Middle Line Accidents

[Wererabbit]

HI Guys & Girls

 

This morning I was in an accident and I thought you'd all like to hear about it, and I have some questions for you all.

 

It was in morning traffic, riding on a trafficed road, with stopped traffic in both directions. There was no shoulder and so I road down the white line. 

 

A taxi was wanting to U Turn, and was indicating right to do so, and a car let him in by indicating, flashing etc. The taxi turned right as I was coming past it and collected me in the process. Other than some bumps and bruises the big damage was to the taxi's right wing mirror and my bike.

 

Who is at fault?

1. Me for riding down the white line rather than the left edge of the road (there is no shoulder)

2. The Taxi for not looking if it was safe to cross

3. The on coming car for implying it is safe for the taxi to turn

4. No one

 

I now have a taxi driver on my case to cover half the cost of the wing mirror, a bike demanding a new derailer (Campagnolo Athena), a bent bike frame, and a suspicious rear wheel.

[Tubehunter]

The taxi pulled in front of you? How are you confused about whose responsibility? You are traffic moving in a straight line. Nowhere in the road act does it say as a cyclist you are not allowed to ride on the right side of a lane, where you deem it safe to do so.

[Bateleur1]

HI Guys & Girls

 

This morning I was in an accident and I thought you'd all like to hear about it, and I have some questions for you all.

 

It was in morning traffic, riding on a trafficed road, with stopped traffic in both directions. There was no shoulder and so I road down the white line. 

 

A taxi was wanting to U Turn, and was indicating right to do so, and a car let him in by indicating, flashing etc. The taxi turned right as I was coming past it and collected me in the process. Other than some bumps and bruises the big damage was to the taxi's right wing mirror and my bike.

 

Who is at fault?

1. Me for riding down the white line rather than the left edge of the road (there is no shoulder)

2. The Taxi for not looking if it was safe to cross

3. The on coming car for implying it is safe for the taxi to turn

4. No one

 

I now have a taxi driver on my case to cover half the cost of the wing mirror, a bike demanding a new derailer (Campagnolo Athena), a bent bike frame, and a suspicious rear wheel.

 

Hmmmm ....

 

Various aspects to take into consideration.

 

1.  You are not allowed to pass another vehicle on the left (single carraigeway) unless that vehicle is turning right and there is enough space to pass.  You by law must pass on the right.

 

2. Did the taxi make a u-turn on a solid white line?

 

3.  It could be argued that you hit / came from behind making you by default the guilty party.

 

Do you have insurance to cover the bike costs?  If yes report the accident to the police and let the insurance deal with it.

[Sidewinder.]

Did you hit him, or did he hit you? Simple.

[bikebloke]

firstly that's a bummer im happy you where not injured .

 

however....

 

don't ride on the white line like you own it .....  (its not legal just like its not for motorbikes or cars) you just have to wait with the traffic flow .

 

if you have to (it happens) then don't expect traffic to look for you coming up behind them they don't expect you to be there . So its not his fault cause he isn't required to look there before he proceeds on a single carriageway .

 

and unfortunately if he turned out in front of you and you hit him you are at fault cause you shouldn't be there and you where behind him (in the rear in the wrong rule) .......

 

I would however tell him to go away with regard to money

[Wererabbit]

We were both moving at moment of impact: he was turning right, I was going straight.

 

I would need to double check this, but I assume there would have been a break in the solid white line there to allow the right turn.

 

If there was space on the left I would have been riding there.

 

if I were a normal car then surely I would have been in the worng for over taking a car trying to turn right?

[Tubehunter]

As traffic you yield to what is on your right. That is the premise of driving on the left of the road and making that system of traffic an expected trade off in situations where two separate 'vehicles' arrive simultaneously at a juncture in road scenarios. It clears up all confusion.

 

The above makes it a moot point then on who has the onus to check what is happening on their right.

 

All that said, as a cyclist you really have to be on the look out for every possible scenario\situation on the road as it matters little who is to blame. For in every case the cyclist typically comes off worse! Don't be cruising at pace down the road with earphones et al hoping that traffic is watching out for you! You need to anticipate what is potentially gonna happen.

 

Just stoked that you are not heavily injured!

[bikebloke]

We were both moving at moment of impact: he was turning right, I was going straight.

 

I would need to double check this, but I assume there would have been a break in the solid white line there to allow the right turn.

 

If there was space on the left I would have been riding there.

 

if I were a normal car then surely I would have been in the worng for over taking a car trying to turn right?

 

 

snap   same rules apply if you had been in car - you wouldn't have been there /done that

[eddy]

We were both moving at moment of impact: he was turning right, I was going straight.

 

 

 

 

I cannot tell you who was right and who was wrong but I will give you the advice I gave my daughter on the day she got her drivers licence.

 

It is better to be safe than right.

 

I am sorry for your damage but for your own safety you should not have put yourself in harm's way by being to the right of a vehicle turning right, whether to turn or make a U-turn.

[bikebloke]

this......

[J∆kk∆ls]

An accident is usually the result of two mistakes. 

 

Happy you are OK. Heal up soon! 

[Jigghead]

You said he was indicating to turn right and yet you took the gap anyway? Would that not rest any liability with you?

[Eugene]

Were you travelling in the same direction as the taxi? Some of the responses suggest that they interpret your description in that way. The damage to the taxi also suggests this is the case.

 

If you were travelling in the same direction, then I have to say you are at fault. Nobody expects a bike riding up behind you when turning right. Besides, he was indicating as such.

 

If you were approaching from the other direction, then he is at fault as he should have given you right of way.

 

Having said that, riding on the white line is suicidal as you have now learnt.

[Long Wheel Base]

When on my bicycle I adapt this little saying.

Same Road, Same Rules, Same Rights.

 

I am not saying its the law, It's just something I do.

 

Sorry for your accident OP, Always sucks when stuff like this happens regardless of who was to blame. Glad you came out of it "OK", could have been worse.

[Skinnyone]

Yeah sorry to hear of your accident, but IMHO both parties sound like they were in the wrong, and as a commuter myself both on a scooter and bicycle you always have to be fully aware of people turning, stopping and changing lanes in front of you...no matter if you are in the right...

 

People (especially taxi's) feel entitled to drive in any which manner they see fit, regardless of the law.

[Bateleur1]

Yeah sorry to hear of your accident, but IMHO both parties sound like they were in the wrong, and as a commuter myself both on a scooter and bicycle you always have to be fully aware of people turning, stopping and changing lanes in front of you...no matter if you are in the right...

 

People (especially taxi's) feel entitled to drive in any which manner they see fit, regardless of the law.

 

And add the jay walking pedestrians to the list.  You hit them and crash into a car stuck in traffic then by rights you are also at fault.