Institutionalised descrimination within the Police

[Fatjim]

I was pondering this yesterday after reading the article about the young girl who died in Hospital after suffering injuries from a head on collision. The driver of the car she was in crossed the centreline clipped one vehicle and crashed into another.

The driver was described as an elderly woman and the cause was suspected to be wind blowing the car sideways. There wasn't the usual comment about the police laying or thinking about laying charges.

Now if the driver was a young male would this still be the case?

Several years ago my wife rolled the family car 3 and a 1/2 times on the motorway. The police attended of course as well as the fire and ambulance. I also managed to get there within about 10 minutes of the accident and saw the scene with my own eyes. Now I'm fairly sure if I was driving I would have been prosecuted. But my wife had no such bad luck, the police where happy to OFFER the excuse of oil on the road, buggered if I could see much of the stuff there. I know the real reason for the accident and it wasn't oil!

Now the question here is.... Do the Police in general, or in part, have a preconceived notion that certain sections of society are not good drivers, do not have the skills to drive safely, and therefor are given allowance for this when they cause accidents?

Do you have any examples where you think this may have happened?

[Stickchick]

My sisters boyfriend was killed by an Elderly Drunk Driver when she crashed into his motorbike while pulling out of a pub and all she got was a few hours community service. Ok he wasn't doing the speed limit but she was twice over the legal limit

[Grahameeboy]

I think you have to look at the reasons why this happened which according to the Police was weather related, not driver related.
I am sure that they would have taken the same approach who ever was driving.
You would be surprised how a powerful enough gust can move a car.
Once dealt with an insurance claim in the Uk when strong winds literally picked up a Fiat Uno and threw it into a lampost.
If strong winds can uproot a wind...well think about it.
I am not sure you have a point. Sorry.

[MSTRS:Me]

The young are all hoons just looking for somewhere to crash or get a ticket. Just ask them. Whereas old people who've been driving for 40 years without an accident are just tired and need to pull over for a rest.

[surfchick]

My sisters boyfriend was killed by an Elderly Drunk Driver when she crashed into his motorbike while pulling out of a pub and all she got was a few hours community service. Ok he wasn't doing the speed limit but she was twice over the legal limit

uncle the same but hit while in a car
unforgiveable

[MSTRS:Me]

....
I am not sure you have a point. Sorry.

He does. Young hXc was accused of something traffic related by a 'respected member of the Fire Brigade' who had failed to give way to him. The investigating cop was all set to write hXc a ticket, on this prick's word and said that failure to give way was not important. Fuck me. It all went away when I got involved, but otherwise....
Fatjim is right. There are preconceived ideas in some cases.

[Pancakes]

helps prove the "stats" are right eh! Just like Pajero's and Rav 4's and lots of other big 4WD's are listed as "wagon" on the rego sticker now. I'm sure 4WD crashes will fall off soon proving they are safe?

[Paul in NZ]

Police are human - of course lived life experience influences their decisions and they way that they percieve inputs, just as it influences all of us.

[Grahameeboy]

He does. Young hXc was accused of something traffic related by a 'respected member of the Fire Brigade' who had failed to give way to him. The investigating cop was all set to write hXc a ticket, on this prick's word and said that failure to give way was not important. Fuck me. It all went away when I got involved, but otherwise....
Fatjim is right. There are preconceived ideas in some cases.

That is a different scenario.

Fatjim is relating a weather related incident to the Police being prejudiced to the age / possibly gender of the driver.

In hxc's case it was a case of the circumstances being disputed which is a very common scenario. Came across this many times when I worked in Insurance.

[Fatjim]

My sisters boyfriend was killed by an Elderly Drunk Driver when she crashed into his motorbike while pulling out of a pub and all she got was a few hours community service. Ok he wasn't doing the speed limit but she was twice over the legal limit

Commiserations, but I'm not talking about the sentence, thats up to the Courts. I'm talking about the decision to prosecute.

I think you have to look at the reasons why this happened which according to the Police was weather related, not driver related.
I am sure that they would have taken the same approach who ever was driving.
You would be surprised how a powerful enough gust can move a car.
Once dealt with an insurance claim in the Uk when strong winds literally picked up a Fiat Uno and threw it into a lampost.
If strong winds can uproot a wind...well think about it.
I am not sure you have a point. Sorry.

Obviously theres some gray between the black and white. But what I'm getting at is if a young male said he was blown off the road by wind would he be believed, or would the coppers think he shouldn't have been because he's a young bloke with the skills and reactions to deal with it, whereas an elderly woman would not.

[MSTRS:Me]

That is a different scenario.

Fatjim is relating a weather related incident to the Police being prejudiced to the age / possibly gender of the driver.

In hxc's case it was a case of the circumstances being disputed which is a very common scenario. Came across this many times when I worked in Insurance.

Don't agree. An incident occurred...it must have been the young person's fault. See. Preconceived.

[Grahameeboy]

Don't agree. An incident occurred...it must have been the young person's fault. See. Preconceived.

Sorry you see it that way..........................

[Grahameeboy]

Obviously theres some gray between the black and white. But what I'm getting at is if a young male said he was blown off the road by wind would he be believed, or would the coppers think he shouldn't have been because he's a young bloke with the skills and reactions to deal with it, whereas an elderly woman would not.

I think it is fair to say that being blown off the road is in the hands of nature, not the drivers skills.

[Stickchick]

I think it is fair to say that being blown off the road is in the hands of nature, not the drivers skills.

I'm sure the cops would have done their scene examinations etc and verified this as they would have with a young guy.

[Grahameeboy]

I'm sure the cops would have done their scene examinations etc and verified this as they would have with a young guy.

Agreed, all this woe it is because I am young crap we get these days is a bit tiring