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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Driver caused me to emergency stop and just drove off!

319 replies

MamaMoose1 · 28/02/2017 13:31

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!

OP posts:

SookiesSocks · 28/02/2017 13:56

Sorry I know it must have been a shock but it really is a none issue. They may not have even noticed.

NewPuppyMum · 28/02/2017 13:56

No contact with vehicles was made so they probably assumed all was well.

I had a learner pull out in front of me as I was going round a roundabout. They didn't even stop. I did once flash if my lights and when I got no response a little tap on the horn. The instructor then put their hand up. They need to watch. That roundabout can be very fast as many idiots drive too fast on approach and across it.

OP you're fine. Don't make it a big deal. If you can't let it go then I suppose you could ring the driving instructor company and complain ..

ExplodedCloud · 28/02/2017 13:56

Never heard of it being illegal!!
You wouldn't necessarily want to stop if you'd upset some drivers...

TinfoilHattie · 28/02/2017 13:57

Illegal to carry on if you make someone do an emergency stop? Seriously?

One person's "emergency stop" is someone else's "confident braking". I'm sure the driving instructor would have been pointing out to the student that they caused another road user to brake. Getting out of the car to check people are OK is bonkers. A wave or other gesture to acknowledge that you've caused inconvenience to others, admit you were in the wrong, move on.

OP mentions a child because that's supposed to put everyone straight into the "Awwwww hunni RU Ok and bubs 2?" mode

BigbyWolf · 28/02/2017 13:58

What relevance is your 20 m o daughter being in the car?

Are you planning to use her as a wtness for the prosecution?

AQuietMind · 28/02/2017 13:58

but it's still illegal to carry on, if the person carries out an emergency stop.

No its not.

If anything op it sounds like you were being more of a danger to other road users by doing your 'emergency stop' then sitting in the middle of the road writing down their reg plate instead of moving along.

harderandharder2breathe · 28/02/2017 13:58

Yabu

No one has said you were in the wrong but yabvu to expect that the other driver would stop get out and come for a chat. Wtaf? Who does that? It's not illegal to drive off after a non-event like that.

OvariesBeforeBrovaries · 28/02/2017 13:58

Seriously?

I've had my shoulder dislocated by an emergency stop, it would never have occurred to me to expect the driver to stop, get out, apologise etc. What a waste of time!

Besides, it's a learner driver. Making a point of stopping and apologising for something as minor as an emergency stop could seriously dent their confidence.

AlmaMartyr · 28/02/2017 14:00

I don't think it's illegal? I've had to emergency stop a couple of times (mostly at a really dodgy junction near us). It's really annoying, and freaks me out a bit, but I wouldn't expect someone to stop .

viques · 28/02/2017 14:00

To be honest, if it is a 30 mile road , therefore by definition built up, and you know there is a blind spot (you mentioned a slight bend) then you should have been prepared for anything, could have been a child running into the road, a slow pedestrian crossing in a silly place, a learner driver pulling out................Emergency stops are there to do what it says on the tin, but anticipation is part of the game.

whensitmyturn · 28/02/2017 14:00

I don't blame you for feeling shocked an emergency stop is quite a scary thing to do, try and feel thankful that you managed to do one so quickly and without hitting anything or anything hitting you.

I've done a few over the years and as long as there's no accident then I wouldn't expect the other driver to get out and check I'm ok. I just start my car up again and carry on my way while heartily swearing at them till I feel calmer!

Sundance01 · 28/02/2017 14:00

I really do not think it was illegal to carry on if you cause an emergency stop - that is not a collision, no one is hurt why would you need to stop.

I drive a lot for work and probably have to make an emergency stop every couple of weeks or so and no one has ever got out of their car.

I would have expected the driving instructor to have made an acknowledgment of the issue or slammed the breaks on and prevented the manoeuvre

However judging purely on the fact you are so unnerved by having to do an emergency stop I would imagine that you are either an inexperienced driver or a very nervous one and maybe this was nowhere near as close in real life as it felt to you at the time.

Mari50 · 28/02/2017 14:01

but it's still illegal to carry on, if the person carries out an emergency stop.
I'd be interested to see how this is policed. I did an emergency stop yesterday morning when a deer jumped out in front of me and then I just drove on. Did I break the law?

LottieL · 28/02/2017 14:02

YABU and it certainly wasn't illegal not to stop. You only need to stop in the event of an actual contact accident, which didn't happen.

Wondermoomin · 28/02/2017 14:02

Don't be silly. People do not get out of their cars and check everyone's ok if they have done, or caused someone to do, an emergency stop and all they've hit is fresh air

HecateAntaia · 28/02/2017 14:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

tinglyfing · 28/02/2017 14:02

It can't be illegal surely? That would be ridiculous! Report if you have to, but I'm imagining the learner driver was flustered and will definitely be checking mirrors etc from now on. It was scary for you at the time I'm sure. But no crash occurred and you're ok. Reckon the learner driver is equally as shaken up.

ExplodedCloud · 28/02/2017 14:02

Just trying to think how it would work. The other driver would need to be aware first of all. If they then stopped, got out (both of them if it's a learner) wandered around the carriageway to have a chat with a grumpy motorist, blocked traffic etc, that's not sensible, safe or useful.

CharlieDimmocksbosoms · 28/02/2017 14:02

Maybe the learner driver was flustered and worried after pulling out in front of you and the best thing in that case is to move along and not hold up traffic. You stopped in time, that's the most important thing.

5foot5 · 28/02/2017 14:02

Wow, are you saying I'm in the wrong, that a person pulled out in front of me?

Now you are being silly. No one is saying you are in the wrong, they are just pointing out that you are massively over-reacting. It was an emergency stop not a collision. Why on earth should they have stopped? What do you expect to do with their reg details?

BarbaraofSeville · 28/02/2017 14:03

If you wanted to stop and make a fuss about it, it could be argued that you were in the wrong anyway as you may have gone round the bend too fast for the conditions or passed too close to the learner driver. They don't tend to move that fast, so you must have passed quite close to need to do an emergency stop.

What if, instead of the learner driver pulling out on you, it had been a child running out into the road?

TinfoilHattie · 28/02/2017 14:03

I did an emergency stop yesterday morning when a deer jumped out in front of me and then I just drove on. Did I break the law?

You were supposed to get out, check that the deer was OK, write a 5000 word essay on what had happened, complete with diagram of road conditions and a watercolour of the deer, then log it with 101. Obvs.

WillWorkForShoes · 28/02/2017 14:04

I did an emergency stop yesterday morning when a deer jumped out in front of me and then I just drove on. Did I break the law?

No, but the deer should have stopped and checked you were all right.

LottieL · 28/02/2017 14:04

YABU and it certainly wasn't illegal not to stop. You only need to stop in the event of an actual contact accident, which didn't happen.

Mol1628 · 28/02/2017 14:04

YABU. If everyone stopped every time there was a near miss there would be traffic jams everywhere.

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