Justice for David Bartholomew?
The latest in a long line of apparant miscarriages of justice against bikers is the case of David Bartholomew. You can read various accounts of what happened in the links below:
I'm not going to comment on the specifics of this case, except to say that this does not appear to be some youngster taking liberties on a bike too big for him - this was an experienced, middle-aged motorcyclist, riding within the law on what I would describe as a fairly sensible bike (sorry to any CBF1000 owners!).
What I will say is this: motorcycles are a perfectly legal form of transport but those of us on two wheels are amongst the most vulnerable of road users. That being the case, I do think that there should be some kind of an accepted legal principle demanding higher levels of expectation on those driving 4-wheeled vehicles. We all know that any idiot can drive a car, but when it comes to riding a motorbike, WE have to devote our full attention. It also requires a complete acceptance of responsibility for your own safety (which of course is utterly wrong but it's the way things are).
So has justice been served here? That's for others to decide but a campaign has been started in David's name. The 'Justice for David Bartholomew' Facebook page has been created to allow people to voice their opinions on the issue and collect funds for a possible private prosecution. To date more than 4000 people have shown their support.
If you feel strongly about this case, you can add your support here:
