Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Driving round a corner on the wrong side of the road

50 replies

airforsharon · 05/07/2014 14:35

I've just had a good shout at DH for doing this. He thinks it is 'perfectly acceptable' and avoids 'unnecessary slowing down'. Is it an ok thing to do?

He was turning into the bottom of a steep hill - we were approaching from the left so literally just had to turn left, not come across the traffic from the right. The hill is pretty busy, 30mph speed zone, and a few yards up narrows and bends quite sharply to the left. So visibility ahead is not brilliant although i appreciate better from the drivers seat than the passengers.

As he turned he barely slowed, stayed in 3rd gear and took the corner in the right hand lane (of the hill). He stayed there for a while, moving back to the left as we approached the bend. I have seen far too many cars come down the hill at a bit of a lick and not far enough over to the right to be happy, so i said 'any chance you could corner on the correct side of the road?!' and he said it was perfectly acceptable and he could see far enough ahead etc. I drive up there regularly and don't think anyone could.

So is what he did completely acceptable? Or if he did have an accident doing this, would he be charged with driving negligently?

OP posts:

SignYourName · 05/07/2014 17:07

I wouldn't say he was arrogant no, but he isn't very good at accepting another pov. Not in a bolshy way, he will just quietly ignore anything I've said and carry on as he wants

That would be a definition of arrogance in my book - ignoring other people's POVs and being convinced you are right 100% of the time is pretty arrogant!

So he's arrogant AND a bad, lazy, dangerous driver. I hope for your sake he has lots of redeeming qualities, OP.

Original poster

airforsharon · 05/07/2014 17:20

It's reassuring to know it's not considered an acceptable thing to do. No one has posted to say 'oh yes I would do that to avoid slowly down too much'.

OP posts:

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 05/07/2014 17:21

From the Highway Code:

160
Once moving you should

keep to the left, unless road signs or markings indicate otherwise. The exceptions are when you want to overtake, turn right or pass parked vehicles or pedestrians in the road

I think that is pretty clear - he should be keeping left while turning left.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 05/07/2014 17:26

I have shown this to dh - his view is that it is dangerous driving, and were he to have an accident, he could be charged as such. If he killed someone it could be death by dangerous driving, which carries a jail sentence.

I wouldn't get in the car with him again, unless he promised to mend his ways. Nor would I let him drive the children.

Original poster

airforsharon · 05/07/2014 17:31

SDT I think I might show him this thread. My main worries were a) he could have an accident and hurt someone and b) if he did, he would be guilty of careless or even dangerous driving. We were only a couple of minutes from home and when we arrived he was still saying 'it's fine, it's acceptable, I could see perfectly well' etc.

I'm really scared his 'I know what I'm doing' bollocks attitude could result in the dcs being hurt.

OP posts:

SignYourName · 05/07/2014 17:37

I just asked my DSD, who is an experienced driving instructor. She said it would be classed as a serious and dangerous fault under "control - steering" and therefore an automatic fail on a driving test.

Original poster

airforsharon · 05/07/2014 17:51

Sign thanks

OP posts:

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 05/07/2014 18:20

Sign - that has reminded me - I actually failed one driving test for not keeping on the right line when going round a corner. I forget what it was termed as, in the results from the test, but that's what my driving instructor said it was.

maddening · 05/07/2014 19:10

What if someone was crossing the road round the bend that they would normally expect traffic to take slowly?

bigdog888 · 05/07/2014 19:29

It's perfectly acceptable to use the whole road where appropriate although difficult to comment without knowing the road or seeing it. Certainly you can use it to improve your visibility and minimise your danger from blind turnings onto your side of the road. However taking a blind bend completely on the wrong side is not the best idea...

bumbumsmummy · 05/07/2014 19:37

It's called taking the racing line and you are right it's bloody stupid and irresponsible this is how people get killed

Imagine a car on the other side of the road broaching the bend unable to see meets you on their side of the road

Please show him this thread

Original poster

airforsharon · 05/07/2014 19:48

ah, that's where I think he would argue the toss - by the time he reached the actual bend he was pretty much back where he should be. My argument is that if anything - car, cyclist - came very quickly down the hill, he wouldn't have time to get himself out of the way, because he wouldn't see them until the last minute.

I kind of drive with the assumption there's a pillock around every corner, so take real care. It's grim to think that my DH is the pillock.

OP posts:

bigdog888 · 05/07/2014 20:25

Just re reading your OP, if it's a nice wide open junction with good visibility then it's actually fine and something I regularly do at certain local junctions. Can you link a Google streetview of the junction?

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 06/07/2014 00:09

"I kind of drive with the assumption there's a pillock around every corner, so take real care. It's grim to think that my DH is the pillock."

You need to say exactly that to him. Maybe that would hit home!

settingsitting · 06/07/2014 08:07

Is he heading towards a middle life crisis generally?
Has he indicated he may want a motorbike for example?

macdoodle · 06/07/2014 08:11

This happened to me except I was coming down the hill and had to mount the pavement to avoid the car. I hooted and the other car actually stopped and the angry man got out and started shouting at me when he was clearly at fault. It's an arsey way to drive.and dangerous.

canuck43 · 06/07/2014 09:51

My son calls this the Mexican Turn, all drivers in Mexico seem to do thisbut then thats the land of crazy driving, needs to be seen to be believed.

BetsyBoop · 06/07/2014 11:57

My parents were unfortunate enough to meet an idiot like your DH on a blind corner. Luckily they were not seriously hurt, but their car was a write-off - as was the other car. The other driver got prosecuted for dangerous driving (he was also speeding) and was banned from driving (for two years IIRC) - which cost him his job.

loveableshoulder · 06/07/2014 12:04

Some cunt wrote off my car a few weeks ago doing this. Apparently I'm lucky to be alive. I just thank god that my kids were not in the car.

It has cost us thousands in buying a new car and has seriously damaged my confidence and mental health. I flinch every time a car goes past me now :(

Is it really worth it?

halfwildlingwoman · 06/07/2014 12:31

Two years ago my best friend was very seriously injured in a crash caused by someone who did this. They came round the corner on the wrong side of the road and hit her wing which collapsed onto her, trapping her in the car. She has been left with permanent injuries, will never walk normally again and suffers from PTSD. Don't do it.

rallytog1 · 06/07/2014 13:43

I said this before and I'll say it again - get your dh to do a proper course that will teach him the proper time and place for using the whole road, as well as the observation techniques necessary to do it safely and properly. The institute of advanced motorists run courses and accreditation in this sort of thing.

It's not always unsafe (although it IS always unsafe in a 30mph zone round a blind bend up a hill) - but your dh needs to learn this properly.

I say this as a former motoring journalist (ie I spent part of my career driving for a living) and as someone who's lost family and friends in accidents on the road.

3littlefrogs · 08/07/2014 06:47

I am alive this morning because of the skill and quick reactions of 3 drivers in front of me on the motorway last night whose quick thinking avoided a huge pile up.

Thank goodness for good drivers.

If I had been driving behind a couple of pillocks I have no doubt I would be dead or seriously injured.

Wanton stupidity behind the wheel of a car is criminal IMO.

Your DH could have killed you, himself and an innocent motorist/family.

Voodoobooboo · 08/07/2014 07:51

Yeah, i've seen people do that. It was how I was knocked off my bike aged 20. The excuse the moron gave was that there is never anyone there. I WAS THERE!
So, imho, he's a twat and he won't learn til he hurts someone. Then he'll have learned a driving lesson and they'll have a lifetime of aggravation and pain. Fair swap?

SignYourName · 08/07/2014 08:00

Did you show him the thread, OP?

skittycat · 08/07/2014 08:08

I've been involved in an accident before because someone cut a corner. It caused significant damage to all parties involved, both physically and psychologically. Anyone who can't see the danger to other people so that they either don't have to slow down or save a bit of time are thoughtless twats in my opinion.

Flip

1 2