Assassination Attempts

So after her sentencing earlier this week, there was a bit of a public outcry - it seemed that killing another driver in a journey during which she’d sent 20 text messages is deemed to be worth more than 21 months inside by the UK’s Joe Public. The Attorney General is reviewing the case, and...
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This today via Adrian Fitch’s Random Ramblings - a story about bicycle helmets, accidents and blame as reported in BikeRadar. Putting it simply: Involved in an accident on a bike? Hit by another vehicle, and suffer a head injury as a result? Weren’t you wearing a helmet? Then you’re partially to blame. Maybe. Or at least that’s one...
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So Phillippa Curtis, the 21 year-old who sent 20 text messages and made a bunch of phone calls before hitting a stationary vehicle & killing it’s occupant, Victoria McBryde, has now jailed for 21 months. Despite the evidence of her own experience, when in court, she claimed that it was sometimes acceptable to use a...
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I was working at a client’s on the Team Valley today, and over lunchtime, I put together a post that I immediately decided to embargo for just over a fortnight. My reasons may become clearer later. So on the way home, I was wondering what to write about, and surprisingly enough a couple of drivers...
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I still had to do my daily run on Wednesday, even though Algernond and I had just been skiing across the whole of the Three Valleys. Somewhere around 30 miles or so on our skis, and somewhat less in various lifts along the way. So I did an ‘easy’ road run - up towards Méribel...
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A lot of cyclists get obsessed with high-visibility. Day-glo jackets, Scotchlite tape, more blinking LEDs than you can shake a stick at, and even changing the paint jobs on their bikes with stick-on patches. But there are two other things that you can use to make yourself more visible - especially to drivers of car’s...
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Some of you may remember the video I made last year about The World’s Shortest Cycle Lane. This was in Gateshead, next to their shiny new college, and a mere ten metres long. At the time, several commenters, and Gateshead Council’s extremely friendly and approachable* Team Leader for Traffic Projects and Rights of Way said...
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So I used to think that I was maybe a little paranoid about the way people drive around bikes. Or more specifically, about how people drive around my bike, when I’m riding it. But after today, I’ve realised that it isn’t paranoia - they really are all out to get me. Today I had FIVE assassination...
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This via Tom Vanderbilt’s ‘How We Drive’ blog (think of it as the blog of the book): Coming soon - a mobile phone blocking key for your car. It’s paired to your phone, and when the key’s in the ignition, it blocks all incoming and outgoing calls & SMS text messages. Anyone calling you get’s...
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. . . because, then it’s really quite safe to do so. And I’m sure that you can hold your phone in a hand that’s resting on top of the steering wheel, so that you can keep an eye on the road ahead AND on the text message you’re composing or reading. Or at least...
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