Letting cars out before turning off...tell me I'm wrong

[fred bloggs]

I DO NOT LET PEOPLE OUT IF ITS MY RIGHT OF WAY.

You are opening yourself up to a potential whole world of trouble if doing so and an accident happens.

A case I know, a lady stopped her car to wave a pedestrian to cross,who then got mowed down by a motorcycle,flying around her.
Her lawer advised her not to give evidence as she could be prosecuted.

I just wish people would remember the highway code.

[99dndd]

If I were turning into a side road with a car waiting to exit I'd indicate in good time and slow to leave a gap to the car in front of me.

How the driver in the side road interprets those actions is up to them.

[CaptainSlow]

brisel said:

Andy Morrison told me off for letting someone across in front of me. He was on a bike that was threading its way through traffic when someone let a car out of a side exit & its driver didn't look, knocking him over.

Are you making yourself liable if you flash someone across or out of a side road and a collision happens?

Yes, if you flash or gesture someone to do something you're at risk of partial responsibility if thing go wrong.

The example you give has been tested in court with the decision being equal responsibility for all three parties.

Anyone doing this on a driving test will automatically fail.

[Gary C]

fred bloggs said:

I DO NOT LET PEOPLE OUT IF ITS MY RIGHT OF WAY.

I just wish people would remember the highway code.

What, even if your in heavy traffic crawling along ?

Certainly, a one who comes to a stop on a free flowing road to let out a car is an idiot, but it's not a blanket, all situation thing. Skill of driving is to assess and adapt.

The filtering motorbike, though is a worry. They seem to be doing it faster and faster.

[SantaBarbara]

I was delivering a fire appliance somewhere once, not operational and no siren and no blue lights. People stopped on. The main road to let me out.

But then on another occasion I was driving an unmarked Police Volvo S80 on the M40, and a lunatic was thwarting my progress.

Go figure

[Pica-Pica]

brisel said:

Andy Morrison told me off for letting someone across in front of me. He was on a bike that was threading its way through traffic when someone let a car out of a side exit & its driver didn't look, knocking him over.

Are you making yourself liable if you flash someone across or out of a side road and a collision happens?

No! A flash is the same as a horn, it indicates presence. I let people across often. If it is slow moving traffic, I will slow to leave a gap, but do not usually flash. On the other hand, if I think there is a larger gap behind me, or it is dangerous for them, I will close the gap.

It is general courtesy round here to let people out, as some have said, there will a time when you are on that side roads and moaning about how people who do NOT let people out.

[CaptainSlow]

Pica-Pica said:

No! A flash is the same as a horn, it indicates presence.

You'd have to demonstrate to the court that your flash was warning someone of your presence and not communicating allowance or encouragement of another road user's actions. In the past court decisions have found the person flashing another road user partially responsible for accidents that have occurred due to the other road user's actions.

[Pica-Pica]

CaptainSlow said:

Pica-Pica said:

No! A flash is the same as a horn, it indicates presence.

You'd have to demonstrate to the court that your flash was warning someone of your presence and not communicating allowance or encouragement of another road user's actions. In the past court decisions have found the person flashing another road user partially responsible for accidents that have occurred due to the other road user's actions.

I assume you refer to others, because you did not read all of my script.

[CaptainSlow]

Pica-Pica said:

CaptainSlow said:

Pica-Pica said:

No! A flash is the same as a horn, it indicates presence.

You'd have to demonstrate to the court that your flash was warning someone of your presence and not communicating allowance or encouragement of another road user's actions. In the past court decisions have found the person flashing another road user partially responsible for accidents that have occurred due to the other road user's actions.

I assume you refer to others, because you did not read all of my script.

I believe I did and quoted the part where you advised that the "flasher" wasn't liable.

[SantaBarbara]

The trouble is these days with speed bumps that vehicle with DLR on going over bumps can give the impression of flashing

[PF62]

RacerMike said:

A point of great annoyance, which I see more and more, is people who, before turning off a main road, flash others (such as tractors!) out onto the main road in front of them. Am I being completely unreasonable to see this as bad form?

The only thing I think is odd is you think they are letting them out.

On a busy road if someone is turning off and I am exiting the junction turning left and joining the flow, I will just use it as an opportunity to pull out.

So flashing lights means I will be moving a bit sooner than waiting for confirmation of their intention, and not just relying on indicators.

[Curtailment]

Of course, where the side road is narrow, the vehicle turning off the main road might not be able to do so without flashing a waiting vehicle out; or might be able to turn in quicker (and delay following traffic less) if they can use the whole width of the side road

e.g. https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.4652704,-0.14129...

Edited by Curtailment on Sunday 13th August 21:57