If there’s one thing that we have learned from social media, it’s the amount of experts we have in the country. We have sports pundits, political wannabes, business experts and overall know alls. All they need is their laptop, tablet or phone and the world is their oyster. One of the top categories of knowallmanship (see, I’ve invented a new word and added it to the dictionary here for all time), is road law and road safety.
Out on a training spin yesterday, conditions were very testing and hard. There was a strong gale blowing, doing all it could to knock me over and it nearly succeeded a few times. Rain was threatening and I was damn glad of my winter gear by the time I got home, soaked and frozen.
At a very dangerous junction, a young lady driver was stopped, waiting to enter a very busy road. It was taking her ages, much to the displeasure of the driver behind and the two very small children in the back seat of her car. I suppose she wasn’t really aware of the hold up behind her, as she was on her phone and it’s obviously difficult to drive and maintain a phone conversation at the same time.
As I passed on my bike, I pointed to her, to get off the phone. It’s a dangerous area and you need your wits about you. She laughed at me, for my sins and my obvious cheek.
So, suitably chastened, I went on my merry way, but her actions got me thinking. Suppose something happens, what if she doesn’t concentrate, gets distracted and an accident occurs. As a cyclist, I’m going to come off second best, a long way second best. So, what happens next?
I want you to picture the scene. You’ve just knocked down a cyclist; he or she lies on the ground with their tangled mess of a bike. There is probably a good bit of blood; best possible scenario, they will have a few broken bones or limbs. God forbid, it’s worse and they have passed away, as is distinctly possible. Remember, over a tonne of car versus a 7kg bike, carrying a 65kg rider, is no contest.
As a club cyclist, I have an app on my phone which transmits a beacon to three safety contacts. These contacts know where I am in real time. If, they notice that I have stopped unexpectedly, they will phone to check on me. So, assuming the injured party is a club man or woman, they will possibly have the same precautions taken. The phone begins to ring, as his safety contacts believe that something is wrong. You are in shock, you are scared and you are very alone. A few witnesses are now beginning to assist, taking over traffic duty, calling the Gardaí and the emergency services. Don’t forget, as is the case of the lady yesterday, there are small children present. They will be crying and very upset and will need comforting. The phone is still ringing, by the way. At this stage, the beacon has done its job and the safety contacts are now sure that something is wrong and will mobilise each other to go to the scene. In the distance, the sounds of sirens, as the emergency personnel begin to arrive. The children are still crying, your husband, wife or partner are on the way to take them. That bloody phone is still ringing……
The Gardaí will most likely arrive first and will immediately cordon off the area. They will take full control, in the event of a loss of life, it will be possibly designated a crime scene. The road will ultimately be closed, pending a full investigation.
In the meantime, the Gardaí will turn their attention to you. First and foremost, you will be breathalysed and then you will be cautioned of dangerous driving. You will then be taken to the Garda Station, where an interview will take place. You will be given the opportunity to call your solicitor and then those immortal words “You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you”. That stuff normally belongs on telly, but this is real, as real as it gets. In your mind you replay those few moments leading up to the accident, the phone, the children, the car behind, the cyclist, the bang, the scream, the sirens and that bloody ringing phone.
You will give your statement to the Garda, your solicitor will sit with you and is on your side, but make no mistake about it, you haven’t a friend in the world. You’re on your own and that is scary, very scary. That Garda will investigate to the nth degree and will leave no stone unturned. After the investigation is completed, it will go to a Superintendant or detective to decide on whether or not to press charges. In the event of a loss of life, there will be charges to face. A court appearance will be scheduled and it won’t be pretty.
Don’t forget, there will be a funeral as well. Do you turn up, do you stay away? A grieving wife or husband, children left without a mam or dad. How popular will you be there? If you don’t turn up, does it make you even more heartless and uncaring? Another horrible position to be in. Imagine walking down the street and you’re pointed out as the person that “killed the cyclist”. You’ll probably make the papers too and maybe even the Six One News.
So, how do I know all this? Am I an expert expressing my knowallmanship? No, I’m nothing of the sort. Am I just sitting here on a Sunday evening, pointlessly writing words here? No, nothing of the sort.
I wrote about this before, about an incident a few years ago, where an allegation was made, that a child was knocked down and the driver left the scene. Unfortunately, I was driving that evening and the allegation was made to the company I worked for. Thankfully, the company could prove that I was nowhere near the scene that evening. I wasn’t even in the same town.
The same allegation was made to the Gardaí and they had to conduct their own investigation. I’ve sat in that Garda interview room. I’ve had my rights read to me and I’ve lived under a cloud of suspicion for approx 5 months, until I was told that I had no case to answer. The Gardaí came to the same conclusion as my company at the time, that I wasn’t anywhere near the alleged incident and it was case closed.
Ask my family; ask my friends how it affected me? The job (which I didn’t particularly like anyway) was never the same again and the incident was one of my reasons for eventually leaving it. If I was to say that you actually begin to second guess yourself and doubt yourself, would you believe me?, because you actually do. Look up my blog on Word press called “I’ve been that Soldier”, for the full story. It is the hard fact and is the god’s honest truth.
So, in a nutshell, guilty or innocent, the process is the exact same. You will be investigated, you will face the full rigours of the law and you will suffer the stress, the worry, the shame, the guilt, whichever applicable.
Oh and don’t forget, if you are guilty and if you have made that mistake, you will live with it for the rest of your life.
One other thing, you will never forget that moment, it will pierce through your heart like a red hot knife. It will destroy every moment of normality that you try to enjoy. Oh and just to be sure you never forget it, you will always be reminded, every time you hear The Ringing Phone.
Share the roads, please.
The Unknown Bike Rider 