Was in an accident today...

ShaneU

Lashing rain, the car ahead of me jams on his brakes, I jam on my brakes too but because of the rain I couldn't stop in time. He said the cars in front of him all jammed on their brakes too but he couldn't see the car in front who's fault it was.

Anyway, the driver I hit was a learner driver, driving on his own,and didn't even have his L plates put on the back of his car. My insurance company says this makes no difference and that I'm at at fault. Does no-one else think this is unfair? He shouldn't even be on the road. I didn't contact the guards until after the incident and they said there's nothing they can do in hindsight.

You didn't leave enough space between you and him to be able to stop, not his fault, not the rain's fault.
This will be an epic thread me thinks.

ShaneU

I was two car lengths away driving at 50kmh, thought that would be enough but I still skidded.

--amadeus--

He might be on L plates but he knows his stopping distances change In the rain

Ghost Train

well you went into back of them, so likely your fault, should have had more distance in front of you to stop in time, would be the argument

x in the city

well such is the f***ed up insurance system I am affraid it matters not a whip if the driver in front was naked and **** off with the seat fully reclined while listening to bros while parked up around a bend of a road...

the fact that you hit him means you are at fault..

Your fault sorry

CiniO

ShaneU wrote: »

Lashing rain, the car ahead of me jams on his brakes, I jam on my brakes too but because of the rain I couldn't stop in time. He said the cars in front of him all jammed on their brakes too but he couldn't see the car in front who's fault it was.

Anyway, the driver I hit was a learner driver, driving on his own,and didn't even have his L plates put on the back of his car. My insurance company says this makes no difference and that I'm at at fault. Does no-one else think this is unfair? He shouldn't even be on the road. I didn't contact the guards until after the incident and they said there's nothing they can do in hindsight.

What's the difference that "he shouldn't even be on the road".
If he wasn't there you would crash into someone else.
You just didn't keep enough distance.
Absolutely your fault.

Driver in front of you, even shouldn't be on the road, even was not licenced, etc, didn't crash into anyone. You did.

ShaneU

ShaneU wrote: »

I was two car lengths away driving at 50kmh, thought that would be enough but I still skidded.

Two car lenghts away at 50kph? Are you for real? How long are you driving?

x in the city

x in the city wrote: »

well such is the f***ed up insurance system I am affraid it matters not a whip if the driver in front was naked and **** off with the seat fully reclined while listening to bros while parked up around a bend of a road...

the fact that you hit him means you are at fault..

I don't see how it's f'd up in this case to be honest. Perhaps you should keep your fantasies to yourself and the Thai lady "friends" you have :pac: I'm only after my grub and don't like reading such stuff, didn't expect to see it in here.

RMD

By the sounds of it, even though he's a learner I'd put money on it he knows more about driving than you. 2 car lengths at 50kmh? You must be taking the piss.

CiniO

ShaneU wrote: »

I was two car lengths away driving at 50kmh, thought that would be enough but I still skidded.

50km/h is about 14metres per second.

Two car lenghts would be probably about 8 metres.

So you were keeping about 0.6 second distance.
ROTR advice to keep at least 2 seconds on dry surface, and 4 seconds on wet.

I think you should consider taking some time to read about basic rules of driving.

PS. Car skidded not because of the distance you kept, but because you slammed on the brakes too severe. Even emergency braking with no ABS you have to be gentle with pressing you brake pedal.

dr.fuzzenstein

x in the city wrote: »

well such is the f***ed up insurance system I am affraid it matters not a whip if the driver in front was naked and **** off with the seat fully reclined while listening to bros while parked up around a bend of a road...

Well, that seems to have changed recently, a woman who was found to have deliberately jammed on her brakes so a bus would hit her was found to be at fault and received zilch payout.
http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/learner-driver-loses-damages-claim-against-dublin-bus-493613.html#ixzz1E8fhNCef
So, very fairly and about damn time, it would seem that now if you jam on for no reason other than to have the person behind you crash into you, you are at least partially to blame.
Will be a hard case to argue though, you will need witnesses and I doubt the insurance company will have the appetite for a long, drawn out legal battle.
And in your case I think you might have been a tad too close.
Now wait for these to turn up:
http://mickeymalta.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/high_horse.jpg

vectra

he possibly had good tyres.. Were your tyres in good condition?? Are they a premium brand ??

@ the end of the day
YOU HIT HIM...!!!

poppers

ShaneU wrote: »

I was two car lengths away driving at 50kmh, thought that would be enough but I still skidded.

you need to read up on this.

http://www.rotr.ie/rules-for-driving/speed-limits/speed-limits_stopping-distances-cars.html


even if the car in front had a driving instructor in the passanger seat i think you would have still smashed in to him. hope the damage wasn 't to bad

BostonB

ShaneU wrote: »

I was two car lengths away driving at 50kmh, thought that would be enough but I still skidded.

Lesson learned in fairness.

ShaneU

CiniO wrote: »

50km/h is about 14metres per second.

Two car lenghts would be probably about 8 metres.

So you were keeping about 0.6 second distance.
ROTR advice to keep at least 2 seconds on dry surface, and 4 seconds on wet.

I think you should consider taking some time to read about basic rules of driving.

PS. Car skidded not because of the distance you kept, but because you slammed on the brakes too severe. Even emergency braking with no ABS you have to be gentle with pressing you brake pedal.

By the time I noticed he jammed on his brakes I was only two car lengths away (which is around 9 meters for my car) didn't have time to react. Thing is I drive on the road every day and no-one ever stops there, caught off-guard unfortunately. I wasn't driving behind him at two car lengths the entire time.

BostonB

x in the city wrote: »

well such is the f***ed up insurance system I am affraid it matters not a whip if the driver in front was naked and **** off with the seat fully reclined while listening to bros while parked up around a bend of a road...

the fact that you hit him means you are at fault..

The fact was he was too close on a wet road.

Your talking about something entirely different.

In fairness if you were 2 lengths from him at 50kph you wouldn't have reacted quickly enough in time to slam on and skid me thinks.

ShaneU

ShaneU wrote: »

By the time I noticed he jammed on his brakes I was only two car lengths away, didn't have time to react. Thing is I drive on the road every day and no-one ever stops there, caught off-guard unfortunately. I wasn't driving behind him at two car lengths the entire time.

Eh how long does it take you to notice?
You should honestly always be aware of conditions in front and adapt as necessary

edit: i'm not here to beat you about it, these things happen, just learn from it and dont try to blame it on him

BostonB

ShaneU wrote: »

By the time I noticed he jammed on his brakes I was only two car lengths away, didn't have time to react. Thing is I drive on the road every day and no-one ever stops there, caught off-guard unfortunately. I wasn't driving behind him at two car lengths the entire time.

We all make mistakes. The important thing is accept responsibility, learn from then, and move on.

staker

You'll get no sympathy here OP.

Happened to me once where I didn't keep my distance in the wet and the car ahead of me braked,I braked and instinctively swerved for the ditch,only it wasn't a ditch but a 4' block wall which I ploughed through,rearranging some poor lady's flowerbeds in the process:o

An expensive habit not knowing your breaking capabilities in various weather conditions.
Hard luck and all that,just maybe remember you're here to post about it.Hope you don't get stung too bad.

Veloce

BostonB wrote: »

We all make mistakes.The important thing is accept responsibility, learn from then, and move on.

Exactly.

Give the OP a break lads

x in the city

RoverJames wrote: »

I don't see how it's f'd up in this case to be honest. Perhaps you should keep your fantasies to yourself and the Thai lady "friends" you have :pac: I'm only after my grub and don't like reading such stuff, didn't expect to see it in here.

my ladies have nothing to do with you, so behave.

anyway, I meant that no matter what the circumstances are, if you hit anyone from behind, you are at fault.

this is not always fair, eg: my fantasy example , could also be as simple as a stupid blint parked on a dual carriage way talking on the phone, or someone counting toll money around a bend while stopped fully... you get the gist

in the OPs case it is pretty clear he is at fault tho, so .. chalk it down

Random

what you've told us here is that the car in front stopped and you failed to stop in time and hit the back of him. you've given nothing to suggest he can be held at fault.

the fact that he's a learner, uninsured, whatever - that's not relevant here. that's for the gardai to worry about separately.

dr.fuzzenstein

x in the city wrote: »

anyway, I meant that no matter what the circumstances are, if you hit anyone from behind, you are at fault.

You might have overlooked the link in my post so here it is again:

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/learner-driver-loses-damages-claim-against-dublin-bus-493613.html#ixzz1E8fhNCef

Your assertion might not be entirely accurate.:cool:

hucklebuck

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

Well, that seems to have changed recently, a woman who was found to have deliberately jammed on her brakes so a bus would hit her was found to be at fault and received zilch payout.
http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/learner-driver-loses-damages-claim-against-dublin-bus-493613.html#ixzz1E8fhNCef
So, very fairly and about damn time, it would seem that now if you jam on for no reason other than to have the person behind you crash into you, you are at least partially to blame.
Will be a hard case to argue though, you will need witnesses and I doubt the insurance company will have the appetite for a long, drawn out legal battle.
And in your case I think you might have been a tad too close.
Now wait for these to turn up:
http://mickeymalta.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/high_horse.jpg

There is a big difference between failing to obey the rules of the road and insurance fraud with an independent witness. That is like the scumbag that tried to claim for a slip in Supermacs toilets and was caught on camera throwing the water on the floor. They should be jailed.:cool:

peasant

ShaneU wrote: »

I was two car lengths away driving at 50kmh, thought that would be enough but I still skidded.

You just learned the (expensive) lesson that under certain conditions two car lengths at 50 km/h is not enough

If it' s any consolation ..I learned it the same way many moons ago

Catch yourself on

Just put it down to experience.
Sore one i know but at least nobody was hurt.
Except maybe your pocket.

Dilbert75

Only a fool breaks the two-second rule... (or the four-second rule in wet conditions)....

-Chris-

I think he gets it...