Driver alertness courses for drivers who hit cyclists

I was hit by a car back in March and the police asked what I wanted to do with the driver. They said I could try to take the driver to court, have points removed from their license or have them sent on a driver alertness course.

I said I'd like them sent on a cyclist alertness course on a bike. Like the trading places scheme with lorry drivers. The police told me they don't encourage this. I asked why... this all went back and forth.

What do you all think? I think it would be really beneficial. They'd be wrapped in cotton wool in some police compound but I still think it's worth pursuing. The police officer I dealt with suggested I write in with a plan and argument. Will do.

go for it jo. they might start piloting something because of it

I think you should enlist the help of one of the cycle trainers with this one, you'll need a plan backed up with facts.

Good idea. Meeting with Road Peace, CTC, LCC people today. They're always great. Will ask what they suggest.

Make them do a couple of laps of the congestion charge ring road during rush hour traffic, that should give them a bit of awareness, no?

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/roadusers/congestioncharge/whereandwhen/assets/images/DetailMapECCZ.gif

Cite cyclists being invited to sit in the cab of a hgv as a basic principle behind the idea. Also worth entioning anyone going through with this should be able to quickly attain bikeability level 2 and if, in the future, they decide to take to a bike, they should be less likely to be in an accident because of it, which will reduce police road traffic incidents and costs.

Win all round.

Great idea. Make them go through cycling training with someone from the forum. And make them pay for it.

Take them on the streets on a bike and make him undertake lorries.

Good idea, but I do wonder what sort of justice system we live in where the victim gets to decide what happens to the accused. Surely it should just be a question of whether to prosecute or not, the punishment should be decided by the authorities.

Make them do an alleycat and learn to tailwhipskiddytrick.

Good idea, but I do wonder what sort of justice system we live in where the victim gets to decide what happens to the accused. Surely it should just be a question of whether to prosecute or not, the punishment should be decided by the authorities.

I think that a society where the victim has a feeling of input into the justice system, above being on the receiving end of a crime, is an improvement on the current one. It is also likely to reduce the rates of reoffending if the perpetrator feels a direct link between the punishment and the victim rather than being punished by a large and essentially faceless judicial system. It offers that sense of accountability to the victim directly, which is born out of the confrontation system.

Obviously the punishment meted out should only be within the bounds of what is already legally available to the current judicial system but yes, I think this is a wonderful thing.

Good idea, but I do wonder what sort of justice system we live in where the victim gets to decide what happens to the accused.

It's a fair system. You can always ask for death penalty.

i like this idea, might make them appreciate how vulnerable you can be on a bike surrounded by badly driven cars....

Good idea, Jo. That one's definitely a goer. The police may not have it in their system yet, but there's always a first. We've put forward points like cycle training as part of a driving test, and ideas like that are gaining ground.

Good idea :)
Make them ride fixed up hills also (Or is that cruel and unusual punishment?)

Good idea, Jo. That one's definitely a goer. The police may not have it in their system yet, but there's always a first. We've put forward points like cycle training as part of a driving test, and ideas like that are gaining ground.

I think that every driver involved in a collision or dispute with the cyclist should be sent for a couple of days of cycle training through CTUK. They shouldn't see it as a punishment, but as a lesson to learn. This way it would be easier to push it with authorities.

Great idea.
Send him for a driving course and he will sit, bitter that he is wasting his time and leave probably more angry at cyclists.

On a cycling course, at least he would be exposed to the reality of cycling on roads today and might gain a better understanding of road use. Probably still bitter though......

A good part of the idea of cycle training is to be pretty positive about not only the content of what is being taught, but also the teaching. You never know, he might just understand how enjoyable cycling is with a little basic knowledge.

It would be interesting to find out how much those driver awareness courses cost the police or whoever's paying for them, and how cycle training (which, of course, normally has no fixed number of sessions, depending on the trainee) would compare just in terms of cost.

This is your mission now, Ollie. To try to convince the authorities to bring a pilot scheme for the offending drivers.

It would certainly be interesting to raise it with the police and see what they say. I'll look into it.

Good idea, but I do wonder what sort of justice system we live in where the victim gets to decide what happens to the accused. Surely it should just be a question of whether to prosecute or not, the punishment should be decided by the authorities.

You're confusing a punishment sytem and a justice system. We don't have a justice system ATM, we only have a system of crime and punishment in this country. And oh, how it does work so well. So, a move to delivering less generic punishment (points and a fine, points and a fine, points and a fine) and more of other ways to bring about justice, is a good thing in my book.

Oliver, where have you gotten with this? Did you ask yet?

Sorry, Jenne, no progress yet. I have kept it in mind, though. First of all it's important to find out the right channels to feed it into. But I just haven't had time to progress it. Hopefully I'll get round to it reasonably soon!

This sounds like a part of the solution, can I help?

Got taken out by a sightseeing bus, back in august last year. Police wouldn't prosecute him, but he got sent on a driver awareness course. His insurance people are now dragging their feet on paying out on the claim. May have to go to court. Driver Awareness courses are all well and good, but sometimes you have to accept responsiblity, and that only comes from prosecution whether by the police or privately.
my tuppence worth..

In my opinion prosecution you are talking about is just not enough. Offending drivers often are sure, that they didn't do anything wrong (I'm not talking here about the extreme cases, where they caused serious injury or worse) - it's part of the mentality of some motorised road users who perceive cyclists, an often also pedestrians, as nuisance.
The point of cycling awareness course, which can replace silly fine or be added on top of that fine/sentence, would be to "rehabilitate" them, so they are less likely to re-offend.
It's a similar scenario to putting young offenders face to face with victims of their crimes (like knife crime victims etc.), so they can see the consequences of their actions, the impact they can have on their victims, perhaps to view things from another perspective.