I hit a car today....need opinions

[slinky]

Oh my - that's a beef of mine that deserves a thread all of its own!

Why on EARTH are you BRAKING when you can clearly SEE THAT THERE IS NO ONE COMING????!!!! (my internal rant - I have a few...)

well she doesn't copmletely stop, but slows down way way to much! like she may aswell stop.

[Patrick]

can make a deal and tell'em that you won't go to cops bout ther breaches.

Hmmm... blackmail...

[scumdog]

Yeh unfortunatly thats your bad, shud always keep an eye on the car infront and never presume ther gona go.
My mum does it all the time (ie she is the car infront!!) except she comes up to give ways when its clear and ther is no need to stop, but maybe just slow down a little just incase. But she will stop, and i tell her one day someone is gona run up her arse because its obvious that its clear and she should not need to stop.

All very well - but the following car may not have seen an approaching vehicle that the front vehicle HAS seen.

Almost nobody pulls out on front of a car they have already seen when it's about to crash into them.

And there is always the chance the car on front may be driven by somebody not use to it - and may stall it unexpectedly.

You may moan about your mum but hey, she probably is just being very cautious - something older people do.

[Paul in NZ]

You may moan about your mum but hey, she probably is just being very cautious - something older people do.

probably why they lived that long in the first place

[Ixion]

Oh my - that's a beef of mine that deserves a thread all of its own!

Why on EARTH are you BRAKING when you can clearly SEE THAT THERE IS NO ONE COMING????!!!! (my internal rant - I have a few...)

Well, I don't (slow n stop if the way appears clear) myself. But I'd be loath to castigate someone who did.

Even if the way APPEARS clear, can you be sure? No-one on the road, Awaaaay we go - oh SHIT , didn't allow for the dude who pulled out of a driveway on the right , and launched in the assumption that he had the right of way. Or the motorcyclist coming round the bend before the intersection at warp speed (cos he knows the road and KNOWS that other traffic will give way to him ) . Or whatever. Over cautious may be annoying. But I'd rather be annoyed than terrified (or worse)

[Pixie]

Then it's an illegal overtaking maneauver.

Nup mate...... see my above post......
The woman driving ahead of me that I clipped........
slowed down, speed up and then slamed on her brakes within seconds..... within 3 foot of a ped crossing....... I was still technically at fault.....

if behind......... you are in the wrong......

And I did everything possible to not hit the car.

Ahh, the wonderous human mind and it's ability to rationalise itself out of blame.

... if you hit a stopped or slowing vehicle,regardless of how hard it was braking,you were following too close / not paying attention.

I've done it myself.

[Pixie]

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.

This is incorrect.All you have to do at a stop sign is stop in such a position as to clearly see the road,in both directions,that you are turning in to.So if you can see clearly when waiting for the car in front of you to enter the intersection, you may follow it without stopping.

I was told this at a defensive driving course, by a senior MOT cop, in 1984.

[Pixie]

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.

Many moons ago a cop tried to bust me for not stopping at a compulsory stop.What I had done was come to a complete stop,remained balanced without putting my feet down,and after looking both ways,proceeded through the intersection.
The cop said that because I didn't put my feet down I can't have stopped.I said that I can prove that I did stop by repeating the stunt as many times as he wished.He agreed and I did the trick for him again, even stopping, rolling backwards down the hill and stopping again.All while having my feet firmly planted on the pegs.

He let me go,of course.

The bike was a TS 185,which was very easy to do this on

[Pixie]

compulsary stop signs means you have to stop as well at the head of the que

NZ Road code....
At an intersection controlled by a STOP sign:


you must stop, not just slow down
stop where you can see vehicles coming from all directions
stay stopped and give way to all other vehicles (including bicycles, motorcycles etc)
if you and another vehicle are coming towards each other and you are both at STOP signs, use the give way rules
you must not go until it is safe for you and all other traffic

http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/roadcode/giv...sections2.html

[bikemike]

Yes, your fault.

Agree with Scratcha, some:

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.

However...

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).

I'd say best practice is to look the way you want to go, look the other way, then scan back to the way you want to go, then go. You may add shoulder checks as necessary, depending on traffic, delays etc... and assuming it's clear.

This is the quickest way through the checks you should be doing and avoids the you getting panicky and giving each look too little attention, and looking too often. If you do it the same way every time, it becomes much easier, and your confidence improves and the amount of time you have to assess the hazard seems to increase.

Of course if you have to stop at the junction, you can look about you all you like, to keep an eye on the whole situation. But when it comes to a simple negotiation of the junction, or the moving off after waiting in line, then the simple process above works for me.

1. Look the way you want to go. You plan your line, your speed, the likely hazards as you will be moving off. Look at pot holes, road paint, lane changes, signs, traffic, pedestrians etc.... For a right turn in particular, check the road camber, islands, merge lanes and so on. If it's clear then;
   
2. Look the other way. All the usual, including vehicles overtaking turning vehicles. If it's clear then;
   
3. Scan back - all the stuff in the middle, including parked vehicles that may be looking at the same gap / opportunity as you; and if that's clear then;
   
4. Looking the way you are now going to go, move off if that's clear, according to your plan at (1) You may need a shoulder check. You are committed, and you should not be wagging your head left to right now, and should be keeping an eye on any vehicle in front
   
5. Repeat as necessary.

[Lucy]

Yes, if you don't look again in the direction you are wanting to travel in, as well as hitting the car in front who has stopped for whatever reason, you may also hit a cyclist or motorcyclist who has lanesplit and may now be in front of you, without you being aware of it.

[Lou Girardin]

That's a classic accident situation. Common as muck.
Sorry, you're at fault.

[MVnut]

Sorry, your fault. At a Comstop, you must stop! Simple as that. That means AT the Stop sign, not behind someone else even if you can see the way is clear. Then go only when it is. This is one law that's black and white. Hope it doesn't prove too expensive.