Drysdale
Member
Registered: 20th May 04
Location: Milton Keynes
User status: Offline
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Right.
I had a car accident on the 6th November, writing off my car in the process. Suffered a broken femur (thigh bone). Was a clean break and had it pinned, no cast. Currently on crutches and on the mend, should be walking by January.
Basically I've had a lot of time to think about it and its really brought my confidence down a bit driving wise. I always thought I was a good driver (I'm 18, had my license 11 months with pass plus) and NEVER had a crash, parking fine, points taken off or even a scratch/dent.
Just want your opinions on whether the accident was my fault. (No one else was injured and no other cars were damaged). I was wearing my seatbelt, the car didnt have ABS and my mates werent wearing seatbelts:
Was driving at about 7.30pm on 6th November. It was dark and was drizzling a bit. Roads were fairly empty (1 or 2 others). I was driving on a dual carriageway. There was a WHITE 205 with BLUE FLAMES quite far ahead of me driving slowly (around 45). I was doing about 60/65. I indicated, moved over into the right hand lane to go up and overtake, I didnt speed up, keeping to my speed.
When I was about 2 metres behind him in my lane (he was in the left, I was in right), without warning he swerved infront of me, no indicating or anything. Instinctively, I slammed on my brakes and steered out of the way (basically a handbrake turn), span out and rolled the car. My drivers side hit a lampost which broke my leg and we landed on the roof. The 205 drove off, not slowing down or anything.
Was it my fault?
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Matt H
Member
Registered: 11th Sep 01
Location: South Yorkshire
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you were driving so you must take the blame, but i dont think this 205 did you any favours by swerving in front of you
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HeNdie
Member
Registered: 8th May 04
Location: Wigan. Drives:Saxo VTR!
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i dunno
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Drysdale
Member
Registered: 20th May 04
Location: Milton Keynes
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Thats one way to put it I guess.
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GLSi GUY
Member
Registered: 5th May 02
Location: Preston, Lancs
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i wouldnt say it was your fault. as i had the same happen to me, when somone pulled out infront of me on a roundabout. i braked and swerved and landed in a ditch. the guy just drove off and left me in the middle of nowhere.
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chr15barn3s
Member
Registered: 5th Oct 03
Location: Farnborough
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i dont think its your fault. Its a natural reaction isnt it to swerve and brake if something happens infront
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Drysdale
Member
Registered: 20th May 04
Location: Milton Keynes
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felt like an idiot though when I thought about it in hospital afterwards! Thanks for all the replies you lot!
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GLSi GUY
Member
Registered: 5th May 02
Location: Preston, Lancs
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it shows the 205 driver is probably to blame, as he didnt stop.
your natural reaction if you saw somone crash, would be to stop and help. looks like shit it, and drove off.
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mav
Member
Registered: 19th Jun 01
Location: Scotland
User status: Offline
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not entirely your fault...But in the end if 205 driver never stopped all blame lies on you..
But hard to tell on driving skills etc...
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Antz
Member
Registered: 28th Jul 03
Location: Leeds Drives: Myself Insane!
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My ex's b/f did something similar, although I don't know the details of it, he had someone pull in front of him on a dual carriageway, he swerved to miss him and ended up rolling the car I think.... any way someone died in his car and he is currently in prison, he got 3 years... couldn't find this other guy so he got blamed for it...
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Ian
Site Administrator
Registered: 28th Aug 99
Location: Liverpool
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quote:
Originally posted by Drysdale
I was wearing my seatbelt ... my mates werent wearing seatbelts
You're very lucky they didn't kill you.
Show them this:
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn1742
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Ian
Site Administrator
Registered: 28th Aug 99
Location: Liverpool
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by Drysdale
Instinctively, I slammed on my brakes and steered out of the way (basically a handbrake turn), span out and rolled the car.
Braking with the footbrake is not equivalent to doing a handbrake turn. The bias applied under foot braking is completely different, in so much that if you're braking properly your steering will be completely ineffective.
I see from you garage pics that the car is lowered. Did you adjust the bias valve when this was done?
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Drysdale
Member
Registered: 20th May 04
Location: Milton Keynes
User status: Offline
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Thats some shocking reading. I thought I was doing the right thing with the seatbelt...always put it on no matter whose car it is. Even more so now.
Wasn't driving that corsa, was driving a Corsa C 1.3 CDTI. Hmm...I've always thought 'slamming' on the brakes emergency stop style had the same stopping power as using the handbrake?
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Paul_J
Member
Registered: 6th Jun 02
Location: London
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Handbrake locks up the rear wheels
normal brakes lock up the front wheels (and sometimes the drum brakes (rear))
The result usually equals hand brake = spin (hence handbrake turns for sharp corners... gets back end out)
Normal breaks locked up usually = Major understeer - going straight forward!
As I said, sometimes the rear drums can lock up as well which will cause the rear to go... but should be fairly controllable unless you jerked the steering really hard to avoid him.
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Ian
Site Administrator
Registered: 28th Aug 99
Location: Liverpool
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The moral to the seatbelt story is if you're going to wear one make sure the people behind you are as well, because its their weight thats going to crush you otherwise.
The handbrake doesn't have much power, it only locks the wheels because, under braking, there's no weight there.
Its far more difficult to lock the front wheels as when the weight transfers to the front the pressure on the road increases proportionally. This is better as the net result is more friction, but there is only so far that can go and eventually front tyres will lock as well.
Cars are set up to offer most of the braking bias to the front wheels for this reason.
[Edited on 23-12-2004 by Ian]
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Ally
Member
Registered: 2nd Jul 03
Location: Pontypool Drives: a Skoda
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I cant believe that there are people out there that don't bother wearing seatbelts 
A seatbelt could save your life!
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Andrew
Member
Registered: 5th May 04
Location: Skoda Octavia Estate, Ford Puma
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What sort of a question is this? If you have spoken the truth then how can it be your fault.
The fact you have mates in the car with no seatbealt on and your doing 60+ is just stupid on there behalf.
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Colin
Member
Registered: 4th Apr 02
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If you pulled the handbreak at 65mph then theres a good chance thats why you left the road!
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Steve
Premium Member
Registered: 30th Mar 02
Location: Worcestershire Drives: Defender
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like kolin says if you pulled the handbrake up doing that speed then your a shite driver, if you didnt and you span ouy like that under footbraking then i believe if was the fault of the 205 as he pulled into your lane of traffic.
the rules are pull over after checking mirrors and is safe to do so, none of this applied in his case
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AK
Member
Registered: 5th Jul 00
Location: Aberdeen City
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yes..... but a properlt setup car would not spin out like that.
Most lowered corsa's do that because they have not had the rear brake bias adjusted
Swerving at 65 is a recipie for disaster too.... If that happens i just brake..... dont swerve.... the car in front is still moving so you dont have to slow down that much really!
Classic example.... driving on the M1 northbound in the skyline.... a people carrier pulls out right in front of me from (across two lanes from slip road) I must have been doing 80'sh him 50.... just braked and braked and missed him by about 0.5m
swerving isnt the best course of action all the time
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Mark Petty
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Registered: 26th Jul 01
Location: Bournemouth Drives: Suzuki gsf600
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205's fault as he should of indicated at least.
No questions about it
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Robbo
Member
Registered: 6th Aug 02
Location: London
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quote:
Originally posted by Adam Kindness
yes..... but a properlt setup car would not spin out like that.
Most lowered corsa's do that because they have not had the rear brake bias adjusted
Swerving at 65 is a recipie for disaster too.... If that happens i just brake..... dont swerve.... the car in front is still moving so you dont have to slow down that much really!
Classic example.... driving on the M1 northbound in the skyline.... a people carrier pulls out right in front of me from (across two lanes from slip road) I must have been doing 80'sh him 50.... just braked and braked and missed him by about 0.5m
swerving isnt the best course of action all the time
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Greasemonkey
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Registered: 17th Apr 02
Location: Drives a Tractor
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Why have you not tracked down the owner of the 205, its not gonna be hard to find with flames etc, i would absoulutely murder the guy, creep up on him on a dark night bosh him on the head and smash his femur a break for a break i say
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Ian
Site Administrator
Registered: 28th Aug 99
Location: Liverpool
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by Ally
A seatbelt could save your life!
Thats not the problem here, he was wearing one. I always wear one anyway but especially in the back, I'd rather die than murder a friend.
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vibrio
Banned
Registered: 28th Feb 01
Location: POAH
User status: Offline
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you could be fined for not making sure your passengers where not wearing their seat belts.
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