We can argue what the law SHOULD be...but in practice, it is my feeling that there is rarely prosecution in these cases currently...and even more rarely convictions.
The exception would be in cases where alcohol is involved. To me, being drunk while driving and being inattentive while driving are no different. Some studies have actually shown that it is worse to drive tired than to drive drunk. But our society says that drunks are BAD and people who don't pay attention are NORMAL. I think that there needs to be enhanced penalties when a bicyclist or pedestrian is killed by a motor vehicle driver and the driver is found at fault. Like a hate-crime law (I'm not saying it is a hate-crime...but like in the case of hate-crimes...it is a violation that society has long accepted as "okay" and there needs to be a way to change society's view). This may be a pie-in-the-sky hope, though. When I've bounced the idea off of elected officials, they basically said that it is not a concept that could get any traction. People feel too sorry for those that run over bikes and peds...they identify more with the motorist than with the bicyclist or pedestrian for some odd reason. The only glimmer of hope...30 years ago drunk driving wasn't considered a big deal either. It took MADD to change that. So a change in society's perceptions is possible...but it takes a determined effort and time. -Dar __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
_______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
