Speed camera in lay-by triggers fatal car crash - Video

As is usual with any accident, various people could have done things to prevent this ever happening.
1. The police could have not been so stupid as to park in a turning area.
2. Jim Hitchcock could have been aware that the speed camera van was distracting him from the vehicle ahead.
3. Kylie Roycroft could have noticed the speed camera van obstructing the turning area earlier, and slowed earlier to give the following car more time to notice her stopping. She could also have stopped with her wheels pointing forward so that any impact would shunt the car forward rather than right.
4. The car coming fromt he opposite direction could have seen the situation developing and braked (it is not reported if they did so or not).

But the point is that this tragic accident was entirely *initiated* by the speed camera van. Police officers are supposed to be professionals, they are supposed to understand road safety, and the fact that they parked in such a blatantly stupid place is clear evidence that they do not.
Or is it that they are so blinded with speed camera fanaticism that they are no longer capable of understanding road safety?

It is also appalling that despite this accident being caused by them, they had the arrogance to turn up again a month later. Good on the farmers for sending them packing.

The fact that no action is reported as having been taken against the police concerned is a disgrace. Senior police officers clearly do not understand the extent to which their failure to take such action will undermine respect for the police, and for the law, and thus further compromise road safety.

Hence it is not only the police in the van who are incompetent, but their superiors too.

As usual, cops looking after one of their own.

It is NOT a legal requirement "that when driving on open roads and you wish to turn right you must pull over to the left and only turn when the road is clear". you have a choice of either ways.

The legal requirement is basically you must not hit the vehicle in front of you, even if they come to a full stop.
This looks to be a simple case of driver inattention and/or following to close. It makes no difference if the camera van was there or not. Rural roads have far worse distractions/hazards than a van parked off the side of the road.
it doesn't matter if the van even completely blocked the lay-by. We often get it where the lay-by gets filled by traffic waiting to turn and the next turning vehicle has no choice but to stop in the lane making those in the bay wait even longer.

Its up to the driver to stop without hitting the car in front, which he failed to do and has been prosecuted for. If anything he got a very light sentence considering someone died.

But what really annoys me is the local community. instead of learning from this, they would rather blame something else other than the bad driving that caused it.
Much easier just to blame a camera van than to teach their community to drive correctly.

The bloke that drove up the back of the car in front of him is the only one at fault. His actions caused the death of another person and deserved to go to jail. The fact that the speed camera van was parked in the lay-by is irrelevant, Someone died simply because the following driver wasn't paying attention.

i feel that this is a tragic accident and if anyone should be charged,it should be the traffic cop who was illegally parked on the layby.

I find it rather stupid that this man was charged and convicted. The rode code clearly states that when driving on open roads and you wish to turn right you must pull over to the left and only turn when the road is clear. The car turning right in this case is in the wrong and they if anybody should have been charged they should have been.
To me this is purely an accident that unfortunately had a traggic outcome. What really has been gained by charging and convicting someone for this accident? The only thing is revenue for the goverment. The people involved have paid already with the memories being with them for the rest of their lives. Convicting and fining them isn't going to change what happened or ease the pain. In fact by chargin them it draws out the whole griefing process and makes it worse.
Surely our overworked police and court system has better things to do.Are Isn't their time better spent on real crimals instead of attacking innocent people that are involved an unfortunate accident.
I can understand if the driver had been speeding, drinking or on drugs but this appears to be a straight out accident.