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A cyclist's life is cheap

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A cyclist's life is cheap

Old 04-14-10, 04:23 PM
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A cyclist's life is cheap

The price to pay is 10 days in juvenile hall, to be exact...

https://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/0...ch-killed.html
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Old 04-14-10, 05:34 PM
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He'll fail. Starting life at 17 with all of that pending time hanging over his head is a disaster waiting to wreck his life. Believe it.
 
Old 04-15-10, 07:24 AM
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Yes, this is disgusting. If one wants to get away with murder, a motor vehicle is the best weapon of choice.
 
Old 04-15-10, 08:20 AM
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males in their high teens and through their 20s in jeeps; mustangs and p/u trucks are the most dangerous to cyclists
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Old 04-15-10, 08:34 AM
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Do not forget moms with cell phones and an suv/van packed with children.
 
Old 04-15-10, 08:37 AM
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Until a drunk driver plows into a high school graduation ceremony, killing dozens of sons and daughters of local lawyers, judges, politicians, policemen, and local hacks of all stripes, there will be NO REFORM in this area.

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Old 04-15-10, 09:21 AM
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I've thought exactly the same thing about these wars our country starts and continues to support. Send the children of the politicians that support the wars to fight and I am sure the wars would come to an end fairly quickly, not because of a win, but rather because of the most obvious dreadful outcome.
 
Old 04-15-10, 09:33 AM
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Originally Posted by Roughstuff
Until a drunk driver plows into a high school graduation ceremony, killing dozens of sons and daughters of local lawyers, judges, politicians, policemen, and local hacks of all stripes, there will be NO REFORM in this area.

roughstuff
How does "drunk" get factored into this? I saw no mention of alcohol in the report. Please correct me if I am wrong.
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Old 04-15-10, 11:09 AM
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Originally Posted by genec
How does "drunk" get factored into this? I saw no mention of alcohol in the report. Please correct me if I am wrong.
No you are not wrong. I threw on the alcohol reference myself, since if anything it gives a driver even MORE EXCUSE for plowing into pedestrians and cyclists.

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Old 04-15-10, 11:27 AM
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Originally Posted by Roughstuff
No you are not wrong. I threw on the alcohol reference myself, since if anything it gives a driver even MORE EXCUSE for plowing into pedestrians and cyclists.

roughstuff
Not really. Drunk driving is the one kind of accident that at least gets SOME attention. If you're just reckless or distracted, you almost always get off with a warning, even if you kill people. Drunk drivers usually get some attention, though still not nearly enough.
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Old 04-15-10, 11:45 AM
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10 days in juvy? Really, WTF people.

He failed to yield and killed a cyclist who was following the rules of the road. Vehicular manslaughter is what he needed to be charged with as an adult to spend at least some time behind bars in a real jail. He would have had a higher penalty if he got caught defacing road signs with spray paint.

This really just makes me sick.
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Old 04-15-10, 12:19 PM
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I laughed when i read this 'providing information about the boy’s sentence “will remind teen drivers and their parents of a driver’s responsibility" '
What, remind them they'll only get a slap on the wrist?
though admitedly, i'd rather see him out of jail and working so his paychecks can go to the family of the victim. who knows what the settlement is.
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Old 04-15-10, 12:32 PM
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The real irony is that the base fine for littering is higher than the
current base fine for "causing great bodily injury."

Unsafe Operation of Motor Vehicle

42001.19. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a person
convicted of a violation of Section 21070 is punishable, as follows:

(a) For a violation involving bodily injury, by a fine of seventy
dollars ($70).

(b) For a violation involving great bodily injury, as defined in
Section 12022.7 of the Penal Code, by a fine of ninety-five dollars
($95).

Littering

42001.7. (a) Every person convicted of a violation of Section 23111
or 23112, or subdivision (a) of Section 23113, shall be punished by a
mandatory fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100) nor more
than one thousand dollars ($1,000)...
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Old 04-15-10, 12:42 PM
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Originally Posted by ItsJustMe
Not really. Drunk driving is the one kind of accident that at least gets SOME attention. If you're just reckless or distracted, you almost always get off with a warning, even if you kill people. Drunk drivers usually get some attention, though still not nearly enough.

Yes really. Here they get elected to the US senate for 36 years.

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Old 04-15-10, 02:54 PM
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Originally Posted by dwr1961
The price to pay is 10 days in juvenile hall, to be exact...

https://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/0...ch-killed.html
Counting the community service that comes out to 22.5 days.
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Old 04-15-10, 03:28 PM
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Originally Posted by Roughstuff
Yes really. Here they get elected to the US senate for 36 years.

roughstuff
In discussions I've had 'round the watercooler, at church, or whatever, as soon as people hear "the driver was drunk" they pretty much universally turn against him. And in general people with DUIs do lose license for a while. It's still not enough, and penalties do not escalate fast enough. IMO, first offense, 3 month driving ban, 2nd offense, 3 year driving ban, 3rd offense, lifetime. Plus jail time after the first. PLUS whatever the penalties are for whatever laws they broke.

The penalties we already have against being caught DUI is why it's so common for drunks to flee the scene. That's why fleeing the scene should be VERY serious - worse than any penalty you could get if you stayed. Maybe it doubles all fines/ban times/jail times, and carries its own 6 months in jail.

The problem, of course, is enforcement. It always is.
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Old 04-15-10, 04:18 PM
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Originally Posted by ItsJustMe
In discussions I've had 'round the watercooler, at church, or whatever, as soon as people hear "the driver was drunk" they pretty much universally turn against him. And in general people with DUIs do lose license for a while. It's still not enough, and penalties do not escalate fast enough. IMO, first offense, 3 month driving ban, 2nd offense, 3 year driving ban, 3rd offense, lifetime. Plus jail time after the first. PLUS whatever the penalties are for whatever laws they broke.

The penalties we already have against being caught DUI is why it's so common for drunks to flee the scene. That's why fleeing the scene should be VERY serious - worse than any penalty you could get if you stayed. Maybe it doubles all fines/ban times/jail times, and carries its own 6 months in jail.

The problem, of course, is enforcement. It always is.
Is the problem "enforcement" or is it the DAs taking the cases to trial? (I realize these are related, but I am trying to segregate LEOs from soft DAs and soft Judges)
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Old 04-15-10, 04:35 PM
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Originally Posted by genec
Is the problem "enforcement" or is it the DAs taking the cases to trial? (I realize these are related, but I am trying to segregate LEOs from soft DAs and soft Judges)
Genec,

Let's not forget the weak/ambiguous wording some statutes that make enforcement and/or prosecution a low priority. As well as a lack of education. I mean what is the point of passing a new law if the general public isn't informed about it? What's the point of installing sharrows on certain roads if the public don't know what they mean?

I had a couple of appointments out at the local VA today. I was riding home/to the library and was riding on the only (so far) road with sharrows and got honked at a couple of times.
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Old 04-15-10, 05:20 PM
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IMHO, drivers of all ages should lose their license after the first collision in which they are determined to be at fault. They'd be issued a month long temporary permit to allow them to continue working. However, they wouldn't be able to receive their full license again until they completed a drivers ed course. Subsequent incidents could have other punishments as needed. I know it would create a huge bureaucracy, but it might help safety if people understood that driving was a privilege, not a right. It would also give us a chance to tighten up our loose education standards.
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Old 04-15-10, 05:33 PM
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Originally Posted by jediphobic
IMHO, drivers of all ages should lose their license after the first collision in which they are determined to be at fault. They'd be issued a month long temporary permit to allow them to continue working. However, they wouldn't be able to receive their full license again until they completed a drivers ed course. Subsequent incidents could have other punishments as needed. I know it would create a huge bureaucracy, but it might help safety if people understood that driving was a privilege, not a right. It would also give us a chance to tighten up our loose education standards.
I do have to say that it was nice to see that the article referred to it as a crash and not an accident. When is the media and the law enforcement community going to stop referring to crashes as "accidents?" Most if not all of these so-called "accidents" could have been prevented IF the drivers were paying more attention to their driving instead of their cell phone, changing CD's, radio stations, etc.

How many of these so-called "accidents" are really and truly accidents and how many are the result of the driver driving while distracted by doing something other then driving? And how many could be prevented if certain controls were installed in the steering wheel? So that they didn't have to take their eyes off of the road?
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Old 04-15-10, 05:46 PM
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I have one friend who I am constantly getting onto about paying attention... He always seems to drift left while he's skipping a song on his ipod, or grabbing a map. Drives me crazy, but he won't listen because he thinks he's a safe driver.
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Old 04-15-10, 06:20 PM
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Originally Posted by Digital_Cowboy
I do have to say that it was nice to see that the article referred to it as a crash and not an accident. When is the media and the law enforcement community going to stop referring to crashes as "accidents?" Most if not all of these so-called "accidents" could have been prevented IF the drivers were paying more attention to their driving instead of their cell phone, changing CD's, radio stations, etc.

How many of these so-called "accidents" are really and truly accidents and how many are the result of the driver driving while distracted by doing something other then driving? And how many could be prevented if certain controls were installed in the steering wheel? So that they didn't have to take their eyes off of the road?
Yeah, but then you could actually blame some one, next thing you know you would want to actually hold them accountable for thier actions. ( totally toungue in cheak)
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Old 04-15-10, 07:30 PM
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Originally Posted by ItsJustMe
In discussions I've had 'round the watercooler, at church, or whatever, as soon as people hear "the driver was drunk" they pretty much universally turn against him. And in general people with DUIs do lose license for a while. It's still not enough, and penalties do not escalate fast enough. IMO, first offense, 3 month driving ban, 2nd offense, 3 year driving ban, 3rd offense, lifetime. Plus jail time after the first. PLUS whatever the penalties are for whatever laws they broke.

The penalties we already have against being caught DUI is why it's so common for drunks to flee the scene. That's why fleeing the scene should be VERY serious - worse than any penalty you could get if you stayed. Maybe it doubles all fines/ban times/jail times, and carries its own 6 months in jail.

The problem, of course, is enforcement. It always is.
I would be one of those people, church or not.

DON'T DRINK AND/THEN DRIVE!!!

First offense, years, second, learn to live in prison, 3rd offense, learn to live in prison. When you lose someone to a drunk driver, your sensibilities change drastically. Wanna ask me?

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Old 04-16-10, 08:33 AM
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<<In discussions I've had 'round the watercooler, at church, or whatever, as soon as people hear "the driver was drunk" they pretty much universally turn against him.>>

Well, apparently in discussions around the good-old-boy backslappin' in bred law school circuit and judges chambers, as soon as people hear a driver (drunk or not... I am sorry I slipped that in) hit a pedestrian or bicyclist they pretty much don't care a rats ass.


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Old 04-16-10, 08:46 AM
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Originally Posted by Roughstuff
<<In discussions I've had 'round the watercooler, at church, or whatever, as soon as people hear "the driver was drunk" they pretty much universally turn against him.>>

Well, apparently in discussions around the good-old-boy backslappin' in bred law school circuit and judges chambers, as soon as people hear a driver (drunk or not... I am sorry I slipped that in) hit a pedestrian or bicyclist they pretty much don't care a rats ass.


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