Another cyclist death on our roads, another pitiful punishment for the driver responsible.
I refer to the recent trial of Peter Barraclough, who was handed a five-month suspended sentence with 250 hours of unpaid work for his conviction in relation to the death of a veteran cyclist partaking in a time trial near Thirsk last year (Death driver spared jail, June 22).
This follows on from two other notable incidents reported in the national news recently.
The first was the successful campaign by the CTC to refer to the court of appeal the shocking sentence of only a five-year ban and 300 hours of community service handed to Gary McCourt. This followed his second conviction of a cyclist death by reckless driving in Edinburgh in 2011.
It was reported Barraclough showed great remorse and this contributed to his lenient sentence. Nevertheless, to escape jail and what should be the absolute minimum of a substantial driving ban for causing death by careless driving makes a mockery of any semblance of justice, and does not act as a viable deterrent.
To counter this, it is time to review the driving test so as to provide instruction on the vulnerabilities of other highway users. This could perhaps be coupled with practical experience on a bicycle to raise awareness of the dangers faced by cyclists.
Also, a strong message should be sent out by the courts that any death caused by dangerous or careless driving will be treated seriously – the perpetrators of such crimes should expect to face the penalty of the bare minimum of a significant driving ban and custodial sentence– repeat offenders should be banned from driving for life.
Baz Buchanan, Teal Drive, York.
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