Lollipop lady hit-run

[il padrone]

So....... can we expect the same standard of criminal sanctions applied to distracted drivers who hit and injure cyclists ???

I think the standard punishment for someone who does a hit-run and seriously injures a cyclist is normally about 2 months suspended, or a fine of $1500

[g-boaf]

Cyclists aren't well protected because the break the law all the time, apparently.

This obviously proves that wrong. Motorists won't be screaming howls of indignation over this however.

[wellington_street]

You left out the part where, on his release from prison, a group of lollipop ladies gets to tie him up and belt him three ways to Sunday with the crossing sign.

/fantasy

[ColinOldnCranky]

I hope that this is not the same Matthew Windle in this DUI case (0.221!!!!) that was dismissed on technicality in 2010.
http://the-riotact.com/drager-follies-s ... free/21483

[thecaptn]

If you read the comments it would appear that this is the same person indeed.

[ColinOldnCranky]

If you read the comments it would appear that this is the same person indeed.

Sorry - I can't see comments yo are referring too as I can't see any comments section on yesterdays article. Are you confusing the comments in the one I linked to? Or am I missing something (again!)

[Mulger bill]

From the article linked...

Windle, who has no prior convictions but voluntarily revealed to Judge Howard that in 2009 he had received an infringement notice for using a phone while driving, had appealed against a six-month jail sentence imposed by a magistrate in March.

Prior phone ping, this bloke's got form. Make an example of hiim.

[il padrone]

Sorry - I can't see comments yo are referring too as I can't see any comments section on yesterdays article. Are you confusing the comments in the one I linked to? Or am I missing something (again!)

FRom The Riot Act:

Mr XXXX, Investment Sales Director at XXXX – Canberra, will be presenting at the Canberra Private Investor Seminar on March 24. Guest speaking at the Canberra event will be XXXX, Regional Manager of Corporate Business Banking at XXXX, and Matthew Windle, Treasury Specialist.

......and in The Age:

A senior Westpac Bank finance market specialist who drove into and seriously injured a "lollipop lady".......
.....Matthew Windle, 35

Seems to be the same bloke.

[ColinOldnCranky]

From the article linked...

Windle, who has no prior convictions but voluntarily revealed to Judge Howard that in 2009 he had received an infringement notice for using a phone while driving, had appealed against a six-month jail sentence imposed by a magistrate in March.

Prior phone ping, this bloke's got form. Make an example of hiim.

And if it IS the same guy, then the only reason he can claim no prior conviction is because one of two flaky grounds for appeal was accepted making the charge illegitimate. The facts of his actions were not disputed ind included runnign a red light after which he was stopped and found to have a BAC of 0.121 - serious stuff.

Of course, I do not know yet if he is the same guy or just cooincidence. I haven't been able to track down the relevant court listing that gives his full name. The penalty was handed down in the Victorian County Court as near as I can determine if anyone else knows how to track the listing down.

[find_bruce]

Colin, yes Judge Howard is in the Victorian County Court. Like most courts at that level, they publish only a small fraction of the judgements delivered. Some are on Austlii and some on the County Court website This one is not currently on either.

What I find interesting is that he is described as a former ice hockey player, but not a former Westpac employee. I suspect that Westpac, like pretty much every employer in Australia, does not offer "prison leave" and will sack him as soon as he is taken into custody. Given he has already appealed once and can afford Senior Counsel, I suspect there will be a further appeal

[ColinOldnCranky]

Colin, yes Judge Howard is in the Victorian County Court. Like most courts at that level, they publish only a small fraction of the judgements delivered. Some are on Austlii and some on the County Court website This one is not currently on either.

What I find interesting is that he is described as a former ice hockey player, but not a former Westpac employee. I suspect that Westpac, like pretty much every employer in Australia, does not offer "prison leave" and will sack him as soon as he is taken into custody. Given he has already appealed once and can afford Senior Counsel, I suspect there will be a further appeal

I had tracked down the judge and the court and wasn't thinking of Law Reports or written judgement as they take time when done. However, if someone can get to the court list for the day (or the one for the original case in March (against which the sentencing appeal was made) and it shows the guys name in full as Mathew Jon Windle then I think that would be fair indication of it being the same guy as the one that got off the DUI charge.

Westpac wouldn't get much choice on being named - the defence lawyer chose to introduce that and the newspaper just reported it. I imagine you are right about the outcome wrt to his employment. Boohoo.

[simonn]

You left out the part where, on his release from prison, a group of lollipop ladies gets to tie him up and belt him three ways to Sunday with the crossing sign.

/fantasy

This is the internet. I am sure you can find a video/pictures

[cp123]

Matthew Windle should've been off the road yonks ago.

[myforwik]

In QLD lollypop people get upto $26.54/hr! Its not volunteer at all. Infact its good money, you can do 7.5 hours per week, and make an easy $200. This is why people are lining up to 'volunteer'.

Does anyone else find it strange that as soon as a phone or booze is involved, it apparently makes the driver orders of magnitude more culpable. If he had just ran this lady down through incompetence or being an idiot, he probably would have gotten nothing.

[winstonw]

Windle is low life. end of that story.

now, as for lollipop people....I've seen them just bold as brass walk out in front of moving traffic, and expect everyone to screech to a halt.
personally, my lollipop style would be more heavily invested in self preservation. I wouldn't be walking out in front of any fast moving vehicle. but picking my moment more carefully.

[il padrone]

now, as for lollipop people....I've seen them just bold as brass walk out in front of moving traffic, and expect everyone to screech to a halt.
personally, my lollipop style would be more heavily invested in self preservation. I wouldn't be walking out in front of any fast moving vehicle. but picking my moment more carefully.

Ironic comment really!

The rule on children's crossings used to be that children standing at the crossing about to step out demanded drivers must stop. My how standards change

Meantime, back in Italy - standing there was not enough, you have to just look straight ahead and step out......... the drivers are expected to stop, and they do!!!


Why should Australian drivers be any less competent. It's just a case of "don't care, don't do"

[winstonw]

Ironic comment really!

The rule on children's crossings used to be that children standing at the crossing about to step out demanded drivers must stop. My how standards change

Meantime, back in Italy - standing there was not enough, you have to just look straight ahead and step out......... the drivers are expected to stop, and they do!!!


Why should Australian drivers be any less competent. It's just a case of "don't care, don't do"

oh dear.....
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2007-07-24/i ... ws/2511430" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
"He says the Italian capital boasts 2.4 million cars for 2.5 million inhabitants, and 8.47 pedestrians killed or hurt per 1,000 people versus 0.85 in London or 0.4 in Paris."

[il padrone]

Well, I spent 3 months riding a bike around Italy this year, on country roads and urban streets from Naples to Sicily and Florence. All I can add is that at all times we found drivers gave us great respect, we felt safer than here on Australian roads, and the worst evidence of collisions we observed in that time was one bloke who had stopped after he had apparently clipped a parked motor scooter.

That article is 2007. I wonder whether the rules have changed, because it really sounds like a very different place to the one we observed.


Meantime, back to the topic. Why should someone who steps out into traffic (as is a part of their job) when drivers are obliged to give way, be regarded as somehow foolish or irresponsible ???

[sogood]

Statistics is closer to the truth though.

[il padrone]

Some more statistics

Road accidents in Italy (Preliminary estimates).......

Compared to 2011, a decrease of road accidents resulting in death or injury (-10.3%) and the number of deaths (-5.4%) has been registered, as well as a decrease of injuries (-10.8%) (Table 1).

The mortality index, calculated as the percentage ratio between the number of deaths and the number of accidents resulting in death or injury, reaches, in 2012, the value 2, which is slightly higher than the value registered in 2011 (1,85).

The percentage change of the number of deaths, in respect to 2001, is -48.6% for 2012, while it was -46.4% in 2011.

http://www.istat.it/en/archive/93699" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It seems that conditions may have improved since 2007

[ColinOldnCranky]

My three week in Italy as a pedestrian and as a driver gave me no great appreciation of their respect and consideration to other users. I can easily believe they have bad numbers.

I also did not see an army of people biking in Paris despite everyone telling me it is so. Do people see things in ways that reinforce their held beliefs?

I had little trouble getting the hang of it. Some would say that driving in Perth is good training though I'd put the inconsideration in Italian cities a little worse after allowing for my own unfamiliarity. I am still looking forward to another three weeks of the same next year but my wife is not so keen on the driving bit.

[simonn]

Do people see things in ways that reinforce their held beliefs?

Yes. It's called confirmation bias. Nobody is immune to it and it is 1) why we have the scientific method and 2) why "common sense" is almost useless (unless you need to make a very quick decision).

[il padrone]

My three week in Italy as a pedestrian and as a driver gave me no great appreciation of their respect and consideration to other users.

Ah there's the rub. Other drivers are equals and fair game.

I'm surprised you had troubles as a pedestrian, but maybe it takes a while for the attitude and correct technique to seep in. If you stand about waiting for traffic to stop for you to cross (even at a zebra-crossing) you'll be standing all day. The Italian perspective is "if he's looking at me he knows I'm coming through and will wait...... but if the pedestrian is walking out, not looking at me, he'll keep going and I have to stop". It really does work once you take a big breath and step out. The traffic will stop, at surprisingly short notice.



You will observe that despite the traffic continually moving, the pedestrians who just keep walking, have drivers giving way to them. Some (notably the scooter riders) may cut close behind, but they all give way to the pedestrians.... who do not look for eye contact at all.

On this street in Palermo, the very busy Via Maqueda, our hotel clerk escorting us to park our bikes simply stepped out of the hotel front door and straight across the street in front of traffic with nary a sideways glance and just a wave of his hand at oncoming traffic to 'stop for me'. It is the textbook Italian way.


You'll see the (rubbed off) zebra crossing there. It means nothing in Italy if you "stop at the kerb..... look to the left...."

Different culture, diffferent solutions.

[simonn]

Different culture, diffferent solutions.

Some of which are better than others (better, defined in the case as meaning being able to go about your business without dying).

http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf ... endocument" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.fiafoundation.org/Documents/ ... 108_v3.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/p ... E92789.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Mulger bill]

Yeah, that's pretty cool. Hundreds, if not thousands of potentially lethal interactions every minute and it looks like everybody is doing their best to not make the other persons day harder. Doubt that outlook on life will ever be the statistical norm here