Hypothetical accident
Discussion
There is a family who live a few houses down from me with 3 very noisy children aged somewhere between 5-9 years old, the noise isn't a problem, the point of this post is all 3 children insist on riding their pushbikes as fast as possible along the footpath to the front of my house, myself and 90% of my neighbours have driveways where we need to cross this footpath and all have either a fence/bush at the end of our gardens meaning we have to pull out slowly, on a few occasions with the children flying as fast as they can up and down the path there have been numerous times where members of the public walking along the footpath have come close to being knocked over and on one occasion one was run into by the eldest child. If I or one of my neighbours is pulling off our drives carefully and one or more of the children cycle into the side of our cars due to them not being able to stop in time/not paying attention etc, who is deemed responsible?
Drumroll said:
You could always cut down your hedges or fences so you can see the footpath easier.
My fence is only 3ft high, I'm aware I have to cross a footpath safely but where is the line drawn for kids cycling as fast as possible on a footpath? There has been 1 or 2 occasions where a grown up has almost said hello to the side of my vehicle due to them cycling at speed on the same footpath.
Technically no one should be cycling on a pavement, but under 10s can't be guilty of an offence and the guidelines are such that discretion should be used, especially for children.
It does seem difficult. My car has a whiz bang camera that amongst other things can see 180 from the front of the car which makes exiting blind junctions easier but a bit extreme to need one.
It does seem difficult. My car has a whiz bang camera that amongst other things can see 180 from the front of the car which makes exiting blind junctions easier but a bit extreme to need one.
We live just down the road from our ever-expanding village school. I work from home, but if my wife or daughter is leaving between about 8.20 and 9 I feel compelled to see them off the drive due to kids zooming past on scooters, balance bikes and ordinary bikes. Our front is clear for 30 feet too but it's still not enough visibility.
I live on a small, circular, single track, one way road and the local kids often cycle the wrong way around it, paying little attention to oncoming vehicles. I have often wondered whether I would be held responsible if I hit one of them, providing I was driving within the speed limit and with due care and attention
Saleen836 said:
Who Me said:
Reverse into your driveway ??
We all doI could reverse in but it would leave my Mercedes bonnet badge at the edge of the drive - we don’t have any vandalism issues here but I fear that would be too tempting.
Sheepshanks said:
We don’t - wife and daughter’s cars need to be parked nose to tail but generally need access to boot on arriving home.
I could reverse in but it would leave my Mercedes bonnet badge at the edge of the drive - we don’t have any vandalism issues here but I fear that would be too tempting.
The old Mercedes badge means ignore highway code defence. (I drive a Merc as well so no malice intended) I could reverse in but it would leave my Mercedes bonnet badge at the edge of the drive - we don’t have any vandalism issues here but I fear that would be too tempting.
Lozw86 said:
I live on a small, circular, single track, one way road and the local kids often cycle the wrong way around it, paying little attention to oncoming vehicles. I have often wondered whether I would be held responsible if I hit one of them, providing I was driving within the speed limit and with due care and attention
Possibly. I always check left at a junction near me, where that direction is a one-way street. I check for cyclists and others who may be going against the flow. (If you were driving with DUE care and attention, you would not hit them. The clue is in the word ‘due’).
Pica-Pica said:
Lozw86 said:
I live on a small, circular, single track, one way road and the local kids often cycle the wrong way around it, paying little attention to oncoming vehicles. I have often wondered whether I would be held responsible if I hit one of them, providing I was driving within the speed limit and with due care and attention
Possibly. I always check left at a junction near me, where that direction is a one-way street. I check for cyclists and others who may be going against the flow. (If you were driving with DUE care and attention, you would not hit them. The clue is in the word ‘due’).QBee said:
Get the neighbours together and go and see the parents and ask them nicely to explain the problem to their kids. No need to fall out - you are just trying to protect their little darlings
+1.Also make a note of the time and date of the meeting and exactly what was discussed. Should your hypothetical accident then occur you will have some form of redress.
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