The Blame Game

The news of a seven year old girl killed whilst riding a quad bike on boxing day highlights the dangers of children riding motorcycles.

The incident took place on boxing day. The girl and her 10-year-old brother, were each on quad bikes, following their father’s car along a winding lane in Essex, when the young girl’s bike collided with an oncoming Range Rover. The driver of the Range rover was a 28 year old female who was bailed for causing death through careless driving whislt under the influence.

Something that always takes place after an event of this nature is the ‘blame game’. Do you blame the woman of the Range Rover driving for recklesly whislt under the influence? Or do you balme the parents who purchased the quad bikes and allowed their children to ride on the road at night(illegally)?

In an alternate course of events the women of the Range Rover could have made it down to the corner store to pick up a few snacks knowing she could have been over the limit, however rationalising it was also a quiet country road. The girls parents could have also been in the same mind frame. The journy was probably one ridden on numerous occasions without incident, and riding in a paddock would have been too muddy.

Like all tragedy blame tends to make the public feel better in the short term however it does nothing to mend the psychological damage both parties will now live with. The parents starting a new year without a daughter and the Range Rover driver facing a jail term and the haunting legacy of having killed someone.

In my opinion blame or tougher jail sentencing wont put tings right what will however is learning from this and preventing it from happening it in the future.