please check your reversing lights & brake lights work!!

[phantomnamechanger]

Someone reversed straight out in front of me in the supermarket car park this morning, I was not going fast and they probably assumed I had seen they were about to move, but they had no reversing lights working and it scared me to death! Would be even worse in the dark somwhere.

Also I am astounded by how many people I see with only one brake light working - if its someone I know or they've parked and I can speak to them I always tell them.

Please, everyone, remember to check all your vehicles bulbs regularly. Carry spares and know how to replace them.

Don't get me started on people who have working indicators but forget to use them LOL!

indeed. And reversing INTO the parking space would be even better, that way the other driver who 'assumed' and didn't give way might have a slightly lower chance of a crash.

glad you escaped.

They should have been looking where they were going reversing out too, not assuming you would see them, they did not have right of way so the onus was on them to make sure the way was clear. If they had hit you they would have been at fault. They should also have had lights working obviously. My car make only has one reversing light, but I always have my lights on so tail lights would have been showing too. I always make sure all brake lights working as I hate when other people don't very hard to know what they are doing without warning.

This is one reason why I always reverse into car spaces as it is much easier to drive straight out and be able to see if the way is clear and safe to go. Especially when people with big people carriers or 4x4s or vans park next to me, impossible to see easily if way is clear if you have to reverse out.

It is not hard to replace bulbs, if I can manage it I think most people can lol!

Hope you are over your shock, there are an awful lot of eejits on the roads (and in carparks!)

Glad your ok I always check mine, rear ones easy to replace on mine DH does front ones as have to take several components off to replace them. I also always reverse in or drive through double space.

When I'm driving past parked cars, I tend to look and see if there is anybody in them - if there is I assume that they haven't seen me, and will probably drive off without looking!

lucertola28, I try to reverse into spaces too, but not in a supermarket car park because I need the boot to be free so I can put my shopping away...
Someone hit my husbands car when they reversed out of a space in a supermarket car park, without looking (his car was stationary waiting for a space) and his insurers told him that accidents in car parks are always treated as 50/50 fault, even if someone is stationary, which seems very unfair to me. Luckily the other driver admitted full liability.

Reversing lights are not a legal requirement in this country, therefore although I agree they should be working there is no way to enforce.

In the event of the accident you describe I think the parked car moving off would be at fault not you. However, I obviously acknowledge that it is sn incinvenience and best avoided.

X post mrsgrowbag re car park accidents.

That's true MrsGrowbag, there is one place I do my shopping where spaces are good size and wider than average and you can have trolley in front of car and put stuff away if you reverse in but it is a quiet section of a carpark which is huge. However another centre I park at is awful and very few people can park between the lines and it is always really busy so I reverse into place but I generally don't do weekly shop there, would just be going the butchers or picking up a few things like bread and milk etc.

I sort of forgot about that hassle of having to have trolley at boot of car as tend to get deliveries for big shops these days as on 6th floor apartment so a pain to carry everything up lol.

That 50-50 fault rule is mad, you'd think the person driving along would not be at fault unless they were speeding or something. I can understand if two people both going out of places near each other crashed they could both be at fault but not in the case especially of a stationary car!