Death = $750 fine

[6maniac]

http://www.thecourier.com.au/story/1272 ... oad/?cs=62

[Possum]

This makes my already high blood pressure boil.
and then to say.. Oh but the driver is taumatised by the event - Fuk me what the hell do you think the rider is feeling with physical and mental injuries, the death of his wife and a trashed biked.

They have just called the election. Time is now to do something about this.

In the mean time -Keep your eyes peeled when out on the road, because clearly no-one else is.

[robracer]

FFS thats just wrong

[fireyrob]

Negligent actions causing death $750 WTF!!!

[Gosling1]

that is so many kinds of fucked......

[Nosferatu]

Just goes to show, a motorcyclists life is only worth $750. If it was the other way round though, I bet the rider would have had the book thrown at them.

[dickfaber]

i'm surprised they didnt fine the rider, especially after the tac advert on tv proving that the rider must have been speeding



and not to mention the fender eliminator

[dilligaf]

I know that corner. The bike's come around a left hand sweeper and the corners just on the exit. Go in there to fish in the lake and I need to be a bit careful. There's a picnic ground and mineral springs so it gets a bit of weekend traffic turning there.

http://goo.gl/maps/4tg4w

[Phil]

What a fucking joke, you can get a bigger fine for over taking over double yelow lines on the old road or Nasho.........this country is fucked up, big time

[6maniac]

I would suggest that it's the judicial system that's totally fucked, rather than the country ....

[mick_dundee]

A bit of discussion with the VMC on Farcebook about this, for what it's worth our value has increased a little, or maybe it's a QLd thing, Geelong motorcyclist that gor run over about 7 years ago, diver got fined $550.. so we have increased in vlaue but yes, ya gotta wonder, cyclist, pedestrian my tip is the driver gets the Sydney yellow pages thrown at them and I agree with Ron, the system is indeed fubar, shit I get fined half that just by being 20kmh over the speed limit, no injury to person or vehicle.

[Glen]

And here at work one of our GM's has just done three months in Wacol because he head onned a woman and killed her. Sounds bad...... He was forced onto the wrong side of the road by a truck that changed lanes on him the woman was on a mobile phone and had no seatbelt on. Still his fault butin Qld apparently if you have an acco and kill someone and you are at fault no matter the circumstances its a mandatory sentence. Even the judge said he didnt want to stick him away.

We have strange systems....

[Naked Twin]

So what would be a fair thing? Playing a little devils advocate here so don't shoot me.

Are we prosecuting the crime or the outcome? If there had only been minor injuries there would be no out cry, but the crime would be the same. What if the rider wasn't wearing protective equipment? What if they were speeding?

We don't know the circumstances, but we judge quickly.

What would be achieved by a heavier penalty? Does anyone go I don't need to look as I will only get a $750 fine, no they don't. There are no winners here and there is little evidence to suggest a heavier penalty would alter the outcome, as how could there be a heavier penalty than taking someone's life?

There is really good article written about vision from an airforce pilot that helps understand how our vision works and the fact we haven't evolved to be able to handle driving/ riding. Rather scary when you think about it.

Without going into detail as I can't find the bloody article. Our vision works on the basis to be object focused, when hunting you don't want/ need to have to see all the trees as you want to focus on the animal you are hunting. It is like riding on a train your eyes continually dart, focusing on a single item for a brief second. So when you scan the road, you aren't actually scanning as you might like to think but focusing on single items. In the article is a simple test. Go to a car park with two cars parked side by side and focus on one cars numberplate, now try read the other one without actually focusing on it, it can't be done, you can see it but can't read it, no matter how you try. That is how someone has the sorry I didn't see you moment. The only way we can stop it is to improve the skills and knowledge so that people understand why this happens.

[Sparks_333]

Interesting viewpoint and information about vision Naked.

I agree that the crime of failing to give way should be punished as just that, however the outcome should have a bearing on the consequences thus reminding people that they are liable for the outcome of their actions. Even a "small" misdemeanor on the road can be disastrous for riders and it's unfair to assume that it's our fault for being on two wheels.

I think it should be like other graded crimes. We have "assault occasioning actual bodily harm" and "assault occasioning death", why don't we have "failing to give way occasioning death"?

You can't claim to be unfairly punished for pushing someone down the stairs to their death, just because last time you did it they only got carpet burn on the way down.

[Nelso]

There are more options to make up for an action than fines and jail time. Why not sentence her to 1000 hours community service over ten years where she has to educate young drivers about the dangers of inattentive driving. At least then she would do some good to make up for her crime.

The more I hear about the inconsistent actions of judges, the more I am disillusioned about our so called justice system. It's dead set appalling.