A CriticalRe vie w ofth e Le gal Pe nal tie s for Drive rs W h o K il l Cycl is ts or Pe de s trians Th is s tudy re vie w s th e re gul ation ofm otor ve h icl e s in Britain, and in particul ar th e pros e cution ofdrive rs w h o k il lcycl is ts and pe de s trians . Th e re fol l ow s a brie fs um m ary ofits m ain findings ;s e e w w w .jak e -v.co.uk /cycl ing for th e ful lre s e arch .
Ke y Findings O nl y h al fth e UK popul ation are re gul ar drive rs Eve ry ye ar as m any pe de s trian and cycl is t fatal itie s occur on Britain's roads as al lcom bine d h om icide s A dis proportionate l yl arge num be r ofpe de s trian cas ual tie s are ch il dre n, pe ns ione rs , and pe opl e from e conom ical l y dis advantage d back grounds A dis proportionate l yl arge num be r ofdrive rs are m iddl e age d, profe s s ional , and m al e Th os e drive rs w h o are convicte d ofk il l ing vul ne rabl e road us e rs are routine l yl e s s h ars h l y punis h e d th an oth e r crim inal s w h o caus e com parabl e de ath s w ith out inte nt Dange rous and care l ess drive rs are notre garde d by th e judiciary to be 're al ' crim inal s J Voe l ck e r
W ith th e e xpone ntial grow th in popul arity of th e autom obil e ove r th e pas t ce ntury, jurie s h ave be com e unw il l ing to convict drive rs of m ans l augh te r, pe rh aps be caus e w h e n cons ide ring th e pl igh t of th e de fe ndant an e ve r l arge r num be r of fe l l ow drive rs on th e jury fe l t 'th e re , but for th e grace of God, go I'. Th e introduction of s pe cific m otoring offe nce s in th e 19 50's and 60's s uch as Caus ing De ath by Dange rous Driving offe re d jurie s an al te rnative ch arge to m ans l augh te r. But w ith e ach ne w road traffic l aw th e pe nal tie s for convicte d drive rs h ave l e s s e ne d, and th e l ik e l ih ood of drive rs be ing found guil ty h as de cre as e d.
th an m e n are l ice ns e d drive rs . And th e re is an age diffe re ntial : l e s s th an a th ird of 17-20 ye ar ol ds are drive rs , and onl y h al f of th os e age d 70 and ove r h ol d a l ice nce . Conve rs e l y, th e s e are pre cis e l y th e s ocialgroups w h o are dis proportional l y m ore l ik e l y to be k il l e d as pe de s trians or cycl is ts , and are l e as t l ik e l y to be pol icy m ak e rs or l e galofficial s in a pos ition to ch al l e nge th e s tatus q uo or ch ange th e l aw : m os t pol iticians , s e nior pol ice office rs , and judge s are affl ue nt m iddl e -age d m al e drive rs .
Re s pons ibil ity for H arm
Drive rs h ave cons e nte d, al be it tacitl y, to th e ris k s inh e re nt in driving. It is th e drive r w h o Cl as s and SocialPow e r ch oos e s to us e th e car, and is Th e re is a com m on th e re fore caus al l y re s pons ibl e for m is conce ption th at al m os t e ve ryone in Britain is a m otoris t; Non-drive rs face a in fact l e s s th an h al f of th e UK dis m alch oice : e ith e r popul ation are drive rs . ne ve r l e ave th e h ous e , Furth e rm ore , th e de m ograph ic or ris k ge tting k il l e d by bre ak dow n of drive rs and nons om e one e l s e 's car drive rs is an unbal ance d one . A cl e ar corre l ation e xis ts be tw e e n incom e and car ow ne rs h ip: h al f th e pre s e nce of th e dange r. of Britain's poore s t fam il ie s Cycl is ts and pe de s trians ne e d cannot afford a car, w h il s t th e give no s uch cons e nt re garding rich e s t fifth m ay h ave tw o or m otor ve h icl e s : a cycl is t m igh t th re e cars e ach . Th e re is al so a l e gitim ate l y w ant to us e th e s e x ine q ual ity: a fifth l e s s w om e n publ ic h igh w ay, ye t m igh t not April2007
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