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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think 20mph isn't a magical cure all?

118 replies

QuestionableMouse · 11/03/2019 11:36

This might be a bit ranty, sorry.

On my way to work this morning I hit and killed someone's pet duck. It was in the middle of the road in a blind bend. I came around the bend and it was under the car before I could do anything about it. It's a nasty bend in that it's blind, with high hedges. It's also very rural, with not a lot of traffic.

I was doing 30mph on a road with a 60mph limit. The owner is now terribly upset with me and is saying that if I'd been doing 20mph I could have missed it and has decided to start a petition to lower the limit to 20mph. I'm also getting a lot of hate from her family over this.

I feel that even if I had been doing 20mph, I still wouldn't have been able to avoid it (the breaking distance, for example, is shorter than the bend, if that makes any sense!) I do feel really terrible about it but it was an accident.

WIBU?

OP posts:
TSSDNCOP · 11/03/2019 19:18

Can’t speak for the speed Op was doing, but if the pet duck agree with those saying a duck isn’t a pet was locked up in it’s pet duck house THAT would’ve been the magical cure.

Tunnockswafer · 11/03/2019 19:26

I thought the safest speed was (generally) that of the traffic around you. If you slowed to 5mph for a corner and car coming behind you, who had not been on mumsnet earlier, would go through the back of you, you May as well park and see what happens.
Clearly the OP went wrong by being too thoughtful and sending a message about the duck. She was under no legal obligation to do so and her honesty has backfired here.

Goldmandra · 11/03/2019 19:32

I thought the safest speed was (generally) that of the traffic around you. If you slowed to 5mph for a corner and car coming behind you, who had not been on mumsnet earlier, would go through the back of you

The safest speed is one that means you can stop in the distance you can see.

If you have to slow down in order to achieve that on a blind bend, you are in no way responsible for someone behind you, who can't stop in the distance they can see, driving into you. You don't protect yourself by driving too fast.

I'm amazed that so many people are unaware of something so basic. It really isn't something anyone should have to find out on Mumsnet.

SurfnTerfFantasticmissfoxy · 11/03/2019 20:13

I get that they're upset but they are 100% at fault for allowing a pet of whatever species to be wandering around the road. Let them have their petition, it'll occupy their mind and achieve fuck all.

Tunnockswafer · 11/03/2019 20:21

I am considerably more concerned about the impact of a car travelling into the rear of me somewhere between 30-60 mph, than I am about the need to drive over an (albeit much loved) animal. You don’t have to stop because there’s a duck in the road, and even though it goes against your instincts it’s very dangerous to swerve to avoid a small animal and can end up with human, rather than animal, casualties.

Keepithidden · 11/03/2019 21:36

Being rear ended would be the other drivers fault, they wouldn't be competent to hold a licence if this occurred.

Swerving suggests travelling at excessive speed to be able to stop. I. E. Contrary to the highway code.

Until people stop minimising this behavior the overall level of skill in the roads will continue to diminish and RTIs will increase. It's also important to note that accidents in themselves are very rare things, hence them being referred to as incidents these days. There is very rarely cases where someone was not at fault.

Ginnymweasley · 11/03/2019 22:01

If the OP had driven round the bend slower the likelihood is the duck still would have died, whether straight away or later from injuries. I thought you were not meant to swerve to avoid hitting small animals? I'm sure the owner is very upset about the loss of her duck but the idea that a road should be 20mph speed limit because of the risk to birds is ridiculous. I'm presuming that there a few houses along this country road hence the 60mph spewed limit.

AJPTaylor · 11/03/2019 22:05

Huh?
What a duck, small flying bird? It was in the road? And he is going to start a campaign to lower the speed limit to avoid more ducks losing their lives?
If he makes it to the local paper please post a link.

Original poster
QuestionableMouse · 11/03/2019 22:10

Driving around the bend at 5mph isn't safe or practical. I'd probably end up with someone running up my arse. I've been driving this road for 12+ years and never had a problem until now. (Also only had one accident in my driving career and that was when someone hit me while I was stopped!)

OP posts:
Tunnockswafer · 12/03/2019 08:26

To keep saying that being rear ended would be the other drivers fault spectacularly ignores the point that the car that isn’t at fault is still hit! Last time that happened to me my car was written off. Last time it happened to dh, ditto. Our cars had both been stationary when hit. There would never be a non-drivers-fault road accident if you could always stop - child ran out in front of you? You were going to fast. Tree in the road? Same. I don’t speed and agree everyone could slow down a bit, but the idea that people regularly slow to 5mph on country bends does not tally with my experience of life at all.

chuttypicks · 12/03/2019 08:30

Tell duck lady and her family to piss off. Idiots. She should have taken better care to make her garden escape-proof. Entirely the owners fault and not yours.

jasjas1973 · 12/03/2019 08:38

Never ever heard of car going into the back of a driver going around a bend slowly BUT numerous head on collisions on the lanes in SE Cornwall, inc one recent death of a M/C

15 to 20 mph ish is a sensible speed for a blind narrow bend, were visibility is just a few yards & would still be faster than many of the farm vehicles would travel at also, if its ok to crash into a car at 5mph, presumably ok to run down walkers or horses too?

Lweji · 12/03/2019 08:44

It seems to me that the problem is less the speed limit but more the bend being blind.
Perhaps the owner could remove the edge or wall? Wink Or campaign to install mirrors?
Or keep his ducks in a row.

thecatsthecats · 12/03/2019 08:51

I thought the safest speed was (generally) that of the traffic around you. If you slowed to 5mph for a corner and car coming behind you, who had not been on mumsnet earlier, would go through the back of you, you May as well park and see what happens.

The funny thing is, driving safety applies to everyone. No one is suggesting that the brakes are slammed on at the bend - you gradually brake beforehand, so the car behind can maintain its stopping distance.

When driving on narrow, windy country roads with high hedges, I do anywhere between 20-25, usually in lower gears where I find the car more responsive. Slow enough to slam to a halt if needed, whilst making progress.

Lweji · 12/03/2019 08:51

More seriously,
No children on bikes or otherwise because it was very early (like 5am) and it basically only leads to the motorway so they don't use it.

You can't count on the road being free.
You really should approach blind bends carefully and at a speed that allows you to stop in any distance or at least in the distance that you can see ahead.
Any car from behind should do the same.

Speed limits help people remember to check their speed because many drivers become too confident or don't know the roads well and go too fast for the bends.
The problem is that in country lanes it may be difficult to put speed limits everywhere, so drivers shouldn't assume that it's safe to drive up to the speed limit everywhere but drive according to the road and road conditions regardless.

Lweji · 12/03/2019 08:54

OP, imagine that instead of a duck it had been a fallen tree or a broken down car, with the owner taking the triangle put of the booth...

Original poster
QuestionableMouse · 12/03/2019 15:13

Guys can you please stop telling me I'm not driving safely round this bend? I've driven it literally hundreds of times and never had a problem.

I got another horrible message today... I'm starting to wish I'd never said anything to her. I mean, I manage to keep my escape artist dog in so I'm sure she can manage a few ducks!

Looks like it's going to cost £100 ISH to fix the damage to the car. ☹️

OP posts:
chuttypicks · 12/03/2019 15:22

You've done nothing wrong @QuestionableMouse . Ignore the naysayers. Accidents happen.

Ali1cedowntherabbithole · 12/03/2019 15:28

It’s the owners fault. Tufty says don’t be a silly duck.

Are the family practising their sad faces? This has angry people in local newspapers written all over it.

Goldmandra · 12/03/2019 15:31

Guys can you please stop telling me I'm not driving safely round this bend? I've driven it literally hundreds of times and never had a problem.

If you're driving too fast to stop in the distance you can see, you aren't driving safely. It's a fact, not an insult and the only reason you haven't hit anything before is probably that there hasn't been anything in the road around that bend before. That isn't an indicator that your speed has been appropriate.

It is stupid and dangerous to drive too fast around a blind bend just in case someone behind you who is also driving too fast drives into the back of you.

I had to stop suddenly recently to avoid a loose horse in the road. The driver behind me was travelling too fast and hit the back of my car, writing it off. It was 100% her fault and I'd take that over hitting the horse any day.

The advice about not swerving to avoid small animals is aimed at situations where they run into the road suddenly and you don't have time to stop. If they're already sitting in the road and you can see them, you should have time to stop whatever the size of the animal. Whether or not you choose to stop for a rabbit or similar is another matter.

Lweji · 12/03/2019 15:36

Guys can you please stop telling me I'm not driving safely round this bend? I've driven it literally hundreds of times and never had a problem.

That's a clear lie.

Today you encountered a problem and you weren't able to stop in time because your speed was higher than it should for how far ahead you could see.
Next time it could be a cyclist who stopped or fell.
Or it could be something that could damage your car.

You were lucky you didn't hit anyone or something that would involve the police.

Lweji · 12/03/2019 15:37

Looks like it's going to cost £100 ISH to fix the damage to the car.

Missed this one after reading the first sentence.
Well. I hope you've learnt your lesson and drive more safely in future. For your sake and other road users (who might not be ducks next time).

Lweji · 12/03/2019 15:39

Accidents happen.

Mostly to those who don't drive with enough care, funnily enough.

thecatsthecats · 12/03/2019 15:43

Well. I hope you've learnt your lesson and drive more safely in future. For your sake and other road users (who might not be ducks next time).

This. You can't whine that we're telling you to drive more safely and bemoan the consequences of not driving more safely in the same post.

Regardless of the status of the duck, and the fact that you shouldn't swerve for small animals, damage was caused to your car by your inability to stop in time.

No one said you had to do the bend at 5mph - that was your own straw man. Tell me what you think will happen if you take that bend at 25mph? Or 20?

Dontcarewhatimdoing · 12/03/2019 15:55

I think duck lady is batshit, and it was just an accident. I think if I saw a bird in the road I'd assume it would fly off and probably not slam the brakes on. That said, as a PP pointed out you should be able to stop in the distance you can see. If there was a tree down, or a broken down vehicle round that bend you would need to be able to stop in time.

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