serega

Texting driver jailed for four years | UK | Reuters

"Hotel manager Keira Coultas crashed into Jordan Wickington after the cyclist jumped a red light at a junction in Southampton in February last year.

The 25-year-old mother from Hythe, near Southampton, had been answering a text message from her estranged husband at the time, a court had heard."

"Sergeant Alyson West said she hoped the sentence would deter drivers who continue to "flout the law" by using their mobile phones while driving.

"The sentence sends out the message to drivers who use their mobile phones while driving that, if they are involved in a serious crash, they stand a high chance of being sent to prison," she said in a statement."


OK, what the **** is wrong with this ? She goes to jail because a cyclist jumped a red light and she is wrong just because she was texting ?
How many people have run someone over while being distracted by kids in the car, or while looking at some hot chick on the other side of the road ?

Absolutely appalling.

Leslie

Strange set of values!

Les

mj

Not really, the cyclist was clearly in the wrong by jumping the red light in the first place!

The fact the woman was looking at her phone is irrellevant, she could have just as easlily been looking at the fuel guage, switching radio stations etc..... I believe these 2 examples are still legal? Or, as the OP said, been distracted by kids for instance.

The cyclist took a gamble, and they lost.


This is all of course without stating the obvious fact, that they are making a big assumption in the first place that she wouldn't have flattened the cyclist anyway, had she not been using the phone.

They are wording the whole story around her being the criminal. yes, she was doing something wrong at the time, but where's the proof it caused the cyclists death?

Torquemada

I think you are in the minority with your opinion there mate. Texting whilst driving is illegal, so is runnin red lights on a bicycle. It's annoying that they only focus on the girl texting and don't say that the cyclist was in the wrong as well but hey, that's the media. Terrible that the cyclist died though.
Nothing appalling about it really, maybe she would have been more aware
that a cyclist was being a plumb and travelling through a red light if she wasn't concentrating on the phone?
And if she wasn't on the phone and hit him anyway then it would only be his fault.
It's not as though they can press charges against the cyclist now is it?

Torquemada

I, and I'm sure most others, tend to concentrate a lot more on the road itself when going through lights or large junctions etc. I don't usually see the need to check my fuel when I should concentrating on the road. And texting is just silly

Snazy

Big write up in Auto Express about this last week too.
The whole arguement of no helmet etc too ....

pslewis

Fantastic sentence IMO - sends a clear message out to those who still use their mobile in the car whilst driving. She should have got 15 years to my mind.

Have you actually tried texting while driving??? I did it once, or attempted to, whilst in a queue of traffic moving at about 5MPH - this was about 5 years ago ...... but it was bloody dangerous at that speed!!

Texting is an absolute NO-NO at the wheel of any vehicle.

We need a £1000 fine and a 3 month ban for using mobiles at the wheel - and those lorry drivers I see doing it while steering with their knees would get their licence removed for ever and 6 months in jail and a £5000 fine.

Really - I would come down so hard that it would stop soon!

Snazy

Shame that my mates life was only worth 1 year, when this is worth 4

pslewis

I am old enough to remember the Helmet Law coming in ....... God, was I against it - Bloody Government!! My freedom, my rights, my head, I want to feel the wind in my hair ... etc. etc. etc.

Until, one day, a car pulled out in front of me - I went over the car and so did the bike ....... I remember rolling down the road and watching my bike skate along the tarmac with sparks flying all over - all in slow motion.

I was badly hurt and when I got out of hospital I went to collect my bike from a kind gentleman in a house where I crashed .... he had kept my helmet too.

My helmet came off my head when I stopped rolling ....

I examined it - there were 8 deep 5mm wide gouges down the helmet, about 5mm deep - there were dents and lumps removed from it too.

That helmet saved my life that night and my attitude changed immediately - I grew up in that instant - I always, from that day on, championed that cyclists should wear helmets by law.

Snazy

According to some of the facts, a helmet in this case might have been the difference between life and death.
Cyclists make me laugh, riding along, helmet over the handlebars !!! WTF

Not saying the motorist was not at fault, but people who cycle on the public road need to be more accountable.

Tryin to find the AutoExpress thing online now.

Bodgit

it doesnt matter if the cyclist jumped the lights. you should never assume it is safe to go across any junction light being green or not.

The message needs to get out that when you are driving your car you dont, text, put on your make up, look in the glove box, use you ipod etc.

You are driving and should be concentrating. I have lost count of the time drivers have almost crashed in the back of me in traffic because they are doing everything but concentrating on the road.

She got what she deserved. she killed someone because she thought texting someone was more important than driving safely

SiPie

Also debated here for those that missed it the first time ....maybe worth a merge

https://www.scoobynet.com/non-scooby...g-cyclist.html

Shark Man

Whilst I think she should be held accountable for what is the most stupidest and dangerous acts whilst driving (moreso than drink driving IMO - after I was nearly being in a head-on accident with a stupid women texting).

BUT, I don't think she should be held accountable for the death of the cylclist who also disreguarded his own safety by ignoring the law.


So, guilty of dangerous driving.

But NOT guilty of death by dangerous driving.

Although I'd still send her to jail for being a feejit IMHO (dangerous driving can have a 2 year maximum prison sentence )

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

Cyclist in the wrong for jumping a red light and not wearing a helmet, cost them their life!

Driver in the wrong for texting and not concentrating on the road, had they been fully engaged with the task at hand, who knows what the outcome might have been. They have to live with that for the rest of their lives now and endure a stretch in the slammer. IMHO a relatively short custodial sentence was appropriate, if you're not driving without due care and attention and you're involved in an accident, you're at least partly to blame!

Two lessons here:

1) NEVER drive using your mobile. No excuses!
2) Don't run red lights
3) Cyclists, and this is coming from someone who deals with the aftermath of head injuries, for god's sake, please wear a helmet!

Ns04

ChefDude

I hate cyclists, but the message is clear; the motorist should be the more responsible and drive defensively as they are capable of far more destruction.

There are obviously grey areas, but the driver was busy texting and, i'm willing to bet, didn't see the cyclist at all to even try and stop.

well done judicial system.

Norman D. Landing

4 years is a bit steep given that the cyclist would still have died if she was sneezing rather than texting. Dangerous driving or driving without due care and attention yes as previously stated, death by.......no.

SiPie

Plenty drive scoobs remember

Is your dislike towards all cyclists or just those that run red lights, cycle on pavements, cycle without lights in the dark ?

If it's the former..... then f&*K you

The later..... then

pslewis

Sneezing wasn't illegal last time I looked and is over in a second ... texting takes me ages even while sat at home!

bish667

iTrader: (1)

there are some people who can text without looking at their mobile, I dont believe this can be more dangerous than changing a cd which would require looking away from the road.

Torquemada

Who the **** decides to change a cd whilst going through the lights, round a roundabout or going through junctions!?!?!? Plus when you are placing a cd in a slot, you don't have to visualise and construct sentences to be typed in using your fingers. Your concentration would not be purely on the road and so you would be a danger ffs!

lol, re-reading that, I'm probably being a bit harsh but hey, it's common sense really!

ChefDude

I'm a pedestrian in london and i'm on about the ones who run the red lights and pedestrian crossings.

you still can't drive around not focused on where you're going and what's going on around you... even if you do get a cyclist

Shark Man

I think every London pedestrian should kick a cyclist who runs a red light as they ride past whilst crossing the road (then run ).

Its the only way to prevent these blinkered buffoons from winning a Darwin award.

David Lock

Well I can't say I especially look out for traffic when I go through a green light. Well perhaps if I am first off the line and someone might be just trying to catch the lights as they turn against them but that's all.

The sentence for this woman is almost like she was the one who had jumped the light.

I do agree that texting is a no-no but I think there is a lot of rubbish said about using mobiles when driving. dl

bish667

iTrader: (1)

Fair comment, I'm not trying to say I do anything like use a mobile or change a cd while driving as I enjoy the actual driving. Seeing other idiots using mobiles and being ignorant of other people on the road as they are not paying enough attention annoys the heck outta me.

Had a run in with a couple of nobend pedestrians today but thats a different story they had a problem with me slowing down and waiting for them to cross the road and even took a good look at my license plate

Torquemada

Too right, lol, some bugger nearly got me the other day standing outside work, he was on the bleeding pavement

Does my nut when they go through red lights and pedestrian crossings.
My brother watched some guy mow down some poor woman at a zebra crossing, she was clearly dazed and hurt and all the guy did was give her a hand to get up off the road and then buggered off without seeing if she was ok, luckily some passers by stopped and helped her out though (my bro was on the other side of the road in his van before anyone say anything, lol)

Drivers and cyclists need to sort it out!

GC8WRX

Thats cos your old mate, people like you shouldnt even touch the radio to change channel while driving if you cant do two things at once!

Torquemada

lol, no worries fella, I get ya

I watched some crazy pedestrian randomly walk out in front of me diagonally across a spot roundabout the other day with cars wizzing by her beeping and obviously going nuts at her, she seemed oblivious and then proceeded to cause everyone to have to stop. Amazing! lol

GC8WRX

Yep, exactly mate!

******* cyclists are more trouble than they're worth, all the ones round here ride two abreast, mount pavements to skip red lights etc etc, and when i wind the window down to shout at them, they look at you as if your the danger on the roads, then start with the enviromental codswallop!
I once bollocked two coppers for riding two abreast on a road with loads of dodgy corners!

Its a well harsh sentence for that person to deal with, surley a ban is enough cos she has to deal with what she's done every day for the rest of her life!

All cos a tw@tty cyclist, as usual, thought they were above the law and went through a red light!

pslewis

True, I'm old ...... but I am far less likely to have an accident than you kiddies

That's why I pay £285 Fully Comp. Insurance with a £50XS and you pay considerable more

Luminous

iTrader: (3)

I don't get it, there has to be more than what is being reported.

The cyclist was entirely at fault, and at best the driver should have received the standard 3 points and a fine for using her mobile. You cannot expect or rely on other people to help you out of a bad situation that you chose to put yourself in.

If you are daft enough to ride through a red light, then you should get a Darwin award and be done with it.