On 15/05/2013 10:28, John Williamson wrote: ...
It might be something that could be offered up in Court as a defence, but, in most circumstances, I would expect the Court to decide that it was a failure of observational skills.
I'm sure they would, however, vehicles don't suddenly appear from nowhere, so it will be a lack of observation that leads to that situation.
I rather doubt we can.
Colin Bignell
I remember that day - I was working in the control room at the time. The copper was being observed on CCTV. The gantry signals were also being watched and CCTV used to record the number plates of cars passing the signals set to STOP - the wig-wag red beacons on the gantry.
That's true, but just indicating anyway in case there might be somebody you haven't seen yet, is often an excuse for indicating by default without actually looking and thinking whether there's anybody there or not.
I can't help feeling that you're crediting half of the vehicle operators gracing our roads with altogether far too much awareness.
If they do actually remember all of the Mirror-Signal-Manoeuvre trio, then they don't manage it in anything approaching the right order.
You should, of course, have seen everybody in your vicinity. However, I tend to agree that it is often better to signal than to decide not to because you don't think anybody will benefit.
I quite agree. I also dislike the habit of leaving a right turn signal going while in the rightmost lane and overtaking.
Colin Bignell
Not necessarily. I spend, on average, 30 hours a week in all conditions driving, about half of that on motorways. About 10% is in mainland Europe. Call it 60,000 miles a year, with no collisions in the last ten years or so.
Well, Manoeuvre, signal, then, maybe look in the mirror seems to be the default....
You might not be able to see, for example, a pedestrian hidden by a tree who just might be helped by seeing your indicators flashing. Yes - two "mights" in one sentence!
There is a particular mini-roundabout near me. The junction is a T with by far the majority of the traffic going straight across the top of the T. I usually am entering the roundabout from the vertical and turning right. At times you get vehicle after vehicle failing to indicate as they come from the right - about a third turn down where I am waiting and two thirds go straight across. Due to the existence of a wall, and an advertising sign, visibility is compromised so the drivers will often be unaware of my interest until too late. Those that indicate can make a huge difference to traffic flow.
One multi-lane roads, I agree, it seems barmy. Though I had a discussion with someone who considered that was appropriate because you were continuing to overtake so should continue to signal. Further, they held that you should never signal to move leftwards into the next lane because that was like pulling back into lane after an overtaking manoeuvre on a single-lane road. That you do not in reality see all vehicles in all lanes other than L1 indicating all the time seemed to escape the person. Needless to say, agreement was not achieved.
The slip roads are marked by a broken white line. That line is a road sign and means 'give way'. If there is no gap in the traffic, you must give way by waiting. No emergency stop needed because that line is just the same as the give way lines at a roundabout and all drivers should be prepared to give way when joining another road or lane.
Given that I have had a friend killed by a drooling tosser like dennis driving down the hard, *I* think the penalties should be harsher. Immediate and permanent revocation of driving license would be a start.
Another arsewipe who doesn't understand what "give way" means.
Well, you got that bit right.
Perhaps you'll get to share a cell.
I tow 1.6 tonnes of race car and trailer all over the country. A lot. And until recently behind a rather underpowered diesel Disco2.
Me neither.
That requires a brain. dennis doesn't have one.
----------------8><
Many people seem not to realise this.
Give way.
There, that wasn't so hard, was it?
Even stranger the text "other emergency" does not appear in Highway Code Rule 259 that I was quoting. I does appear in the earlier quote from the traffic regs.
Whatever.
MBQ
Or a pedestrian, Too many fuckwits who don't indicate when approaching junctions where pedestrians are waiting to cross.
MBQ
Precisely.
Pennis will be along shortky to tell us why we are all wrong...
MBQ
To put it simply enough for even you to understand, it's the person who should give way's responsibility to ensure that they do not obstruct other traffic.
Maybe you are the only perfect driver in the country, and so never have a problem with other idiots not doing what they should, so causing you not to act in perfect accordance with the law. Maybe you've *never* made a mistake behind the wheel. If so, maybe you could educate others, including some motorway police drivers, how to get to this state of affairs.
What he said. Not a friend, but a colleague, had both legs severed when someone drove down the hard shoulder and pinned him against the bumper of the car he had stopped. The driver "didn't see" him, the car, his car or the flashing blue and red lights.
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