3 ms·
Only 15% of pedestrian hit by car fatalities are prosecuted. Of those, the vast majority were DUI as well. So 85% if the time, there are no consequences for
by DannyBee 3y ago
Only 15% of pedestrian hit by car fatalities are prosecuted.
Of those, the vast majority were DUI as well.
So 85% if the time, there are no consequences for killing a pedestrian with your car.
If you are sober, it's like 95%.
Even when they do prosecute, juries tend to acquit on major charges. They put themselves in the shoes in the driver instead of the victim.
- c-linkage 3y agoMy feeling is that, in the US, automobile regulations are derived from horse and carriage regulations. When the horse was pulling the cart, it could get spooked and run off, killing or injuring pedestrians. Even though the driver nominally has control of the horse, the horse is an independent entity. This limited the liability of the driver. For example, if the horse ran off and killed someone, as long as the driver stuck around to explain, they wouldn't suffer very much in terms of consequences. It seems today that automobiles, although not an independent entity, still get the same kind of protections as a horse does. That's why and automobile driver who kills a pedestrian in the street can basically get off scot-free, even though the driver has full control over the automobile at the time.
- salawat 3y agoAnd with self-driving we're moving back toward that lessened liability because who knows how the damn thing works.
- ryandrake 3y agoAs the saying goes: If you want to murder someone and maximize the chance you get away with it, hit them with your car. The US criminal justice system is ridiculously permissive on car accidents even when people die.