2007-10-02 06:26:39 · 39 answers · asked by pebbles 2 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Safety
yours and the rats
2007-10-02 06:30:26 · answer #1 · answered by PAZ.....GTFC 2 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Mostly yours. But you could argue in court that, because he didn't need to stop (it wasn't an emergency), he shouldn't have, therefore he's partly to blame.
The reasoning goes like this -
There's someone behind you who's too close.
You KNOW if you stop suddenly, they'll hit you.
So if you don't need to, why do it?
I've seen this argument used in court successfully more than once - it's always resulted in the award being reduced.
I remember being a witness to an accident, when a woman had stopped suddenly in the right-hand lane of a 70mph dual-carriageway, to let someone out of a side turning (the other lane was blocked by a breakdown). Two cars went into the back of her. Yes, they WERE too close, yes, they SHOULD have left room to stop - but the court said that because they WERE too close, she SHOULDN'T have stopped - it wasn't as if a tree had fallen in front of her or anything. On that occasion, she got 100% of the blame.
I think it was a good decision, for what it's worth.
2007-10-03 02:00:25 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yours for following too closely. You might remember the rule "Only a fool breaks the two second rule". A two second gap between you and the vehicle in front is a good guide line, but check the highway code: page 28 for the typical stopping distances. In wet weather you can at least double those and in snow multiply by ten.
P.S. Watch out for flying rats!
2007-10-02 10:06:25 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Given that most BMW drivers go dangerously over the speed limit anyway, anyone who crashes into the back of them must have been driving like a lunatic
PS what is the likelihood of seeing a rat flying across the road anyway?
2007-10-02 07:46:28 · answer #4 · answered by The Mad cyclist 4 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Your fault: Following too close. You always drive assuming the car ahead of you is going to have to make an emergency stop or have to take some kind of evasive action.
stopping distance is going to depend on your car or truck verses the car ahead of you and how fast it can stop compared to how fast you stop, then leave enough room so you can stop.
This might help you a little:
Cars such as BMW's and Nissan 280's & 300's have four wheel disc brakes. They can stop a lot faster than most other cars equipmented with just front wheel disc brakes. You have to allow for that when following them.
I've had to hit the gas and jumpt a red light more than once to keep from getting reared in my 280 because the idiot following me couldn't stop as fast as I could. More than once it has been cops following too close in their tug boat cruisers.
Just wanted to get that off my chest because almost got rear ended the other night by a cop because he was following too close. He wasn't allowing for the difference in stopping distance between my 280 and his cruiser. Know what the a-hole was thinking. Sneak in behind me a catch me speeding because I was driving a Turbo charged sports car.
2007-10-02 06:49:24 · answer #5 · answered by JUAN FRAN$$$ 7 · 2⤊ 2⤋
In general, it would be yours, for the often stated reason that you would have been following too closely to react to his stop. You don't know, before the act, a reason a driver in front may be jamming on his brakes.
Could be a pigeon, could be a child.
2007-10-05 19:10:35 · answer #6 · answered by Vince M 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Totally yours...and the insurers & police would say so too.
Always assume that the person in front might stop suddenly, that the muppet at the junction will pull out, that kids will run in front of you for a laugh, that stray dog is toatlly deaf & blind in one eye....
ps. 'flying rats' are incredibly common in the UK, known to snack on anything except McD's pickles. AKA feral pigeons...
2007-10-02 08:48:40 · answer #7 · answered by creviazuk 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Best way round this is to ensure you hit the BMW as squarely as poss able in order to break both brake light bulbs(maybe breaking them when no-one is looking)...thereby making the insurance assessor believe your statement that you couldn't poss ably stop in time as you had no idea the vehicle ahead of you was stopping as it wasn't displaying any method of indicating such action.
Ex's sister did this and got a pay-out and kept her no-claims bonus as it wasn't her fault!
2007-10-02 10:29:42 · answer #8 · answered by AdelleStevens 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It could be argued that you didn't allow enough stopping distance between you and the car infront, for the speed at which you were travelling. They are given in the highway code, precisely to avoid hitting the car infront if they need to break suddenly for whatever reason.
2007-10-02 06:34:36 · answer #9 · answered by enlightened goddess 4 · 5⤊ 0⤋
U pay for everything including the Rat's funeral.lol
2007-10-02 06:42:37 · answer #10 · answered by mailliam 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Your fault 100%. Following too closely. You must be in control of your vehicle at all times.
2007-10-02 06:32:56 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 0⤋