The Eye

A motorist who was texting on her mobile phone when she hit and killed a cyclist has been sentenced to four years in prison.

Jordan Wickington, 19, died from head injuries when he went through a red light and was struck by Kiera Coultas’s car in Southampton in February 2007. The 25-year-old from Hythe, Hampshire, was driving at 45mph in a 30mph zone.

Miss Coultas had earlier been found guilty at Southampton Crown Court of causing death by dangerous driving.

OK , she shouldn’t have been using her cellphone while driving. There is way too much of that goes on; talking with only one hand on the wheel is bad enough, let alone texting, where people have to take their eyes off the road to read and reply to such messages.

She shouldn’t have been driving at 45mph in a 30mph zone. She might have had time to stop before hitting the cyclist if she’d not been playing with the phone, and if she’d have been driving slower.

However, the one question remains. Why do many cyclists totally ignore all road signs? Time and time again, I’ve witnessed cyclists riding through red lights; or going the wrong way up a one way street, or up and down the sidewalk or other erratic behavior. They surely need some education, and to pay some due care and attention on the road as well as drivers of motorized vehicles.