This letter comes in response to the fatal accident of a rider in Rio Bueno and involving a truck, a few months ago. The fact aroused requests to the respective authorities to protect our right of cyclists to use roads safely, for which demand the condemnation of the truck involved.
in the news today we find the outrage, I believe in Santiago, a grandmother (deceased) and grandson (the edge). Relatives interviewed asked that "justice is done" in relation to the driver, the press points out that the driver did not even retained the license.
In both cases, at least in my knowledge of the facts, there are no data to defend an application for an order for drivers of vehicles. Were they under the influence of alcohol or psychotropic drugs? "Speeding? "Talking on cell phones without hands-free and distracted? I do not know, I have not heard of any indication of criminal responsibility.
And such cases are the thousands. It's time to make cross-eyes, global contexts rather than analysis of each individual case, because I do not endorse impunity. Nor do I believe that the death of this person is somewhat accidental attributable to bad luck (only the bad lucky to live in Chile at the beginning of XXI century)
I maintain that if there is criminal culpability, but it is in other people, other areas. Of the drivers may or may not exist. Is circumstantial. Now the signal is always present, and even unnoticed, there it is. I mean the decision-making sphere, technical, policy makers, legislators, planners. Over there we Pesquisar looking guilty.
As it is an act of criminal responsibility pulling in the same way, to people who live speed and weight so incredibly different. Or protect the integrity pedestrian crossings.
Who would think that cyclists and vehicles fast / heavy must share the roads? if the poor guy's truck and found out about the abuse until he was told witnesses present!
Can we feel criminals accidentally stepping on a cockroach? And do not say it disparagingly, if I myself am cockroach day.
Yet 18290 law is clear:
Vehicle: Medium to which, upon which or by which any person or object can be transported by a route
Conductor: A person who leads, maneuver or charge of direct management of any vehicle, a saddle animal, shooting or herding animals;
Calzada: Part of a road intended to use of vehicles and animals;
cyclists, taxi drivers, truckers are drivers, and on the road can and often must live, about 20 km / hr and other up to 120 km / hr, and the sides of these roads there are road calls ISLANDS sidewalks, and its users, pedestrians, are forced to adapt to this system extremely careful when moving from one island to another or simply out of their island.
And while technical or security planners think they do well then designed ways "laws" that restrict freedoms and promote and justify the abuses Does anyone still believe that legal / right / right are synonyms? And what conscience can rest easy if you are designing the urban road works in the legal, the "standard" applied dehumanized?
accept that the crime is one of the drivers, get a conviction, perhaps that would achieve these drivers do not re-run over, or at least more aware. And the rest?
Eye, acts occur in systems that support, promote, sometimes justified. The rules and road designs are configured so that a crime such as the Rio Bueno is diluted among the public as an accident. Do not even miss the woman expressing that should not have been on the path of the truck, poor driver. Some also wonder if the grandmother was careful when crossing with his grandson from one island to the next.
darts of guilt should target those responsible for the configuration of the crime scene, whether political, technical or policy, then I think we will be attacking the root of the problem, because we do tremble visible views, conceptions of hierarchical organization covertly Chilean road system.
The vehicle weight is not something that can intervene, perhaps regular. But physics provides another important factor in this inequality, the speed is easily adjustable with will and vision. Limiting the maximum speed, secure coexistence is made possible, at least I have understood in other cities, other countries, where talk of Zones 30 and is installed and accepted theme. Here are more retro, we're doing the same wrong way of thinking that the solution is to segregate, or bike paths fill lament not having them in the meantime.
And until that happens, some thoughtless crime continue to focus on drivers rather than the organizers of the system.
Others continue profiting under consultants, contractors or public officials, with the construction of expensive infrastructure and inefficient motor for rapid transit, light transit or caged (bikeways .)
short:
not agree with the request to the authorities in pursuing of the proper sentence for drivers.
I am inclined to support the families of the victims, and even the drivers themselves if they were innocent, which I insist, to me is a secondary issue, to request application of due conviction of political authorities, engineers, policy makers and planners responsible for transforming our way on stage so that death is present.
complex topic, need to discuss, rush to feel even force, the transverse and equitable participation. How many more regret victims until we get the streets for people, from the clutches of motorized transport?
