Overtaking on dual carriageway when car pulls out from side
Discussion
On my commute this morning, I was travelling in the outside lane of a dual carriageway (where this particular part did not have separation between the two directions) overtaking stationary/slow moving traffic. As I approached the exit to a petrol station on my left, a car exiting and wanting to turn right was let out by a truck and instead of inching forward so that I could see the car coming and stop if I had time, it went halfway into my lane leaving me no choice but to swerve and narrowly miss.
Although this was a near miss, I am interested to double check that if there had been an RTA, would they have been 100% at fault? I have read the case of Powell V Moody where the overtaking motorcyclist was found to be 80% at fault but this is slightly different in that it was on a dual carriageway.
For context, it was a 40mph limit and I was travelling at that.
Although this was a near miss, I am interested to double check that if there had been an RTA, would they have been 100% at fault? I have read the case of Powell V Moody where the overtaking motorcyclist was found to be 80% at fault but this is slightly different in that it was on a dual carriageway.
For context, it was a 40mph limit and I was travelling at that.
This is the junction, I was heading south west out of York towards A64: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.9282795,-1.11674...
TooMany2cvs said:
Never mind the liability, or inability to count carriageways... just think defensively.
You were doing 40 past stationary traffic queueing next to a petrol station exit, you could see that a truck had left a gap for the exit... and you were surprised when somebody nosed out of it...?
I did not see that the truck had left the gap, I only realised subsequently this happened. Also, the gap was only left at the point the traffic in front started moving. The car didn't nose out, half the car length was across my lane.You were doing 40 past stationary traffic queueing next to a petrol station exit, you could see that a truck had left a gap for the exit... and you were surprised when somebody nosed out of it...?
Dr Jekyll said:
If the OP was in a lane for his direction of travel, then I don't think the question of single vs dual carriageway is relevant. If he was using the opposite side of the road then the driver pulling out should still have looked, but the OP should have anticipated that he wouldn't. If he wasn't then far less blame attaches to the OP.
Thank you, as I thought.Mandat said:
DannyT1985 said:
This is the junction, I was heading south west out of York towards A64: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.9282795,-1.11674...
Based on the road layout, common sense would dictate that they shouldn't be turning right out of the petrol station, specifically for the reasons that you have encountered.Pica-Pica said:
If the difference between single and dual carriageway is not understood, then I would question what other gaps in knowledge and experience are missing.
So, forgetting carriageways, there is a significant lack of observation skills and experience.
1j truck stopping - not noticed
2) fuel station on left (or anything with an entry and exit) = hazard
3) car preparing to actually leave said fuel station - unobserved (as a hazard)
4) generally going along with tunnel vision.
5) even if ‘no right turn’ sign at exit, eople regularly make that sort of move, because people just do.
Advanced driving section. Suggestion, advanced driving course.
Who is to blame will be irrelevant to a severely injured party, defensive driving is the key here.
Looking after yourself, is not the same as only thinking about yourself.
As mentioned above, the whole queue of vehicles was stationary with no gaps, the gap was only created due to the truck not moving along with the rest of the queue, which for all I knew, meant he was just slow to react to the moving traffic. The car was blocked from my vision by the truck.So, forgetting carriageways, there is a significant lack of observation skills and experience.
1j truck stopping - not noticed
2) fuel station on left (or anything with an entry and exit) = hazard
3) car preparing to actually leave said fuel station - unobserved (as a hazard)
4) generally going along with tunnel vision.
5) even if ‘no right turn’ sign at exit, eople regularly make that sort of move, because people just do.
Advanced driving section. Suggestion, advanced driving course.
Who is to blame will be irrelevant to a severely injured party, defensive driving is the key here.
Looking after yourself, is not the same as only thinking about yourself.
Experience is C 190k miles over my driving life, including 20k miles/year for the last 6 years. No RTA's or points.
TooMany2cvs said:
DannyT1985 said:
As mentioned above, the whole queue of vehicles was stationary with no gaps, the gap was only created due to the truck not moving along with the rest of the queue, which for all I knew, meant he was just slow to react to the moving traffic. The car was blocked from my vision by the truck.
But the petrol station wasn't. And that should have been a very big clue.therag3 said:
Looking at it from the other car's perspective... I hate it when people try to let you out under these circumstances. Appreciate they are trying to be helpful, but you feel somewhat obliged to accept their courtesy, which means trying to move out when you have no idea what is going on in the 2nd lane - particularly if it's a large lorry trying to let you out...
Agree but surely safety first above all else and you inch out, even if it means holding up the guy who has let you out. Same should apply when turning right into a side road in heavy traffic, you never know if the driver letting you go has checked their nearside mirror for bikes.Gassing Station | Advanced Driving | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff