Agreed, but in this case until the driver actually turns into him the truck driver has no reason to believe he would actually do that does he? Fundamentally the truck driver has a split second to take evasive action once the car driver commits to making the lane change, by which point it's too late.Indeed, everybody has a duty to avoid accidents, whether you are 'in the right' or not, you don't simply drive around having collisions left, right and centre proudly declaring they shouldn't have been in your way because of Rule X or Rule Y.
Car driver imo. He hesitated. Then went for it. He needed to put his foot down. Or back right off.
Lorries don't always have a free middle lane to move over. The hesitation, meant lorry driver couldn't do much. He's going to join behind him, oh wait no, he's accelerating again.
Stupid driver hesitating and to scared to use the loud peddle. Unfortunately there are to many people who do not accelerate on hard shoulders. Get on then slow down if needed.
I use that slip road coming home from work on my bike. At least the works should be finished on that bit of motorway soon if not already. Also I think the lorry was too close to the vehicle in front, could have left a bigger a gap knowing there is a slip road coming up. Car also hesitated but you really don't have much time and space coming onto the motorway there.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.3...m4!1e1!3m2!1s25I-MqgR6PG-eeigUnh48w!2e0?hl=en
That's exactly what you're saying no? That the ford driver should have stopped there and given way until the motorway was clear?Well done on failing to answer my question. What on earth does motorway congestion have to do with failing to give way causing an accident?
Step away from the crack pipe.![]()
I'll assume for the moment you are not trolling. Try reading the highway code. This bit is my favourite - "give priority to traffic already on the motorway". Doesn't say anything about bargeing in and hitting them.
How can anyone think that this is the lorry drivers fault? At some point the car driver decided to steer right, into the lorry, which he knew (I hope?) was at the side of him. Nothing else really matters in the story a) Brake, b) hit some cones or c) steer into a lorry.. .hmmm
That's exactly what you're saying no? That the ford driver should have stopped there and given way until the motorway was clear?![]()
That's exactly what you're saying no? That the ford driver should have stopped there and given way until the motorway was clear?
Because if you stop and yield to a busy motorway at the end of a slip road there is no way you're going to find a gap big enough or accelerate quick enough to be able to safely join, you would have to wait until it eases. Therefore you or anyone behind you will not be able to add to the traffic on the motorway. Consequently, if you're waiting on a slip road, you are not part of the motorway therefore not being part of the motorway means you are subtracting yourself and the people behind you from the congestion on the motorway thereby decreasing congestion. Cant believe I've just had to explain such simple cause and effect but hey ho![]()
How can anyone think that this is the lorry drivers fault
I recall most saying the car is technically at fault but the lorry could easily have done more to avoid the accident too.
I see what Orionaut is getting at.
A small amount of cooperation from the LGV would have seen the red car successfully join the carriageway with no further incident.
It looks like he decided to just hang the red car out to dry by accelerating into small gap he'd left when the red car didn't instantly fill it.
People can bang on about "right of way" all they like, but the Highway code is quite specific about this.
Right at the start of the Highway Code:
1. Overview
This section should be read by all drivers, motorcyclists, cyclists and horse riders. The rules in The Highway Code do not give you the right of way in any circumstance, but they advise you when you should give way to others. Always give way if it can help to avoid an incident. (my emphasis there)
LGV could have given way and helped avoid the incident - he had more opportunity to do so than the car (unless there was a bloody great gap behind the LGV - in which case the car should have dropped behind!)
EDIT - Some time ago I attended a Driver Alertness workshop, and the exact same message was preached there - in fact we were shown a diagram of an incident very similar to this and asked "who's fault is it?" - Everyone except me said the car, as it was the LGV's right of way. I said it was the fault of everyone involved, because they all had an opportunity to do something to prevent an incident. Guess who was right?
FWIW my driving instructor also preached the same thing. If you can do something to avoid an incident, you should.
This is precisely my point.
IT SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN!
And the fact that it wasn't is entirely down to the POV drivers.
The POV driver was severely tailgating (In both this case and the case of the other clip with the silver car)
The gap was only a second or less. This is way too close for any vehicle under any circumstances.
It is particularly so for an HGV that takes twice as long to stop as other vehicles, It is particularly, particularly so on the approach to an on-slip and particularly, particularly, particularly so on the approach to an on-slip with roadworks!
Had the POV drivers approached the "Hazard" with a more sensible 2-3 second gap then it is unlikely that either accident would have occurred!
That is why I feel the POV drivers should share a significant part (possibly even the bulk) of the responsibility for the collision taking place!
Yeah I know, I don't think people are really debating that - what they're saying is that the LGV driver could have helped avoid an incident but seemingly choose not to, or did not take sufficient action anyway.The Highway Code says you MUST give way to traffic on the main road when emerging from a give way junction.
All slip roads terminate at a give way junction, other than those that terminate at a traffic light controlled junction, or continue into a new lane.
That is a MUST instruction, not a maybe, or perhaps, or if you feel like it.
Failing to do so and causing an accident means you are liable for the accident.
The drivers all ready on the main road do not have to give way to joining traffic.
259
Joining the motorway. When you join the motorway you will normally approach it from a road on the left (a slip road) or from an adjoining motorway. You should
give priority to traffic already on the motorway
270
You MUST NOT stop on the carriageway, hard shoulder, slip road, central reservation or verge except in an emergency.
Stopping on a sliproad joining a motorway is highly dangerous and is discouraged.
SHOULD not MUST as someone incorrectly quoted above, and give priority.
The main fault here is the failure of the red car to assess the road and drive accordingly, he left it too late and then made a bad call. The correct course of action would normally have been to follow the hard shoulder once it got to that point, slow down and join after the lorry, not an option in this case due to cones.
It was an emergency by the time he messed it up, it isn't just an option for joining the motorway under normal circumstance as is suggested by a few above, the guy behind looking over his shoulder to join will not know what he hit
Simple fact here is that the red car messed up badly and the lorry driver did nothing to help when he could have. Red car to blame, lorry was a belligerent idiot.