Originally Posted by chubakabra
Of course this is a reason for requirering more attention, skill and training. And it absolutely should be that way. But enforcing this sevaral times stricter than what is done today, will still not remove the problem of cyclist or pedestrians beeing killed. The task of operating a car in an environment of pedestrians, cyclists, pets running around is a very demanding task for human beeing. And as long as there is a general "understanding" that cars is needed to be operated in these environments to make our society work, there will be sad things like this happening. Of course (taking it a bit far, but to make a point) one could decide to give capital punishment to any such incidents. You would probably not see many accidents like this after introducing that. But you probably wouldn't see many people operating a car either. An that would have enourmous effects on any society.
I agree that there would be 'enormous effects on society', I don't agree that they would be negative... I believe that there is the same 'understanding' with regard to aviation in todays society. The same transgression occuring in an aviation context would cause, at the very minimum, the permanent loss of flying privileges. Truthfully, her previous transgressions would in an aviation context have lost her flying privileges...
Originally Posted by chubakabra
And as I've said over and over again, I think there should be a punishment for such incidents. And I'm not talking about any mitigating circumstances. I'm simply trying to put it into context, to make the punishment fit the crime. Unintentionally, all though recklessly, killing another person with a car is not the same as planning and actually blowing somebodys brains out with a shotgun.
Correct, one would be murder, the other manslaughter...
Originally Posted by chubakabra
And there are also different levels of recklessness. Most people would agree that driving under the influence at 60 mph in a 20 sone right outside a childrens school is much more reckless than answering a phone call or operating your radio.
Here is where I feel that the legaleese fails society. The condition in both cases is driving while 'impaired' and I think that were the laws written that way it would give more legal freedom to the courts to impose a more just punnishment. Some people can operate their car radio and not endanger the public, aparrently some cannot and are thus 'impaired'...
Originally Posted by chubakabra
I understand that you are all upset about all this, I am to, but I think it's still important to put things into the larger picture and not looking at this as a simple problem with simple solutions. It's not all black and white.
Funny... To me, Dead is pretty black and Alive is pretty white... If you are proven guilty of killing another human being I think that you should be charged with a homicide, not a traffic violation, or in the case of the hammer, some type of building code violation...
Originally Posted by chubakabra
And just to clarify a bit. I can't either understand how she still can be allowed to drive. It doesn't make any sense. That is on the other hand not her fault, it is your (or the specific states) legal systems fault. So the right way to go is not through harassing this girl and making some kind of moster out of her, but through the right political channels. And when doing this one should have in mind that there is a long way from shooting somebodys brains out intentionally to accidently killing someone with a car, there are degrees of recklessness and that cars (with all it's bad sides) actually is needed to make a society work.
regards chubakabra
Unfortunately, in this case, Her recklessness was completely avoidable and heinous as a result. The precedent set by this case will only serve to undermine any attempts to secure motorist accountability.
Whether it's cars or hammers, a society built on the foundation of rule of law cannot allow homicide to be devalued.
'there are degrees of recklessness and that cars (with all it's bad sides) actually is needed to make a society work' Some would argue that cars, in their current role in society, are more detriment than advantageous...