Bus Driver Sued By Family Of Killed Cyclist

Following the death of a cyclist in Tayside in a traffic collision, the driver of the bus in question is now being sued in a civil court case by the family of the biker.

According to the Evening Telegraph, 53-year-old Robert Don was involved in a crash with a bus being driven by Andrew Blyth on December 30th 2013 as Mr Don was returning home after visiting his sister. He was cycling south in dark and rainy conditions, but wasn't wearing high visibility wet weather clothes or a helmet at the time of the accident.

Furthermore, it's thought that he was biking in the road because the cycle path that runs alongside it was flooded at the time and was thus impassable.Mr Don suffered a head injury and died in hospital over a week after the accident.

Bus driver Mr Blyth said that he never saw the cyclist, while the other 19 passengers on the bus reported the same. During the trial, he told a jury that he had heard a bang and stopped the coach before realising what had happened. He was found not guilty of careless driving by a jury back in March last year. However, a civil case has just been launched by Mary Docherty, Mr Don's partner, as well as other family members. If the claim is successful, the family could receive over £100,000 altogether.

Sadly, it seems that tragedies such as this happen all too frequently on roads here in the UK, but surely some could be avoided if necessary precautions are taken, such as wearing high vis clothes or using lights on bikes. A red light on the back of the bike and a white light on the front could make all the difference when conditions are poor and it makes sense for cyclists to do all they can to give drivers enough time to react if something happens. A few seconds could mean the difference between life and death.