Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Who was in the wrong? (car accident related)

289 replies

QuestionableMouse · 19/01/2020 16:14

Out with my friend in her car today. She's a fairly new driver and has black box insurance.

We came to a blind bend with a car parked in our lane on double yellow lines. Friend moved over and drove around the car at probably 10 mph.

A car coming the other way clipped her car and has done quite a bit of damage to the front end. The car was doing 20mph roughly which is the speed limit.

My friend clipped the parked car and took the wing mirror off, doing some damage to the bumper too.

Both drivers are blaming my friend (she's the youngest/least experienced driver.)

I say the parked car driver is at fault because they were parked on double yellow lines and if they hadn't been there the accident would never have happened.

All been referred to the insurances of course, including pics of the parked car.

I'm feeling very stiff and achy and will probably miss work tomorrow (it's aggravated my already bad back) and poor friend is really upset and shaken.

OP posts:
dimdarkashian · 21/01/2020 11:06

@yellowallpaper ahaha ha ha ha ha ahem

I am a driver. I don’t think the onus is on the other driver but if you are driving too fast to stop for an obstruction on a blind bend then surely you are at fault too.

So many sanctimonious people on MN this morning

ruby2020 · 21/01/2020 11:24

20mph, won't somebody think of the children?!

spongejack · 21/01/2020 12:34

@dimdarkashian they were both moving vehicles, so could it have been the other person crashing into the friend? At the very least they crashed into each other, one driving on the right side of the road the other on the wrong side of the road, of course the person on the wrong side of the road is at fault. After all it's the WRONG side of the road, the clue is in the name! 🙄

spongejack · 21/01/2020 12:35

And @dimdarkashian the other driver was driving within the speed limit, ok to fast to expect someone to be on their side of the road travelling towards them but how do you anticipate that? You'd have to drive at five miles an hour everywhere, just in case.

dimdarkashian · 21/01/2020 12:56

@spongejack Yes, but I find it hard to believe that one driver was going 10mph and the other 20mph and they couldn't stop in time to avoid a collision.

I already said up thread that it would have made sense for the passenger to get out and check if it was safe. This is what a PP's driving instructor had advised.

If it had been me on my own I might have beeped until the person parked like an idiot moved his car!

I feel sorry for the new driver as I think all of them had a part to play in the accident. I just don't view everything in black and white.

spongejack · 21/01/2020 13:03

@dimdarkashian yeah well you might not see things in black and white but insurance companies do, they don't use mitigating circumstances like a new driver, it's irrelevant absolutely and totally irrelevant!

The other car was not travelling too fast, it was within speed limits, it didn't need to think but "a new driver may come the other way". If you're going to "not believe" the information given then the whole post is pointless.

familydramalama · 21/01/2020 13:05

You can park on double yellows if you have a disabled badge so I don't see that argument working

dimdarkashian · 21/01/2020 13:15

@spongejack okay, bloody hell calm down love. As is what everyone on this thread has said as they are not the insurer who will make the decision.

Obviously what I was saying wasn’t from a legal standpoint.

The fact the new driver was overtaking means they were legally at fault and this is how the insurer will view it.

But it doesn’t mean that the parked car wasn’t to blame too even if they’ll get away with it.

meorthem · 21/01/2020 13:17

Sounds like your friend she was on the wrong side of the road and sounds like she didn't know the width of her car
Poor thing must be upset and shocked

I am shocked there was a car parked on a blind bend how annoying

dimdarkashian · 21/01/2020 13:17

@spongejack and you can also be to blame for an accident on a blind bend when traveling within the speed limit - for example 60mph country roads

Thefaceofboe · 21/01/2020 13:24

People saying her friend should of waited, if the car was parked illegally on a blind bend how can she see round the corner?

LochJessMonster · 21/01/2020 13:30

Imagine driving your car, under the speed limit, hit a car coming towards you on the wrong side of the road and getting blamed for it Hmm

Yes it annoying as your friend didn't really have any other option but to pass the stationary car, and its unlucky damage was caused, but that's life. She is liable.

Same as if someone ahead of you at a roundabout goes to pull off and then suddenly stops and you go into the back of them. Unfortunate. But still your fault.

spongejack · 21/01/2020 14:00

Why tell
People to calm down @dimdarkashian because from where I'm sitting you're the one arguing with a number of people love!

Do yourself a favour, take some refresher lessons or get a copy of the Highway Code?

And in case you aren't aware the question was who was in the wrong, no emotions needed with learner driver, cars parked boo hoo it was the OPs friend.

Are you one of these people who doesn't take responsibility and say things like " i was wrong, but they made me do it"

dimdarkashian · 21/01/2020 14:02

@spongejack hahahahah

spongejack · 21/01/2020 14:04

@dimdarkashian what you haha haha I gotta at love?

spongejack · 21/01/2020 14:04

Not sure how I gotta was from should be at!

Original poster
QuestionableMouse · 21/01/2020 14:14

@familydramalama

Not if you're going to cause an obstruction or danger.

OP posts:
Biancadelrioisback · 21/01/2020 14:26

My driving instructor always taught me to beep my horn if I was going round a blind bend and had to encroach on the other side of the road as a warning to any other cars who may be on the other side. Is that not right?

familydramalama · 21/01/2020 14:50

@QuestionableMouse you can park exactly where the OP has described legally.

Whattodo1610 · 21/01/2020 15:09

family .... completely wrong!! You can’t park on double yellow lines full stop! Disabled badge holders can do so, BUT NOT ON A BLIND BEND!! And no one has even said the parked car was a disabled badge holder ... from the description of the road, either broken down or being a complete idiot to answer phone or similar.

OP your friend is in the wrong. She should have sounded her horn at the very least.

For those saying a passenger should get out and check the road ahead. REALLY?! Have you all gone mad?? Coz that’s not dangerous in the slightest is it? No way the walking passenger and a blind bend could get hit by a car?!

I think both cars should have been going a slower given the description of the road and blind bend.

Original poster
QuestionableMouse · 21/01/2020 15:14

@familydramalama

I am the OP and no you can't as you're causing an obstruction. Been driving my mam with her blue badge for years now so keep up with the rules. Hmm

OP posts:
IndecentFeminist · 21/01/2020 16:04

Causing an obstruction on a blind bend sounds pretty dangerous to me.

Who was in the wrong? (car accident related)
IndecentFeminist · 21/01/2020 16:04

The only person not in the wrong was the car coming the other way really.

yellowallpaper · 21/01/2020 18:08

@Biancadelrioisback We've already said sound your horn, and this is completely right as a warning.

yellowallpaper · 21/01/2020 18:10

@IndecentFeminist No one has said you can park on double yellow lines with a blue badge and cause an obstruction. Just that it's legal to park there if it is safe.