Is that realistic, or technically legal? Here in the USA the right of way belongs to the vehicle in front, even if they are slow. If I drive into and over a car, it's proof that I was not being a safe driver, and that I caused the accident. If I get onto a road, like the Morgan, and am not up to the speed of the traffic on the road, that is simply poor judgement on my part, or lack of power in my car... it's not a right of way issue. Are you sure a car that can't brake and slow down to avoid colliding has the right of way over a car that is ahead of them and travelling in the same direction? That's why I assume the faster car was on the phone, distracted. They ought to have seen the intersection, ought to have let off the acceleration while anticipating some car would be trying to move through the intersection, and when the Morgan did, they should have braked to slow down to avoid the collision. At least, that's the way I keep from killing people, destroying cars, and ruining my good insurance record of no claims against me. I simply can't afford the drama, the damage, and the high blood pressure moment of ruining everyone's day. Something I read long ago when learning to drive was that if you're going to hit something, you're at fault. If you're about to get hit, you have to get better at avoiding those situations. And if you get hit from behind, the car hitting you is at fault, unless you're reversing.
Hi Jesse, The incident definitely took place in the UK. Our law is pretty clear in such a situation. From the Highway Code* rule 173, regarding crossing a dual carriageway, "Wait in the central reservation until there is a safe gap in the traffic on the second half of the road". Having said that, I can't tell if the approaching car was travelling at excessive speed, which would probably be regarded as a mitigating circumstance, and sensible driving would suggest keeping an eye on the Morgan in case he did exeactly what he did. I should mention that I ride motorcycles alot so I'm fairly paranoid about right of way infringements. Regards, Tony *This is the official handbook for all UK road users, including pedestrians, and has the force of law. ps. You owe me a beer. pps. Re the comments about overtaking, the road was only one lane wide where the Morgan was turning; I think the small island with the dual carriageway sign would have prevented the other car from pulling out to overtake in time.
Following my earlier comments, different rules in different countries can cause all sorts of problems. The first time I went to France (from the UK) I wondered what the yellow diamond signs on the exits of many villages meant. Checking in the local library on my return (pre internet days) I was a bit concerned to realise that I'd been in blissful ignorance of the French "Priorite a Droite" (Priority to traffic from the right) rule, the yellow signs indicating that normal traffic rules were back in force after the built up area. Fortunately rural roads were very quiet in those days... On another trip I rode off after a very large, long and pleasant lunch at a French inn (no alcohol, honest) and wondered why some idiot was driving towards me on the wrong side of the road. It was a nasty shock and a fairly desparate swerve when I realised who the idiot actually was. Tony
looking at all the other traffic speed, the hitter seems to have been at a normal speed. The Morgan is at fault then, clearly, for not waiting until after the car that hit it. Your paranoia towards incoming traffic is much like mine then, It's not "if" some idiot will jump into traffic, but when, and after intersections I go back to watching the road for things strewn on it, and watching traffic ahead of me for sudden braking, and unexpected lane changes causing collisions let me know where your favorite place for a beer is and I will go about getting one paid for there, and waiting for your arrival or I can plump up your paypal account, or I will send a Visa gift card your way that will cover a frosty cold pint at any place you choose when you get thristy
but I sure do believe that any car at any speed in front of a faster car has right of way on the road, and fault is of the person hitting, not the person being hit, though with that rule 173 the Morgan probably tossed out his "getting hit" legal protection. It's a damn shame
You're right about approaching a car that's already travelling on the carriageway in front of you, clearly then the responsibility is with the overtaker. You can buy me a beer when I visit the US. I'll come and bang on your door. Regards, Tony ps. Regarding foreign road rules, I've always understood that Americans struggle mightily with British roundabouts. Is that the case? pps. Re my favourite place for a beer, I won't be getting to it any time soon. We live on a narrowboat and cruise for six months of the year (semi retired). The local river has just burst its banks (appalling Easter weather) and left us stranded on a very short stretch of the Oxford Canal for the next few days. All part of the little joys of canal cruising I guess.
I'll be waiting for the noise at the door then. I don't know, I had a layover at Heathrow once, but never have driven there, and don't know any yanks that have. I suppose that American's would for a while, until they get the hang of it. There is one roundabout here in So Cal, I had to use it a couple times, I believe it was in Long Beach. Strange sort of thing to deal with suddenly, with no warning, you know? A different way of driving suddenly your in it, and you've left the safe way of driving behind, now you're in a swirl with no traffic lights to get others to stop. My goodness! Those houseboats look like a wonderful way to live! Of course, I lived for 3 years on a 46 foot Chris Craft Constellation, and did 10 years in the Navy, 5 on submarines. I envy you! I posted that series Guy Martin did where he and a friend fixed up a canal boat, it looked marvelous! Why does the over flowing the banks affect your ability to move on to another place? Lack of discernible canal?
The hitter used his horn so must have been watching here he was going. To me the Morgan was at fault as the driver maybe didn't double check the road was clear - his passenger probably obscured his view. It sounds as if he might have seen the car coming at the last second and gave it a big boot full of acceleration to get away. I am sure the right of way doesn't belong to the slow car if he ahs pulled out in front of fast moving traffic.
the hitter did indeed sound the horn. The Morgan was too slow for traffic. But.... right of way doesn't find those relevant.
Right of way... what country would you way this took place in? Germany? England? I hereby bet a beer that the Morgan has the right of way. Anyone willing to take me up to win the beer will have to cite a government source of driving regs on the matter of right of way for European countries that proves that a vehicle on the road, like the Morgan, must yield right of way on the one lane road the collision happened on, to the fast overtaking car. Now. Reading that, do you still believe the car overtaking had a right of way that the Morgan in it's lane was required to yield to? No bringing up the recent coming onto the lane from the intersection. That's not where the crash occurred.
I don't think its a matter of the Morgan being too slow for traffic, if it were a truck, or a piece of heavy construction equipment, no one would expect it to accelerate to freeway speeds in a couple of seconds. If you run into someone from behind, it is typically your fault because its your responsibility to maintain adequate distance and clearance with other traffic. Further, there appears to be enough room to have overtaken the Morgan with little trouble. Too often the first response is to use the horn instead of the wheel its attached to.
I don't understand why he didn't even try to get around the morgan, it looks like there was room. Unless he wasn't paying attention and when he saw the Morgan didn't have time to think.
I've no idea if the other driver was on the phone, but he certainly had right of way over the morgan.
ReplyDeleteTony
Is that realistic, or technically legal? Here in the USA the right of way belongs to the vehicle in front, even if they are slow. If I drive into and over a car, it's proof that I was not being a safe driver, and that I caused the accident. If I get onto a road, like the Morgan, and am not up to the speed of the traffic on the road, that is simply poor judgement on my part, or lack of power in my car... it's not a right of way issue.
DeleteAre you sure a car that can't brake and slow down to avoid colliding has the right of way over a car that is ahead of them and travelling in the same direction?
That's why I assume the faster car was on the phone, distracted. They ought to have seen the intersection, ought to have let off the acceleration while anticipating some car would be trying to move through the intersection, and when the Morgan did, they should have braked to slow down to avoid the collision.
At least, that's the way I keep from killing people, destroying cars, and ruining my good insurance record of no claims against me.
I simply can't afford the drama, the damage, and the high blood pressure moment of ruining everyone's day.
Something I read long ago when learning to drive was that if you're going to hit something, you're at fault. If you're about to get hit, you have to get better at avoiding those situations.
And if you get hit from behind, the car hitting you is at fault, unless you're reversing.
Hi Jesse,
DeleteThe incident definitely took place in the UK.
Our law is pretty clear in such a situation. From the Highway Code* rule 173, regarding crossing a dual carriageway, "Wait in the central reservation until there is a safe gap in the traffic on the second half of the road".
Having said that, I can't tell if the approaching car was travelling at excessive speed, which would probably be regarded as a mitigating circumstance, and sensible driving would suggest keeping an eye on the Morgan in case he did exeactly what he did. I should mention that I ride motorcycles alot so I'm fairly paranoid about right of way infringements.
Regards,
Tony
*This is the official handbook for all UK road users, including pedestrians, and has the force of law.
ps. You owe me a beer.
pps. Re the comments about overtaking, the road was only one lane wide where the Morgan was turning; I think the small island with the dual carriageway sign would have prevented the other car from pulling out to overtake in time.
Following my earlier comments, different rules in different countries can cause all sorts of problems. The first time I went to France (from the UK) I wondered what the yellow diamond signs on the exits of many villages meant. Checking in the local library on my return (pre internet days) I was a bit concerned to realise that I'd been in blissful ignorance of the French "Priorite a Droite" (Priority to traffic from the right) rule, the yellow signs indicating that normal traffic rules were back in force after the built up area. Fortunately rural roads were very quiet in those days...
DeleteOn another trip I rode off after a very large, long and pleasant lunch at a French inn (no alcohol, honest) and wondered why some idiot was driving towards me on the wrong side of the road. It was a nasty shock and a fairly desparate swerve when I realised who the idiot actually was.
Tony
looking at all the other traffic speed, the hitter seems to have been at a normal speed.
DeleteThe Morgan is at fault then, clearly, for not waiting until after the car that hit it.
Your paranoia towards incoming traffic is much like mine then, It's not "if" some idiot will jump into traffic, but when, and after intersections I go back to watching the road for things strewn on it, and watching traffic ahead of me for sudden braking, and unexpected lane changes causing collisions
let me know where your favorite place for a beer is and I will go about getting one paid for there, and waiting for your arrival
or I can plump up your paypal account,
or I will send a Visa gift card your way that will cover a frosty cold pint at any place you choose when you get thristy
but I sure do believe that any car at any speed in front of a faster car has right of way on the road, and fault is of the person hitting, not the person being hit, though with that rule 173 the Morgan probably tossed out his "getting hit" legal protection.
DeleteIt's a damn shame
You're right about approaching a car that's already travelling on the carriageway in front of you, clearly then the responsibility is with the overtaker.
DeleteYou can buy me a beer when I visit the US. I'll come and bang on your door.
Regards,
Tony
ps. Regarding foreign road rules, I've always understood that Americans struggle mightily with British roundabouts. Is that the case?
pps. Re my favourite place for a beer, I won't be getting to it any time soon. We live on a narrowboat and cruise for six months of the year (semi retired). The local river has just burst its banks (appalling Easter weather) and left us stranded on a very short stretch of the Oxford Canal for the next few days. All part of the little joys of canal cruising I guess.
I'll be waiting for the noise at the door then.
DeleteI don't know, I had a layover at Heathrow once, but never have driven there, and don't know any yanks that have.
I suppose that American's would for a while, until they get the hang of it.
There is one roundabout here in So Cal, I had to use it a couple times, I believe it was in Long Beach. Strange sort of thing to deal with suddenly, with no warning, you know? A different way of driving suddenly your in it, and you've left the safe way of driving behind, now you're in a swirl with no traffic lights to get others to stop.
My goodness! Those houseboats look like a wonderful way to live! Of course, I lived for 3 years on a 46 foot Chris Craft Constellation, and did 10 years in the Navy, 5 on submarines.
I envy you! I posted that series Guy Martin did where he and a friend fixed up a canal boat, it looked marvelous!
Why does the over flowing the banks affect your ability to move on to another place? Lack of discernible canal?
The hitter used his horn so must have been watching here he was going. To me the Morgan was at fault as the driver maybe didn't double check the road was clear - his passenger probably obscured his view. It sounds as if he might have seen the car coming at the last second and gave it a big boot full of acceleration to get away. I am sure the right of way doesn't belong to the slow car if he ahs pulled out in front of fast moving traffic.
ReplyDeletethe hitter did indeed sound the horn.
DeleteThe Morgan was too slow for traffic.
But.... right of way doesn't find those relevant.
Right of way... what country would you way this took place in? Germany? England? I hereby bet a beer that the Morgan has the right of way. Anyone willing to take me up to win the beer will have to cite a government source of driving regs on the matter of right of way for European countries that proves that a vehicle on the road, like the Morgan, must yield right of way on the one lane road the collision happened on, to the fast overtaking car.
Now. Reading that, do you still believe the car overtaking had a right of way that the Morgan in it's lane was required to yield to?
No bringing up the recent coming onto the lane from the intersection. That's not where the crash occurred.
I don't think its a matter of the Morgan being too slow for traffic, if it were a truck, or a piece of heavy construction equipment, no one would expect it to accelerate to freeway speeds in a couple of seconds. If you run into someone from behind, it is typically your fault because its your responsibility to maintain adequate distance and clearance with other traffic. Further, there appears to be enough room to have overtaken the Morgan with little trouble. Too often the first response is to use the horn instead of the wheel its attached to.
DeleteI don't understand why he didn't even try to get around the morgan, it looks like there was room. Unless he wasn't paying attention and when he saw the Morgan didn't have time to think.
ReplyDeleteRight! I missed that! The moron should have tried passing on the striped area to the right of the Morgan!
Delete