Drivers who kill

What indeed!? Perhaps car cameras would help too.

I'm so sorry about your daughters, including the one who survived (PSTD comes to mind), imp

Thanks Baggs. Yes, she and DS2 were in the car with their dad. Has marked them all for life. DS1 and I were at home and police called ... Some things will always still with us. xx

I agree with tougher sentencing. These days with dash cams it’s getting easier to see who was at fault.

We always remember that moment life changed for ever, don’t we imperfect ? (((((hugs)))))

I constantly see people negotiating roundabouts and driving along country roads whilst holding their mobiles to their ears but what can we do about it? Until there are very strong penalties it will continue, also the fact there are very few police around people know they can get away with it.

Yes Anya - sadly, many of us 'walking wounded' out there.
(((((((hugs))))))) right back at yer.

Feeling hugged. Thank you

I’d like to start a ‘Honk for a Plonker’ campaign, where everyone who saw a driver on a mobile honked their horn good and loud.

Anya - last time I did that I received the usual two finger salute!

Lets hope they follow this through! I think we could all stand at the side of the road and capture many using mobiles negotiating roundabouts and changing gear at the same time...I do often wonder why there isn't something implemented that the general public can take a photo of someone using their mobile (registration etc) and report it.
It can soon be traced to the mobile phone user and checked...but I suppose this would "take too much time" up for the police.

Yes Imperfect, we do all remember the moment our lives changed for ever after a tragedy. Life goes on of course and we manage to live and love but such a huge loss is part of us.
I don't see how those who kill because of reckless/drunken/drugged etc driving should receive lighter punishment than others.

Yesterday we were following a white van along a country lane when he stopped. We sat waiting patiently for what seemed ages and then inched past him bit by bit - yes you’ve guessed he was on the phone.

But he had stopped, which is the important part.

This change in sentencing law is long overdue. I am very pleased that this has been introduced. Cars can be lethal weapons and treating those who use them as such more leniently than someone irresponsibly weilding a gun was always a huge anomaly.

Sorry for your loss Imp - both the loss itself and the ensuing injustice - very hard to live with.

True bags bloody irritating though.

imp and other grans who have suffered an appalling loss,
Kindest thoughts.

Lots of things on the road (and life) are bloody irritating. This thread is about people who break the law while driving and cause devastation to others as a result.

bags I entirely agree. It was crass and thoughtless of me in my throwaway remark. Unfortunately I simply read the headline and not the post content. I am sorry if I have caused hurt.

With all the technology available, it should be possible to prevent a mobile device being used while a vehicle is moving.
Of course, people who "answer their mobiles with a handsfree" would be up in arms.

I'm not a driver, but even hands free has always seemed to be a huge distraction to me.

I posted on a GN thread about speed limits a couple of years back. Specifically about how my friend’s family was devastated when her 2 year old niece was killed on a pavement by a speeding driver who lost control. It was an eye opener to me to see posters on that thread who saw speeding as a bit of fun and me and other rulebook Ronnies as boring old spoilsports.

whitewave - no worries here - posts meander.

Maggiemaybe I think that unless you have suffered a traumatic loss, you probably don't think about the implications and the 'ripple' effect on the family. It is just beyond a lot of people's comprehension.

Meant to say I am so sorry to read about your niece Maggie - so very sad.

My sister was killed when knocked off her bike. Our family felt deeply sorry for the driver. He was on a back street in Central London turning right out of a T junction into a road tree lined (in leaf) with cars parked nose to tail. He was driving at barely walking speed. The bike was completely hidden from him - and the lorry was probably hidden from her also by the trees and parked cars. He clipped one wheel and unfortunately when she fell DS's head hit the curb. She was not wearing a safety helmet.

After the accident, he stopped, stayed with her until the ambulance arrived, took her details and which hospital she was being sent to and then went straight back and reported the accident to his employers. At the inquest he was in tears.

None of my family would have wanted to see him prosecuted, still less imprisoned. We have always been agreed that the only thing that could have avoided the accident was the removal of cars and trees so that each could see the other.

We must remember that not every fatal road accident is the result of bad or reckless driving, some times, as with my sister it is the road conditions that affect both victim and perpetrator and in some cases it is the victim that cases the accident. I know a boy who was catastrophically disabled when playing 'chicken' with friends on a busy road.

M0nica, thank you for sharing what happened to your sister. How sad for you and all your family.

Yes, sometimes accidents do just happen and there is no 'fault' on the part of the driver involved.

I would hope that any new legislation should be fair in this regard.

When DD2 died there was an accident investigation and forensics involved. In the absence of any cctv footage (cameras had been turned off due to road works in the area) the police were able to calculate vehicle speeds and show that the children's father had had to take evasive action. It was hard to go through all the intricacies of this at the inquest, but harder still to believe that the other driver would have been completely unaware.

I think the rule of thumb over harsher penalties has to be centred around the degree to which the driver can be proven to have acted with wanton disregard to others' safety. To me, any use of a mobile phone whilst still driving is wanton disregard because of what could and sometimes sadly does happen.