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AIBU?

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Original poster

Car reversing out of driveway. Who was wrong?

246 replies

DontOpenDeadInside · 16/04/2017 09:46

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?

OP posts:
Topseyt · 16/04/2017 15:43

We drive forwards onto our drive. Always have, as do 99% of people I know. Reverse off. Looking out carefully for pedestrians and other cars, which we have to do whichever way round we do it.

WeAllHaveWings · 16/04/2017 15:49

Who drives forward in to a drive FFS?

Just looked outside my window and every single car I can see in my street has been driven forward onto their drive.

hth

Scabetty · 16/04/2017 17:04

Cars have reverse lights so even with headphones you get a warning. As for 'who reverses in?' Lots of people do so can't understand the surprise.

Scabetty · 16/04/2017 17:06

Depends on what is happening on my thin road whether I reverse in or not. Sometimes I simply can't : cars parked opposite and my direction of approach.

TiredMumToTwo · 16/04/2017 17:11

Ought not to be in extended lead, should be at heel!! Grin

supermoon100 · 16/04/2017 17:15

Driver's at fault but oh my days, the amount of people wearing headphones who step in front of me when I'm cycling!

hmcAsWas · 16/04/2017 17:21

Bit surprised that there is any debate here. You were on the pavement - driver is 100% at fault and would still be at fault if you were slithering commando style along the pavement.

somewheresomehow · 16/04/2017 17:45

driver was wrong to be reversing at speed across a footpath, but you should have had your dog under close control and been aware that you were going across a driveway where someone was/could have been reversing
memo -- look before you walk across driveways

UppityHumpty · 16/04/2017 17:57

He didn't see you and presumably was still in his drive as you walked across it so he couldn't have stopped even with the best of intentions. At the end of the day you put yourself in the position to be hit by not paying attention - I don't swan around like an idiot when I put my headphones on. I pay attention!

LapdanceShoeshine · 16/04/2017 20:08

Ought not to be in extended lead, should be at heel!!

OP addressed this earlier. If at heel, dog would have been hit by car!

specialsubject · 16/04/2017 20:16

Driver - this is why reversing out is so dangerous. Pavements feature out of control small kids and deaf people. As well as uncontrolled dogs and people making themselves deaf by playing sound so loud as to block out ambient, or wandering along gazing gormlessly at their phones.

None of the above make it ok to run them over, although as a lot of people don't reverse in you may want to defend yourself by paying attention. Also a good idea when crossing roads, even on crossings. Plenty of drivers also on their phones.

pardrej · 16/04/2017 20:20

The driver is wrong but no amount of he was wrong I was right would bring your dog back which would be enough to change my behaviour Confused

HeadfirstForHalos · 17/04/2017 00:48

You're meant to reverse into your driveway where possible, it's not bollocks and I certainly haven't made it up. It's in the highway code. Most people are just too lazy to do It.

HeadfirstForHalos · 17/04/2017 00:51

How the fuck do you get off your drive then!

Drive out forwards?

HeadfirstForHalos · 17/04/2017 01:02

Before I get flamed for the lazy remark, I do understand some people are unable to, and that most people who reverse off do so carefully. Many people could reverse on if they wanted to though, which usually has better visibility than reversing off.

InfiniteSheldon · 17/04/2017 07:34

If you can reverse off you can reverse on I am struggling to see how it can be impossible to reverse onto any drive. Hard?, tricky? Requiring practise? Yes but how can it be impossible? Surely it's just lazy/selfish or a bit incompetent. My drive is really narrow, then widens; it's also on a round corner of a close with a lovely but selfish 4x4 parking driveless neighbour next door. It was hard learning to reverse round her and onto my drive but now having done it regularly I barely think about it. It's rule 201 in the Highway code and basic good manners to put pedestrians safety first.

ZigZagIntoTheBlue · 17/04/2017 07:38

Not rtft but while the driver should ultimately be the one to look and proceed carefully pedestrians need to also be careful. I was pushing my son in his pushchair yesterday, I could clearly tell the driver coming out of his driveway hadn't spotted me as he didn't even glance in my direction so I stopped and waited. He eventually glanced over that shoulder and visibly jumped at seeing me standing so close. Hopefully he's learned people come from both directions! Yabu to have earphones in both ears, it's unsafe.

insancerre · 17/04/2017 07:48

People who reverse out of drives are an accident waiting to happen
If you can reverse out then you can reverse in

SweetieBaby · 17/04/2017 07:52

Clearly it was the driver's fault. That being said, how would the apportioning of blame have helped you if you had been seriously injured?

Surely it would be better to keep your wits about you to help you avoid the numpties that are around?

Scholes34 · 17/04/2017 07:57

I drive into my drive and reverse out, but always walk round the back of the car to get in, so I can look up and down the street to see if there are any pedestrians. The drive was at fault for reversing out, and so quickly.

As for the headphones - there is an alternative. I wear bone-conducting headphones for cycling. They sit on the skull, rather than in or over the ears, so you're still aware of all the noise around you too - a bit like listening to the radio at home and still being able to hear the doorbell or the kids playing in the garden. Well worth the investment!

dilapidated · 17/04/2017 08:25

Unless you have a very large dog I find it hard to think that the at driver would have been able to see it in its mirrors if it was right behind the car or in any of the blind spots.

JacquesHammer · 17/04/2017 08:33

People who reverse out of drives are an accident waiting to happen
If you can reverse out then you can reverse in

Nope.

House opposite. Used to park half on pavement. I am offset from house next door. House next door parks sticking out from her drive over the small bit of scrub until her boot is pretty much level with pavement.

Lamppost next to my drive other side.

House opposite now no longer park half on pavement but fully on road. Narrow country road, with position of lamppost and car stuck out just no swing room.

It is quite simply impossible. Not that I can't do it. It's just not possible.

The only reason I can get out again in the morning is the fact opposite go out before me/old lady doesn't get her can out until about 8.45 when j am already gone.

Sometimes during the day if I am lucky I get to reverse in because opposite are out. Lucky me!

To be fair I am also lucky if opposite don't park across my drive so. There we go.

woodhill · 17/04/2017 08:42

I think as a driver you have to reverse very carefully. I have sensors on the back of my car which are a useful back up but I always reverse with caution.

As a pedestrian you have to be aware of cars and maybe have headphone volume on a bit lower.

JacquesHammer · 17/04/2017 08:44

I think as a driver you have to reverse very carefully. I have sensors on the back of my car which are a useful back up but I always reverse with caution

Yes exactly. I have a full reversing camera which is excellent. Plus as I said earlier I cut back the garden to ensure my visibility is as full as poss. The only saving grace with next door's crap parking is that anyone walking past (unlikely at school run time as a small cul-de-sac) won't do it on my side as there's no pavement and a car to walk around

bumblingbovine49 · 17/04/2017 09:16

This is why I always always reverse into my drive. It is more awkward when parking than driving straight in as it sometimes holds the traffic up a bit but I do it because I know getting out of my drive will be a safer manoeuvre. We live on a quiet road but children (running ahead of adults or just playing out or on scooters etc) and dogs& cats are V. V. difficult to see when reversing out. DH and I agreed we would always do this when we moved in and we always do now. It is a habit