Did I do anything wrong here? Driving

[Azzywhatty]

I drove home from rural Northumberland today. On a single track road my sat nav fell out of its holder onto the passenger side floor. There was a lorry behind me. I continued along the single track road until it widened into two lanes, then indicated left, slowed down and stopped so I could pick it back up.

The lorry behind me beeped as I stopped. Did I do anything wrong here? I indicated and slowed and waited until the road went back to two lanes and it was safe to stop. I can’t work out why he was beeping.

There was no other traffic in either direction.

YANBU - you did nothing wrong
YABU - you did something wrong (what and why??)

yes he may have passed you, but did he have to go into the other lane to do so?? Also an indicator does not indicate you are stopping as you mentioned up thread, it indicates you are turning that direction. you should have used hazards at the very least.

Can you link to the part of the Highway Code that says this?

I agree with the PP - I suspect most of your respondents do not regularly drive on rural roads.

You waited until there was space for the lorry to pass safely, then signalled then pulled in. You might just as well have been stopping to check a tyre or something which had blocked your windscreen, a child had slipped their seat harness or any one of a number of reasons.

You simply can't find a "handy layby" on most rural roads, so normal practice when you need to pull over is to wait until it widens to two lane (or handy gate entrance), signal and pull in - exactly as you did. If the driver cruised past without stopping the driver was being an arse.

Edited to add - hoping for responders to read the OP's posts in AIBU is mostly futile. Sound to noise ratio is the lowest on the site.

I’m still curious what the hurry was to retrieve the fallen satnav was… I can’t get mine to shut up so unless the OP’s was silent I wouldn’t see the need to pull over at all.

I don’t know why people don’t just plug their phones in and use maps, uses the speakers that way (I don’t have a built in satnav or a screen in my car, just use the USB thing)

I think it’s vital information to know the speed limit of the road you were on?

I think it’s vital information to know the speed limit of the road you were on?

You might just as well have been stopping to check a tyre or something which had blocked your windscreen, a child had slipped their seat harness or any one of a number of reasons
What do you think hazard warning lights are for but to use in these circumstances!

Highway Code Chatbot: my bolding
You should avoid stopping or parking on a single carriageway unless it is necessary and safe to do so. According to the UK Highway Code, you must not stop or park in certain areas, such as near a school entrance, on the approach to a level crossing, or where you would cause an obstruction. Always ensure that you are not causing a hazard or obstruction to other road users. If you need to stop, try to find a safe and legal place to do so.

@Azzywhatty whether in your mind you left room or not for passing traffic, stopping in a lane like this (even tucked into the side) where no lay-by to do so safely is illegal and if police had caught you you would have been reprimanded. People have cited hard shoulder but this is also not permitted. The only exception is an emergency and what you have described is not an emergency.

I am unsure why you’ve made this post when you clearly can’t handle posters telling you that what you’ve done is wrong.

So either he didn't notice you were going to stop, or you didn't make your intentions clear with enough notice.

It was absolutely fine to stop and pull over as long as you gave enough notice. I'd probably have put my hazards on to give him extra warning. He was probably on his bloody phone.

Just because some twat beeps you it doesn't mean you have actually done anything wrong.

What do you think the left signal means on rural roads? That she was going to turn left into a hedge and count the birds?

I've never seen someone on a rural road use hazard lights when simply stopping to check something. Even the postman just signals left and pulls in to the side of the road.

It’s not fine to stop in a lane, think you need a refresh of the highway code

Well if the postman does it, that makes it right then.

And youve never seen anyone driving down the road who has forgotten to cancel their indicator? Just because someone is indicating does not mean they have that intention.

OP is in the wrong here

Jesus, this thread is excruciating.

OP did nothing wrong. You are allowed to stop as long as safe to do so. It wasn’t an A road, clear way or red route, or dual carriageway.

Although we’ve not discussed whether it was a motorway. OP, this is madness! Why did you stop in the middle of a motorway, get out the car and run around with nothing on?

The lorry driver was probably letting you know he was there or maybe he felt you’d stopped suddenly.

Either way I wouldn’t overthink it. He passed
you ok, no one died.

I don't think you did anything wrong OP. I live on such a lane. Not sure how the majority of posters think people in the country get deliveries, or visitors. The high way code almost always has the clause 'when it is safe to do so'. The beep may have been to let you know he was passing.

So - did you start this post to genuinely question whether you'd made an ok move, or to complain about the trucker's shit driving?

A lot of posters on this thread haven’t got a clue what they are talking about, despite a lot of huffing a posturing. Hopefully this clears things up for you all, especially the poster that shot down the pp who said it was dependant on the presence of solid white lines in the middle of the road.

I think you need a reality check, and a re read of the Highway Code, and to stop tailgating the car in front while on your phone.

Right okay, great idea 😂.

So the first photo is the single lane (shared by both directions of traffic.)

I did not stop here.

The single lane then widened into the second photo.

At this point I indicated left, pulled to the side as far as safety allowed, and stopped.

Here’s what I didn’t do - I did not just turn the engine off in the middle of the lane. I did not stop suddenly on an A road or dual carriageway. I did not force the lorry into mountains of oncoming traffic. They are very straight roads with very good visibility.

Sorry screen shot here

I’ll take that as your way of saying you’ll have another read over the rules :) some of us do actually know how to drive safely

According to the highway code, using a horn is basically to let others know YOU are there, so maybe the driver thought you were not aware of them.

On the other hand, you stopped on the carriageway which was bloody stupid if there was something large behind you (and maybe stuff behind them that you couldnt see). Yes he could get past, but you were nonetheless making him slow down & impeding their free passage along the road which is bad driving on your part.

You have said it was a long straight road, so you probably didn't need your sat nav at that exact time; it was in the passenger footwell so not interfering with your control of the car, so you should have waited for somewhere you could pull right off the carriageway.

So you stopped in a lane of traffic…

you were wrong.