In the news

If you're going to ride brakeless expect to do some time if you collide with and kill someone.

ftfy

Told you:

My recent journey into the West End was turned into a nightmare road
raging incident. It was not with another motorist but a female cyclist
who fearlessly cut into my lane with no lights or helmet.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/edward-adoo/we-gained-some-respect-cyclists_b_4337351.html

Much 'Adoo' about nothing.

He's a moron.

Crikey. Allison being covered on the 10 o'clock news.

http://www.huckmagazine.com/perspectives/reportage-2/bikestormz-grenfell/

Absolutely hung out to dry.

Imagine your internet comments written out next to a portrait of you on the 10 O'Clock News. Modern day pillory.

Noted on road.cc comments:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2017/aug/23/motorist-would-not-have-landed-cyclists-wanton-and-furious-driving-charge

This is actually excellent. Clearly written by a different human to some other journalism.

By a bike riding lawyer, I'd say:

http://thecyclingsilk.blogspot.co.uk/?m=1

I think this paragraph from Martin Porter (Cycling Silk & Guardian blog) is the best summary:

Alliston’s dreadful post collision comments reveal that he was far too reliant upon other road users doing the right thing and that he should have been prepared to react to pedestrians moving in any direction. Nonetheless the evidence gives rise to a significant possibility that he was reacting as best he could ‘in the agony of the moment’ in circumstances where charges would be unlikely against a motorist.

Very good article.

Balanced and sensible.

Can't help wondering if Alliston would have been better off with Porter representing him in court.

significantly so by the sounds of it. Appeals court representative?

Fixehs were real in 1861 - there was no front brake requirement..

I guess Charlie didn't think to hire a cycling lawyer. Two one year jail term in the past. I love the 1861 law copy. Maybe the best solution would be for him to do some hard labour.

The next step is sentencing, that is likely to provoke another round of media agitation. While we can think of dozens of cases of apparently reckless and fatal driving that don't lead to a prosecution it is hard to find a comparable case involving a cyclist.
This type of fatality is so rare I can only find one. After a crash in 2014 Darryl Gittoes was sentenced to 12 months jail on conviction for causing bodily harm by wanton or furious cycling. In my opinion there was a higher level of "criminality" compared to Charlie Alliston's case.

A cyclist involved in a fatal collision with a pedestrian in Hereford city centre has been jailed for 12 months after pleading guilty to causing bodily harm by wanton or furious driving. He had been riding a defective bike recovered from a scrap metal lorry in an area where cycling was prohibited when the incident took place.
The CPS said that Gittoes’ bike, recovered from a scrap metal lorry, had no brakes, a deflated rear tyre, a cracked front tyre and no bell.

Mary Evans, 73 died seven days later.

http://road.cc/content/news/155056-cyclist-jailed-after-fatal-collision-pedestrian-hereford-city-centre

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4809520/Jessica-Wells-killed-pensioner-crash-spared-jail.html

Apologies for Daily Hate Mail Link

I'm pleased he was acquitted of the excessive manslaughter charge but still feel that his negligence - in terms of the front brake issue (ignorance being no defence) and failure to avoid fatally colliding with the victim - make him ultimately guilty of causing her death.

I've always been adamant that cyclists should be responsible for avoiding anyone either in or adjacent to the road, in the same way that we (vainly) expect motorists to exercise caution around us.

Seems difficult - hypocritical even - to reconcile wanting tougher sentences on drivers who kill cyclists, but hope for leniency in this case.

Seems difficult - hypocritical even - to reconcile wanting tougher sentences on drivers who kill cyclists, but hope for leniency in this case.

Not sure anyone has asked for leniency. Most are asking for parity between the way cyclists and drivers are treated in cases like this.

It's not just drivers killing cyclists, there is plenty in these past few pages of speeding drivers killing peds. Like the taxi driver with 9pts all for speeding in 30 zones.. doing 44 in a 30 zone killed a 40 year old dad on his birthday. No prison sentence because he's suffered and "he'll never drive again". Widow was devastated.

Comments:

HarmonieNada, Berlin, Germany, 1 day ago. I would not let a vegan
anywhere near any kitchen. They are ALL mental and militant.

That story was from 4 years ago.

If we want automatic accountability for car drivers, it has to come down to us, too, re peds. But society is too inured to car accidents and doesn't treat them the same way.

Seems difficult - hypocritical even - to reconcile wanting tougher sentences on drivers who kill cyclists, but hope for leniency in this case.

I'm more than happen for him to go to jail for 20year just as long as he's sharing a cell with, Harry Clarke, Gail Purcell etc, etc......

They're talking about it on R4 at the moment. At LMNH.

And sounds like they are talking to Matthew Briggs later (after 8am).