this isn't their fault

[meganorks]

Or at least equal responsibility. But what would an insurance company say?

PIL have had a bump in their car. They were reversing off their drive. Neighbour opposite has driven off her drive onto their side of the road. They have just caught the back of her. But she must have seen them reversing and decided to pull out anyway. She apparently jumped out and said it was their fault and she was going to get a quote as she knows someone who does that.

PIL are wondering whether to go through insurance as surely at worst both to blame? But anyone actually know from an insurance point of view what they would say? Should probably say they had an accident where they were at fault about 6 months ago. Maybe that's why the neighbour decided yo pull out anyway. Who knows

I drive onto my drive because I live on a main road where no one waits for me to do the tricky manoeuvre to get my car between pillars just wide enough to fit my car. If this makes an idiot, then so be it. Rather be an idiot than have a smashed up car.

"Anything on the road has priority over the vehicle coming off the drive."

So if they were both coming off their drives, does that mean whoever gets onto the road first has priority?

Well that's why we don't reverse. You indicate to turn into drive and person behind pulls right up behind you so you can't reverse. In fairness, they might assume you are planning to turn into a small road a couple of houses down.

I suspected that the fact that they were reversing might make it their fault. But I can't understand why someone would pull out from their drive onto the opposite side of the road behind someone reversing.

I also understand that the car uses less petrol reversing when it's warm than it does when cold. So over many years of reversing in maybe I'm saving some money somewhere! (rider: this may be complete rubbish....)

WTAF? Of course it's rubbish!

In this part of Canada, most people seem to drive forward into their driveway, and reverse out. Not sure why... from my casual observations walking around, almost no-one reverses into their driveway.

In my case, my driveway is stupidly narrow (with my neighbour's hedge making it worse), and is at an angle to the steet, so it's hard to line yourself up.

Meganorks, the same thing happens to me. You end up driving round the block (and waiting at the traffic lights again, infuriating).

I used to work in insurance. Your PILs' insurers will regard this incident as a material fact and if PILs don't advise them, and they subsequently find out, they will be inclined to invalidate their policy. I think they might say it's 50:50, as both cars being driven without due care and attention?

Why must she have seen them but they cant have seen her?
Is neighbours car also damaged? Badly?
I'd just sort this out between us, but probably a 50:50 unless the other person had stopped and i drove into them.

BrokenVag

"Drive smoothly and consistently using higher gears. Avoid sharp braking and accelerating and you can save as much as 30% on fuel costs, says the RAC. Change up a gear in a petrol car when you reach 2,500 revs a minute and at 2,000 revs a minute in diesel cars to be most fuel-efficient, the National Energy Foundation recommends. When starting from a dead stop, accelerate slowly.

If you make a cold start, don't sit around idling. Move off as soon as you can, and stay light on the accelerator until the engine has warmed up.

Reverse into parking spaces so you can drive smoothly away later without having to reverse when the engine is cold.

Driving at 85mph uses approximately 25% more fuel than at 70mph, so stick to the speed limit.

5 ways to save on petrol

Most people i know just sort this out between themselves. Our neighbours are always reversing into each other!

I thought it was always the fault of the person who runs into you?

I'd let the insurance deal with it. They have agreements whereby if it's in dispute they pay half each, because it costs more to faff about. Never admit liability at the the scene. She can say what she likes it doesn't matter. Just report truthfully your view of the situation and leave the insurers to sort it out amongst themselves. Saves a great deal of stress.

Where was whichever of your PIL that was driving looking to not see the neighbour?

Similar thing happened to me a few years ago except both parties were reversing out of opposite driveways and neither noticed the other car as we were both watching the riad fir traffic and didn't think to look across the road at the same time. Not much damage done so we both agreed that it was a 50/50 situation and sorted our own cars out. I think we both told our insurance companies who were happy we agreed to do our own cars.

50/50

• reversing from driveway failing to give way failure to pay due care and attention

vs

• failure to pay due care and attention, ?speed, failure to brake/ leave safe distance/ etc.

If damage at front of other driver's car could go in reversing car's favour as irrespective of what happens one would hope she'd have been paying attention and applied brake. But equally could go the other way re. car suddenly reversing from side road/driveway

See I asked where the damage was as I think that's important. If the damage is to the side of parent or neighbours car parents are most at fault - either pulled out in front of or into neighbour. If it's at front of neighbours car and back of theirs I think there is a good argument that they had the road before she drove into them.

Neighbour's car was on the wrong side of the road.

So she drove into a space that wasn't clear.

I had a minor accident where I was turning left and someone travelling in the opposite direction in the road I was turning into decided at the same moment to overtake a stationery car waiting to turn right into the road I was coming out of. If you can visualise that...

It was their fault.

Makes no odds. If it was behind them whilst reversing - were they paying attention/watching where they were going they'd have seen it and stopped.

If the neighbour's carwas on the road, should PIL have stopped reversing?

Yes!

It will come down to who was moving, ultimately. If both cars were moving at time of impact it will go 50/50. If the OP's PIL drove into a stationary car it won't matter if it was on the wrong side of the road, on double yellows or full of flying monkeys, they'll be at fault because they should have seen it.

Let the insurance company deal with it and just state what happened. They will guide you as to fault.

I didn't know that the Highway Code suggests reversing into driveways. We live in a pretty quiet cul de sac so I guess it isn't as relevant but looking around the close I cannot see one car that is pointing outwards. Everybody just drives into their drive and reverses off of it.

Most people here drive into their drives forwards (we don't). I'd say about 80%.

I guess your PIL have to decide whether it's worth potentially falling out with the neighbour over this?