Hypothetical crash question
Hypothetical crash question
Author
Discussion

T7G

Original Poster:

330 posts

180 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
quotequote all
Say, for instance, there are two cars travelling on a carriageway/A road in the same direction, one behind the other. Car A, the leading car, is a road-legal track car with uprated brakes and wide sticky tyres (all legal). Car B, on the other hand, can be anything, but let's say it has no ABS.

For some reason, there is an obstacle ahead which causes Car A to emergency stop, which it can do in a very short distance. Car B, although leaving a 3-second gap, rear-ends car A because of it's much lesser braking abilities. Essentially, car A stops on a dime and car B cannot do so.

Would car B be at fault?

onesickpuppy

2,672 posts

187 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
quotequote all
Yes, 100%.

GT03ROB

14,032 posts

251 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
quotequote all
T7G said:
Say, for instance, there are two cars travelling on a carriageway/A road in the same direction, one behind the other. Car A, the leading car, is a road-legal track car with uprated brakes and wide sticky tyres (all legal). Car B, on the other hand, can be anything, but let's say it has no ABS.

For some reason, there is an obstacle ahead which causes Car A to emergency stop, which it can do in a very short distance. Car B, although leaving a 3-second gap, rear-ends car A because of it's much lesser braking abilities. Essentially, car A stops on a dime and car B cannot do so.

Would car B be at fault?
Yes.

TwigtheWonderkid

49,167 posts

180 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
quotequote all
Of course. What's the alternative. Blaming car A for having really good brakes and tyres? Or telling car A he must leave a suitable gap by always accelerating away from the cars behind him???

ikarl

4,064 posts

229 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
quotequote all
Car B should drive according to it's ability, if there is a chance that a 3 second gap is not enough, it is up to them to ensure that they drive with a suitable gap between them and other vehicles

jon-

16,534 posts

246 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
quotequote all
I wonder how many times this has happened in the wet, thanks to the difference between a decent tyre and a bad tyre...

Dr Interceptor

8,183 posts

226 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
quotequote all
Yes, car B's fault.

It's why I get angry when people tail gate me driving the Merc - big 2 tonne Mercedes E-Class Estate with a V8 in it, but the brakes are fantastic. Big discs all round, ABS, EBD and Brake Assist. When needed to that thing can really anchor up.

Then I see in the mirror there's an old Transit van right on my tail, which wouldn't stand a chance if I had to stop.

FeelingLucky

1,186 posts

194 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
quotequote all
Yes, YOU where driving too close to car Abiggrin

S2Mike

3,065 posts

180 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
quotequote all
No doubt the DRIVER of Car B is at fault.

T7G

Original Poster:

330 posts

180 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
quotequote all
TwigtheWonderkid said:
Of course. What's the alternative. Blaming car A for having really good brakes and tyres? Or telling car A he must leave a suitable gap by always accelerating away from the cars behind him???
I was wondering if that fact would be taken into account when playing the blame game. B leaves what they think is a reasonable distance, but in actual fact it's not. Although it's legal to have the setup, the typical driver would not expect it.

Or am I just being stupid now silly

Monkeylegend

29,453 posts

261 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
quotequote all
That's going to hurt you come renewal time.

zedx19

3,050 posts

170 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
quotequote all
Regardless of absolutely anything, if you run into the back of someone you'll find it extremely difficult to defend.

rallycross

13,757 posts

267 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
quotequote all
+ 1 Yes a stupid question person behind is 100% responsible.

What did you hit?

T7G

Original Poster:

330 posts

180 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
quotequote all
Monkeylegend said:
That's going to hurt you come renewal time.
This didn't actually happen hehe

Monkeylegend

29,453 posts

261 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
quotequote all
T7G said:
Monkeylegend said:
That's going to hurt you come renewal time.
This didn't actually happen hehe
They all say that Sir wink

MrB1obby

771 posts

180 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
quotequote all
TwigtheWonderkid said:
Of course. What's the alternative. Blaming car A for having really good brakes and tyres? Or telling car A he must leave a suitable gap by always accelerating away from the cars behind him???
Yeah, what else would you expect from car A. Plonker.








wink

onesickpuppy

2,672 posts

187 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
quotequote all
There's bound to be some eejit along at some point agreeing that car A is at fault for having decent brakes.

GadgeS3C

4,727 posts

194 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
quotequote all
Dr Interceptor said:
Yes, car B's fault.

It's why I get angry when people tail gate me driving the Merc - big 2 tonne Mercedes E-Class Estate with a V8 in it, but the brakes are fantastic. Big discs all round, ABS, EBD and Brake Assist. When needed to that thing can really anchor up.

Then I see in the mirror there's an old Transit van right on my tail, which wouldn't stand a chance if I had to stop.
It's quite scary seeing that transit trying to stop when you do have to anchor on, it's not him you'll be worried about yikes

OdramaSwimLaden

1,971 posts

199 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
quotequote all
I had a similar scenario to this in 2006.

Car behind me on skinny tyres, not illegal but stty Chinese crap, and no ABS started braking when I did but due to to the aforementioned, just could not stop in time. She was in a 1980 Fiesta with 135 wide tyres......I was in a 2006 730d with 255's on the front and 275's on the rear with ABS etc, etc.....

She left 30m skid marks before she rear ended me.......

Conclusion......her fault; obviously OP.


*JH*

334 posts

211 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
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I had a similar situation years ago.

I was in a Golf GTI and the guy behind was in a big Shogun.

I was following a bin lorry which moved the the outer right edge of the road, then with out warning or indication pulled hard across the road to dive in to an entrance on the left!

I hit the brakes but had nowhere to go bar hitting the side of the lorry, so I had to also dive to the left to length my available stopping distance.
The Shogun with it's over sized wheels just slid in to the back of me.

It ended up as a 50/50 although I argued against it till I was blue in the face. The fact I moved across the road and didn't stay straight made it partly my fault apparently, even though it wasn't a dual carriage way and I stayed within the lane!?