Giving way to on coming traffic

macafee2 · 28th August 2020, 12:00

I am examining my driving to see if I was wrong. Watching the dash cam forage is not how I recall the whole situation

I was on the wrong side of the road. Road curved wide left. I was passing the 2nd ( I thought at least 4th) parked car when I saw an on coming car. Give me 1 or 2 car lengths to react and stop or see what the on coming car is going to do as they may stop. I'm now at the 4th or 5th car. I am expecting the on coming car to stop and let me pass. I expect this because there is no where for me to pull in, I was already passing parked cars before we saw each other, I assume I was passing cars when they saw me and because I would have stopped.
There are 11 parked cars.

I look at it this way, if a car is passing and I stress passing an obstacle and I am yet to get to the obstacle I will slow/stop for them.

The other car does indeed stop, with his front bumper about level with the rear wheels of the last parked car and I am at the 7th car. I cannot pass and so stop a little bewildered, why block the road? There was no intent on my part to bully the other driver.

It was a learner. They back up enough for me to pass but little if any more and we both put down our drivers window, I speak to the instructor. His view is that as I have the obstacle I should have given way, I point out I was passing the obstacle and how far I have driven to reach them and to teach their learner to block the road is stupidity. I also don't think that because you are on the right side of the road and the oncoming car is on the wrong side, that it is always appropriate for the car on the wrong side to back up.

I honestly thought I had passed more parked cars then I had, this could be because there were parked cars before I got to the entrance. I don't think they could tell how many cars I had passed, I could not when I went back the way I had come. I treated the on coming car as I would have treated the car on the wrong side of the road if I had been on the right side

I guess there are a few things to consider:-

Who has right of way, I assume the on coming car.
Who can stop and allow traffic flow the easiest, they can
Which driver would be most at risk, me by having to reverse and reverse into an entrance. They could have stopped short and not needed to / chosen to reverse

what are your thoughts?

macafee2

AndyN01 · 28th August 2020, 12:54

Without getting into the legalities I think this is one of these times when simple common sense applies.

You were already passing a line of parked cars and if, when you moved onto the wrong side of the road, there was nothing in sight coming the other way then for me it's obvious that if something does come the other way then it stops to allow you to get back onto your side of the road and you both continue on your way.

The vehicle coming the other way should be able to stop in the distance they can see to be clear - and if you're "blocking" the road then it isn't clear.

It's also a valuable lesson for the Learner - Think what might realistically happen when you can see a line of parked cars...... Oh, there might be something overtaking them on my side of the road. Maybe I should slow down.......

It just a few seconds of common sense and courtesy.

I'm sure there will be lots of discussion. Which will help all of us think about what we do while out and about on about our journeys.

Andy.

macafee2 · 28th August 2020, 13:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndyN01

Without getting into the legalities I think this is one of these times when simple common sense applies.

You were already passing a line of parked cars and if, when you moved onto the wrong side of the road, there was nothing in sight coming the other way then for me it's obvious that if something does come the other way then it stops to allow you to get back onto your side of the road and you both continue on your way.

The vehicle coming the other way should be able to stop in the distance they can see to be clear - and if you're "blocking" the road then it isn't clear.

It's also a valuable lesson for the Learner - Think what might realistically happen when you can see a line of parked cars...... Oh, there might be something overtaking them on my side of the road. Maybe I should slow down.......

It just a few seconds of common sense and courtesy.

I'm sure there will be lots of discussion. Which will help all of us think about what we do while out and about on about our journeys.

Andy.

Thank you Andy.

macafee2

steve-45 · 28th August 2020, 15:15

I think if the learner had done that during their test it would have probably been a FAIL !

wraymond · 28th August 2020, 15:51

Given the other driver was a learner, it seems he may have made a mistake as everyone does but he had the nous to be able to stop without drama. A useful lesson and therefore of value, at least to him, especially with an instructor on board. Were there any driving school plates on the car?

As the learner was driving, the instructor was obviously in the passenger seat so you would have had to talk across the learner. I don’t think I would have scolded him for teaching the pupil to block the road though. Nor that he was stupid! However, nobody injured thankfully.

macafee2 · 28th August 2020, 16:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by wraymond

Given the other driver was a learner, it seems he may have made a mistake as everyone does but he had the nous to be able to stop without drama. A useful lesson and therefore of value, at least to him, especially with an instructor on board. Were there any driving school plates on the car?

As the learner was driving, the instructor was obviously in the passenger seat so you would have had to talk across the learner. I don’t think I would have scolded him for teaching the pupil to block the road though. Nor that he was stupid! However, nobody injured thankfully.

I hold the instructor responsible and I did not mean the pupil was stupid. I have no axe to grind with the pupil.
There may have been a schools board on the car, I did not take any notice of it.
I am not sure if it was a useful lesson as the instructor thought I was wrong and so I'm not sure the learner would pick up on what Andy01 said about approaching a line of parked cars, they may have done, lets hope so.

macafee2

edwardmk · 31st August 2020, 19:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve-45

I think if the learner had done that during their test it would have probably been a FAIL !

Agree. Whether lack of anticipation on the part of the instructor or just inappropriate NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD- mindedness, both were not good examples for the learner.
Our roads need both anticipation and understanding of road conditions and also common courtesy. I hope that I would have stopped in time to allow macafee2, already committed to passing a line of parked vehicles, to complete that manoeuvre.
However, there are so many shades of grey in these situations. I personally never get too stressed if I have to stop and reverse, only when the other driver isn't courteous.

COLVERT · 30th August 2020, 20:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndyN01

Without getting into the legalities I think this is one of these times when simple common sense applies.

You were already passing a line of parked cars and if, when you moved onto the wrong side of the road, there was nothing in sight coming the other way then for me it's obvious that if something does come the other way then it stops to allow you to get back onto your side of the road and you both continue on your way.

The vehicle coming the other way should be able to stop in the distance they can see to be clear - and if you're "blocking" the road then it isn't clear.

It's also a valuable lesson for the Learner - Think what might realistically happen when you can see a line of parked cars...... Oh, there might be something overtaking them on my side of the road. Maybe I should slow down.......

It just a few seconds of common sense and courtesy.

I'm sure there will be lots of discussion. Which will help all of us think about what we do while out and about on about our journeys.

Andy.

Very constructively analysed Andy.------

28th August 2020, 12:00	#1
macafee2 This is my second home Rover 75 Saloon & Tourer Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Lincoln Posts: 14,960 Thanks: 1,630 Thanked 3,032 Times in 2,181 Posts	Giving way to on coming traffic I am examining my driving to see if I was wrong. Watching the dash cam forage is not how I recall the whole situation I was on the wrong side of the road. Road curved wide left. I was passing the 2nd ( I thought at least 4th) parked car when I saw an on coming car. Give me 1 or 2 car lengths to react and stop or see what the on coming car is going to do as they may stop. I'm now at the 4th or 5th car. I am expecting the on coming car to stop and let me pass. I expect this because there is no where for me to pull in, I was already passing parked cars before we saw each other, I assume I was passing cars when they saw me and because I would have stopped. There are 11 parked cars. I look at it this way, if a car is passing and I stress passing an obstacle and I am yet to get to the obstacle I will slow/stop for them. The other car does indeed stop, with his front bumper about level with the rear wheels of the last parked car and I am at the 7th car. I cannot pass and so stop a little bewildered, why block the road? There was no intent on my part to bully the other driver. It was a learner. They back up enough for me to pass but little if any more and we both put down our drivers window, I speak to the instructor. His view is that as I have the obstacle I should have given way, I point out I was passing the obstacle and how far I have driven to reach them and to teach their learner to block the road is stupidity. I also don't think that because you are on the right side of the road and the oncoming car is on the wrong side, that it is always appropriate for the car on the wrong side to back up. I honestly thought I had passed more parked cars then I had, this could be because there were parked cars before I got to the entrance. I don't think they could tell how many cars I had passed, I could not when I went back the way I had come. I treated the on coming car as I would have treated the car on the wrong side of the road if I had been on the right side I guess there are a few things to consider:- Who has right of way, I assume the on coming car. Who can stop and allow traffic flow the easiest, they can Which driver would be most at risk, me by having to reverse and reverse into an entrance. They could have stopped short and not needed to / chosen to reverse what are your thoughts? macafee2

28th August 2020, 15:51	#5
wraymond This is my second home 75 Auto 2.5 SE Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Westcliff on Sea Posts: 5,208 Thanks: 423 Thanked 1,680 Times in 1,014 Posts	Given the other driver was a learner, it seems he may have made a mistake as everyone does but he had the nous to be able to stop without drama. A useful lesson and therefore of value, at least to him, especially with an instructor on board. Were there any driving school plates on the car? As the learner was driving, the instructor was obviously in the passenger seat so you would have had to talk across the learner. I don’t think I would have scolded him for teaching the pupil to block the road though. Nor that he was stupid! However, nobody injured thankfully. __________________ member no. 235

28th August 2020, 12:54	#2
AndyN01 This is my second home Toyota RAV4 Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Tamworth Posts: 3,078 Thanks: 2,478 Thanked 1,579 Times in 968 Posts	Without getting into the legalities I think this is one of these times when simple common sense applies. You were already passing a line of parked cars and if, when you moved onto the wrong side of the road, there was nothing in sight coming the other way then for me it's obvious that if something does come the other way then it stops to allow you to get back onto your side of the road and you both continue on your way. The vehicle coming the other way should be able to stop in the distance they can see to be clear - and if you're "blocking" the road then it isn't clear. It's also a valuable lesson for the Learner - Think what might realistically happen when you can see a line of parked cars...... Oh, there might be something overtaking them on my side of the road. Maybe I should slow down....... It just a few seconds of common sense and courtesy. I'm sure there will be lots of discussion. Which will help all of us think about what we do while out and about on about our journeys. Andy.

28th August 2020, 15:15	#4
steve-45 This is my second home Rover 75 Saloon CDTi Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: Belvedere Posts: 4,076 Thanks: 108 Thanked 1,089 Times in 774 Posts	I think if the learner had done that during their test it would have probably been a FAIL !