CPS: Lorry drivers jailed for fatal crash on motorway

[Waterbaby]

23 March 2018
News, Driving offences

"Two lorry drivers have been jailed after they caused a motorway crash which killed eight people travelling in a minibus.

Ryszard Masierak was jailed for 14 years after being of eight convicted death by dangerous driving and four counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving following a trial at Reading Crown Court.

David Wagstaff was jailed for 40 months after admitting death by careless driving at an earlier hearing.

Both men were sentenced at Aylesbury Crown Court on 23 March."

https://www.cps.gov.uk/thames-and-chilt ... h-motorway


"The judge urged the public to download an app that deactivates mobile phones when driving as he handed down his sentences."

https://news.sky.com/story/two-lorry-dr ... h-11301486


Iphone : "How to use the Do Not Disturb while driving feature" - https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208090

Android :https://play.google.com/store/apps?hl=en

WB

[stephen1974]

It's dissapointing to see Wagstaff sent to prison. The obsession of our 'justice' system to send people to prison is disgusting. I'm sure there could have been much better ways to have dealt with him.

As for talking on hands free phone calls. I dont see this as a problem at all. I do not believe this was a distraction to wagstaff, its just a band wagon issue that people latch on to. Its no different to talking to a passenger, listening to a radio, thinking about you day at work, changing radio stations, looking at you sta nav or a dozen other things that we all do and all think is acceptable. Social conditioning folks, stop buying in to it.

[Alexis]

Unlike the comments above, prison was the right call in my opinion!

Try saying to the families of the dead people and the 4 year old child, that there should have been other ways of dealing with the driver!!

The news explained just how long this driver was on the 'phone for. He was working and I am sure a 90 minute mobile call, hands free or not, was certainly not to do with his job!! Anyone else in any workplace would not be allowed to use their mobile phones, hands free or otherwise.

Ask our emergency services for the facts and figures that show, beyond doubt, how many fatalities there are completely due to mobile phones when driving.

My heart goes out to the victims, not the drivers!

[Waterbaby]

http://think.direct.gov.uk/mobile-phones.html

"It's difficult to do two things at once. Play our game to find out how a phone call distracts you when driving."
http://think.direct.gov.uk/drivingchallenge/index.html

"Mobile phone use: a growing problem of driver distraction"
http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prev ... riving/en/

"Investigating evidence of mobile phone usage by drivers in road traffic accidents"
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a ... 7615000092


WHO Road traffic injuries Fact sheet- Reviewed January 2018

"Distracted driving

There are many types of distractions that can lead to impaired driving. The distraction caused by mobile phones is a growing concern for road safety.

Drivers using mobile phones are approximately 4 times more likely to be involved in a crash than drivers not using a mobile phone. Using a phone while driving slows reaction times (notably braking reaction time, but also reaction to traffic signals), and makes it difficult to keep in the correct lane, and to keep the correct following distances.
Hands-free phones are not much safer than hand-held phone sets, and texting considerably increases the risk of a crash."

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs358/en/

Not a band wagon issue it would seem

WB

[stephen1974]

Unlike the comments above, prison was the right call in my opinion!

Try saying to the families of the dead people and the 4 year old child, that there should have been other ways of dealing with the driver!!

The news explained just how long this driver was on the 'phone for. He was working and I am sure a 90 minute mobile call, hands free or not, was certainly not to do with his job!! Anyone else in any workplace would not be allowed to use their mobile phones, hands free or otherwise.

Ask our emergency services for the facts and figures that show, beyond doubt, how many fatalities there are completely due to mobile phones when driving.

My heart goes out to the victims, not the drivers!

Thats why the families should never ever ever be allowed a say in punishments. They are not after justice only vengence.
The guy did nothing illegal in using his phone so dont punish someone who didnt break the lawl. He owned up to what he did do immediately and never tried to shirk resposnsibility for that, and you think the best thing to do is destroy his life - what useful pupose does that serve? None. Its purely a self gratification thing.

Prison should be resereved for those who are a danger to society. This guy clearly isnt. He isnt about to jump in a vehcile again and drive whilst banned, unlike the other guy.

The facts and figures are useless when taken out of context. I bet those figures do not show who was using hands free or not, how many differentiate by someone on a call and someone texting? I bet they dont compare them to who was changing a cd in their stereo when they crashed, or were smoking a cigerette. - What they do show is support for an agenda driven outcome.

I dont care if he was on the phone for two hours. Its absolutley no different to having a conversation with someone in the car. Maybe we should start arresting everyone for that ? There is a reason why its not illegal and thats because it isnt anymore or less dangerous than any number of other things that they allow us to do in a car.

BTW, there are zero fatalities completely due to mobile phone use. Just as there are zero deaths completely due to speeding. There is ALWAYS another factor involved, and quite often, multiple reasons. Would people have died if the other vehicles were not stopped? no.

What proof is there that it was the phonecall that distracted him? none. Its band wagon driven assumption.

[Alexis]

You and I, arguably (pun intended), have very strong opposite views on this subject Stephen, which is why it is probably best not to comment further, but instead to have a look at the for's and against's freely available all over the internet from various professional sources.

This link mentions the things you have spoken of above:
http://www.brake.org.uk/rsw/15-facts-a- ... ctionfacts

A few other links just for information:
http://think.direct.gov.uk/mobile-phones.html

https://www.rospa.com/road-safety/advic ... straction/

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/1 ... ed-driver/

What is the answer then I wonder!

Driving on our roads has become one of the most dangerous daily things many of us do nowadays and unfortunately, because time is in short supply within our working and personal lives, many people have resorted to using the car as the office, the catch-up with friends time, social media, face-time family catch-ups and even the pillow-talk to the other half before their arrival home to ensure some extra sleep time!

I don't know the answer if there is one..........life is much too fast and we don't seem able to keep up as safely as we would like.