This is one area where i side with the “lifestyle” regulators: driving is a privilege, not a “right”. Russia, France and Scandinavia have ZERO tolerance for any alcohol or drugs in the driver’s bloodsteam - it should be the same in the US, as well as a ban on cellphone use or texting while driving. When things like this happen, it needlessly ruins lives; not just of those killed for no reason but for the driver (if they have a conscience of any type) and the families left behind.
“as well as a ban on cellphone use or texting while driving. “
I have a cell phone for one reason only. I’m on 24 hour, 365 days a year emergency call for a Public Utility that I’ve operated for thirty years. If a ban on cell phone use in cars is instituted, I better get an “exemption” sticker for my car! Same goes for Doctors, emergency workers, etc., etc..
To a large point you are right, driving is not a right, it is rarely taken as seriously as it should be. Actually driving “under the influence” should be zero tollerance, but with a some realistic consideration that having a drink is not drunk driving. That problem of how to honestly determine “under the influence” needs to be cleared up. The current tests, for drinking is crazily too low threshhold brought on by the MADD deep-enders and the pot tests don’t seem to differentiate between toking 10 days ago and just prior to running over cyclists.
This particular incident doesn’t sound like too much pot was the cause. Most tokers I have known tended to slow down
not speed up and tended to be overly cautious. Little doubt that 3rd world driver, narrow curvy European roads, rounding a curve and finding cyclers ALL over the damn road and SOP speeding could have been major factors.