I've just hit someone with my car. He's ok, but was I at fault?

[LimeLeaf]

Just to say first that I was going less than 5mph and he walked away relatively(?) unhurt but I'm very upset about it and wondering if I was at fault.

I was at the bottom of a road which is very steep, at the junction where it meets a very busy main road. I was turning left onto the main road and looking right for a gap in the traffic. I'd been waiting a minute or so.

A car appeared on the main road and stopped, waiting to turn right onto the road I was on. A lorry to my right then stopped on the main road and gave way to allow me to turn left in front of him and the car on the main road to turn right past him onto the road I was on.

I started to release my foot from the brake as its a very steep road so I could roll forward before putting my foot on the gas. The car started moving forward and the man was right in front of my car and it hit him. He must have been on the pavement to the left of me and had tried to cross in front of my car but I didn't see him because I was looking right. He must have been walking quickly because he was already half way across the front of my car and I was already looking forward when I began to take my foot off the brake. As soon as I saw him I put my foot back down on the brake hard. I had moved maybe 3-5 inches but as he was walking so close to my car, it hit him.

He stumbled but kept walking across and then looked back at me and started shouting whilst I sat there in complete shock. The lorry waited for me to set off again even though I was shocked and nervous to drive immediately. He then turned around and kept walking.

I'm so upset about this. I've never hit anyone with my car before and feel very bad about it. Was I at fault do you think or was the man? Is there anything I need to do now?

Hi Lime I've been a pedestrian in a not unsimilar accident. I was walking along a pavement and there was a dropped kerb with a car park to the left of me and a chap pulling out of it. He pulled across the pavement and stopped, blocking my way and I looked at the road to see there was plentiful traffic and no space for him to pull out and walked across the front of his car. When I was in the middle of the car he started to pull out because someone had stopped and flashed him - I even got a bruise from the badge on the front of the car. He was obviously at fault because he hadn't checked the way was clear, which is also the case in your accident.

Was I culpable though? Yes, probably, I should have paid more attention to him and made sure he had seen me. I suppose we owed a duty of care to each other, though his was greater because my body couldn't cause damage to him/his property, but his car could to me/mine. When you're driving a car the onus is on you to not hit others.

I walked away from the accident but within a few hours couldn't put any weight on one leg and ended up on crutches for 8 weeks. 10 years later I still have issues with that damaged knee. I did feel sorry for the chap though - it was a mistake that many drivers make (not to check again) and this time there was a consequence. There but for the grace of God kind of thing.

I think the important point for me is that being hit made me make sure I double check whenever I pull out of car parks/junctions etc now. I suspect he does too. You keep asking what could you have done differently? You could have checked again. Maybe use this experience as a bit of a wake up call and remember that cars can do people serious damage. Even if it was ALL his fault and you could avoid it in the future wouldn't you take steps to do so?

I'm sorry that happened to you sweary.

Reading your description though, I don't think it was the same situation. You crossed and was half way before he moved off. In my case, I was already moving before he stepped off and he had moved one stride into the road. He'd have been blind not to see the huge bright red articulated lorry that was waiting for several moments as he approached (he stopped and there was a delay before the car turned right) plus the car turning right.

I KNOW I am a safe driver - it's a bit of a joke amongst my friends that I'm a cautious driver.

Safe and cautious are completely different things in the context of driving. Cautious drivers are dangerous. Bottom line is you hit someone when moving off from stationary, therefore you were at fault. There is no embellishment which will detract from that fact. Good morning.

It's amazing what people don't see! You said you hadn't seen him until you hit him.

My point remains that even if you're not at fault - and I think you do bear the brunt of responsibility here, unfortunately - rather than get wound up about what portion each of you bears the blame for, think about what you can do to prevent it next time. I suspect you're already double checking for pedestrians on that corner so you have learned. It's a horrid experience, try to put it behind you.

He was right in front of your car when you released the brake and hit him. He didn't run into the side of you - you hit him head on. And you yourself believed that your observations were possibly faulty before you became so entrenched in being defensive.

Because he didn't cross from side, he crossed in front - one step off the pavement and he was in front of my car. I've already said I had released my brake slightly before he stepped off (my foot never left completely). I was questioning myself because I couldn't work out how it happened. Now I know he didn't stop and left front he curb edge, I realise it would have made no difference if I'd seen him.

Someone posted early on to say 'what would I have done differently?' and when I thought about it from this perspective, I realised I couldn't have done. I was already moving, he crossed too close.

Sweary, I checked in that instance, I check every time. It's not changed how I treat that junction.

There, twisting my words. You knew what I meant. I don't mean I'm hesitant or nervous, but I drive bolt upright with both hands on the wheel at all times, never speed, rarely overtake etc.

This is why it's difficult to describe if you don't know that junction. I was looking forward and to the forward left where I would have been pulling into once I'd got into the main road. You can see a portion of the pavement from there but not the pavement that is immediately left. He was nowhere in my line of vision which means he must have been on the pavement nearer the wall which was behind my should. The junction is on a slant so you have to slightly angle at the bottom. I was also trying to describe how quickly it happened. I have already said I wasn't turning.

Anyway, I'm hiding this thread now. Thanks for all the replies everyone.

Just read the full thread
He was an idiot but you were at fault

I recommend you buy one of those in car cameras. You can replay any accident many times and see what actually happened.

Here's the law

www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/using-the-road-159-to-203

It's rule 170 that you need to read

Yep. Definitely unreasonable OP.

50:50. I always make sure I have eye contact with driver before crossing in these situations or at zebra crossings, he could have done that especially as he was crossing at a busy junction. Easy for him to blame you but don't pedestrians have a responsibility too?

50/50 - forget about it op, it sounds like he is ok

She's long gone. Had a wee flounce.