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.

--
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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

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

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

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

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?

wrote:
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.


That's probably true and its similar in the UK (90% IIRC) but I bet the
vast majority of "killed or seriously injured" accidents involve a motor
vehicle, as here.

--
Tony

"I did make a mistake once - I thought I'd made a mistake but I hadn't"
Anon

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

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/

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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