Driver caused me to emergency stop and just drove off!

[MamaMoose1]

Hi,
I've just returned from going out with my 20 month old daughter in the car. Whilst driving along a road, a learner driver pulled out in front of me, causing me to emergency stop, the driver just carried on and swiftly drove away. Am I being unreasonable to be shocked that the driving instructor in charge didn't get out to see if we were ok, or even awknowledge what had happened. We are ok and I have his reg no.
Thanks!

I ride a motorbike to work if every idiot who blindly pulled out of junctions xtopped to check i was ok id never get there. I spot that they are going to do it well before they do these days ( that looking straight through you stare) and react accordingly.

Stopped not xtopped

Wonder if it's this article, where a shunt occurred (albeit a gentle one), so not an emergency stop, and the article is about the problem of fraudulent whiplash claims: www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/road-safety/8674971/The-whiplash-lie-detector.html

I just cannot believe that a bump at snail’s pace could have caused an injury like that,” says Claire Coleman, a motorist who earlier this year accidentally shunted the car in front while in traffic near her south London home. The driver of the Vauxhall Zafira got out, saw there was no damage and drove off. Claire assumed that would be the end of it, but was astonished to find out a couple of months later that the driver had claimed for a whiplash injury, and won more than £2,000. “There was absolutely no visible damage to either car – not even a scratch or a tiny dent,” she says.

I felt sympathy for the op midway but then she returned and her responses are embarrassing and rude. Cringing at each and every one.

Credit to you though OP, making up laws is a nice touch!

Ah chickennuggets yes I know that stare. I got treated to it today. Walking into my hospital when I passed a lady who was smoking. Right on top of the pavement clearly marked 'NO SMOKING AREA'. Well that put me in my place! .

Is what lazydog posted the right link OP?

What is this 'emergency stop' business? I've been driving more years than the age of lots of you on here (probably!) and I don't do them, mostly because I'm a careful driver who anticipates. (not saying you aren't a careful driver OP... it's just that you are making this out to be a huge thing and in my book it's just day to day driving@

I think OP you just braked. This sort of manouvre happens all the time. Drivers pull out of junctions/parking spaces/ side of road and I just drive and hope I've allowed enough stopping distance to break and not collide if someone should be an arse in the car. I'm also really careful round L drivers and if I saw one at a junction I would anticipate that they might be a bit erratic.

How fast were you travelling when you got whiplash? We're you the driver or passenger on that occasion?
I still maintain that getting out of the car and wandering around, leaving cars blocking the carriageway is dangerous. You say you'd have made sure they were OK if you'd caused an emergency stop but don't explain how.

I got cut up by a chav boy racer carving across several lanes of a multi lane roundabout in east London, and had to emergency stop.

Unfortunately the bloke in the massive 4x4 behind me was typing a text and went straight into the back of me, causing thousands in damage to both cars. Nobody asked me how I was (sore, thanks) but there was a witness to it and the guy that ran into me graciously (not) put it through his insurance.

Count yourself lucky no damage or injury resulted.

You cannot assume that every learner will be in a car with dual controls. Some will, many won't.

You drive expecting the unexpected and that does mean there's an element of reacting if someone else does something a bit risky. That's what you did and you executed a stop to avoid a collision. The system has worked as it should.

In all seriousness, it seems that you've been quite shaken up by this which is understandable if it's the first time you've had to react to another driver in that way. Maybe you should look at some extra driving lessons to go over scenarios like this or to give you a confidence boost? It's unlikely to be the last time it happens and it might not be while you're doing 28mph next time -

Having to hit the brakes because of a careless or inattentive driver is so commonplace as to not warrant a second thought for most people, I should imagine! It happens to me nearly every time I am out and about. That's what defensive driving is all about. You MUST anticipate that the people around you could behave erratically and be prepared to react appropriately.

If you caused me to "do an emergency stop" and then attempted to come speak to me I would think you very odd indeed and depart the scene immediately before you got the chance!

It's definitely not a legal requirement to stop if there hasn't been an impact. Emergency stops are an everyday occurrence in urban driving, and having to perform one at 28 mph isn't going to cause whiplash.

Slihtly OT, but it really pisses me off that people claim whiplash for such insignificant impacts that barely leave a mark on the car.

I'm sorry but braking hard from any speed will not cause whiplash. No brakes and tyres are that good that they could exert such deceleration.

I'm another who gets wound up at all these false whiplash claims.

Why on earth should they have stopped for a "non- collision"? Never heard of such a thing. YABVU.

Wow OP you have never ever sped. Aren't you just a better human being than the rest of us.

I'm not sure why you are even bothering to mingle with us lower orders!

austenozzy - legally it was the driver behind you's fault.

Oh and you absolutely do not legally have to stop after causing someone to make an emergency stop, even if it causes an injury.

The only articles, i can find, regarding being sued for causing whiplash in an emergency stop are driving examiner's sued following tests.

One sued a male learner driver. It was thrown out and he ended up getting a free retest. The leaner driver was found to not be at fault and apoears ti have been a made uo claim.

The second was a female learner. That was successful. She performed an emergency stop by using her left foot (extremely dangerous) for no reason at all. She also mounted the pavement and a few other things.

So it wasnt about getting whiplash from a routine emergency stop performed as it should be. The onus was on the driver performing the emergency stop because using your left foot is wrong and creates a harsher stop.

So even in that case the person doing the emergency stop was at fault. Which would be the op, in this situation.

Nothing indicates its illegal to not stop when you have caused someone to emergency brake. Or that whiplash occurs when an emergency brake is done correctly at 28 mph.

Are you saying we should be in control of learner drivers and we need to be their eyes? The whole point of learner drivers having plates displayed is to let those around them know that they are...you know, LEARNING to drive. It's not so they remember they are learning! It's a warning to other road users.

As a qualified driver, you would know (or maybe you don't judging by your comments on this thread) that learners are unpredictable, are likely to misjudge situations, and may not have the where with-all to gesture an apology as well as keep driving. That chances are that his error shook him too.

If a child had run out in front of you, would you still be blaming others for this? I would say that I am a pretty good judge of other drivers, I give idiots a wide berth, I give learners and anyone on plates a wide birth. So yes, sometimes you do have to try to second guess what everyone else is doing on the road.

YABU and it doesn't strengthen the argument if you make up laws

OP in a month or so you will look back and realise it's a fuss about nothing. Annoying, yes and probably avoidable but it's happened now and no-one was hurt.

Let it go.

How ridiculously precious you sound OP.

An emergency stop is just a part of driving, no it wouldn't shock me or upset me in terms circumstances you describe.

What has your daughter got to do with anything? And yes, PP is right- hand gestures, flashing lights etc are discouraged by instructors so the learner would not know to do it.

Maybe toughen yourself up a bit if you drive regularly, so you aren't dwelling over minor everyday incidents like this in future

your replies were unhelpful, just bullyish and childish

I think you should report them OP. Their comments contravine the Hurt Feelings Act 1990.

Do you think that having been in an accident before you are slightly anxious when someone pulls out in front of you and another driver would have slowed down but not stopped? I know I became more cautious after an accident and it can leave you over estimating the danger.