On Fri, 01 Jun 2007 02:02:35 -0700, spindrift
wrote:

It's the elephant in the living room. People really do write letters
to local press about lycra nazi RLJers whilst 140 pedestrians a year
are killed by drivers who deliberately take stupid risks:

Man's fatal crash fine 'a joke'


A van driver who knocked down a young girl as she walked to the shops
with her mother has been fined £1,000.

Demi-Leigh Hitchen, three, suffered fatal injuries when a van mounted
a pavement and clipped her on Livesey Branch Road, Blackburn, last
July.

The perp, Ryan Frayne, was also banned for 12 months. Nevertheless, he
was caught driving 8 months later. He pleaded guilty to driving while
disqualified, failing to provide a specimen of breath for analysis,
obstructing a police officer, and driving without insurance. He was
given 180 hours of community service and a further 12-month ban. The
reason for the original disqualification was not even mentioned in
court.

But even better than that is the quote from District Judge Peter Ward
who handed out the original sentence for driving without due care and
attention -- "It seems to me that the consequence of your lack of care
is such that I have to impose a significant penalty." As absurd as it
sounds, it was close to the maximum for this offence.