possible accident

Post Reply New Topic

I have had my licence eight months. Last night I was driving home on the freeway. I was in my lane (a right lane on a four lane freeway) driving along fine until suddenly I saw a car to my left (we driving on the left) trying to come into my lane because the lane up ahead of him was being closed off. It wasn't safe for me to stop or slow to let him in because the person behind would have run up me. Therefore I kept driving at the correct speed suddenly I heard a bump but it didnt sound like metal on metal that cars hitting each other do more like a mirror being flicked. I was shook up and as a result just kept driving. When I was finally able to get off the freeway I looked and saw there were scratches on my car and some black paint on the back of my wing mirror thats all. I rang the cops they said if the other party got my number plate someone will contact me to discuss why I didn't stop etc. THe cop kinda put me on the spot asking me weaqther the other guy was in front of me or not I told him (the cop) the guy was but looking at it in hindsight he was not or I would have clearly seen him and been able to stop. All I can do is just wait and see if he was in front of me he had right of way if not I did and I strongly think I did but if nothing comes of it thats ok. The other possiblity is that it was coincidence and a rock or stone hit my car. I was shook up but am ok and thankful that my car is relatively ok no dents just a few scratches.

Last edited by Catster2 on 06 May 2009, 5:29 pm, edited 2 times in total.

IIRC we live in the same state in the same country.

If a car is in front of you in another lane (even 1cm in front type of front, not a car's length in front front), then you are the one that has to give way. Thus you would have been at fault if there was an accident.

It is always safe to slow down. The cars behind you should be following at a distance so that they can also stop. If they run into the back of your car it is their fault. Provided you don't sharply brake or do any other unexpected/unusual action, no one should hit you from behind

I guess to an extent you are right and in future i would slow down to let the person in like I said it did happen fast and I dont know if he was in front of me or not but i might have been at fault, i might not i am not sure. All I can so is wait as I said little damage to my car and hopefully to the other.

Your greatest safety comes from allowing other drivers to get to where they want to be. The easier you make it for them, the safer you are. This holds true even if (especially if) the other driver is trying to do something illegal or unsafe.

In the UK, the person holding the lane has the right of way. The person in the lane next to it in the overtaking lane would ideally keep going until it's safe to pull in, or pull back....

Everywhere I know of in the US, the person changing lanes is 100% responsible to make sure it is safe to do so. If he hits you in the course of changing lanes, he is at fault no matter what.

How about if instead of deciding who's at fault we decide to prevent the accident from happening in the first place?

Well that is what i am planning to do for sure i am only worried now because i didnt stop if they get my number plate. However as I said my car is relatively ok and i didnt see any marks on any other car or anyone pulling over. I am just going to ride it out like I said I may not have even had an accident the noise could have been something else.

http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home/Rul ... dRules.htm

In any case, learn road rules + give way when you are supposed to

Because ours is a society predicated on finding fault. "Personal responsibility" (aka, fault) is the refrain of the masses to absolve themselves of responsibility.

Anyways, slowing down to let someone in is always a good idea. I've been driving for over a decade and have had no accidents yet, but it still scares me.

Also, I think that bit of legislation cited has more to do with merging on a highway than off a lane that is ending. Here's a thread from a U.S. police forum on the topic, stating that the onus is on the person merging to ensure a safe transition: http://forums.officer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=74101

Doesn't apply. Roadworks or a lane being closed off would still indicate the road markings are still there. There should have been warning signs about this prior to getting there. In the UK, we have anything up to 800 yards. I don't know how far a yard is, but I generally, aim to move in by the 400/200 marker

Was he signaling a lane change to get in front of you?

there was very little warning of the lane closing ahead and beside me it was kinda sprung on me at the last minute. Regardless having only had my licence eight months I am still learning and hopefully will not make the same mistake again next time I will be safe rather than sorry but like I said this time my car is relatively ok, I dont see it as a blame thing more a learning a lesson thing.

Oh man, careful now. If I recall some of my past dealings with cops and road rules, they haven't been kind to those with AS. Especially with rules that don't seem all that intuitive, like someone hitting you in a parking lot.... you're supposed to stay or the person who leaves is assumed to be at fault. (I left because I couldn't see any damage, and was late to something as it is.) I got into a heap of trouble over that...

Hopefully everything turns out okay for you.

Keith - lines can be marked, it says no lines that indicate priority. When you have two lanes along a main road seperated by a dashed line, there is nothing special or privledged about one of the lanes. If you had our little road rules booklet with pictures, you'd find a picture of this exact example. In any case, the fact that the police said she was at fault as well should be evidence

The police said I "might" have been at fault not was it depended on who was in front of who. In any case i will handle it differently in future.