Car reversing out of driveway. Who was wrong?

[DontOpenDeadInside]

Walking my dog yesterday and had my earphones on listening to an audio book. She (dog) was slightly ahead of me on extended lead cue loads of posters telling me iabu to use one. Next thing i know a car reversed into me, luckily i realised in the nick of time and jumped forward so it missed me (did very slightly touch my coat). I just gave the guy "the look" and continued on. But when i was telling my nan later on, she said it was my fault for having the earphones on and not being able to hear the engine. I was more grateful i wasn't a few seconds later as he would have went over my dog! I don't think i could of dragged her away as quick as she walks closer to the wall than me. So who was bu? Me or driver?

[User998877]

Technically the car owner is in the wrong, they should not be reversing without checking the route is clear before doing so. If he had hit you then he would have been liable.

That said, it would be beneficial to have your eyes on the ball when you have earphones in whilst walking your dog. Why didn't you see him reversing if the wall was small, were you looking at a phone?

[IhatchedaSnorlax]

Op I can't believe anyone is blaming you - it's entirely the drivers fault. They shouldn't be reversing off their driveway without checking first (& certainly not at speed). That said, you & your dog would come off far worse, so it's always worth being extra careful.

I think all the stuff re headphones is misleading as if the car were electric, you wouldn't have heard it anyway. It's always the drivers responsibility.

[DontOpenDeadInside]

No, definitely not looking at phone. I can't do that while holding the lead not that I've tried . He started reversing after I'd passed the 1st driveway post. I was quite close to the wall as was about to turn into the field. He only reversed a foot or 2 very quickly. I was almost dead centre when he must have started then by the time i realised i had about 1ft to jump out of the way.

[HermioneJeanGranger]

Again, the headphone thing isn't about hearing the car - it's about being distracted by whatever you're listening to and not paying proper attention to what's going on. It's easy to get lost in an audiobook and forget to look for cars.

[HeadfirstForHalos]

It was 100% the drivers fault. You shouldn't reverse out if a driveway, they should make sure the path is clear before driving out, and you had right of way on the pavement. Saying it's your fault for wearing earphones is a bit victim blaming. Some modern cars are so quiet you can't hear them without earphones!

[EverybodysHappyNowadays]

You shouldn't reverse out if a driveway

Huh?

How the fuck do you get off your drive then!

[Oysterbabe]

You're supposed to reverse in!

[EverybodysHappyNowadays]

It's not always safe to do so though. On a road that is busy at the time you arrive home, and/or where there are a lot of cars parked on the road it's safer to pull onto it forwards. It's then easier to reverse off at a quieter time.

Is it actually a rule in the Highway Code that you must reverse onto your drive? If so, fair enough, but plenty of people don't. If not, then there is no supposed to about it.

[Oysterbabe]

Rule 201
Do not reverse from a side road into a main road. When using a driveway, reverse in and drive out if you can.

[JacquesHammer]

You're supposed to reverse in

If I didn't drive in there wouldn't be room for me to get in. Its either drive in or not be able to park anywhere near my house.

I am careful and minimise risk as much as I can

[wasonthelist]

Saying it's your fault for wearing earphones is a bit victim blaming.
Perhaps, but being injured to prove who was at fault isn't really helping either. Wearing 'phones is making it harder to avoid idiots, is all. The driver should have been looking out, but the fact is they were not, and a pedestrian (and dog) will always be vulnerable in a collision with a car.

[EverybodysHappyNowadays]

When using a driveway, reverse in and drive out if you can

Surely the key words here are if you can?

[Topseyt]

What utter bollocks to say that you shouldn't reverse off a driveway!! I'd never get off mine if I didn't.

Even if you reverse onto the driveway, you still have to look out for pedestrians as you cross the footpath, and potentially block other traffic briefly whilst you are doing it.

Not all of us have driveways large enough to turn cars round on. I haven't. In fact, looking along our pretty normal residential street, I can see only one car which could be driven forwards rather than reversed out. There is no such rule.

[EverybodysHappyNowadays]

But whatever the rights and wrongs of the driver, surely the Green Cross Code teaches pedestrians that they have at least some responsiblity for their own surivial - hence not crossing between parked cars, walking behind reversing cars etc.

It just makes sense to be aware of what is going on around you and not to be so distracted or engrossed or unaware of your surroundings that you can be hit by a car reversing out of it's driveway.

I don't like this current phenomena where people expect everyone around them to have more concern for their continued existence than they themselves do.

There are so many hazards for drivers to spot/be mindful of, and drivers are only human, so it's reasonable to use a bit of common sense.

[EverybodysHappyNowadays]

argh 'its'

[EverybodysHappyNowadays]

argh 'its'

[TheNaze73]

Who drives forward in to a drive FFS?

Of course it's totally the drivers fault

[user1486669405]

Defo the driver. The what if I was deaf scenario is relevant, you might not be, but the driver doesn't know that.

You couldn't have been that distracted, as you managed to react. If you are half way along the back of the car and the driver backs out, it's the mo'ing fo'ing driver's fault.....end of.

The driver was probably listening to an audio book in his car and distracted, as I, ahem, might have been recently. Maybe we should sue audiobook. The twats.

[DaveTheDesigner]

The driver. You were on the pavement. Besides, you could have been a deaf person. No excuse.

[pictish]

Driver's fault 100%

[ClaireLouxx]

I worked in insurance - you are not at fault the driver is cutting across a pavement and has a duty of care to make sure he can do so safely and pedestrians have right of way

You are 100% not to blame

[GladAllOver]

I'm sure if the car had hit you the driver would have been held responsible.
But that doesn't mean you should be walking along by the road oblivious to the world around you.

[JacquesHammer]

Who drives forward in to a drive FFS

People like me who have neighbour who changed their parking habits and now I can no longer reverse onto my drive.

Until someone invents me a car like the Knight Bus that can go skinny and change shape I'm left with driving on and reversing off at snail's pace, having ensured I am doing everything I can to be vigilant