# DGT announces plans to protect cyclists



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

La DGT anuncia un plan especial para proteger a los ciclistas en las carreteras | España | EL PAÃ�S



> Tras saltar las alarmas de nuevo, la DGT ha reaccionado. El director general de Tráfico, Gregorio Serrano, ha anunciado este martes la convocatoria de una comisión urgente de seguridad vial el próximo 16 de mayo para aprobar un plan especial de protección y seguridad para ciclistas. Esta iniciativa se produce después de que Eduardo Monfort y Luis Alberto Contreras perdieran la vida el pasado domingo, cuando circulaban con sus bicicletas por una carretera de Oliva (Valencia) y fueron arrollados por una conductora, que dio positivo en alcohol y drogas.


The cyclists involved were all members of a Jávea cycling club. 2 died & three are still in hospital in 'grave' condition.

The driver of the vehicle was under the influence of alcohol & cocaine (at 8:30am), driving without a licence & reportedly had avoided police traps by looking on social media for reports of where they were set up.

She is in prison without bail.


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

Typical Spanish reaction I'm afraid. Make a load of new measures / laws instead of enforcing the existing laws which should have protected the victims in the first place....

More laws and less police will never work.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

I can't really see what could have been done to stop this tbh. She had had her licence taken away several years ago. 


Perhaps stronger penalties - I've seen it mooted that she might only be jailed for 4 years


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

xabiachica said:


> I can't really see what could have been done to stop this tbh. She had had her licence taken away several years ago.
> 
> 
> Perhaps stronger penalties - I've seen it mooted that she might only be jailed for 4 years


On one hand you say that you can't see what could have been done, then on the other hand you say that she had her licence revoked 4 years ago...

So presumably she has ben driving around without a licence for all that time, unchallenged... surely what could have been done was more police control so that banned drivers don't continue to drive around for years?

Stiffer penalties won't deter others when the chances of being caught are slim / none.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

I agree with both of the above posts. There is a lot of legislation that just isn't enforced. However, little can be done against people who have lost control of their lives and who have no sense of social norms.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Overandout said:


> On one hand you say that you can't see what could have been done, then on the other hand you say that she had her licence revoked 4 years ago...
> 
> So presumably she has ben driving around without a licence for all that time, unchallenged... surely what could have been done was more police control so that banned drivers don't continue to drive around for years?
> 
> Stiffer penalties won't deter others when the chances of being caught are slim / none.


She may or may not have been driving all that time, and I agree that something should be done to stop banned drivers driving. But how?

If there are random police control blocks, and as we know, there are......she had avoided three that morning because people had posted warnings as to their position on social media! Perhaps penalties too, for anyone posting such warnings....


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

There were lots of new measures to protect cyclists in the 2015 road safety act. But you can't legislate against this sort of crazy behaviour.

Meanwhile poor Chris Froome was deliberately knocked off his bike in France in an example of cycle-inspired road rage.


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

I think new rules and regulations are a knee jerk reaction to most things that go wrong

When I was working if we had an incident of any sort minor or major, it was usually because 


Someone failed to follow the correct procedures 
Someone failed to adjust the procedure to suit the event

In this case I fail to see how likely random checks would have stopped this. One can't legislate for stupidity


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

xabiachica said:


> I can't really see what could have been done to stop this tbh. She had had her licence taken away several years ago.
> 
> 
> Perhaps stronger penalties - I've seen it mooted that she might only be jailed for 4 years


... and if she pays a 'fine' she may serve no time at all.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

snikpoh said:


> ... and if she pays a 'fine' she may serve no time at all.


Well she's in jail already without bail.


I just heard that a third cyclist has died 

https://www.javea.com/fallece-jose-antonio-albi-joven-ciclista-28-anos-permanecia-ingresado-tras-accidente/

So it's looking less & less likely that she'll get off lightly


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Megsmum said:


> I think new rules and regulations are a knee jerk reaction to most things that go wrong
> 
> When I was working if we had an incident of any sort minor or major, it was usually because
> 
> ...


true, you can't legislate for stupidity

but if she hadn't managed to evade the road blocks..............

so many IFs


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

I think its too easy to say, more police blocks, legislate against alerts etc. The problem is, and it's the same in the U.K. In so much as She killed people and she will not suffer the consequences in any meaningful manner. . Rather than punish hard those that do wrong, we disregard their roles and pay more money out on laws that already exist.

Personally causing death by a car, bike, gun or knife is causing death and should be punished accordingly


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## The slow walkers (Nov 10, 2015)

If it was up to me, which, unfortunately it isn't, I would make her serve a life sentence for each life she has taken.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Megsmum said:


> One can't legislate for stupidity


That's what I was trying to say.


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

Well, they do legislate for stupidity, but in legal terminology they call it negligence....


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## Gran Erry-Bredd (Nov 1, 2016)

She should be charged with causing death by dangerous driving whilst under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Then lock her up and throw away the key.


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

Overandout said:


> Well, they do legislate for stupidity, but in legal terminology they call it negligence....





Gran Erry-Bredd said:


> She should be charged with causing death by dangerous driving whilst under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Then lock her up and throw away the key.


Trouble is whether it's stupidity or negligence, these people don't pay the price. That's the real issue. I've worked with drug addicts, they all have a story, some terrible some not so, but in the end everyone has to take responsibility for their actions, if they don't it's up to the courts to ensure they do, that's where the problem lies.


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