Bikers cleared.

[ohmistagee]

FIVE bikers, charged with death by dangerous driving after a rider and pillion in their group were killed after a collision with a car, have been released with no charge.
 
Judge Geoffrey Marson at Leeds Crown Court said yesterday that he was satisfied there was no case of 'racing' when Dean and Helen Slater died on August 25th 2010.
 
The prosecution laid blame on the group of riders, Ian Towson, 32, Paul Wheater, 29, Michael Paul Hannon, 27, Dax Lerman, 29 and David Jason Hastings, 37 and claimed they were guilty of causing death by dangerous driving through a joint enterprise as their actions they were encouraging each other to drive at dangerously high speeds.
 
The judge said that Mr Slater is thought to have lost control due to excessive speed, compounded by braking when riding over a bridge and faced with a car coming in the other direction.
 
“There is no evidence from which a jury properly directed could safely conclude that the way in which any of these defendants rode in some way caused Mr Slater to ride dangerously or caused him to continue to ride dangerously.
 
“Mr Slater, on the evidence, made a voluntary and informed decision to ride in the way that he did rather than in another way. The cause of death was the free, deliberate and informed decision of Mr Slater and no one else.”
 
Judge Marson said it was clear over the course of the journey up to the outskirts of Boston Spa 'these motorcycles had at times been ridden well in excess of the relevant speed limits'.
 
“Each rider made his own decision to ride in the way he did,” said Judge Geoffrey Marson. via visordown

[Rhosyn]

Exactly, each rider rides at the speed THEY want to ride, noone is forcing them to go any faster than they want to. Sad story though. Just makes you realise its just not worth showing off by going faster than your actually capable of doing.

[Day7936]

I'd been following this subject on Facebook, and although it was a terrible thing what happened each rider is response able  for them selves and their machine although I did read that one of them was uninsured  ir some such again their own risk init  if they can live with the consiqences I think the police were trying to make an example of the group
But food for thought tho init for future group and their outing

[trafford davies]

Whenever an IAM or indeed RoSPA Observer takes another rider for an observed ride it is made very clear that the rider is responsible for his/her own riding.


Unfortunately there is some pressure in group riding to overextend. That was why it was such a good idea on Rhosyn's ride that the least experienced riders rode at the front.
The only overtaking was done by the markers Don & Pricey who I recall enjoyed themselves. But then they are experienced & , relatively, sensible.

It is the weekend Power Rangers I have no time for.

[lumberjack]

Whenever an IAM or indeed RoSPA Observer takes another rider for an observed ride it is made very clear that the rider is responsible for his/her own riding.


Unfortunately there is some pressure in group riding to overextend. That was why it was such a good idea on Rhosyn's ride that the least experienced riders rode at the front.
The only overtaking was done by the markers Don & Pricey who I recall enjoyed themselves. But then they are experienced & , relatively, sensible.

It is the weekend Power Rangers I have no time for.

            liveing in llandovery i come across the weekend power rangers a lot,it's where i get my most fun , i kowe i should grow up but not just yet  , i love waching them catching up in the mirror when im pottering home to llandovery and then horse off in to the sunset  , doesnt work every time but quite a lot  , youngsters on there sport bikes fair game i think against a     on a zzr12 

[snaffle]

Probably a lesson here for us all. Yes as individuals we are ultimatley accountable for our own actions, which I feel is right and proper. However this shouldn't deflect from the fact that we do have a moral responsibility to the wider community in which we live our lives. We should not underestimate the need to 'fit in' socially, or the influence we can have over others. I have been on a few rides when relatively inexperienced, where I felt outside of the group for riding too slow and by the time you catch up, they are ready to move on....the pressure to over extend your abilities to be part of the group is very strong and usually leads to a frightening and dissatisfied ride. On the other hand I have been on more recent rides with less experienced riders, we've ridden slower than my 'normal' but we've been a group, stopped together, chatted together and generally had a much better experience.

[garyboy]

isn't the point of this case .. that they brought a law in that put the onus of responsibility on the GROUP, for even the action of ONE of the members ?????
so if the leader is caught speeding.. then ALL can be done for speeding???? even if they are NOT??

so this case would set a precedent !!!
so, that law won't wash in future??
please correct me if wrong.

[Lunkhead]

isn't the point of this case .. that they brought a law in that put the onus of responsibility on the GROUP, for even the action of ONE of the members ?????
so if the leader is caught speeding.. then ALL can be done for speeding???? even if they are NOT??

so this case would set a precedent !!!
so, that law won't wash in future??
please correct me if wrong.

That's a new one on me. This case in particular goes directly against that, reinforces personal responsibility.

There are circumstances where a group can commit an offence, eg if someone burgles a premises the lookout is equally guilty (being concerned together ....). Similarly, conspiracy could be invoked if there was evidence of prior collusion to ride like banshees. This however is relatively complex to prosecute and would only be used in the most serious circumstances. It does though carry the penalty of life imprisonment. So be warned!

[Bloke]

I've only heard of joint enterprise bring used in anti social or assault/harm offences, it's new that someone tried applying it to a traffic offence, no?

While you ride at your own pace, sometimes group think takes over and you push yourself beyond your limit to keep up. I'm just as guilty of that.

That said, I hold noone else responsible for the speed I ride at should something happen. Ultimately it's my hand on the right side of the bar, not theirs.

Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk

[blueracer]

Ride for yourself not for others