Reverse off drive accident

[Bods]

I recently had an accident-I was reversing off my drive which is at the corner off a fairly busy crossroads with traffic lights. It also has a limited view down the road away from the lights. I was reversing out slowly and checking towards the lights and for pedestrians on the pavement. When able to I turned to check the road the other way, where a car was approaching but with enough room for me to get out. I began to pull out some more and turn my head the other way again when I bumped into a car which had obviously turned left at the lights and onto my road. Unfortunately, the owner of the car was less than pleasant to me and yelled at me by the side of the road whilst I stood there apologising and accepting the blame. I wholly regret this now as I suspect she may have gone through the lights on amber as I always wait for them to turn before I continue pulling out. Also, she told me she honked her horn at me several times to get me to stop which makes me question why she didn't brake instead. Furthermore, my cars back end was poking out into the road before the collision so she must have been swerving round me when I would have been clearly reversing. I know I've ruined this by admitting fault at the scene but no one stopped as a witness and her roadside manner was so horrendous I actually ended up in tears after the event. However, to give me at least some peace of mind, I would appreciate any thoughts on this...my feeling so far is that technically I'd have been at fault but morally, she could have prevented the accident by having a bit more patience and empathy for the very difficult manouveure I was performing.

[rsd2525]

if thats the worse you ever do ishouldn't worry about it, as you admit , you were at fault but you can't see round corners, if they weren't speeding surely they could have stopped sooner

[jake-the-peg]

As you were enterring the flow of traffic you were effectively at fault although the horn thing sounds odd.

Actually I'm not sure about how reliable this is but I recall being told that it's actually illegal to back onto a main road.

Anyway the long and the short of it is that you're going to pick up the blame for this one and I doubt any amount of heart wrenching or getting angry is going to make the slightest bit of difference. It's a hard thing to do but if you can try to just shrug your shoulders and put it behind you, then you'll avoid damage to your blood pressure compounding that of the cars.

Chances are somebody somewhere has been badly hurt in a car accident today - Smile - It wasn't you.

[kempie]

To pick up on a point made by jake-the-peg, the Highway Code rule for reversing 177 states
'Do not reverse from a side road into a main road. When using a driveway, reverse in and drive out if you can.'

It appears that the only laws with regard to reversing are
'You MUST NOT reverse your vehicle further than necessary' nor on a motorway.

Obviously the actions of the other driver, as they have been described, show a lack of common sense on her part but ultimately the insurance companies will apportion blame as they see fit.

[Bods]

Thanks for your thoughts. Ideally I would be able to reverse onto my drive instead of off but the road is so busy it's only really possible very late at night when no other cars are on the road. I usually get people honking at me while I'm waiting to go on forwards, when did we all get so impatient?

I just wanted to hear some neutral thoughts on the matter as certain members of my family got cross with me for taking the blame and having had a bad couple of years with my car(s) (attempted theft, followed by actual theft, vandalism and someone bumping into my car) my driving confidence is at a real low, and the repair cost for their car is a real knock to my christmas budget. Thankfully, there is absolutely no damage to my car.

Anyway, it makes me feel better to hear someone tell me it's not a big deal, I knew it in my heart! My biggest concern was that the other driver was ok when she got out of her car...her biggest was whether I had insurance...

[lebesset]

if the road is too busy to reverse in , then it is too busy to reverse out! your argument makes no sense , it must be far safer to reverse in because the whole of your vehicle is visible , then gradually disappears
and if you are leaving the main road then it would have been the other persons fault , would it not
is the real reason you don't reverse in that your ability in reversing is not good?

[Bods]

Fair point about the reversing...but I forgot to mention that the width of my drive is not much greater than that of a regular car-and there are two walls on either side so there is no room for errors-unfortunately we can't get either wall removed or altered as there are listed building restrictions. I can reverse onto the drive but its stressful to say the least and more often than not I find that the car behind me (as there invariably is on a busy road) does not understand my intention to reverse onto a drive, and leaves no room for me to do it.

For a long time I found myself having to drive on, turn round, and approach from the other direction, which then makes reversing on even more difficult and unlikely to happen as it would involve pulling up past the traffic lights stop line and then reversing across two lanes of traffic.

In the end it became obvious that more often than not, pulling on forwards was the only option, unless I parked elsewhere and then moved my car onto the drive at night when it's quiet...would you bother?

[maggie01]

Just an idea but have you seen those things you have put in the driveway. You drive onto this circle and it rotates the car so that you face the opposite direction, ready to drive out again. I expect they could be expensive, but if it is that busy it may well be worth looking into.

[Bods]

God, I'd love one, but the drive is super narrow and only the length of one car and because there's a water mains located very near our drive any alterations are prolly out the question. The house is over 200 years old so car space wasn't exactly priority number one back then!!!

I guess it's just grin and bear it until I move out. The good news is it's the first incident we've had with it, although I've seen plenty of other accidents out there...ironically enough, one this afternoon in the snow.

I suppose it really leads into a wider issue about town planning and development. Living in an old market town that has seen rapid expansion over the past 20 years, there are now many areas of the town that have become quite dangerous in terms of car accidents-simply too many cars and new estates/roads with too little traffic control measures.

I suspect this is the case in many historic towns. I know Stratford-upon-Avon is a particularly bad one.

[derekpara]

I think it would be far safer to reverse into your drive.

Goods vehicles do this in very busy conditions but we are less patient with motorists who do the same thing for some reason.

Anyway, try using the commercial drivers' system of putting on your hazard lights and slowing down well in advance. That tells following vehicles that something is going on ! Then go into the manoevre slowly and carefully, they can't drive over you. Then smile nicely and wave to all concerned. And don't worry !

[wacky racer]

I agree with all the sentiments here but what an objectionable thing the other driver was - and what is wrong with us on the roads these days. All the time in the world to sound her horn but none to consider your difficulties. She should take her hand off the horn and put her foot on the brake instead.

No witnesses, no police, you waited for the light to turn red - I wouldn't take all the blame!!

[Bods]

Thanks for all the comments, especially derekpara, when I do it in future I'll use my hazards, although I gues it wont always work-I put them on tonight but the cars behind me still got too close-they dont seem to understand the reversing thing until the reverse lights go on and beacause there is always traffic piled up behind the lights, around the lights, over the lights (you know how it is in rush hour) there just doesn't seem to be anywhere for them to get out my way! Maybe I'm just a bit too timid-, I don't know! I love the way people shake their heads and throw their hands up at me...how dare I want to reverse onto my drive!!!

Anyway, hopefully at least sometimes it'll work and if not, well I've had one bump in 4 years so lets hope no more! Oh yeah, and wacky racer, eaxactly my sentiment! Too late not to take the blame though....a valuable lesson learned for the future!

[Eddiecurrent]

I have a similar problem in so much as I can't reverse into my driveway as I wouldn't be able to get out of the car. Sadly I would be at fault as I am reversing onto the road so therefore don't have right of way over those already on the road. It's a shame but house designers don't think of these things.