A 30-year-old Suffolk man accused of causing the death of a cyclist by dangerous driving in Bury St Edmunds used his phone to send a WhatsApp message shortly before the fatal collision, it has been alleged.

Alexander Martin was driving his Nissan Qashqai home from work along Newmarket Road in the town towards the A14 when he hit the back of a cycle ridden by 65-year-old Stephen Lawrence from Risby, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Mr Lawrence, who was wearing a hi-vis jacket and a red baseball cap, was catapulted into the air and hit the windscreen of the Qashqai before landing in the road behind the vehicle, said William Carter, prosecuting.

He suffered catastrophic injuries and was declared dead at the scene.

Martin, of Tulyar Walk, Newmarket, has denied causing death by dangerous driving on April 12, 2021 and an alternative less serious charge of causing Mr Lawrence's death by careless driving.

Mr Carter told the court that shortly before the fatal collision, at around 6pm, Martin had stopped at a Shell garage to buy a drink and could be seen looking down doing something as he left.

An examination of his phone showed he had sent a WhatsApp message 34 seconds before making a 999 call following the collision.

“You may be driven to the conclusion that he was in fact using his phone during the journey between the garage and the crash,” said Mr Carter.

He said that a windscreen wiper on the driver’s side of the Qashqai was broken and the windscreen had been “extremely” dirty.

After his arrest, Martin claimed that Mr Lawrence had hit the kerb or for some reason had swerved in front of him immediately before the collision.

However, Mr Carter said that expert evidence from an accident investigator didn’t support that.

“We say that for whatever reason he didn’t see him,” said Carter.

The trial continues.

https://www.burymercury.co.uk/news/23587045.newmarket-driver-allegedly-whatsapp-fatal-crash/

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> A 30-year-old Suffolk man accused of causing the death of a cyclist by
> dangerous driving in Bury St Edmunds used his phone to send a WhatsApp
> message shortly before the fatal collision, it has been alleged.
>
> Alexander Martin was driving his Nissan Qashqai home from work along
> Newmarket Road in the town towards the A14 when he hit the back of a
> cycle ridden by 65-year-old Stephen Lawrence from Risby, Ipswich Crown Court heard.
>
> Mr Lawrence, who was wearing a hi-vis jacket and a red baseball cap, was
> catapulted into the air and hit the windscreen of the Qashqai before
> landing in the road behind the vehicle, said William Carter, prosecuting.
>
> He suffered catastrophic injuries and was declared dead at the scene.
>
> Martin, of Tulyar Walk, Newmarket, has denied causing death by dangerous
> driving on April 12, 2021 and an alternative less serious charge of
> causing Mr Lawrence's death by careless driving.
>
> Mr Carter told the court that shortly before the fatal collision, at
> around 6pm, Martin had stopped at a Shell garage to buy a drink and could
> be seen looking down doing something as he left.
>
> An examination of his phone showed he had sent a WhatsApp message 34
> seconds before making a 999 call following the collision.
>
> “You may be driven to the conclusion that he was in fact using his phone
> during the journey between the garage and the crash,” said Mr Carter.
>

Or that he pressed ‘send’ while in the Garage, perfectly legal, but the
signal was poor and it didn’t ‘go’. He put down his phone and drove out of
the garage etc.

When he moved, not handling his phone, the system retried and the message
was sent as he moved into a better signal area.

QUOTE: After his arrest, Martin claimed that Mr Lawrence had hit the kerb or for some reason had swerved in front of him immediately before the collision.

However, Mr Carter said that expert evidence from an accident investigator didn’t support that. ENDS

What a nasty thing to do to a dead man that can't defend himself - make up lies about him.

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:

> QUOTE: After his arrest, Martin claimed that Mr Lawrence had hit the kerb
> or for some reason had swerved in front of him immediately before the collision.

> However, Mr Carter said that expert evidence from an accident
> investigator didn’t support that. ENDS

> What a nasty thing to do to a dead man that can't defend himself - make up lies about him.

Just look at the vitriol thrown at Kim Briggs and her husband, after being
slaughtered by Charlie Alliston.

‘Weirdy beardy man’ was the last insult you (re)posted on here, only
yesterday, about Mr Briggs.

I didn’t notice you complaining about that, you snivelling pea-brained
hypocrite.

--
Spike

QUOTE: Mr Lawrence, who was wearing a hi-vis jacket and a red baseball cap, was catapulted into the air and hit the windscreen of the Qashqai before landing in the road behind the vehicle, said William Carter, prosecuting.ENDS

Looks like a pro-cyclist court for a change as they don't believe the hit kerb lie and there is no lack of plastic hat bollocks.

Spike <Aero.Spike@mail.invalid> wrote:
> swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> QUOTE: After his arrest, Martin claimed that Mr Lawrence had hit the kerb
>> or for some reason had swerved in front of him immediately before the collision.
>
>> However, Mr Carter said that expert evidence from an accident
>> investigator didn’t support that. ENDS
>
>> What a nasty thing to do to a dead man that can't defend himself - make up lies about him.
>
> Just look at the vitriol thrown at Kim Briggs and her husband, after being
> slaughtered by Charlie Alliston.
>
> ‘Weirdy beardy man’ was the last insult you (re)posted on here, only
> yesterday, about Mr Briggs.
>
> I didn’t notice you complaining about that, you snivelling pea-brained
> hypocrite.
>

Don’t forget the innocent pedestrian, put in fear of her life by a cyclist
on the pavement who then lost control of her bike an fell off under a car.
The pedestrian ended up in jail.

QUOTE: Martin, of Tulyar Walk, Newmarket, has denied causing death by dangerous driving. ENDS

CDBDD = SERIOUS BIZNIZZ.

Should have fessed up early doors as per.

On 14/06/2023 05:49 pm, Spike wrote:

> swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> QUOTE: After his arrest, Martin claimed that Mr Lawrence had hit the kerb
>> or for some reason had swerved in front of him immediately before the collision.
>> However, Mr Carter said that expert evidence from an accident
>> investigator didn’t support that. ENDS
>> What a nasty thing to do to a dead man that can't defend himself - make up lies about him.
>
> Just look at the vitriol thrown at Kim Briggs and her husband, after being
> slaughtered by Charlie Alliston.
> ‘Weirdy beardy man’ was the last insult you (re)posted on here, only
> yesterday, about Mr Briggs.
> I didn’t notice you complaining about that, you snivelling pea-brained
> hypocrite.

"snivelling pea-brained hypocrite"?

Mad Mason?

Oh come off it. He's not THAT good!

QUOTE: However, Mr Carter said that expert evidence from an accident investigator didn’t support that.

“We say that for whatever reason he didn’t see him,” said Carter. ENDS

Obviously more interested in "Whats App", whatever that is.

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> QUOTE: However, Mr Carter said that expert evidence from an accident
> investigator didn’t support that.
>
> “We say that for whatever reason he didn’t see him,” said Carter. ENDS
>
> Obviously more interested in "Whats App", whatever that is.

The usual trick is get a second expert accident investigator either to
contradict the first one or to show that an alternative description of
events was possible.

Plus check the phone coverage in the garage to raise as per Brian’s
suggestion the possibility that the message didn’t send until the car had
driven away, picked up the cell tower, and finally sent the message. If the
latter took say a minute, it could raise the serious question of the phone
not actually being handled while the car was being driven.

--
Spike

QUOTE: Mr Carter told the court that shortly before the fatal collision, at around 6pm, Martin had stopped at a Shell garage to buy a drink and could be seen looking down doing something as he left.ENDS

You see them all the time - the nodding dog drivers looking down into their laps instead of looking where they're going.
Disgraceful habit is far too common these days.

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> QUOTE: Mr Carter told the court that shortly before the fatal collision,
> at around 6pm, Martin had stopped at a Shell garage to buy a drink and
> could be seen looking down doing something as he left.ENDS
>
> You see them all the time - the nodding dog drivers looking down into
> their laps instead of looking where they're going.
> Disgraceful habit is far too common these days.

The great thing about a car is that the driver isn’t forced to look at the
front axle, unlike cyclists:

<https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9OrKLGEOVRA>

--
Spike

10 million drivers admit using handheld phones while driving.

Using a mobile phone while driving contributed to crashes in which 43 people died and 135 were seriously injured on Britain’s roads in 2017, Department for Transport figures show.

But yeah, we need to crack down on hoodlums in lycra because that’s where the real hazard is.

Every time I cycle, or even in the car in a queue, I see folk ‘nodding heads’ looking at phone in thier lap or holding a phone. It’s an epidemic.

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> 10 million drivers admit using handheld phones while driving.
>
> Using a mobile phone while driving contributed to crashes in which 43
> people died and 135 were seriously injured on Britain’s roads in 2017,
> Department for Transport figures show.
>
> But yeah, we need to crack down on hoodlums in lycra because that’s where
> the real hazard is.
>
> Every time I cycle, or even in the car in a queue, I see folk ‘nodding
> heads’ looking at phone in thier lap or holding a phone. It’s an epidemic.

Epidemic? Innit just:

<https://news.sky.com/video/cyclist-on-phone-crashes-into-gate-11252672>

Blood and at least five teeth were scattered across the pavement.

--
Spike

A motorist who smashed into a family's car while looking at his mobile phone has been jailed for 10 years for killing a mother and three children.

Tracy Houghton, 45, her sons Ethan, 13, and Josh, 11, and stepdaughter Aimee Goldsmith, also 11, died in the crash on the A34, near Newbury in Berkshire, on 10 August.

Lorry driver Tomasz Kroker ploughed into the family's stationary car at 50mph while scrolling through music on his mobile phone.

Their car was shunted underneath the back of a heavy goods vehicle and crushed to a third of its size.

The family, from Bedfordshire, who were making their way home from a camping holiday in Devon, were killed instantly.

Kroker, from Andover in Hampshire, broke down at the scene, crying and saying to himself: "I've killed them."

But he also tried to claim his brakes had failed, telling officers the traffic in front of him "just stopped - I hit my brakes but just couldn't stop".

The court heard the 30-year-old was so distracted by his phone he barely looked at the road for almost a kilometre.

Sentencing Kroker on Monday at Reading Crown Court, Judge Maura McGowan told him his attention to the road was so poor, he "might as well have had his eyes closed".

Just an hour before the pile-up he had signed a declaration to his employer, promising he would not use his phone at the wheel.

His truck smashed into a stationary queue of two lorries and four smaller vehicles which were stuck behind a slow-moving articulated lorry near the villages of East and West Ilsley at around 5.10pm.

A man was also seriously injured and four other people hurt in the crash.

Dash-cam footage showed Kroker using his phone less than a second before impact, looking up with sudden horror on his face.

His lorry ploughed into a Mazda which was thrown on to its roof, before smashing into a Citroen driven by Ms Houghton's partner Mark Goldsmith, who was with his 13-year-old son Jake.

Prosecutor Charles Ward-Jackson said: "It is a particularly distressing feature that the two surviving members of the family were in the car behind, and a 13-year-old boy was forced to witness at close range the deaths of four members of close family."

Aimee's mother Kate Goldsmith said the prison term "does not do justice to the crime committed".

In a family statement outside the court, she said Kroker's actions turned his lorry into a "lethal weapon".

"He was so distracted, he made no attempt to slow down. The sentence of 10 years in prison will not ease our pain and suffering," she said.

"Nor do we believe it will send a strong enough message to those who lack the self-restraint to not use their mobile phones whilst driving.

"It only takes a second of distraction to kill someone.

"Our children lost their lives because of the reckless actions of Tomasz Kroker."

She urged motorists to think twice about using a mobile phone whilst driving, and in a Thames Valley Police video posted online, added that it "sickens" her when she continues to see drivers breaking the law.

Kroker had pleaded guilty to four counts of causing death by dangerous driving and one count of causing serious injury by dangerous driving at a previous hearing.

Date of incident 10 August 2016

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> A motorist who smashed into a family's car while looking at his mobile
> phone has been jailed for 10 years for killing a mother and three children.
>
> Tracy Houghton, 45, her sons Ethan, 13, and Josh, 11, and stepdaughter
> Aimee Goldsmith, also 11, died in the crash on the A34, near Newbury in
> Berkshire, on 10 August.
>
> Lorry driver Tomasz Kroker ploughed into the family's stationary car at
> 50mph while scrolling through music on his mobile phone.
>
> Their car was shunted underneath the back of a heavy goods vehicle and
> crushed to a third of its size.
>
> The family, from Bedfordshire, who were making their way home from a
> camping holiday in Devon, were killed instantly.
>
> Kroker, from Andover in Hampshire, broke down at the scene, crying and
> saying to himself: "I've killed them."
>
> But he also tried to claim his brakes had failed, telling officers the
> traffic in front of him "just stopped - I hit my brakes but just couldn't stop".
>
> The court heard the 30-year-old was so distracted by his phone he barely
> looked at the road for almost a kilometre.
>
> Sentencing Kroker on Monday at Reading Crown Court, Judge Maura McGowan
> told him his attention to the road was so poor, he "might as well have
> had his eyes closed".
>
> Just an hour before the pile-up he had signed a declaration to his
> employer, promising he would not use his phone at the wheel.
>
> His truck smashed into a stationary queue of two lorries and four smaller
> vehicles which were stuck behind a slow-moving articulated lorry near the
> villages of East and West Ilsley at around 5.10pm.
>
> A man was also seriously injured and four other people hurt in the crash.
>
> Dash-cam footage showed Kroker using his phone less than a second before
> impact, looking up with sudden horror on his face.
>
> His lorry ploughed into a Mazda which was thrown on to its roof, before
> smashing into a Citroen driven by Ms Houghton's partner Mark Goldsmith,
> who was with his 13-year-old son Jake.
>
> Prosecutor Charles Ward-Jackson said: "It is a particularly distressing
> feature that the two surviving members of the family were in the car
> behind, and a 13-year-old boy was forced to witness at close range the
> deaths of four members of close family."
>
> Aimee's mother Kate Goldsmith said the prison term "does not do justice
> to the crime committed".
>
> In a family statement outside the court, she said Kroker's actions turned
> his lorry into a "lethal weapon".
>
> "He was so distracted, he made no attempt to slow down. The sentence of
> 10 years in prison will not ease our pain and suffering," she said.
>
> "Nor do we believe it will send a strong enough message to those who lack
> the self-restraint to not use their mobile phones whilst driving.
>
> "It only takes a second of distraction to kill someone.
>
> "Our children lost their lives because of the reckless actions of Tomasz Kroker."
>
> She urged motorists to think twice about using a mobile phone whilst
> driving, and in a Thames Valley Police video posted online, added that it
> "sickens" her when she continues to see drivers breaking the law.
>
> Kroker had pleaded guilty to four counts of causing death by dangerous
> driving and one count of causing serious injury by dangerous driving at a previous hearing.
>

--
Spike

Sixty-two drivers were caught using their mobile phones whilst driving on the M1 in the Midlands. The offences were identified during a week-long police operation that included Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire and Derbyshire..

A car driver in Nottinghamshire was stopped for using a mobile phone only for officers to then discover the motorist did not have a licence or any insurance. A total of 309 offences were recorded in the Midlands, including 108 people not wearing their seatbelt and 27 driving without due care.

The operation, named Operation Tramline, spanned a total of eight police forces across the length of the M1. In total, 663 vehicles were stopped and 691 offences uncovered.

Penalties ranged from words of advice and traffic offence reports to 14 court summons and five arrests. Police officers patrolled the M1 in National Highways’ unmarked HGV cabs, meaning they could spot unsafe driving behaviour from an elevated position.

National Highways Head of Road Safety, Jeremy Phillips, said: “Hundreds of thousands of motorists travel over 21 million miles on the M1 every day – accounting for one in seven of all motorway journeys – and the vast majority are safe and legal drivers. But there is a minority that continue to put themselves and others at risk. It is disappointing that almost 700 offences were spotted in just one week – but thanks to Operation Freeway those drivers were prevented from continuing with their unsafe behaviours.”

On 15/06/2023 04:36 pm, Spike wrote:

> Date of incident 10 August 2016

But it took Mason all of the intervening seven years to write the post
below.

One has to assume that he is claiming to have written it because he does
not attribute to anyone else.

> swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:

>> A motorist who smashed into a family's car while looking at his mobile
>> phone has been jailed for 10 years for killing a mother and three children.
>>
>> Tracy Houghton, 45, her sons Ethan, 13, and Josh, 11, and stepdaughter
>> Aimee Goldsmith, also 11, died in the crash on the A34, near Newbury in
>> Berkshire, on 10 August.
>>
>> Lorry driver Tomasz Kroker ploughed into the family's stationary car at
>> 50mph while scrolling through music on his mobile phone.
>>
>> Their car was shunted underneath the back of a heavy goods vehicle and
>> crushed to a third of its size.
>>
>> The family, from Bedfordshire, who were making their way home from a
>> camping holiday in Devon, were killed instantly.
>>
>> Kroker, from Andover in Hampshire, broke down at the scene, crying and
>> saying to himself: "I've killed them."
>>
>> But he also tried to claim his brakes had failed, telling officers the
>> traffic in front of him "just stopped - I hit my brakes but just couldn't stop".
>>
>> The court heard the 30-year-old was so distracted by his phone he barely
>> looked at the road for almost a kilometre.
>>
>> Sentencing Kroker on Monday at Reading Crown Court, Judge Maura McGowan
>> told him his attention to the road was so poor, he "might as well have
>> had his eyes closed".
>>
>> Just an hour before the pile-up he had signed a declaration to his
>> employer, promising he would not use his phone at the wheel.
>>
>> His truck smashed into a stationary queue of two lorries and four smaller
>> vehicles which were stuck behind a slow-moving articulated lorry near the
>> villages of East and West Ilsley at around 5.10pm.
>>
>> A man was also seriously injured and four other people hurt in the crash.
>>
>> Dash-cam footage showed Kroker using his phone less than a second before
>> impact, looking up with sudden horror on his face.
>>
>> His lorry ploughed into a Mazda which was thrown on to its roof, before
>> smashing into a Citroen driven by Ms Houghton's partner Mark Goldsmith,
>> who was with his 13-year-old son Jake.
>>
>> Prosecutor Charles Ward-Jackson said: "It is a particularly distressing
>> feature that the two surviving members of the family were in the car
>> behind, and a 13-year-old boy was forced to witness at close range the
>> deaths of four members of close family."
>>
>> Aimee's mother Kate Goldsmith said the prison term "does not do justice
>> to the crime committed".
>>
>> In a family statement outside the court, she said Kroker's actions turned
>> his lorry into a "lethal weapon".
>>
>> "He was so distracted, he made no attempt to slow down. The sentence of
>> 10 years in prison will not ease our pain and suffering," she said.
>>
>> "Nor do we believe it will send a strong enough message to those who lack
>> the self-restraint to not use their mobile phones whilst driving.
>>
>> "It only takes a second of distraction to kill someone.
>>
>> "Our children lost their lives because of the reckless actions of Tomasz Kroker."
>>
>> She urged motorists to think twice about using a mobile phone whilst
>> driving, and in a Thames Valley Police video posted online, added that it
>> "sickens" her when she continues to see drivers breaking the law.
>>
>> Kroker had pleaded guilty to four counts of causing death by dangerous
>> driving and one count of causing serious injury by dangerous driving at a previous hearing.
>>
>
>
>

Seventeen people were killed on Britain’s roads last year in crashes involving drivers distracted by mobile phones, new analysis shows as the Government unveils tougher rules for using the devices.

A further 114 people were seriously injured and 385 were slightly injured in such collisions, Department for Transport figures show.

More than one in six of those killed or seriously injured were either a pedestrian or a cyclist, highlighting the threat posed to vulnerable road users from drivers preoccupied by phones.

Under current UK laws, drivers are banned from texting or making a phone call – other than in an emergency – while using a handheld device.

From 2022, drivers will not be allowed to take photos or videos, scroll through playlists or play games on their phones when driving.

Anyone caught using their hand-held device while driving will face a £200 fixed penalty notice and six points on their licence.

Drivers can still use devices such as sat navs and mobile phones using satellite navigation, if they are secured in a cradle.

But motorists must take responsibility for their driving and can be prosecuted if the police find them not in proper control of their vehicle.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “By making it easier to prosecute people illegally using their phone at the wheel, we are ensuring the law is brought into the 21st century while further protecting all road users.

“While our roads remain among the safest in the world, we will continue working tirelessly to make them safer, including through our award-winning THINK! campaign, which challenges social norms among high-risk drivers..”

The crackdown comes after a public consultation which found 81% of respondents supported proposals to strengthen the law.

The Highway Code will also be revised to make it clear that being stationary in traffic counts as driving and hand-held mobile phone use at traffic lights or in motorway jams is illegal except in very limited circumstances.

Mary Williams, chief executive of road safety charity Brake, said the changes, coinciding with Road Safety Week, were “very welcome”.

President of the AA Edmund King said: “By making mobile phone use as socially unacceptable as drink-driving, we are taking big steps to make our roads safer. For years, the AA has campaigned hard and helped educate drivers to the dangers from bad mobile phone use.

“To help ensure drivers get the message, we also need more cops in cars to help catch and deter those still tempted to pick up.”

RAC road safety spokesman Simon Williams said: “As our phones have become more sophisticated, the law has not kept pace and this has allowed some drivers who have been using their handheld phones for purposes other than communicating to exploit a loophole and avoid the maximum penalty.

“While today’s announcement is clearly good news, it’s absolutely vital that the new law is vigorously enforced, otherwise there’s a risk that it won’t deliver the sort of behaviour change that will make our roads safer.”

https://www.inyourarea.co.uk/news/17-people-died-in-crashes-involving-drivers-distracted-by-phones-in-2020/

WARNING!

NEW LAW COMING INTO FORCE!

“From 2022, drivers will not be allowed to take photos or videos, scroll
through playlists or play games on their phones when driving.”

When 2022 arrives drivers will need to adjust their behaviour!

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> Seventeen people were killed on Britain’s roads last year in crashes
> involving drivers distracted by mobile phones, new analysis shows as the
> Government unveils tougher rules for using the devices.
>
> A further 114 people were seriously injured and 385 were slightly injured
> in such collisions, Department for Transport figures show.
>
> More than one in six of those killed or seriously injured were either a
> pedestrian or a cyclist, highlighting the threat posed to vulnerable road
> users from drivers preoccupied by phones.
>
> Under current UK laws, drivers are banned from texting or making a phone
> call – other than in an emergency – while using a handheld device.
>
> From 2022, drivers will not be allowed to take photos or videos, scroll
> through playlists or play games on their phones when driving.
>
> Anyone caught using their hand-held device while driving will face a £200
> fixed penalty notice and six points on their licence.
>
> Drivers can still use devices such as sat navs and mobile phones using
> satellite navigation, if they are secured in a cradle.
>
> But motorists must take responsibility for their driving and can be
> prosecuted if the police find them not in proper control of their vehicle.
>
> Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “By making it easier to prosecute
> people illegally using their phone at the wheel, we are ensuring the law
> is brought into the 21st century while further protecting all road users.
>
> “While our roads remain among the safest in the world, we will continue
> working tirelessly to make them safer, including through our
> award-winning THINK! campaign, which challenges social norms among high-risk drivers.”
>
> The crackdown comes after a public consultation which found 81% of
> respondents supported proposals to strengthen the law.
>
> The Highway Code will also be revised to make it clear that being
> stationary in traffic counts as driving and hand-held mobile phone use at
> traffic lights or in motorway jams is illegal except in very limited circumstances.
>
> Mary Williams, chief executive of road safety charity Brake, said the
> changes, coinciding with Road Safety Week, were “very welcome”.
>
> President of the AA Edmund King said: “By making mobile phone use as
> socially unacceptable as drink-driving, we are taking big steps to make
> our roads safer. For years, the AA has campaigned hard and helped educate
> drivers to the dangers from bad mobile phone use.
>
> “To help ensure drivers get the message, we also need more cops in cars
> to help catch and deter those still tempted to pick up.”
>
> RAC road safety spokesman Simon Williams said: “As our phones have become
> more sophisticated, the law has not kept pace and this has allowed some
> drivers who have been using their handheld phones for purposes other than
> communicating to exploit a loophole and avoid the maximum penalty.
>
> “While today’s announcement is clearly good news, it’s absolutely vital
> that the new law is vigorously enforced, otherwise there’s a risk that it
> won’t deliver the sort of behaviour change that will make our roads safer.”
>
> https://www.inyourarea.co.uk/news/17-people-died-in-crashes-involving-drivers-distracted-by-phones-in-2020/
>
>

--
Spike

Causing death by dangerous driving or death by careless driving whilst using a mobile phone can result, in the former case a jail term of life.

Drivers who cause death by using their mobile phones (it may also apply to using hands-free devices) may still get life. If the charge is death by careless driving, the jail term may be 14 years.

There were 10,000 reported motorists caught twice behind the wheel over the last 4 years. Incidents that may give rise to a charge for careless driving or dangerous driving are listed below, but beware, if a momentary lapse of using your mobile (or cell phone) which caused death or serious injury may result in up to life imprisonment.

Fatal road accident claims
Examples that may mobile use giving rise to compensation for death whilst driving a car

Many typical examples are:

quick look at who text
texting
making a call
receiving a call
checking emails
sending emails
playing music
the list is now endless with smart phones.

Everyone is urged to put their mobile phone in the glove box to prevent temptation and the devastating result of an accident to the driver and to those who may be injured or killed as a result.
Compensation for death by using a mobile phone behind the wheel

Families left devastated by the death of a loved one following a fatal car accident claim will no doubt be pleased to hear of the increase in the sentence. However this does not match any increase for:
compensation for death by dangerous driving
compensation for death by careless driving.

https://fatalaccidentclaims.org.uk/guides/mobile-phone-related-deaths-uk/

On 15/06/2023 06:43 pm, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
> Causing death by dangerous driving or death by careless driving whilst using a mobile phone can result, in the former case a jail term of life.
>
> Drivers who cause death by using their mobile phones (it may also apply to using hands-free devices) may still get life. If the charge is death by careless driving, the jail term may be 14 years.
>
> There were 10,000 reported motorists caught twice behind the wheel over the last 4 years. Incidents that may give rise to a charge for careless driving or dangerous driving are listed below, but beware, if a momentary lapse of using your mobile (or cell phone) which caused death or serious injury may result in up to life imprisonment.
>
> Fatal road accident claims
> Examples that may mobile use giving rise to compensation for death whilst driving a car
>
> Many typical examples are:
>
> quick look at who text
> texting
> making a call
> receiving a call
> checking emails
> sending emails
> playing music
> the list is now endless with smart phones.
>
> Everyone is urged to put their mobile phone in the glove box to prevent temptation and the devastating result of an accident to the driver and to those who may be injured or killed as a result.

I keep mine in my pocket (unless it needs to be charged en route).

It works just as well from that location, courtesy of Bluetooth and Siri.

> Compensation for death by using a mobile phone behind the wheel
>
> Families left devastated by the death of a loved one following a fatal car accident claim will no doubt be pleased to hear of the increase in the sentence. However this does not match any increase for:
> compensation for death by dangerous driving
> compensation for death by careless driving.
>
> https://fatalaccidentclaims.org.uk/guides/mobile-phone-related-deaths-uk/
>

A lorry driver who ploughed into a broken-down car killing three people moments after watching a seven-minute Ladbible video and while typing on a sat-nav app on his mobile phone has been jailed for 12 years.

Michal Kopaniarz previously pleaded guilty to three charges of causing death by dangerous driving in connection with the four-vehicle crash on the A303 near Andover, Hampshire, on August 25, 2021.

The 39-year-old also admitted perverting the course of justice by breaking the Samsung mobile phone he had been using.

University graduate Alex Britton, 28, food delivery driver Tina Ince, 58, and recovery driver Tom Watson, 30, died of “catastrophic injuries”.

Simon Jones, prosecuting, told Winchester Crown Court that Ms Britton’s Vauxhall Astra had broken down and Ms Ince, from Southampton, had stopped in her Mercedes Sprinter food delivery van to help her.

Recovery driver Mr Watson also stopped when he saw the stationary vehicles still partly in the carriageway.

He was about to winch the Astra on to his recovery vehicle when the defendant’s HGV, travelling at 56mph, ploughed into the rear of the food van which had its hazard lights on.

This shunted the Mercedes into the Astra killing the three victims who were stood between the vehicles, Mr Jones said.

The prosecutor said that Kopaniarz had watched a seven minute-long Ladbible video from Facebook on his phone which he had gone on to share with a woman on Facebook Messenger 42 seconds prior to the collision.

And at the point of impact, the defendant had been typing the destination for his journey, a Co-op water bottle depot in Andover, into a mapping app.

The defendant continued driving at 56mph when the collision happened and he only applied emergency braking at about 0.2 to 0.5 seconds or nine to 12 metres before impact despite having a clear view of the vehicles for 170m.

The court was shown dash-cam footage from Kopaniarz’s lorry as it drove towards the halted traffic and failed to slow down before the collision.

Following the crash, Kopaniarz was captured on dash-cam footage snapping his Samsung phone into two pieces which police later rebuilt to obtain the data from it.

Mr Jones said: “From the moment of this collision, the defendant’s actions were directed to destroying evidence that he knew implicated him and points towards his culpability and dangerous driving.

“Whilst he said he didn’t see, the reality is that the reason is he was using his phone.”

Several members of the victims’ families paid emotional tributes to their loved ones in the packed courtroom.

Aaron Law, who was engaged to his childhood sweetheart Ms Britton, the mother of their two young daughters, spoke directly looking towards the defendant and said: “My life, my girls’ lives were ruined, changed forever.

“No-one can ever prepare for having to tell their three-year-old daughter that their mother has died and she would never be coming home, there are no words that I can find to describe how that felt.”

Wiping away tears, he added: “I struggle to care for my broken family in their time of need, I am a broken man, a shell.”

Mr Law said that he would “never forgive” the defendant for the pain caused by his lies following the crash by saying that the brakes had failed on the HGV.

He added: “You took my wife-to-be, you took my best friend, you took the mother of my children, you stole our happy ever after.”

Avril Swain, the mother of Ms Britton, from Portsmouth, who wanted to be a teacher, said: “I am enraged they were killed by such a mindless thing.

“The hole Alex has left is immense.”

Emma Watson, the widow of Mr Watson, from Southampton, said: “I miss him every second of every day, this has changed my life, I do not sleep very well and wake in the early hours of the morning thinking of the life and happiness we had planned.

“Tom was amazing with children, he would have been a great father, he wanted us to start a family together, grow old together, you have stolen that from us.”

Ms Ince’s daughter Melissa Green said: “She was a kind, generous and selfless woman who always put others in front of herself.”

Adrienne Knight, defending, said the defendant, who had been a lorry driver for eight years, takes “full responsibility” for the crash..

In a letter to the court, he wrote: “I have a life sentence with gut-wrenching regret and soul-tearing sorrow that will never fade, an impossible torment I will carry as my cross until the end of my days.

“There are no words to describe how sorry I am.”

Sentencing Kopaniarz, who grew up in Poland and lived in Donnington, Shropshire, Judge Angela Morris told him: “Watching a video on a mobile phone whilst driving is breaking the law.

“The fact you did so for a length of time shows a lamentable lack of regard for the rules of the road and the safety of other road users.”

Describing his vehicle as a “lethal weapon”, she added: “Being in an articulated lorry, no doubt you felt invincible.”

She continued: “The aggravating factor is that three people lost their lives in the catastrophic manner shown in the dash-cam footage.”

Speaking after the hearing, Detective Constable Cate Paling, of Hampshire police, said: “This was a catastrophic loss of life.

“Kopaniarz killed three people because he was using his mobile phone and not paying attention to the road.

“The devastating consequences of his selfish actions have torn three families apart.

“While the sentence passed today will not heal their pain, we are pleased our investigation has provided answers and justice to the loved ones of Alex, Tina and Tom.

“More than anything I hope other drivers who think there is no harm in using their phone while driving will consider this case and learn from it.

“Nothing on your phone could ever be important enough to risk killing another person.”

The judge also banned the defendant from driving for 16 years and ordered him to take an extended retest before he can drive again.

Whoever wrote this piece would be well advised to engage early doors the
services of an editor.

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> Causing death by dangerous driving or death by careless driving whilst
> using a mobile phone can result, in the former case a jail term of life.
>
> Drivers who cause death by using their mobile phones (it may also apply
> to using hands-free devices) may still get life. If the charge is death
> by careless driving, the jail term may be 14 years.
>
> There were 10,000 reported motorists caught twice behind the wheel over
> the last 4 years. Incidents that may give rise to a charge for careless
> driving or dangerous driving are listed below, but beware, if a momentary
> lapse of using your mobile (or cell phone) which caused death or serious
> injury may result in up to life imprisonment.
>
> Fatal road accident claims
> Examples that may mobile use giving rise to compensation for death whilst driving a car
>
> Many typical examples are:
>
> quick look at who text
> texting
> making a call
> receiving a call
> checking emails
> sending emails
> playing music
> the list is now endless with smart phones.
>
> Everyone is urged to put their mobile phone in the glove box to prevent
> temptation and the devastating result of an accident to the driver and to
> those who may be injured or killed as a result.
> Compensation for death by using a mobile phone behind the wheel
>
> Families left devastated by the death of a loved one following a fatal
> car accident claim will no doubt be pleased to hear of the increase in
> the sentence. However this does not match any increase for:
> compensation for death by dangerous driving
> compensation for death by careless driving.
>
> https://fatalaccidentclaims.org.uk/guides/mobile-phone-related-deaths-uk/
>

--
Spike

A lorry driver who was using a mobile phone when his vehicle hit and killed a woman in Bourne End has been sentenced to three years in prison.

Timothy Mason, 65, of Everest Road, High Wycombe, received his sentence yesterday (Friday) at Aylesbury Crown Court after he admitted causing death by dangerous driving at a previous hearing.

He will also be banned from driving for five years after his release.

Mason had been driving a 32-tonne heavy goods vehicle in Bourne End on Wednesday, May 10 last year when he collided with Hilary Haines, 70.

Ms Haines, who had been crossing the road, was left severely injured and was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

Mason failed to stop, but he was located by police later and charged.

A witness who saw Mason seconds before the incident said he appeared pre-occupied and call records showed he had been on a call for 12 minutes before the impact.

He ended the call 16 seconds after.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said Mason’s defence initially indicated he would plead guilty to a lesser charge of causing death by careless driving.

Instead, the CPS pursued the death by dangerous driving charge.

Louise Atrill, Senior Crown Prosecutor for Thames and Chiltern, said: “This case shows the dangers of using a mobile device while driving.

“It was an avoidable distraction and a woman has lost her life due to Mason not concentrating on the road.

“The wealth of evidence against him meant he had no choice but to plead guilty to the offence he was charged with.

“Our thoughts are with Hilary Haines’ family.”