Richard Goodman wrote:
> "James Hodson" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
>>I heard today that the driver was travelling at 60mph in a 30mph limit and was overtaking a van
>>which had stopped to let the boy cross the road when the crash happened. The driver's actions were
>>far more than careless to my mind. Carelessness implies to me a momentary lack of attention,
>>whereas dangerousness implies acting with deliberate intent. His [the driver's) action fell into
>>the latter category as far as I'm concerned.
>>
>>The incident happened at dusk, I understand, and I doubt whether the car would have been able to
>>miss the young lad even if he'd been wearing light-coloured clothing and had been lit up like a
>>football stadium.
>
> If that's the case then it is far worse than others suggested and I would surely agree that the
> wrong charge was brought. Just that pussyfooting around in dealing with serious motoring offenders
> again....
Really? To me, it sounds a more reasonable (in as much as they ever are) accident than it
did before.
A van stops in the road to let the boy cross, without consideration for how this might be
interpreted by the boy and other road users. Well, a stopping van's not unusual, so the vehicle
behind overtakes, without wondering why the van's stopped. A cyclist/pedestrian (as he's crossing
the road, it's unclear whether he's riding or pushing) assumes that because one vehicle's stopped,
it's safe, and continues out into the path of the overtaking vehicle, without checking to see if
it's as safe as the van driver implied. Classic case of all parties making minor errors of
judgement, with a horrible cumulative effect. FWIW, this kind of scenario is why I very rarely stop
to let other road users (of any kind) do anything unless I'm 100% sure that I'm not inviting them to
do anything that any other visible users may not expect.
Having said that, I'd say that the defendant did deserve to have the book thrown at him, as imo,
it's pretty dangerous driving by not being demonstrably in control of a vehicle (no licence), and to
be 100% over the speed limit is reckless, not careless.
w