Who'd be at fault?

londonTiger

Had a close encounter a few days ago.

I was waiting to paralell park, waiting for traffic to clear or vehicles to yeild way.

The car behind me decided to stop and give way for me to park, so I start my manouver, car swung out 45 degrees from the kerb, moped decides to weave through overtake the car behind me that was waitiing and drive past me mid manouver.

Moped went by less than a foot away from me, I wouldn't have really swung out any further so probably not likely to actually hit the rider. But this is really common in London. Mopeds and cyclists dont wait and they squeeze through any gap. If there was a collision because moped decided to drive on mid-manouver will it be my fault or the mopeds fault?

martinthebandit

50/50 probably

motorguy

I would have thought the moped.

I dont understand how / why mopeds / bikes / motorbikes seem to think they dont have to obey the rules of the road like other road users do.

I'd a guy on a moped a while ago buzzed up the outside of the traffic at a set of traffic lights of which i was the front car and sat in the lane to turn right. Once the lights went green he went straight on and started shaking his fist at me and "giving me the beans" for me driving on straight and minding my own business meaning he had to drop in behind me. In his mind he'd right of way?

Iceweasel

motorguy wrote: »

Once the lights went green he went straight on and started shaking his fist at me and "giving me the beans" for me driving on straight and minding my own business meaning he had to drop in behind me. In his mind he'd right of way?

I agree.

Many of the silly bu**ers pull up right in front of you - actually over the stop line - thinking that their little lawn-mower engined scooter/moped or even bicycle is going to be faster away from the lights than any car.

I'm fed up having to wait for them to get out of the way, so I just ignore them and do my own thing.

But the most annoying are those that jump off their bikes, walk it across with the pedestrians then jump on again, swinging out into the traffic flow.

OK, rant over.

marlot

motorguy wrote: »

I'd a guy on a moped a while ago buzzed up the outside of the traffic at a set of traffic lights...

There's often a bike 'safety zone' at the lights, with two stop lines. Bikes are encouraged to go to the front. But round here, many cars stop at the bike stop line, and take the bike spaces.

Back to the OP, in the absence of any further information, I'd say 50:50. Both road users have a responsibility to look out for each other. Many moped riders have had little training, and are especially vulnerable. I was followed today by one who wasn't wearing gloves - he'd have been in extreme pain had he come off.

martinthebandit

Even if someone is doing a highly dangerous and/or illegal manoeuvre it does not absolve any other driver from the responsibility to take avoiding action.

Making a bad situation worse is not a good thing.

motorguy

marlot wrote: »

There's often a bike 'safety zone' at the lights, with two stop lines. Bikes are encouraged to go to the front. But round here, many cars stop at the bike stop line, and take the bike spaces.

Bikes, yes. Not motorbikes though.

And ultimately a bike should be to the left moving away from lights if they are going straight on. This nut job on the moped was to the right and sitting in the next lane over to go straight ahead.

marlot

motorguy wrote: »

Bikes, yes. Not motorbikes though.

And ultimately a bike should be to the left moving away from lights if they are going straight on. This nut job on the moped was to the right and sitting in the next lane over to go straight ahead.

I agree it wasn't a sensible place for the moped rider to be - he should at least have gone to the left side of the lane - and he shouldn't have been a d***.

I'd prefer moped riders had more training, especially as they are so vulnerable.

motorguy

marlot wrote: »

I'd prefer moped riders had more training, especially as they are so vulnerable.

Yes, vulnerable to me stopping them and giving them a kicking. :eek:

pendragon_arther

Moped driver's fault.

bigjl

I would probably be a 50:50 IMHO

As the Moped rider shouldn't have been overtaking.

But the Moped Insurance company would probably argue that the person reversing should have been more vigilant.