Speedlimits and tailgaters

[TW]Fox;29065480 said:
Yet another 'non fault accident' where the 'innocent party' was almost as much to blame.

You braked for no reason when faced with a green traffic light. He was too close to you and couldn't react in time. Legally his fault but it hardly seems one sided. Don't slow down for no reason and don't follow the car in front too closely.

This is why non fault accidents load your premiums guys :(
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Erm yeah he actually hit me as I was slowing!! As I had foot on the brake anyway THEN I did an emergency stop! Given he was microns off my rear bumper anyway what would you have done?? Didn't jam the brakes just slowed slightly in case the lights changed red, as then I'd have jumped a red light or have a Merc 4x4 hit me at greater speed!!!
Remember you've gotta be far enough behind to stop in case person in front performs an emergency stop. It's a 30mph with houses either side (A4). So what happened if a child or another hazard caused me to perform said action???

Actually quite angry with this post it has to be said
 
I've never knowingly slowed down for a green light, and I cant understand why you did.

Yes you are correct that you should leave enough space behind the car in front to stop in an emergency, but I'm sure the driver that was up your behind was pretty baffled as well.
 
CSMonkeh said:
Erm yeah he actually hit me as I was slowing!! As I had foot on the brake anyway THEN I did an emergency stop! Given he was microns off my rear bumper anyway what would you have done?? Didn't jam the brakes just slowed slightly in case the lights changed red, as then I'd have jumped a red light or have a Merc 4x4 hit me at greater speed!!!
Remember you've gotta be far enough behind to stop in case person in front performs an emergency stop. It's a 30mph with houses either side (A4). So what happened if a child or another hazard caused me to perform said action???

Actually quite angry with this post it has to be said
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Why did you need to do an emergency stop for a green light?
 
CSMonkeh said:
Erm yeah he actually hit me as I was slowing!! As I had foot on the brake anyway THEN I did an emergency stop! Given he was microns off my rear bumper anyway what would you have done?? Didn't jam the brakes just slowed slightly in case the lights changed red, as then I'd have jumped a red light or have a Merc 4x4 hit me at greater speed!!!
Remember you've gotta be far enough behind to stop in case person in front performs an emergency stop. It's a 30mph with houses either side (A4). So what happened if a child or another hazard caused me to perform said action???

Actually quite angry with this post it has to be said
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There's something you're not explaining properly among all this because it sounds absolutely bizarre, why you would slow down or emergency stop, to the extent someone crashes into you, tailgating or not, approaching a green light makes no sense
 
I can understand being aware that the lights may change (and so to check mirrors etc in case you do need to slow when they change), if they are currently green and have been for some time - but I can't get my head around slowing for a green light.

I, too, feel like this story is missing something. So a Merc 4x4 is tailgating you on a road, you approach a green light, you brake, the Merc hits you and then you do an emergency stop? Or do you brake for a green light, ten emergency stop and hence get hit? Your phrasing leaves a lot to the imagination.

Even after being hit, why emergency stop as opposed to a slow controlled stop?
 
CSMonkeh said:
Erm yeah he actually hit me as I was slowing!! As I had foot on the brake anyway THEN I did an emergency stop! Given he was microns off my rear bumper anyway what would you have done?? Didn't jam the brakes just slowed slightly in case the lights changed red, as then I'd have jumped a red light or have a Merc 4x4 hit me at greater speed!!!
Remember you've gotta be far enough behind to stop in case person in front performs an emergency stop. It's a 30mph with houses either side (A4). So what happened if a child or another hazard caused me to perform said action???
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The story as you've told it makes no sense.

If you are travelling at 30mph and approaching a green light, you can stop safely if an amber appears so there is no need to slow dramatically. Most people would lift off the accelerator at the very most but in a 30mph zone the speed is low enough that I doubt many would even do that.

In order to reduce speed by a sufficient margin that a guy tailgating you not only couldn't react in time but was unable to avoid smashing into your car you'd surely need to have reduced your speed noticeably - something that makes no sense approaching a green light in a 30 zone.

To then perform an emergency stop after being hit in the rear is a whole new level of bizarre, surely if you know somebody is so close to you that they've made contact with your vehicle, how on earth is an emergency stop going to do anything other than make things hugely worse?!

Actually quite angry with this post it has to be said
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ok :confused:
 
[TW]Fox;29066896 said:
The story as you've told it makes no sense.

If you are travelling at 30mph and approaching a green light, you can stop safely if an amber appears so there is no need to slow dramatically. Most people would lift off the accelerator at the very most but in a 30mph zone the speed is low enough that I doubt many would even do that.
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Was merely scrubbing off little speed - again I have someone VERY close to my rear. Literally going from 30 to 20 to give myself some breathing space. You can see the lights for awhile and genuinely though they'd change as they were green for some time. . I'd rather do that than do 30 find I do have to stop for said lights THEN have to brake much harder. I fail to see what's wrong with that??

In order to reduce speed by a sufficient margin that a guy tailgating you not only couldn't react in time but was unable to avoid smashing into your car you'd surely need to have reduced your speed noticeably - something that makes no sense approaching a green light in a 30 zone.

To then perform an emergency stop after being hit in the rear is a whole new level of bizarre, surely if you know somebody is so close to you that they've made contact with your vehicle, how on earth is an emergency stop going to do anything other than make things hugely worse?!
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You are aware of what happens when you're hit from behind, right?? You go FORWARD. That's why you have air-bags. Correct???
As I've said already foot was already on the brake and the jolt of impact made me press harder...
Yes, even at that speed. With 2.5 tonnes of mass right behind me who probably didn't even brake at all....

So what was I supposed to do if I hit traffic, say slowing for the next set of lights. By all your reasoning by braking th accident is still my fault, right??
 
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He's not saying it was your fault but it aptly demonstrates why premiums get loaded for non fault accidents, choosing to brake and scrub a third of your speed off approaching a green light, with someone tailgating you is misguided at best. Especially so when you've clearly done it so abruptly they've actually crashed into you.

You certainly pose more of a risk to insurers than someone who doesn't decide to do things like brake in front of closely following vehicles.
 
CSMonkeh said:
Was merely scrubbing off little speed - again I have someone VERY close to my rear. Literally going from 30 to 20 to give myself some breathing space. You can see the lights for awhile and genuinely though they'd change as they were green for some time. . I'd rather do that than do 30 find I do have to stop for said lights THEN have to brake much harder. I fail to see what's wrong with that??
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You fail to see what is wrong with going through every green set of traffic lights you come across at 20mph? I shudder to think the sort of near misses you've experience in higher speed limits if you do 20mph through every green!

By all your reasoning by braking th accident is still my fault, right??
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It was legally the fault of the guy behind you - that is without question. However your bizarre actions contributed to the accident.
 
this thread goes from bad to worse. CSMonkeh - your weird actions clearly contributed to the accident. Moreso, like I've said before in this thread, you could have easily taken action to prevent it. Tailgaters are annoying, but they're not going to change because somebody brake checks them or anything else. There are millions of people on the road, chances are there are millions of idiots... Driving dangerously, uninsured etc. If you genuinely want to be safe and avoid unnecessary cost to yourself then creating a distance between you and them is the best thing to do. PULL OVER AND LET THEM PAST! It doesn't slow you down at all and immediately removes the risk from yourself. The lesson you think you're teaching them by slowing down or brake testing them exists only in your own head
 
Jesus!!!
Right lets be clear. I DO NOT pass EVERY green light by slowing down by a third. This is the only instance where it's been clear and I've slowed for these lights.. I only slowed a little as there some idiot right behind me. If he wasn't so ruddy close I wouldn't have slowed. Simple!
I feel like I'm damned if I did and damned if I didn't....
 
Easing off and gradually slowing to 25 naturally would have been one thing but knocking a third of your speed off was clearly a daft choice when someone is right behind you, shown very clearly by them crashing into you.
 
There is absolutely no difficulty for any modern car to slow from 30 with bags of time to spare if a green light changes in sequence - with such ease that I really doubt anyone behind, no matter how close would make contact, hence not quite sure there isn't more to the story (even if it's something like the person behind not really looking or expecting the crazy horse in front to slow down at a green light)

To slow from 30 when approaching a green light is both bizarre and borderline stupid
 
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iaind said:
this thread goes from bad to worse. CSMonkeh - your weird actions clearly contributed to the accident. Moreso, like I've said before in this thread, you could have easily taken action to prevent it. Tailgaters are annoying, but they're not going to change because somebody brake checks them or anything else. There are millions of people on the road, chances are there are millions of idiots... Driving dangerously, uninsured etc. If you genuinely want to be safe and avoid unnecessary cost to yourself then creating a distance between you and them is the best thing to do. PULL OVER AND LET THEM PAST! It doesn't slow you down at all and immediately removes the risk from yourself. The lesson you think you're teaching them by slowing down or brake testing them exists only in your own head
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Yeah let's brake-test a 2.5 tonne 4x4. Genius!! I've NEVER EVER brake tested anyone and I agree it's the worst thing to do!

All I was doing was preparing for the potential hazard ahead; a change to red light or someone jumping a red....
 
CSMonkeh said:
Yeah let's brake-test a 2.5 tonne 4x4. Genius!! I've NEVER EVER brake tested anyone and I agree it's the worst thing to do!

All I was doing was preparing for the potential hazard ahead; a change to red light or someone jumping a red....
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You know they have a warning about the potential hazard of the light turning red? It's called an orange light!

If you were so concerned you should have pulled over long before the lights when you noticed the risk.
 
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