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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

people that do an emergency stop when the lights change are dangerous and wrong

417 replies

magrate · 13/02/2015 09:02

I drive for about two hours everyday for my new job. Have to go through over 20 sets of lights. So many people think that as soon as the lights change you must stop. Aibu to expect people to still go though a second after they go red?

OP posts:
zfactor · 13/02/2015 19:41

No, you can have a clever defence, the law can be subjective and you have to prove 'beyond reasonable doubt' in Court.

TheRealAmandaClarke · 13/02/2015 19:43

Your dh was driving too close

ThatBloodyWoman · 13/02/2015 19:43

Thats what I was asking for an opinion on,on the question further upthread SDT.

ThatBloodyWoman · 13/02/2015 19:48

Ok,well,it didn't come to court,like I said,because the other driver took responsibility.
And it never would have done because my dh stopped,and caused no damage or injury.

When you have committed to a green light you do not emergency stop unless there's a reason,which there wasn't,and the other driver acknowledged he was being unsafe in doing so.

And that was the end of the matter.

TheRealAmandaClarke · 13/02/2015 19:52

Your dh was at fault for driving into the back of the car in front.
You have clearly not accepted this fact or moved on from it.

Lifesalemon · 13/02/2015 19:54

Your DH stopped by buffering against another vehicle with you and your newborn baby in the car and the fact that there was no damage or injury was more down to luck then judgement and you still think he was right. If he drives for a living with that attitude I'm surprised he still has a job. This thread is unbelievable.

ThatBloodyWoman · 13/02/2015 19:56

Prefer to trust my dh on this one.
You TheReal clearly do not accept that my dh didn't drive into the car.
He was stopping,and managed to stop anyone getting hurt or anything damaged,despite the other drivers mistake.
That is the desired outcome,surely?

SorchaN · 13/02/2015 19:56

When you have committed to a green light you do not emergency stop unless there's a reason,which there wasn't

But even if you do, the driver behind you should be far enough away that he doesn't 'glide' into the back of your car.

ThatBloodyWoman · 13/02/2015 19:58

He just smiled at that Life.He's too calm from a lifetime of driving, to rise to that!

If a person needs to resort to being nasty,I always think its because they have no other point.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 13/02/2015 19:59

ThatBloodyWoman - your dh had NOT left a big enough distance between him and the car in front, to be able to stop using a braking force he was happy with, without bumping into the car in front. That IS his responsibility. He was lucky that the impact was not worse, and there was no damage, but stopping safely involves stopping without touching the car in front at all!

ThatBloodyWoman · 13/02/2015 20:01

Aren't we going over old ground time and time again?
It doesn't matter!
He stopped like that to avoid hurting me.
He could have stopped more suddenly but didn't need to.
Why cause me pain if he didn't need to?
He's not a sadist!

SorchaN · 13/02/2015 20:01

Prefer to trust my dh on this one.

Good luck with that.

ThatBloodyWoman · 13/02/2015 20:05

He touched the car.
He didn't damage it!
Christ on a bike,I touch other people's cars just walking past them!

Lifesalemon · 13/02/2015 20:07

a lifetime of driving badly by the sounds of it and I don't need to be nasty as I have 'no point' as you put it. My point along with many other posters is that if he was driving safely he shouldn't have had to choose between hitting, sorry kissing, another car or an emergency stop. He could have just stopped.

ThatBloodyWoman · 13/02/2015 20:08

Sorcha I don't need luck,he's proven himself over 20 years. Smile

SorchaN · 13/02/2015 20:13

he's proven himself over 20 years

Well, over the last couple of hours he's proved to numerous strangers that he drives badly with a newborn and a post-surgical wife in his car, and can't accept when he's wrong. So you may need some of that luck at some point.

ThatBloodyWoman · 13/02/2015 20:14

We have already conceded that my dh did bump into the other car,and conceded if insurance was involved it would likely,although be argued,go against him.
But nothing happened.
There was no damage.There were no injuries.
What heinous crime has my dh committed in protecting me?
Good outcome I'd say!

Anyhow,I am very heartened to hear of such great drivers on here.

ThatBloodyWoman · 13/02/2015 20:14

Sorcha you go,girl.

TheRealAmandaClarke · 13/02/2015 20:15

So he braked. And did no more than touch the car in the way that one might do if walking past it?
Great.

TheRealAmandaClarke · 13/02/2015 20:20

Nobody has accused your dh of a heinous crime.
You told us he went into the back of someone who stopped at an amber light.
Ppl told you that your dh was at fault in the collision.
You disagree.

Whatthefucknameisntalreadytake · 13/02/2015 20:21

If the other driver has done the same emergency stop, in the same place, but because a child had just run in front of the car...whose fault does your DH say that would be? Should the driver in front still take responsibility?

ThatBloodyWoman · 13/02/2015 20:23

But I've since confirmed the light was green.
Again,we know in the event of damage its likely the insurance company would have paid out.
Whats your point?

Charlotte3333 · 13/02/2015 20:24

I only learned to drive 5 years ago and was taught that if you don't leave enough room for an emergency stop between yourself and the car in front, you're driving incorrectly. We have a road near to our home where people in a rush in the mornings drive right up your arse to try and pressure you into speeding up. I slow it right down and let them seethe. Nothing makes me happier than singing along to the radio with the kids and knowing there's a would-be asshat driver behind us desperate to be doing 80mph and forced to do the required speed limit of 40mph.

Well, maybe a few things make me happier. But not many.

TheRealAmandaClarke · 13/02/2015 20:28

going through a green light is not the same as going through an amberr light.
And either way youre not meant to rear end the driver in front.
If you are not capable (or willing) of doing an emergency stop youre not meant to drive.
Anyway, this is going round in circles.
I'm oot!

ThatBloodyWoman · 13/02/2015 20:29

I think we covered that What.
Hypothetically,if that happened and my dh slammed into his back it'd be dh's fault.

In our case the driver ahead had performed an emergency stop for no good reason and no one needed to take responsibility because there was no damage

If a child had run out in front of us,just to clarify this,dh would have emergency stopped if necessary regardless of us being in the car.

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