Three! more cyclists killed

[MikeF]

Shocking news
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-30648457
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-30649106
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-30622207

[yakdiver]

That's not looking good
Condolences to family and friends RIP

[661-Pete]

What an awful start to the New Year (although the death in Nutley occurred last Sunday)! Condolences to the friends and families of all the deceased. And all of them in my corner of the country. The one in St Leonards is especially shocking - I hope they nail the lowlife responsible and hand out the stiffest sentences if found guilty.

There's a hint, from the report, that it was a stolen/TWOC'd vehicle. How is it that, in 2015, cars are still so easy to steal? Speaking for myself, and not being of the TWOCer's persuasion, I wouldn't have the first idea how to hotwire* a car and/or defeat the immobiliser...

*If anyone knows, please don't tell us!

[SteveHunter]

How is it that, in 2015, cars are still so easy to steal? Speaking for myself, and not being of the TWOCer's persuasion, I wouldn't have the first idea how to hotwire* a car and/or defeat the immobiliser...

They break into your house and steal your car keys, then drive off in your car.

[TonyR]

As awful as it is its not outside what might be expected - there's two cyclist deaths a week on average in the UK so three in four days would not be unusual. And that is against a background of about 35 road deaths a week in total. Its worth reading the Aberdein and Spiegelhalter paper on the six deaths that occurred in London over a fortnight a few years ago and statistical clumping. Its a very readable paper. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1 ... 0715.x/pdf

[Oglet Lane Banjo Player]

How is it that, in 2015, cars are still so easy to steal? Speaking for myself, and not being of the TWOCer's persuasion, I wouldn't have the first idea how to hotwire* a car and/or defeat the immobiliser...

They break into your house and steal your car keys, then drive off in your car.

This is an ongoing problem in my area and it is amazing how many people:-

1) Leave their car keys close to the front door so they can be hooked;

or

2) Doors or windows in the house insecure so the burglars don't even have to work to get in.

[MikeF]

As awful as it is its not outside what might be expected - there's two cyclist deaths a week on average in the UK so three in four days would not be unusual. And that is against a background of about 35 road deaths a week in total. Its worth reading the Aberdein and Spiegelhalter paper on the six deaths that occurred in London over a fortnight a few years ago and statistical clumping. Its a very readable paper. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1 ... 0715.x/pdf

It appears the fatalities were "unusual" for want of a better word, ie being hit by a stolen car driven by a possibly drunk/drugged driver in St Leonards, multiple vehicle crash in Hampshire, and possibly an ice patch on the road at Nutley caused by a water leak, might have been contributory. Still tragic though.

[TonyR]

It appears the fatalities were "unusual" for want of a better word, ie being hit by a stolen car driven by a possibly drunk/drugged driver in St Leonards, multiple vehicle crash in Hampshire, and possibly an ice patch on the road at Nutley caused by a water leak, might have been contributory. Still tragic though.

Not unusual at all, every accident has its own features that make it different from others. Hit and run is quite common these days - http://www.duncanlewis.co.uk/crime_news ... 14%29.html - and ice is a feature of cold weather which led to the deaths of four cyclists a few years ago in Wales.

[pete75]

How is it that, in 2015, cars are still so easy to steal? Speaking for myself, and not being of the TWOCer's persuasion, I wouldn't have the first idea how to hotwire* a car and/or defeat the immobiliser...

Easier now than for years. All modernish cars have an OBD2 port - on board diagnostics. These are easily accessible and must be by law in some countries, often next to the steering column. Plug in an OBD2 to usb interface and connect to a laptop loaded with freely available software and you can completely reprogram or switch off all the cars security systems, start the engine, do what you like really. On top of a laptop the interface costs about 10 quid and the software nothing if downloaded from a torrent site. Anybody reasonably computer literate could learn the whole process in a couple of hours. Old fashioned hot wiring isn't possible on modern cars though...

It's also possible to capture the signals from remote locking devices and reproduce them to open a vehicle. People knowledgeable about car security are now recommending mechanical anti theft devices like the disclock for protection particularly for keyless vehicles.

Then of course there's still people who pop into a newsagents etc and leave the keys in the car.

[Flinders]

How is it that, in 2015, cars are still so easy to steal? Speaking for myself, and not being of the TWOCer's persuasion, I wouldn't have the first idea how to hotwire* a car and/or defeat the immobiliser...

They break into your house and steal your car keys, then drive off in your car.

This is an ongoing problem in my area and it is amazing how many people:-

1) Leave their car keys close to the front door so they can be hooked;

or

2) Doors or windows in the house insecure so the burglars don't even have to work to get in.

A lot of people leave their house/car keys on a table/in a dish/whatever near the front door. Enterprising burglars and/or car thieves use a wire through the letterbox to get the keys.
It's best never to leave your keys where they can be seen or got at through a letterbox or open window. And always take all your keys with you to your room at night in case of actual break-ins, or in case of fire.

[thirdcrank]

If somebody really wants your car, they won't be too bothered about waiting until you are getting in or out and then taking it, using whatever personal violence they find necessary to accomplish their purpose. Plenty of cars are easier to steal than that so it's not often "necessary."

[661-Pete]

My previous car (Peugeot 306) had a PIN pad for security. Do any other models have this? I liked to believe that this was a near-foolproof anti-TWOC device (wouldn't stop someone breaking in, but at least stop them driving away even with the key).

The main nuisance was, whenever I took the car in for its MOT or service, I either had to tell the garage the PIN, or enter a special temporary 'service' code - and remember to cancel it afterwards.

It seems almost criminal that car makers allow their products to be so easily stolen. After all, a motor vehicle (in the wrong hands) is the closest to a killing machine that most of us will get. Would you leave a loaded gun visible on your front porch?

[beardy]

If a car has a PIN keyboard, they break in and damage it, let you do an emergency bypass repair and then nick it later on.

[iviehoff]

If somebody really wants your car, they won't be too bothered about waiting until you are getting in or out and then taking it, using whatever personal violence they find necessary to accomplish their purpose. Plenty of cars are easier to steal than that so it's not often "necessary."

This is why when my neighbour suffered a break-in to steal his car-keys while he was in the house, the door being physically broken to enter, he was pleased that the keys were relatively easy for the thieves to find, rather than them entering further into the house and encountering its occupants. He was less impressed by the technicality the insurance company used to avoid paying out, which had nothing to do with any such detail.

[MikeF]

It appears the fatalities were "unusual" for want of a better word, ie being hit by a stolen car driven by a possibly drunk/drugged driver in St Leonards, multiple vehicle crash in Hampshire, and possibly an ice patch on the road at Nutley caused by a water leak, might have been contributory. Still tragic though.

Not unusual at all, every accident has its own features that make it different from others. Hit and run is quite common these days - http://www.duncanlewis.co.uk/crime_news ... 14%29.html - and ice is a feature of cold weather which led to the deaths of four cyclists a few years ago in Wales.

But it wasn't just hit and run in the case at St Leonards, and a large patch of ice wouldn't normally be expected at Nutley on the A22.