I hit a car today....need opinions

[bane]

It's your fault.

stated with maximum feeling and understanding of course... but he's not wrong...

[imdying]

....Katwyn never saw that part

Katwyn should look before she leaps next time or the next time she might be dead.

[imdying]

Hit anyone from behind, unless they are braking dangerously, and it's your fault.

Nearly! Only time it's not your fault is if they come in front of you and slam the brakes on (say either changing lanes in front of you, or they pull out of a driveway in front of you).

[KATWYN]

Katwyn should look before she leaps next time or the next time she might be dead.

It twas only a teeny tiny lil crash...and from this experience I have learnt much.

[scracha]

Katwyn. It's a lesson we get taught during basic training (CBT) back in the $hithole that is the UK. NEVER start a turn or manouvere whilst looking in another direction. For a left turn at a junction, check right, check left, check right again and then start moving off and look where you're going (basically you check both directions twice).

The amount of peeps I see pulling out onto roundabouts looking to their right is amazing. I mean, by the time you're actually on the roundabout there's not hellish much you can do if another vehicle magically appears from nowhere.

This $hit happens to most of us BTW. At least it wasn't a 2 week old car you hit

[Karma]

Nearly! Only time it's not your fault is if they come in front of you and slam the brakes on (say either changing lanes in front of you, or they pull out of a driveway in front of you).

Yeh, that was the braking dangerously part... some courts can be funny about that even.

Mate of mine a while back was driving a Volvo along a dual carrageway in the UK at about 70mph (120ish kph) when a truck pulled out of a side road onto the lane he was in, and he had nowhere to go but into the back of him... came out alive which was good, but the insurance company decided to be a cock about it and wouldn't pay out, saying that as he hit the truck from behind he was at fault.

[KATWYN]

, saying that as he hit the truck from behind he was at fault.

Even though it seems like a crock, hitting someone from behind you are at fault -I spose if the law was the other way around, (i.e., people braking in front of you are at fault) there would be a lot of vehicles "gunning" it in what should be a braking situation.

What I learnt was that up until yesterday I was sure I was a really defensive safe motorcyclist...I need to re-evaluate

[Karma]

generally yes, but there are always exceptions to the rule. If I'm doing 50kph in a 50kph zone, and with 2 metres to spare someone pulls out in front of me, I've got no chance of stopping, so although I may hit them from behind, it's their fault.

[Jimmy B]

Although very very unlikely it is possible that the Driver you hit could have been in breach of their license conditions eg. driving while disqualified or the vehicle may not have a current warrant or rego, bit of a stretch but these are the only circumstances that I can think of that would give you some grounds to defend. Leave it to the insurance guys

[tipper]

there's also the fact that you were at a stop sign in a line of traffic, therefore, even if the car in front of you goes, you still have to come to a complete stop until the way is clear once you get to the front of the queue. Unlike at a give way, where you can go without coming to a stop if the way is clear.

Therefore, even if the car in front was turning the other way from you, unless there is a separate lane for your turn (or space for you to be level with the other car at the stop sign line) then you still have to stop completely before proceeding through the stop sign.

That's my understanding anyway...

Yes you do have to come to a complete stop, and be able to see in all directions, but you can do this from behind another vehicle - not necessary to roll up and stop again.

[pritch]

Well Katwyn, you should pretty much have digested the bad news by now. Sorry about that.

I face a similar situation almost everytime I ride home from town, there is a place where two busy roads merge. I'm approaching the merge point looking back over my shoulder to see what I have to give way to and one might assume that the other drivers are doing similar.

But no! So many of them get to the merge point then realise they need to give way if there is anything coming. Up to this point though it hasn't even ocurred to them to look. So they slam the brakes on, stop, then look. Any poor sucker who is actually driving properly could then drive smack into the back of them.

To my mind it's absolutely clear who is in the wrong, but the other guy will get the ticket.

[terbang]

Yup its a bitch of a thing to happen. Watched a couple of cages sprinkle glass all over the road in exactly the same scenario. Doddery old prick couldn't make up his mind and did the go, hesitate, stop thing and the poor guy behind, though he obviusly didn't look well enough, ends up in the wrong.

[placidfemme]

Who's in the right and whos in the wrong.......

Heres the scenario.

At a stop sign sitting behind said car (on my bike). I always leave a bit of room in front....

I wanted to turn left so I was Looking to my right at traffic coming down the hill......heaps of time to go....for me AND said car in front of me

Said car takes off to go, then obviously changes their mind....then brakes.... ....Katwyn never saw that part

I had already taken off (carrying on looking to my right),all of a sudden a big black piece of shit is in front on me so instead of hitting its boot I swerved to the right side swiping the back and rear door panels (but not the boot)...but managed to stay upright

I said to the driver "Why did'nt you go then?" they said there was traffic coming...they say the crash was my fault

Any traffic cops have any thoughts on this?

Have to agree with most of the peeps who've commented already. Accident is your fault as much as that sucks. I nearly rear-ended a car last Thursday when I binned my bike, only just missed the car but still binned... Can't moan about the damage to the bike cause legally its my fault even though the guy slammed on anchors in the middle of the traffic lights in free flowing traffic...

Hope your ok and that the cager doesn't slam you too hard for repairs to the cage...

[Thomas]

Done the same thing but in a car, so I can sympathise! Silly cow in front of me moved off, I was watching traffic coming from the right so I assumed she had gone and started to move, she'd seen a car about 400m down the road so decided she should stop for it. Thankfully it was just a very slow nudge with my bumper and no damage, but if there had been, I reckon I wouldn't have had much in the way of an excuse.

[crashe]

Yes you do have to come to a complete stop, and be able to see in all directions, but you can do this from behind another vehicle - not necessary to roll up and stop again.

Yep you do have to STOP....

I was following a car and that car stopped at the stop sign.... and as he moved off.. I could see the way was clear and I kinda rolled in behind him and moved off as well at 5 kph.

OOPS but who was around the corner but a police check getting people for not stopping.

I was pulled up and about to be given a ticket....
But due to the other car and its driver in front of me that was already sitting there...... he must have done something bad.... cos the cop came back and said get out of here........
No ticket.........



So no matter what, EACH vehicle must come to a complete STOP at a STOP sign.