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!

Learner driver here. I make lots of mistakes, pulling out of junctions slowly is one of them. I'm so busy fannying about with clutch, gears, steering and such like I do it slowly. We dont deliberately set out to slow other drivers down, I;m usually sweating nervously and riding the clutch whilst muttering Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuccccck.
Sorry you had to brake OP, but can you remember learning to drive and making mistakes like that?

Have done an EB in our own car and the bastarding thing automatically goes into emergency mode with flashing hazards!!

You're welcome cloud, don't want to ram my road safety message down everyone's throat but it's better to be careful, especially when insurance companies are about to fleece us all again.

It's like Wacky Races on the road these days - nobody gives a shit about anyone else and I suspect that a lot of the cars you see these days are not roadworthy or safe I met somebody going the wrong way on a roundabout the other day and she didn't bat an eyelid - looked at me as if I was in her way.

How long have you been driving OP?

Sorry OP, but there is no legal requirement to stop after an emergency stop.

If there was an actual accident and contact between the cars THAT is when there is a legal obligation to stop.

Just be glad that you avoided the accident, nobody was injured, and stop getting worked up about it.

If you were on a main road I really cannot see how you had time to sit there and write down a registration after you stopped.

I'm sorry you got a scare, but that's all it was, your reaction is totally disproportionate. It is not illegal to continue after an emergency stop, that's completely bizarre. No contact was made. They made a mistake, you had a near miss - it happens. A lot. It will happen to you again, it's just part of driving. It would've been nice if they'd waved their hand to say sorry but that's really the most they needed to do. If a minor incident like this makes you this anxious you might want to go on a driver confidence course.

What are you planning on doing with the registration number?

I'm still wondering how safe it was for the OP to sit there on the road taking the registration number.

I would be really cross too OP. It's horrible doing an emergency stop and it can cause a minor whiplash. I don't think there's anything that says you have to stop if you've caused driver to do an emergency stop though? If so the dodery old men and the teenage suicide candidates who endlessly pull out on me, would be stopping all the time and I'd never get anywhere.

Just by using the term 'emergency stop' makes it obvious that you're an inexperienced driver. You really need to get used to having to react quickly, braking hard if necessary - that's why you're taught to emerency stop in your lessons. You certainly shouldn't be sitting in your car after the event taking down registration numbers! Perhaps you should get a driver's refresher course or at least brush up on your Highway Code.

lessons for you: drive slower when you can't see what is ahead (speed limits not targets), expect learners to do the unexpected, and remember that having a child in the car is of no relevance at all unless it distracts you. If that happens you need to stop.

I understand, it's horrible, jarring and it should be someone's fault, even if it's not. I think you should have a nice cup of tea, a bar of chocolate and phone a friend.

I give up Buzzard I can't twp that
tenuous at best

SandyDenny Where did you see that's it's illegal to stop after someone's done an "emergency stop"?

No one has said that. The OP claimed it's illegal not to stop after an emergency stop. Which is wrong anyway.

Well the driver who pulled out probably had a bit of a fright too, and could see in their rear view mirror that you were fine, there was no crash.

It wouldn't even occur to me to pull over - if I was either car in this scenario.

Mind you I don't really know what an "emergency stop" is, and I've been driving most days for 35 years. I'm guessing it is when some dickhead pulls out in front of you, and you slam on the brakes?

This is a joke, surely ?

ShotsFired
What relevance is your 20 m o daughter being in the car?
Are you planning to use her as a witness for the prosecution?

^ Winning comment of the thread

You're wrong OP, they were not required to stop, and taking a note of their registration was a bit bonkers. Still none of that matters since you've flounced off the thread in a huff. Do you feel a bit daft now?

so what is it called if you slam on the breaks and stall?

There are a lot of fuckwits on the road unfortunately OP, the use of the term emergency stop indicates you're perhaps not the most experienced driver-what you mean is slamming on the anchors to avoid a collision -it's something you'll probably do a few mor times throughout your driving years.
The learner shouldn't have pulled out-regardless of if they were indicating, but everyone fucks up on occasion so I'd just let it go. Do think the instructor should have gestured an apology though.

HateSummer and OP, you were a learner once, show some fucking understanding.

AwfulSomething The instructor didn't check to see the learner had indicated. On a busy school road at home time, it's pretty irresponsible. I have no sympathy because as a learner driver I never drove off without indicating or checking mirrors. Not even my shittest instructors let me make that mistake!

Well Hatesummer aren't you lucky that you were a competent learner with a good instructor, that poor learner isn't so lucky and will no doubt spend a lot of money and time before changing instructors!

OW's 2nd post said he did signal.