Driver kills two more

[Aggie_Ama]

She is out driving her minivan again (probably with cell phone and kids).

I may be wrong but it seems like this woman would genuinely feel remorse for her actions but she should still have her license suspended. This kid obviously didn't care at all. I agree that he should ride a bike for the rest of his life once he is out of jail.

We recently had a local Eye Doctor killed when a youg guy hit him while speeding on the wrong side of the county road. The cyclist was obeying all laws yet the grand jury declined to bring charges against the driver. I try to avoid Hays County for this reason.

[Trek420]

Personally, I feel the laws need to change to protect cyclists ... but that is another post.

I'm not a lawyer but personally I feel the law needs to protect the most vulnerable. Several tons of flying steel vs 150 lbs or so combined bike and rider. You pick who's more vulnerable. As far as I'm concerned if drivers are driving while simultaneously yacking chatting texting downloading .... they intend to hit something.

What I am is a phone company worker, a teeny tiny itsy bitsy cog in a beeg company. Your phone, land or cell does some pretty fricking amazing stuff: caller id, voicemail, forward the calls to where you're going next, sort by priority, screen calls you don't even want to answer, voice activated dialing so if you gotta call there's no reason one should be looking at the phone etc.

Hang up and drive or pull over and call, the calls and information will be there when you arrive safely. And never make intense, emotional calls while driving. "I'm running late, I picked up dinner" is one thing "I'm running away with the circus clown" is another.

If drivers can't work their phone in the first place .... probably should not be driving either This is not company policy but I'd say this is the way most of us reps feel about those who can't talk and drive responsibly.

Many communities are starting to make hands free devices the law. I think that's at least a good start.

[Starfish]

And, there are a LOT of factors that make risk of accidents increase. For instance, I understand (do not have stats handy, but my brother, an insurance agent, told me) that people in the midst of divorce proceedings are much, much more statistically likely to be involved in car accidents. Having been divorced, I can thoroughly believe this.

I think there are probably a lot of factors that we need to look at as drivers, ourselves, if we want to be as responsible as possible behind the wheel. I mean, I know that I did not always call and ask for a ride, instead of driving myself, when I was upset about my divorce. Or when I was on the way to the hospital to see my Dad after he had pulled out all his IV's and tried to escape, or...(fill in other upsetting/distracting life circumstances).

[silver]

And, there are a LOT of factors that make risk of accidents increase. For instance, I understand (do not have stats handy, but my brother, an insurance agent, told me) that people in the midst of divorce proceedings are much, much more statistically likely to be involved in car accidents. Having been divorced, I can thoroughly believe this.

I think there are probably a lot of factors that we need to look at as drivers, ourselves, if we want to be as responsible as possible behind the wheel. I mean, I know that I did not always call and ask for a ride, instead of driving myself, when I was upset about my divorce. Or when I was on the way to the hospital to see my Dad after he had pulled out all his IV's and tried to escape, or...(fill in other upsetting/distracting life circumstances).

Agreed. Driving a car....it's a privilege. We shouldn't do it when we are upset or distracted. The young man that hit Sam was driving to the store to buy a shirt to wear to his friends funeral. His mother was going to meet him at the store. The young man was upset about his friend.....was his defense. Well, then......don't drive. The friend that passed away....she had died after driving drunk into a lake. What is so wrong with asking someone to drive for us?

I couldn't drive home after Sam's accident. I had to compose myself. i did drive home after a bit, but in hindsight, I probably shouldn't have.

[Starfish]

We shouldn't do it when we are upset or distracted. ...but in hindsight, I probably shouldn't have.

We shouldn't, but who among us hasn't had at least a couple of those times when we got where we were going and didn't really remember the drive? Some things, like DUI, can and should be (better) regulated.

We will always have human beings behind the wheel.

[Aggie_Ama]

Yes it is hard to say I am too upset to drive... When my grandfather died I knew I couldn't drive, I had just sat on the floor in the middle of a Lowe's (my job at the time) and starting crying hysterically. I left my car at work and let my fiance drive me home and then another hour to meet my parents. I did not drive myself anywhere for five days.

I wasn't that smart when my dad told me he had colon cancer. I drove home crying only focusing on getting home. I could hardly compose myself, was borderline hyper-ventilating and didn't even remember the drive. It was one of the stupidest things I could have done. On that occasion it is scary to think how easy it would have been for me to not notice a pedestrian, cyclist or motorcycle. But we are human and we do make poor choices. DUI is not a stupid choice it is a crime.

[silver]

I do agree that we should get a better handle on the DUI issue. in this circumstance (same teen kills 3 cyclists) apparantly the case was sealed because he was a minor on the first offense. Because I can't find anything on his punishment....

[RoadRaven]

Just stunned... why and how could this happen - did this kid learn nothing in the 2 years? Did no-one give him driving education? Feed him stories of victims and survivors? Teach him about defensive driving?

Just gob-smacked...

[Zen]

Just stunned... why and how could this happen - did this kid learn nothing in the 2 years? Did no-one give him driving education? Feed him stories of victims and survivors? ...

No, he learned nothing because we live in a society where most people won't take responsibility for their own actions and parents have become enablers and examples of this behavior.

We don't get to see many examples of responsible behavior, either. Every time some member of congress screws up they blame it on alcohol or something other than their own lack of judgment.

[Starfish]

DUI is not a stupid choice it is a crime.

Unlike some other stupid choices, DUI is both.

[Aggie_Ama]

I do agree that we should get a better handle on the DUI issue. in this circumstance (same teen kills 3 cyclists) apparantly the case was sealed because he was a minor on the first offense. Because I can't find anything on his punishment....

And if it is like Texas they will not be able to mention it in his new trial or punishment phase. Many times this will lead to a reduced charge or sentence being handed down by the jury.