Does this seem to happen too often?

[vinh1000]

http://www.birminghammail.net/news/birmingham-news/2012/08/21/second-man-dies-after-being-hit-by-bus-in-birmingham-97319-31668350/

2 in the last 3 days :O

[Tony]

http://www.birminghammail.net/news/birmingham-news/2012/08/21/second-man-dies-after-being-hit-by-bus-in-birmingham-97319-31668350/

2 in the last 3 days :O

No, it doesn't seem to happen too often. It does happen too often, Once is too often. The problem is the Evening Mail article only states one fact and that is that a bus and pedestrian were in collision with each other killing the pedestrian. The way they have worded the headline which is also in the link above ' dies after being hit by a bus' makes it sound like it was the buses fault.

That may not be the case, and I have a feeling when the police have carried out their full investigation, certainly into the second one, they may come up with a different slant on the story.

[BU07 LGO]

I remember a passenger got off a 34 (old 934) at the circle in about 2004 and was ran over by the bus he had just got off

[4006]

Mobile phone's must be probably (although no doubt arguably) the biggest reason for 'pedestian' incidents and probably most other incidents on the road aswell. Every single day I see numerous pedestrians walking into a street/road too busy on the Mobile to look at traffic or lights/signs and often I see drivers (all drivers) having to react to this. Mind you on the other hand the number of drivers you see on phones, eating, drinking putting on make-up basically doing any thing other than concentrating is shocking...and the ones that do pull over to do it, where do they pull over???? In the BUS STOP of cause!!
I think overall if you compare the number of incidents involving buses in relation to miles travelled/hours on the road/time spent in conjestion I think it would be considerably less in relation to incidents caused involving other vehicles..

[Stu]

As I see it, if you cross a busy main road, like the Hagley Road, without using a pedestrian crossing, then its your fault if you get knocked down by a vehicle.

Pedestrian crossings are provided for a reason, but sadly many people choose not to use them, and quite surprisingly it becomes the vehicle drivers fault if they hit someone.

The scary thing as I see it, is the number of adults with children, especially in Sparkbrook and Sparkhill where I see it the most, who just walk out into the Stratford Road, and expect traffic to slow down for them, despite there being plenty of pedestrian crossings to use.

[Stu]

On an amusing side note, I did read about the first incident in Erdington at the weekend, and while travelling to work this morning, I passed a shop with a Birmingham Mail billboard outside, which simply stated "SECOND MAN KILLED BY BUS", which on first reading seemed to insinuate there was some kind of serial killer bus on the loose!  ;D

[windy miller]

stu- It could be the third incident-refer to my reply #23 in avin a larf.... :o :o

[windy miller]

interestingly tonys comments  show how easy it can be to assume a bad impression with superficial guesswork and general miss-information. One perfectly true example happened to me many years ago as a driver with the GPO. When I drove away from the sorting office my attention was drawn to a young 'postie' who had crashed his standard issue delivery bike into a wall and appeared to be badly injured. In my haste to administer some first aid I drove over the back wheel of the bike.To a casual observer it would have been easy to assume that I may have been at fault. fortunately,the 'new' postie had answered 'yes' on his application form Q: 'can you ride a bycycle?'..which proved to be a lie. What annoyed me was the supervisors initial comment, (with the cyclist still in some distress.).."look at that" he said,....F....n brand new bike...total write off..... >:( :o :)

[Discodave]

http://www.birminghammail.net/news/birmingham-news/2012/08/21/second-man-dies-after-being-hit-by-bus-in-birmingham-97319-31668350/

2 in the last 3 days :O

No, it doesn't seem to happen too often. It does happen too often, Once is too often. The problem is the Evening Mail article only states one fact and that is that a bus and pedestrian were in collision with each other killing the pedestrian. The way they have worded the headline which is also in the link above ' dies after being hit by a bus' makes it sound like it was the buses fault.

That may not be the case, and I have a feeling when the police have carried out their full investigation, certainly into the second one, they may come up with a different slant on the story.

Problem Tony is the papers always make the driver guilty before any court case so where is the fair justice in that any jury selected will have been biased by the story if any case is heard look at the unortunate event in Walsall thankfully is was good for the person driving but the papers and TV had been as good as judge,jury and executioner if they cant report fairly they should not report unitl they have all the facts more regulation is needed never mind free speech fair reporting is what I would like to see

[Tony]

http://www.birminghammail.net/news/birmingham-news/2012/08/21/second-man-dies-after-being-hit-by-bus-in-birmingham-97319-31668350/

2 in the last 3 days :O

No, it doesn't seem to happen too often. It does happen too often, Once is too often. The problem is the Evening Mail article only states one fact and that is that a bus and pedestrian were in collision with each other killing the pedestrian. The way they have worded the headline which is also in the link above ' dies after being hit by a bus' makes it sound like it was the buses fault.

That may not be the case, and I have a feeling when the police have carried out their full investigation, certainly into the second one, they may come up with a different slant on the story.

Problem Tony is the papers always make the driver guilty before any court case so where is the fair justice in that any jury selected will have been biased by the story if any case is heard look at the unortunate event in Walsall thankfully is was good for the person driving but the papers and TV had been as good as judge,jury and executioner if they cant report fairly they should not report unitl they have all the facts more regulation is needed never mind free speech fair reporting is what I would like to see

The story I have heard with the second one was it was suicide. The chap was crouched on the kerbside and dived under the front wheel. The bus has to be lifted off the body. That is very sad, but definately beyond the control of the bus company and the driver

[Discodave]

I feel for the driver bet he or she is in bits I would be and would take a while for me to get back in the saddle if I could hack it again

[danny]

Same, i know people can get into dark places but this really isnt fair on the poor driver, and it dosent help with bloody bigoted newpapers demonising a driver or doing that classic lib dem thing of leading people to what they want you to think

[Stu]

I took a little offence at the Birmingham Mail publishing a poll in their report of the third incident, asking if bus operators should be reviewing their safety policies as a result. I personally think that cyclists and pedestrians should review their own personal safety policies before blaming bus operators.

As a pedestrian, I was always taught as a child the Green Cross Code when crossing a busy main road. I wouldn't dream of crossing a main road such as the Hagley Road without looking 'left and right' and making sure the way was clear. Or use a pedestrian crossing, after all that's what they were designed for. It's shocking to see so many people trying to cross main roads, and just walking out into traffic, when there is a perfectly good zebra or pelican crossing just a few yards away. And in those situations, if a pedestrian gets struck by a vehicle, I find it puzzling that its automatically the vehicle driver's fault!

Same for cyclists; I don't know the exact facts behind the Wolverhampton incident, so don't judge my opinion on that, but I've seen enough reckless cyclists with no regard for other traffic weaving dangerously around large vehicles, and on and off pavements, to know that some are just asking to be knocked off their bikes, and then again it becomes the vehicle driver's fault!

[4006]

I took a little offence at the Birmingham Mail publishing a poll in their report of the third incident, asking if bus operators should be reviewing their safety policies as a result. I personally think that cyclists and pedestrians should review their own personal safety policies before blaming bus operators.

As a pedestrian, I was always taught as a child the Green Cross Code when crossing a busy main road. I wouldn't dream of crossing a main road such as the Hagley Road without looking 'left and right' and making sure the way was clear. Or use a pedestrian crossing, after all that's what they were designed for. It's shocking to see so many people trying to cross main roads, and just walking out into traffic, when there is a perfectly good zebra or pelican crossing just a few yards away. And in those situations, if a pedestrian gets struck by a vehicle, I find it puzzling that its automatically the vehicle driver's fault!

Same for cyclists; I don't know the exact facts behind the Wolverhampton incident, so don't judge my opinion on that, but I've seen enough reckless cyclists with no regard for other traffic weaving dangerously around large vehicles, and on and off pavements, to know that some are just asking to be knocked off their bikes, and then again it becomes the vehicle driver's fault!

Technically as stated in the Highway code the pedestrian always has the right of way, regardless of where, when or what they are crossing on and any driver should always give way to pedestrians. Trouble these days people are in 'too much of a rush' or basically 'bone idle' they can't be bothered to move that extra 10 yards to the crossing its pathetic really when it is your own safety in the firing line. In Wolves some sections on the ring road have fences round them to discourage pedestrians 'cutting corners' many pedestrians ignore them or jump over them do they never consider 'why is there a fence here? what is it here for?' I mean they probably save 5,10 maybe even 20 seconds by cutting across through busy traffic not having a clue what traffic is comming and from where, risking a possible fatal for what 5,10 maybe 20 seconds!! don't they teach 'the Green Cross Code' at schools anymore...
I also heard the No. 9 incident was suicide and heard exactly the same as in Tony's previous post
In relation to the Wolves incident from what I have heard a youngster cyclist came from a park area next to the incident went straight into the road 'without looking' hit the bus (2059 by the way) on the side and got dragged underneath. I have not heard one suggestion it was the drivers fault. Personally if it was me getting out the cab to see what had happened afterwards... I don't know how I'd be or react  :-\ :-\ :-\

[windy miller]

On the subject of suicide I did hear that the london underground have a number of attempted suicides each year.Apparently if a tube driver is unfortunate to have TWO in 'front' during his/her employment I was told they can be excused work and/or retired on full pay? I wonder if a similar policy has ever applied to a bus?/ :-\ .....incidentally, the Jubilee line platforms have 'barrier'  doors which operate in-line with the train doors. if there is no train the doors stay shut.  A life saving innovation.