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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Please, not again - this is just too sad

25 replies

Waltons · 25/03/2011 22:05

Too upset to post this before now.

I came home earlier this week to a very sad and all too familiar scene. Road closed, dead body outside my house, crashed motorbike, police and paramedics sorting out the aftermath. Some young lad saw what he thought was the open road and didn't realise that there was a slight bend in it with a poor road surface. Lost control, hit a lamp post or a tree (the same ones every time) and that was it.

This has happened four times in the last 12 years (along with several non-fatal but serious car crashes at the same point) but that isn't "often enough" for it to trigger any sort of action. It's a 30 mph speed limit, but these young lads just don't respect that and they can't see the danger.

I get so upset every time it happens, and now my kids are seeing it too - they were very young or at school when the earlier accidents happened. Neither of them will ever want a motorbike after today, but a Mum somewhere is crying her heart out and I'm crying with her.

AIBU to get hold of my County Councillor, preferably by the throat (or even better, the balls), and tell him that the stupid definition of "how many dead bodies it takes in 5 years, 3 years or whatever" to put in place some sort of measures to stop this is just wrong, wrong, wrong. One of the fatal accidents never even appeared on the national listings, but it was obviously fatal.

Has anyone else fought this unbelievably heartless system?

OP posts:

fluffles · 25/03/2011 22:09

i witnessed a similar serious motorbike accident a few weeks ago - 30mph limit, bike just didn't make the corner, hit wrought iron railings... it was really traumatic.. i can't imagine seeing it happen again and again on the same corner

i think you should speak to your councillor, mp, local police, council rep.. anybody you can... good luck.

squeakytoy · 25/03/2011 22:09

What do you suggest that the council can do though :(

MissGreatBritain · 25/03/2011 22:11

Sorry I have no experience, but just wanted to say how ridiculous some of these laws are. We can't have a lollipop lady at our school until there "have been serious inuries/deaths". I just don't get it.

Feel so desperately sorry for the lad's family and also for all of you - it's not a nice thing to have to witness once, never mind several times over.

MissGreatBritain · 25/03/2011 22:12

Thinking about it, maybe the council could erect some of those "accident blackspot" signs, as they may just be enough to make drivers/riders approach a bit more carefully.

Tsil · 25/03/2011 22:13

That's terrible I would try and petition for speed bumps, these should slow bikes down enough

RJRabbit · 25/03/2011 22:13

Terribly, terribly sad. I had a scooter as a teenager and you really can't see when the road surface is bad (the lights aren't good enough). It's absolutely terrifying to hit shingle out of nowhere, and the max speed for me on the scooter was 50kms.

So, no, you are sooo not being unreasonable, and yes, you should definitely talk to your councillor and/or MP.

Sorry you and your children have had to witness this (but I'm glad they won't want motorbikes of their own).

nailak · 25/03/2011 22:14

my half brother died in a motor bike crash, 22 years ao

chasingrainbows · 25/03/2011 22:19

the village I live in is a wee rat run for everyone inc heavy plant. The main street runs onto a dual carriageway. People hare through the village to get onto the main road - its also downhill so there is added accelleration. Yip - each year there is a fatality - yes, we petitioned for traffic calming - we even petitioned our MSP and there was an enquiry - 4 weeks of cameras on the street and the outcome was that there had not been enough fatalities.
there was a crash last week which the fire brigade had to cut the deceased out their cars.
YANBU.

Original poster

Waltons · 25/03/2011 22:20

nailak I am so sad for you. I hope that I didn't bring back memories for you by posting. I thought about people like you before I posted.

Sorry to all if the times are confusing in my post. I wrote it just after the accident happened, but I have been so upset that I couldn't post it until now. I obviously spoke to my children about it on the day, but I didn't edit that bit before finally posting the message. It has taken a bit of courage even to post something that is so upsetting, and could be for so many other people.

OP posts:

Bearcat · 25/03/2011 22:28

The thing is, even in 30 mph zone, motorbike riders sill think that they can go past you at 40 or 50 mph!
Why do they think that the rules of the road do no apply to them?
I know its sad what has happened to you and the motorbike rider outside your house,but I regularly have motorbikes overtaking me when I am sticking to the speed limit.

Original poster

Waltons · 25/03/2011 22:46

Bearcat - because they are young and not aware of danger. Of course they should be, of course they are stupid, but we all were when we were young.

They don't deserve to die just because the Council doesn't recognise a dnager spot and DO something.

OP posts:

poochela · 25/03/2011 22:58

dont have anything meanibgful to add but wanted to offer some support and tell you yanbu, write to anyone who will listen xxx

poochela · 25/03/2011 22:59

meaningful

squeakytoy · 25/03/2011 23:04

The council recognising a danger spot will sadly be unlikely to prevent further accidents. Too many young kids think they are invincible once they are on the roads. :(

TidyDancer · 25/03/2011 23:05

There is a bad road in Hampshire (I think) that has a sign that warns of the frequency of accidents. I'm sure there are more across the country. It's a good idea to warn people, and more than one fatality on a stretch of road should be enough to warrant a warning.

Sorry you had to see that OP. :(

SallyScuttles · 25/03/2011 23:07

Tidy, yes, near my parents there is a road that has signs like '8 deaths in the last 3 years SLOW DOWN' and similar. They always make me check my speed.

Al1son · 25/03/2011 23:13

I live in a rural village 20 mins bike ride from a major city. If we get the beautiful weather this weekend that we've had this week I know that we'll see the air ambulance landing at one end of the village or the other. It happens every sunny Spring weekend almost without fail and it's usually motorcyclists.

I've driven on roads in Wales which have big signs listing the fatalities in the past x months or years but our County Council won't do it. Maybe that's because the people involved are usually from the city and the air ambulance takes them back there, I don't know.

It's just really really sad. So many of them are fatalities.

squeakytoy · 25/03/2011 23:17

Someone driving/riding too fast is not going to take any notice of a sign saying how many people have died though. Thats if they were even going slow enough to see it as they fly past.

The only solution I can think of is to restrict the power capability of cars and bikes to people until they have been driving or riding for a certain length of time. A new driver should not be able to immediately get behind the wheel of any car they choose. Speed restrictors on vehicles would be another option.

I say this as someone who has lost a BIL (aged 19), and my husbands best friend (aged 33), both in accidents that would have been avoidable had they been travelling at a sensible speed.

GiselleS · 25/03/2011 23:22

Waltons, with respect, my aunt was killed by a young driver of a motorbike. He readily admitted he did know the danger but he thought it would never happen to him. It did happen.

I think signs are a good thing but people need to take more responsibility.

I wish the driving test included a section, perhaps a video, of what happens when it goes wrong and a driver kills someone. Or when a police officer turns up telling you that you will never see a beloved family member again.

Original poster

Waltons · 25/03/2011 23:29

GiselleS - I wish that too. I think you may have mis-read my post.

I am just as desperate as you to stop this dreadful death toll.

OP posts:

SevenAgainstThebes · 25/03/2011 23:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

clams · 26/03/2011 01:33

I'm sorry, that's awful. The council may be able to lower the speed limit. Please email your local councillors and your MP if you can, outlining that history. Hope your kids are ok too.

neepsntatties · 26/03/2011 01:42

I am so sorry. Really disgusted that the council won't do anything. How can there be such a thing as not enough deaths?

Parents where I live are trying to get a lollipop person as the road to the school is busy but they won't provide one because there hasn't been an incident. Bet they pay to fix all the pot holes from the bad winter though as obviously protecting cars is more important than protecting children.

doley · 26/03/2011 02:20

I am so sorry you had to experience this .

10 years ago I witnessed a young female cyclist clip the side of a lorry ,she was killed right in front of me .

I was very ill with PTSD after seeing it all ...I hope you are able to share your feelings and talk about it .

Yes,that poor Mum ...there are are no words :(

GotArt · 26/03/2011 02:38

Sorry for you having to see that again, or ever for that matter. The council probably thinks that the speed limit is enough warning about the bend as it is likely a safe limit to manage the corner. However, drivers and riders do speed. Do some research on the exact statistics of the corner, your experiences and concerns for your children and get as many neighbours on board too.

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