sims in April last year.
Mr Sims, aged 68 and from Wisbech St Mary, was taken to hospital by air ambulance, but died three weeks later from his injuries, reports the Fenland Citizen.
Schofield claimed to police when interviewed that the A-pillar of his car had created a blind spot and that as a result he failed to see Mr Sims and another cyclist he was riding with.
PC Rochelle Eves, the investigating officer, said: “It’s incredibly sad when we have to attend incidents where drivers have made a mistake resulting in tragedy.
“I would urge people to ensure they pay careful attention when driving, and be particularly aware of vulnerable road users such as cyclists and pedestrians.
“We attend these kinds of incidents far too often and many are completely avoidable.”
In a statement, Mr Sims’ family said: “As a family we feel completely robbed; this has destroyed the heart of our family and life will never be the same.
“The collision may have been an accident, but this accident was brought on by one person in a moment of carelessness, culminating in the death of a much-loved husband, father and grandfather.
“The case has taken nearly two years to conclude, but to us it will never be a closed book. Paul was an exceptionally competitive cyclist, competing all over the country and in Europe.
“We will be organising a sponsored cycle ride, hopefully later this year, in memory of Paul with several charities that helped him and are still supporting our family now. Tomorrow (3) would have been Paul’s 70th birthday.”
Schofield was sentenced today at Peterborough Crown Court to an 18-month community order. And was also told to undertake 250 hours, as well as being banned from driving for 18 months.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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58 comments
Modern 911s are mostly the same. The view out all round from my 2005 911 is outstanding, and in some areas better than our 2011 Civic.
It seems to me that every motorist who kills or seriously injures a cyclist has an excuse. They are NEVER man enough to admit they were to blame. Always a bloody excuse!
It like it not there fault. Blame something else. Door piller. The sun. Cell phone the cyclest not wearing a helmet.
When I am supervising my learner daughter, I have reiterated to her the importance of moving her head around at junctions, to make sure she's looked around properly. Its only when you move your perspective around that the brain properly sees things, rather than making it up and filling in gaps.
Road.cc claims he pleaded guilty to "causing death by dangerous driving"
However, both the link provided and this Police news story https://www.cambs.police.uk/news-and-appeals/bradley-schofield-leveringt... (which the Fenland Citizen appear to have plagarised) suggest he in fact pleaded guilty to "causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving."
The fundamental problem with the law as it currently stands is that "careless" when in control of a motor vehicle IS dangerous.
PC Rochelle Eves, the investigating officer, said: “It’s incredibly sad when we have to attend incidents where drivers have made a mistake resulting in tragedy.
“I would urge people to ensure they pay careful attention when driving, and be particularly aware of vulnerable road users such as cyclists and pedestrians.
Incredibly sad? Urge people to pay attention? Is that the best he can fecking do?
No condemnation of the utter incompetence and criminal negligence that lead to this death? He says it himself in the next line. "Completely avoidable".
FFS
Again - two moving objects that remain on a constant converging course with regard to each other will collide. If you do not move your head to look around around the pillar you will hit whatever otherwise remains hidden behind it.
Behind the a-pillar is not a blind spot - just an area into which the driver did not look.
250 hours Community Order. That'll tell him.
It seems to me that the driver has used the A Pillar (after the crash) to explain his actions rather than excuse them, the guy pleaded guilty to Death by Dangerous Driving (Max 14 years) when he could posibly have had it down to Careless in front of a jury. The fact that he has been given a fairly light sentence is probably taking all this into account. I am surprised that they didn't get a plea bargain down to a different charge. Normally Dangerous driving has other factors involved (high speed, drink, or several incidents leading up to the crash).
It is high time though that these very poor designs were highlighted to thier users through a heavy publicity campaign and that manufacturers were forced to redesign, that will need to be EU legislation (as the much larger market place and the issuers of type approval etc) I would think and we don't have a say in that now
banned and removed from the road. Making A pillars larger to provide greater safety to the car driver, should not come at the cost to others.
Weren't the A pillars beefed up because governments demanded it?
I don't think they demanded bigger A Pillars, it was more a consequence of a push for Stronger passanger cells, curtain airbags, better fuel economy (more raked windscreen angle)
Euro NCAP
I agree, this is nothing to do with the A pillar. The driver was not looking at the road, moved into the r'bout at too great a speed and killed someone.
"It was teh A-pillar that made me do it guv"
Once went to see an ice hockey game at the John Nike Centre in Bracknell, where away fans were seated downstairs and had to deal with the support legs for the balcony being between them and the ice. Not really an issue if you are prepared to move your head to see around them rather than complain about the sight lines.
Same when you are driving. Yes, the A pillar is in the way, but if you are not capable of moving your head a few inches either way to see around it, frankly you shouldn't be behind the wheel of a car.
Ive got a volvo estate. I could miss an artic behind the door pillar so I look around it. I move my head. Theres no excuse for this accident. If you cant see properly you change your position so you can.
You could say thicker door pillars are safer because it would be obvious that its concealing a substantial bit of your view.
Totally agree with this. My car has a substantial A-pillar and I quickly learnt I had to move my head to see round it to ensure a road was clear.
He was only charged with Death by Careless or Inconsiderate Driving, see the linked police and Fenland Citizen reports - road.cc have made an error in stating he pleaded guilty to DD.
As someone else pointed out in the comments, it was Careless Driving he was charged with and pleaded guilty to based on the newspaper reports.
I've read the article in the link and sadly there's another story of a 15 year old cyclist in a serious condition after a collision with a motor car just yesterday.
"a moment of carelessness" ... Or perhaps the driver had frequent and habitual moments of carelessness and these cyclists were just unlucky to be in the wrong place at the wrong time during this particular "moment".
Joke sentence for killing someone who happened to be where you chose not to look!
The A-pillar defence belongs in the same category as being 'blinded by the sun' etc. It shouldn't be an excuse - if you can't see the road you're driving into, slow down and drive appropriately. With this particular case, it's incredible that he can admit to failing to see not one but two cyclists, and for that to somehow count as mitigation in his favour.
But it is, because our glorious leaders decided that the safety of car occupants was much more important than the lives of pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. The massive A pillars demanded by legislators make cars safer for the people in them, but they kill vulnerable road users. Just like seat belts, the law of unintended consequences will happen, and this has been known about for many years; the question is why haven't those same legislators addressed the problem?
Yes, but it's not a defence, just an excuse for poor driving. Reading the newspaper report, the police are saying that the driver should have seen the cyclists and obviously didn't believe his A-pillar excuse.
If he knew ahead of time that the a pillar created a blind spot then he should have been taking as many mitigating measures as he could think of, or else not be driving such a dangerous vehicle. If nothing he could do would mitigate the alleged blind spot then there should probably be a recall of that model before anyone else dies.
My heart goes out to the family and friends of Paul Sims.
'What cost a life'. Now we know. Shameful.
A straightforward death by careless driving. However, the sentencing is so out of kilter. Should be looking at a minimum 5 year ban and extended re-test.
EDIT: in fact if the driver is admitting to such blatant carelessness, maybe they shouldn't be driving at all.
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