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I am afraid the evening one wasn't a minor accident. A pedestrian was knocked down crossing Lordship Lane by Heber Road around 8.30 last night. It looked serious as he bounced off the car windscreen and had a serious head injury. The police were there until gone midnight investigating the scene of the accident and I am just praying that this doesn't mean that the pedestrian died.
That's awful. I get really angry about how dangerous cars can be and whenever any curbs are put on people's 'freedom' to drive, motorists are up in arms. Cars, lorries etc are lethal weapons and there should be a rethink about whose rights are more important, the driver's, or the rights of other inhabitants of the planet!

I get really angry about how dangerous cars can be and whenever any curbs are put on people's 'freedom' to drive, motorists are up in arms. Cars, lorries etc are lethal weapons and there should be a rethink about whose rights are more important, the driver's, or the rights of other inhabitants of the planet!


It is obviously true that half a ton and more of metal, driven at any speed, can be a 'lethal' weapon - however it is also true that not all accidents are caused by drivers - I have no idea what was the proximate cause of this accident, neither, I would guess, does the original writer. In fact drivers' rights are actually no more nor any less than those of 'other inhabitants of the planet'. Care needs to be taken by drivers, as it does by any road user, which includes pedestrians using roads. I learned (and have tried to teach to my children) the concept of 'defensive driving' which, broadly, assumes that the other bloke is an idiot and will cause an accident, so drive with that in mind and don't assume that all road users will act rationally and sensibly. From that also stems the concept of defensive walking, defensive pedalling and so on - that is, treat roads as dangerous places and take care. The same principle applies to fell-walking, mountaineering, kyaking and so on - bad things can happen, so be wary.


There are huge advantages to individuals and society in motorised transport - 'turning the clock back' and posts which imply this would be good are simply disengenuous. Read old reports of accidents with horses and horse drawn transport - look at how societies which relied on people power alone for transport and carriage fared against those who didn't.


We have to live with drivers and cars. We have to accept that some of these will not be as careful as others, however much we may deplore this and rightly want these motorists properly punished for transgressions. We may have to design roads to make them safer and obviate the excesses of the poor and careless driver, but moaning about the car and the driver as a entire class is a dreadful waste of time.

It's not the main roads like Lordship Lane where you take your life in your hands when you cross the road - We are on Fellbrigg Road which is MAX 20 mile an hour - it is signed, though these are slightly obscured by 'street clutter' ie trees and lamp posts - and cars go down clearly 30/40 miles an hour. There are roads where the speed restrictions are white painted onto the tarmac - are these proven to be 'obeyed' more? Certainly the end of '20' luminous sign from Fellbrigg onto Whately isn't very clear during the day and there isn't anything from Northcross Road into Fellbrigg, or is it only signed where the speed restrictions come into effect? Perhaps JB could get some nice policeman to come with a speed camera and catch a few speeding drivers, invariably a mobile phone is being used as well...HP

I have to say that I don't cross at the crossing when I get off the bus at night and have seen people dart in front of cars so it's not just the motorists' fault. Mind you, people do drive like maniacs up and down the road sometimes - including bus drivers.


I would like to know happened to the casualty. My husband and I were really upset as we imagined the guy's partner/family at home wondering where he was.

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