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#1
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Not always the driver's fault.....
Just a reflection that not all accidents are the fault of the driver.
Last night when it was starting to get dark I was driving home from the airport (first time I've flown in years, now I remember why I don't like it!) when I almost hit a cyclist. He was coming down a side street in a quiet area on a small hill, no lights I might add. He didn't expect a car I don't think, just out having fun with his teenage mates and not paying attention. I'd just come round a 90 degree bend and was doing under 30. As he was coming downhill his stopping distance was longer than usual. He came right in front of me, I swerved and stood on the brakes. Just missed him and no more. If I'd only braked I'd have hit him. He was very embarassed by the whole thing. I was a bit shocked myself. I was more tired than I like to be when driving (flight home delayed two hours) but not overly so. I don't see any way I could have seen him sooner and I was going fairly slowly. But had a I hit him in my red BMW (chariot's of the Devil as we all know) I'm sure the whole thing would have been "my fault". Gives one pause for reflection. -- Who needs a life when you've got Unix? :-) Email: , John G.Burns B.Eng, Bonny Scotland Web : http://www.unixnerd.demon.co.uk - The Ultimate BMW Homepage! Need Sun or HP Unix kit? http://www.unixnerd.demon.co.uk/unix.html |
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#2
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Not always the driver's fault.....
On Thu, 28 Jul 2005 21:14:42 +0100, John Burns
wrote: snip But had a I hit him in my red BMW (chariot's of the Devil as we all know) I'm sure the whole thing would have been "my fault". Gives one pause for reflection. Phew... I'm glad it was ok! Best wishes, -- ,, (**)PeeWiglet~~ / \ / \ pee AT [guessthisbit].co.uk |
#3
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Not always the driver's fault.....
John Burns wrote:
He came right in front of me, I swerved and stood on the brakes. Just missed him and no more. A near miss. Not at all the same as a hit, and far more common. When you're in charge of a deadly weapon, you have a duty of care. Your story indicates that you exercised it satisfactorily. Going into futile hypotheticals, if you'd hit him it would presumably have been primarily his *fault*, but that wouldn't absolve you of *responsibility*. -- Nick Kew |
#4
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Not always the driver's fault.....
Nick Kew wrote:
He came right in front of me, I swerved and stood on the brakes. Just missed him and no more. A near miss. Not at all the same as a hit, and far more common. When you're in charge of a deadly weapon, you have a duty of care. Your story indicates that you exercised it satisfactorily. Going into futile hypotheticals, if you'd hit him it would presumably have been primarily his *fault*, but that wouldn't absolve you of *responsibility*. Responsibility for what? -- Wally www.artbywally.com www.wally.myby.co.uk |
#5
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Not always the driver's fault.....
Here in North America most cycling accidents (as high as 80%) involve
no one but the cyclist. I'd imagine it's not too different in the UK. This suggests that blaming motorists for our problems is partly misplaced. The kind of errors drivers make are often predictable and can be neutralized by anticipation and handling skills. J.F.Jones Ontario, Canada |
#6
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Not always the driver's fault.....
wrote in message oups.com... Here in North America most cycling accidents (as high as 80%) involve no one but the cyclist. Do you have a reference for this? |
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Not always the driver's fault.....
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#8
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Not always the driver's fault.....
Wally wrote:
Going into futile hypotheticals, if you'd hit him it would presumably have been primarily his *fault*, but that wouldn't absolve you of *responsibility*. Responsibility for what? Responsibility for being responsible. Daniele |
#9
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Not always the driver's fault.....
in message .com,
') wrote: Here in North America most cycling accidents (as high as 80%) involve no one but the cyclist. Uh? You mean you record 'I fell off my bike' as an accident? I'd imagine it's not too different in the UK. Only in exceptional cases - involving serious injury - would one vehicle cycle accidents be recorded at all in this country. -- (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/ ---===*** This space to let! ***===--- Yes! You, too, can SPAM in the Famous Brooke Rotating .sig! ---===*** Only $300 per line ***===--- |
#10
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Not always the driver's fault.....
Wally wrote:
Nick Kew wrote: Going into futile hypotheticals, if you'd hit him it would presumably have been primarily his *fault*, but that wouldn't absolve you of *responsibility*. Responsibility for what? The extra injury from being hit by a fast-moving ton of metal instead of by a human being. Colin McKenzie |
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