Sadly another Statistic was created on Saturday 18th September 2021 !
chris-anker-sorensen-killed-in-crash-at-world-championships
is the HeadLine , that is the outcome of an RTC in Belgium , near the area ,where the 2021 UCI Road Race Championships , take place , beginning on Sunday 19th September 2021 .
Unfortunately , chris-anker-sorensen- was Cycling and the result of an RTC , was SEVERE Injury resulting in Death , hours later !
Apparently a Car/Van was involved , but , unlike reporting in English Speaking Media , there was No report on the Driver's condition ?
Todate , there have been many Written Articles about the Passing of this Well Known Athlete , as well as #Tweets and other social media !
Judging by the #WIKI website ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Anker_S%C3%B8rensen ) , i would only have had a passing contact with him , during the 2008 Giro d'italia , when i had the occasion to ride with the Saxo Team on the Rest days .
The REASON for my INTRUDING into this Unfortunate INCIDENT , is the WAY that the #Media CONTINUE to BANDY the word #ACCIDENT !
WHEN , will these People get their HEAD into USING , CORRECT ENGLISH ?
WHAT is ACCIDENTAL about a Driver Colliding with a #Cyclist ?
Is it #Accidental , that a Driver gets into a Vehicle ?
Accidental that , that Driver turns on the Ignition ?
Accidental that Either of the parties to the Collision were at FAULT , at some point on the route that they CHOSE to Use ?
STATISTICS , repeatedly are USED , and , show that 83% of RTC s involving a #Cyclist , are due to #DRIVER Negligence !
Time will tell WHAT took place , AND , as the Victim is DEAD , then there will be a lot of EFFORT USED , to exonerate the Surviving Party , as , #LIFE must go on !
Too often English Articles , report that #Drivers , when found AT FAULT , are given #SUSPENDED SENTENCES , even a mere SLAP on the Wrist Attitude ?
JAIL may be the CORRECT Sentence in many cases , BUT , in Oz , it costs more that $A50000 each year , to provide JUSTICE !
Weekend detention , at Home with an ANKLET , seems to be an Option , so often overlooked , but even then , there is a COST , and Society is TOO Forgiving , when the Perpetrator goes out shopping with the Family , or to some Social Occasion ?
Even Police Officers get MOWN DOWN by Vehicles ! Take the case of #SgtKenRich , out on a past Good Friday , riding for exercise with his Daughter . The Perp missed the Daughter & collided with the Lycra Clad MALE !
Sentenced to Community Service , a few years later , when the matter had dropped out of view to most of the Community .! Seems that the CPS , does not consider a 30+year Veteran Sargeant , as a Valuable Member of Society ? The Perp is alive and well , and so must NOT BE Inconvenienced for HIS GUILTY Behaviour ?
Then there is #JasonLowndes , He raced to 6th in the Under 23 catagory in 2016 Uci Worlds! On the way to a Training Ride , he was rear ended by a young woman , that was TOO Busy on her Social s to pay attention to the Road , or her Duties of Care , to the Community !
#SEALS are in every Country , their S elf E ntitled A rrogant L awbreaking , is seemably ACCEPTABLE to the Community ?
Too often the Judiciary put themselves in the Shoes of the PERPETRATOR , as they recognise , that they ALSO do the same Habits , that has a Perp in front of them ? PAID to deliver Justice , but , bend with the Wind , AND , as for the JURY , well THEY know NO BETTER ?
2014 Tour De Romandie was down the road from AIGLE , the location of the UCI HQ , and so it was a Stopover on the way to Belfast , the Grand Depart for the Giro d 'ITALIA !
Brian Cookson was the UCI President at that time , and i was fortunate to find him and discuss the LACK of EFFORT to ensure that ProRacers were ABLE to #SurvivetheROADS ! One of his senior Colleagues told me of the Loss of the UCI World Champion of Cross Country in a Belgium RTC , something i had read of in 2013 !
When i left , i felt confident that the ssubject of #Cyclist Safety would be on the Agenda of the UCI Congress in Ponferada , BUT , alas , NOTHING , since then has been done , to SAFEGUARD ProRacers or even Newbie Women , that the Australian Cycling endeavours to encourage to JOIN !
WHY , would Women or other Newbies WISH to take up Cycling , let alone RACING , when every Ride in Traffic , is likely to lead to a VISIT to Accident & Emergency ?
March 26th 2021 , saw Victoria State join the rest of Oz , in passing #SAFEPassLaws ! During the previous months , riding at 10+kph on South Promenade , could result in a $A1600 Penalty ! And , the New Law , would COST a Perp $A350 + 2 Points , for ENDANGERING LIFE , as passing within 1 Metre was NOW not a Great Idea !
Police in Victoria , are TRAINED to Use a Radar Gun , to check SPEED , they even GET TRAINING on that instrument ! The NEW SafePass LAW , is not ENFORCED , as NO TRAINING is Proposed as yet , and , so any Lawyer would ask ONLY ONE Question !
Are YOU Trained to spot a Vehicle Less that One Metre from a Cyclist , as You Pass ? With Answer being N O , case will be DISMISSED !
SORENSENLAW could be INTRODUCED by the UCI on Thursday/Friday Congress this week ! All National Cycling Federations could be on the same Page , in respect of Cyclist Safety ! All it requires is that the DELEGATES DECIDE TO ACT !
Sorensen was NOT on the AGENDA ! Perhaps there will be a MINUTE of SILENCE to mark his Passing , BUT , HOW MANY MORE #ProRacers MUST PASS , before UCI , pull their neck out of the Woods , and , ACT , to SAVE LIVES
The RACERS provide the INCOME for YOUR SALARIES !
ACTION in 2021 , is LONG OVERDUE !
