In My View by Catherine McMillan
THE 16-month prison sentence handed down to a pensioner who caused a fatal crash has certainly made people think, if the Free Press post box is anything to go by.
Patricia Maltby performed what the sentencing judge called a "breathtakingly dangerous" manoeuvre on the A12, cutting into the path of motorcyclist Bob Walsham. Unable to avoid her Corsa, he collided, and was declared dead at the scene.
There has been disagreement on our letters page over whether justice has been served.
Of course, there is no way to right a wrong like that. There is no way to achieve what Bob Walsham's family and friends will truly want, which is for him to be okay, for him to walk through the front door again, as he had a thousand times before.
Some of our letter writers have said that a lifetime driving ban would have been a more suitable punishment. I doubt even that would be necessary, as I imagine Mrs Maltby is too traumatised by the crash to ever want to get behind the wheel of a car again.
But prison sentences aren't just about punishment, or about protecting the public from dangerous individuals. They also serve as a warning and example to others, and that is no bad thing.
Older or more experienced drivers may think they are safe because they don't tear about like the boyracers, but lapses of concentration and slowed reactions can make them just as dangerous.
I rode a motorbike for seven years. Like all riders, I had to start with compulsory basic training, which included hours of safety talks.
It was drilled into us that death could literally be round the next corner. We were shown videos of cars knocking over motorcyclists because they had not noticed them, and were trained to always look ahead for side roads because cars could pull out of them, straight into our paths. On a bike you constantly check what is going on all around you, all 360 degrees.
I didn't speed about, always rode with the headlights on, and always wore a fluorescent jacket, but still had to take evasive action on numerous occasions. And my most frequent problem was older women drivers on roundabouts, who always seemed to be oblivious to my presence.
When I drove a car for the first time I was shocked at how little of my surroundings I could see, compared to on a bike. Passengers, headrests and the actual frame of the car all obscure your vision. And I don't think drivers always realise how cut off they are.
I only learned to drive a car three years ago, so had to take the theory and hazard perception tests, but safety still didn't feature half as much as it did in my motorbike training.
It was never mentioned that when you get behind the wheel of a car you become responsible for not only your own life, but those of everyone around. If Patricia Maltby's prison sentence has made people think about their driving habits, and maybe even helps prevent another tragedy, then it has served its purpose.
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Wednesday 08 February 2012
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