Where is the Media afterwards? | GTAMotorcycle.com

Where is the Media afterwards?

Mad Mike

Mad Mike

Well-known member
The media has been great at reporting downed riders this year, how about some pressure to followup on the bad guys? Sure the crash is sensational, but how about a little work to raise awareness of the penalties and victim suffering?

The number of left lane injuries and kills is sickening. MC riders are vulnerable road users just like cyclists and pedestrians. Sure there are some that create their own fate, but there are also a lot that are simply in the wrong place at the wrong time and meet a left lane loser or distracted driver at great personal cost.

Thoughts?
 
Somewhat typical post for the site. Someone potentially with a biased and myopic view, arguing their point while ignoring everything around them.

Perhaps, it's time to hang up the keys, and sell all those bikes? At least you could be here full time then. ;)

We'd need all of the evidence to be able to make any type of judgement, and that is not typically available.

If forewarned is forearmed, why does it continue? What changes can riders make to their riding to help prevent it?
 
It would interesting to be the accident scene investigator, trying to piece all the clues together into a coherent picture.
 
There is too much happening so all most people want is the Coles Notes version. Unless the victim is known to the reader the incident doesn't even register. The friends and relatives of the victims deserve more information but the fear of people jumping to conclusions outweighs their concerns. The delay mellows the emotions. In kangaroo courts there were a lot of lynchings.

The real problem is lax driver training and lax law enforcement. A large number of drivers point their vehicles and follow minimal laws. The politicians push the police to make money instead of improving road safety. Politicians pay lip service to distracted driving but permit roadside distractions.

If 20% of the drivers on the road lost their licenses think about the chaos in the job and real estate markets. No politician would sign the needed bill.

The vulnerable are consequential damage.
 
Baggsy said:
Somewhat typical post for the site. Someone potentially with a biased and myopic view, arguing their point while ignoring everything around them. ...
Click to expand...
Perhaps you could expand a little on this thought?
 
FLSTC said:
If they just took the airbags, seat belts, and other safety features out of cars, the situation would be self-correcting. If you smashed your face on a rigid steering wheel if you hit something, then you'd quickly learn, and most likely drive with greater care.

Sadly, I think we are regressing further with the advent of electronic guidance measures. The public is expecting for cars to save them from themselves. Looking back, perhaps the 70's Ralph Nader and Volvo safety-by-design initiatives were bad things and now result in overall more injuries and deaths because bad drivers are saved?

Maybe a similar thing is happening in bikes now, with traction control, abs, etc?
Click to expand...
I still think that after an at-fault crash that writes off your vehicle, you should be forced to drive something smaller. I know way too many people that keep increasing their vehicle size because they get in wrecks and want to be safer (at the expense of all of the poor bastards that they crash into).
 
Not exactly on topic and probably an unpopular opinion but anyways....I think motorcyclists as a whole need to take more responsibility for their choice of vehicle and what the potential outcomes can be if they find themselves on the wrong end of a collision with a car.

I do not like the cry for stiffer penalties or more laws to protect us. I've seen suggestions for automatic sentences in the case of left turners or in a collision where there is a death. My issue with this is how can we punish a driver to a greater degree then if the collision involved two cars and everyone walked away unscathed? We decide to ride these dumb things with no protection around 5000lbs of moving steel and rubber.

Unless there is massive negligence (dui, racing, other complete stupidity) I don't need to read a follow up report on what the outcome was for the car driver. There always has been and always will be collisions between vehicles. Just the way it is.
 
blackcamaro said:
Not exactly on topic and probably an unpopular opinion but anyways....I think motorcyclists as a whole need to take more responsibility for their choice of vehicle and what the potential outcomes can be if they find themselves on the wrong end of a collision with a car.

I do not like the cry for stiffer penalties or more laws to protect us. I've seen suggestions for automatic sentences in the case of left turners or in a collision where there is a death. My issue with this is how can we punish a driver to a greater degree then if the collision involved two cars and everyone walked away unscathed? We decide to ride these dumb things with no protection around 5000lbs of moving steel and rubber.

Unless there is massive negligence (dui, racing, other complete stupidity) I don't need to read a follow up report on what the outcome was for the car driver. There always has been and always will be collisions between vehicles. Just the way it is.
Click to expand...
Good to know we won't hear from you when some dipshit alters your life, except maybe when you tell us how you go to apologize to them for driving such a small and fragile vehicle, getting in the way of their left turn.
There are measures that reduce collisions. Just the way it is.
 
blackcamaro said:
Not exactly on topic and probably an unpopular opinion but anyways....I think motorcyclists as a whole need to take more responsibility for their choice of vehicle and what the potential outcomes can be if they find themselves on the wrong end of a collision with a car.

I do not like the cry for stiffer penalties or more laws to protect us. I've seen suggestions for automatic sentences in the case of left turners or in a collision where there is a death. My issue with this is how can we punish a driver to a greater degree then if the collision involved two cars and everyone walked away unscathed? We decide to ride these dumb things with no protection around 5000lbs of moving steel and rubber.

Unless there is massive negligence (dui, racing, other complete stupidity) I don't need to read a follow up report on what the outcome was for the car driver. There always has been and always will be collisions between vehicles. Just the way it is.
Click to expand...

There are definitely two sides... one that as motorcyclists we need to be careful and aware as we are putting ourselves at risks not having a cage, and two drivers of cars need to be accountable for foolish actions.


Sent from my iPhone using GTAMotorcycle.com mobile app
 
blackcamaro said:
Not exactly on topic and probably an unpopular opinion but anyways....I think motorcyclists as a whole need to take more responsibility for their choice of vehicle and what the potential outcomes can be if they find themselves on the wrong end of a collision with a car.

I do not like the cry for stiffer penalties or more laws to protect us. I've seen suggestions for automatic sentences in the case of left turners or in a collision where there is a death. My issue with this is how can we punish a driver to a greater degree then if the collision involved two cars and everyone walked away unscathed? We decide to ride these dumb things with no protection around 5000lbs of moving steel and rubber.

Unless there is massive negligence (dui, racing, other complete stupidity) I don't need to read a follow up report on what the outcome was for the car driver. There always has been and always will be collisions between vehicles. Just the way it is.
Click to expand...
I agree with some of your points. I don't think we need more laws, I think we need stiffer penalties and in some cases penalties ought to have stiffer consequences based on the severity of the infraction, aggravating circumstances, and/or outcome. Some laws are like that right now, however dangerous offences distracted driving, running red lights, and unsafe turns are set fines/demerits regardless of the outcome. The $85 fines is certainly not a deterrent.

Driving is a privilege, and with that comes responsibility. Drivers are responsible for operating their vehicle safely, which includes being aware aware of vulnerable road users. Breach your responsibility - lose some of your privilege.

As for followup, this is simply an awareness thing.
 
blackcamaro said:
Not exactly on topic and probably an unpopular opinion but anyways....I think motorcyclists as a whole need to take more responsibility for their choice of vehicle and what the potential outcomes can be if they find themselves on the wrong end of a collision with a car.

I do not like the cry for stiffer penalties or more laws to protect us. I've seen suggestions for automatic sentences in the case of left turners or in a collision where there is a death. My issue with this is how can we punish a driver to a greater degree then if the collision involved two cars and everyone walked away unscathed? We decide to ride these dumb things with no protection around 5000lbs of moving steel and rubber.

Unless there is massive negligence (dui, racing, other complete stupidity) I don't need to read a follow up report on what the outcome was for the car driver. There always has been and always will be collisions between vehicles. Just the way it is.
Click to expand...
With the amount of cagers i see EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. on their phones rather than looking at the road and traffic they're in, stiffer penalties for not paying attention are needed.
It's not about me the motorcyclists, it's about ALL THE OTHER ROAD USERS. They create traffic, they create accidents which create more traffic, they create very sketchy circumstances. Getting a driver's license should not also come with a license to kill. There should be penalties attached to that. Yes, sure, the motorcyclist has to do everything to not get hit. But equally, the driver who has a vehicle with the power to kill should take all the possible measures to make sure they don't end up doing so. Putting a text message before a life is unjustifiably selfish.
 
It is a push bike and not in southern Ontario but it gives an idea how the law works. The collision happened in 2018.

The story wouldn't have changed much if the victim was on a motorcycle.

The following is what happened"

MAGNETAWAN – UPDATE: Barrie cyclist dies after Almaguin hit and run, charges upgraded

The driver of a vehicle has been charged after he allegedly hit a cyclist on the side of Highway 124.

On June 17 at around 9 a.m. members of the Almaguin Highlands OPP investigated the crash learning a vehicle travelling eastbound on Highway 124 hit an eastbound cyclist causing her to land in the south side ditch.


June Bell, 70, of Barrie, was taken to hospital by ambulance with life threatening injuries while police say the driver of the vehicle had left the scene.

RELATED CONTENT
At approximately 9:15 p.m. police located the vehicle and driver in Parry Sound.

Darren Miller, 54, of Barrie, was charged with failure to stop at the scene of an accident causing bodily harm and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing bodily harm.

The accused will appear in Parry Sound court on June 18.



This is what the court decided:

MAGNETAWAN — Darren Miller has been found not guilty in the death of June Bell, a cyclist who was struck and suffered fatal injuries on Highway 124 in Magnetawan last summer.
Judge Catherine Mathias McDonald made her decision on June 27, in a Sundridge courtroom on the fourth day of Miller’s trial, which involved eight witnesses and 11 exhibits, including an autopsy which determined Bell’s cause of death to be blunt force trauma.
Members of the Almaguin Highlands OPP investigated the crash on June 17, 2018 around 9 a.m., learning a vehicle on Highway 124 hit a cyclist causing her to land in the ditch.

June Bell, 70, of Barrie, was taken to hospital by ambulance with life-threatening injuries while police say the driver of the vehicle had left the scene.
RELATED CONTENT
The accused, Darren Miller, 54 at the time of the accident, was located around 9:15 p.m. that day. Bell died in hospital the following day.
Miller was charged with failing to remain at the scene of a collision and dangerous driving causing death. He was found not guilty of both charges.
Judge McDonald heard that Bell, an avid cyclist, was at her cottage with family for the weekend to celebrate her birthday, leaving for a bike ride around 7:30 a.m.
Miller, who was described by a family member as depressed due to his father’s terminal illness, and having had limited sleep, was headed to a local café for breakfast at the time of the collision.
It was determined that he fell asleep at the wheel momentarily, clipped Bell with his vehicle and was awoken by the bang but did not realize he had hit a cyclist.
Rather, he thought it could have been a mailbox, the court heard, as the impact had thrown both her and her bicycle out of view into the south-side ditch on the highway. He then continued on his way.

YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN...
V_panel
NEWS
UPDATE: Two vehicle collision on Hwy 124 in South...
V_panel
NEWS
Court date for accused in death of Perry Township...
V_panel
NEWS
North Bay police seeking suspect's identity in...
Defence lawyer David Wilcox submitted that Miller did not realize he was not in a state to drive that morning, and that since he was not aware he had hit a cyclist, he did not know he was leaving the scene of an accident.
The court heard that the only witness of the collision, a driver of a westbound vehicle, “was shocked when the vehicle drifted slightly to its right over the fog line and clipped the cyclist.”
Shortly after, Miller realized he didn’t have his wallet. He passed several vehicles pulled over on the side of the road on his way back, but no emergency services had arrived. The only sign of a cyclist was a helmet on the shoulder, which may have not been visible to him as he passed.

He returned home, is said to have taken a nap around noon, and was located and arrested by police on the highway on his way home to Barrie.
Wilcox stated that all of Miller’s actions following the collision were consistent with someone who was unaware that they had struck someone, and thus it could not be considered a marked departure where he was actively trying to escape civil or criminal liability.
The Crown submitted that Miller was aware of certain risks given his lack of sleep, distraction because of his father’s terminal illness and overall state of mind. But Justice McDonald found that given there was no speed or impairment involved, and Miller said in a video testimony that he would have stopped if he knew he had hit someone, she did not believe the accident warranted a criminal conviction.
“Mr. Miller and June Bell were strangers to one another and this unfortunate accident occurred,” she said. “This clearly is a tragedy that has taken the life of June Bell and altered the lives of the Bell family, as well as the Miller family.”
Danielle Marr

by Danielle Marr
Danielle Marr is a reporter covering the unique communities which make up the Almaguin Highlands of the East Parry Sound Region.
Email: dmarr@metroland.com Facebook Twitter

End of quotes.

Darren Miller gets off because:

His father had a terminal illness that made him depressed.

- we all have parents and would be depressed if they were ill so it's OK to kill someone.

He didn't realize he was unfit to drive due to lack of sleep.

- how is this different than the now banned "Drunk defense"

The only punishment to Miller is that the charges were criminal and his legal bill will be in the tens of thousands. With left turn crashes I get the impression the fines are under a thousand dollars and few points.
 
Mad Mike said:
The media has been great at reporting downed riders this year, how about some pressure to followup on the bad guys? Sure the crash is sensational, but how about a little work to raise awareness of the penalties and victim suffering?

The number of left lane injuries and kills is sickening. MC riders are vulnerable road users just like cyclists and pedestrians. Sure there are some that create their own fate, but there are also a lot that are simply in the wrong place at the wrong time and meet a left lane loser or distracted driver at great personal cost.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

You are absolutely right. I think a few letters to the editors of The Red Star and The Sun might help with this.
 
@MRR11.6 cute post. Thanks for the well wishes ;)

@Mad Mike I can see situations such as running a red light or illegal turn being mistakes (Admittedly tough to argue the stance of a red light being a mistake). If I'm on the wrong end of that situation and the outcome is worse for me because I rode my bike that day and didn't drive a car, the driver shouldn't face harsher punishment due to the higher likelihood of injuries or possible death because I rode my bike that day. Their action was the exact same just the result is different because I was on a bike. $85 is low but I don't need someone eating a dangerous driving causing death type charge. I do not expect perfection out on the roads and the only thing I can control is the positions I put myself into.

@LePhillou and also Mike, you can toss being on a phone/distracted driving into the negligence I mention in my earlier post. Give them a dangerous charge and by all means follow up on the story. I'm agree.
 
Sideways slant - I wonder how many people are out there riding or driving dirty ?
No licence or insurance, stolen plates, dui - no wonder they don't stick around.
Jail time is the only answer, IMO.
 
I choose to believe that most people who know they have caused injury or death by their aggressive or distracted driving, would by punished by their own conscience more than any fine or jail time could amount to.
 
Lakota said:
I choose to believe that most people who know they have caused injury or death by their aggressive or distracted driving, would by punished by their own conscience more than any fine or jail time could amount to.
Click to expand...
Oh, absolutely without question. PTSD after killing a motorist will linger for years.
 
TK4 said:
Sideways slant - I wonder how many people are out there riding or driving dirty ?
No licence or insurance, stolen plates, dui - no wonder they don't stick around.
Jail time is the only answer, IMO.
Click to expand...
I lean towards civil penalties if possible. The jails are full of people I dont want wandering around. If you can seize all of their worldly assets (or at least a solid percentage like 25%+) people will take notice.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom