Merging in to Traffic. (Why Did Car in Front Stop Suddenly?)

[Deactivated] on 11/10/2021 - 16:50
Last edited 11/10/2021 - 17:03 by 1 other user

Driving to work at 7.30am this morning heading west on Ipswich Motorway M7. Take the Wacol exit to merge on to S30… it's a flyover. The car in front of me slows to check traffic merging in from our right and then accelerates to merge. So, I see this, then I am checking traffic over my right shoulder as I am next to merge. I accelerate to merge then I look ahead, but the car in front of me has suddenly stopped to a halt!! So I rear-ended her.

Both of us fully comprehensively insured, so no dramas there. We stop, exchange details… at first I wasn't sure if my car was drivable as it was pouring water from the front left, but the car computer told me the radiator was fine.. it was the windscreen washer compartment. Its a BMW X5, so the sensors and cameras are smashed, along with the lights etc.

So why on earth did she stop abruptly? She said to me that she didn't know why. She had plenty of room to merge… there was one small truck along that merge.

Anyway, I am automatically at fault because I have rear ended her… because she doesn't know how to merge! So I get to pay my excess…ouch.

Thoughts?

Automotive

Comments

  • MS Paint on 11/10/2021 - 17:56
    +6

    So why on earth did she stop abruptly?

    The majority of drivers do not know how to merge properly.
    The majority of drivers are not courteous enough to allow merging drivers to enter their lane.
    The majority of drivers are actually pretty shit at driving and applying common sense.
    I could go on.

    • pharkurnell on 11/10/2021 - 19:07
      +1

      The majority of drivers do not know how to merge properly.

      We have a winner.. close the internet.

    • gimli on 11/10/2021 - 19:52

      shouldn't you be asking for a picture :P

  • Seraphin7 on 11/10/2021 - 18:37
    +1

    So why on earth did she stop abruptly?

    Because there are an increasing number of people on the road who simply don't know how to drive.

    Anyway, I am automatically at fault because I have rear ended her… because she doesn't know how to merge! So I get to pay my excess…ouch.

    Yep.

  • randomusername2017 on 11/10/2021 - 18:48

    Both of us fully comprehensively insured

    Wrong forum..

    So why on earth did she stop abruptly

  • [Deactivated] on 11/10/2021 - 19:16
    +3

    @saxons

    After driving for long enough , you get enough experience which often allows you to anticipate the actions of other drivers for the most part and that is based off the road rules we are taught to follow when we first get our license but after awhile we tend to get lazy and lose focus and attention which is further exasperated by modern technology in cars themselves as well as the mobile devices we bring into them.

    Every now and then you get people like the person you hit who probably should have gone but didn't because this person was unpredictable to yourself , either due to lack of confidence or fear or just simple hesitation or distraction and just maybe that 1% chance where another car has come out of nowhere and that driver in front has panicked and stopped (often caused by inattention or lack of focus or just a sheer case of wrong place at the wrong time) which caused the person in front of you to react adversely which ultimately causes an accident , this is why we leave a gap and maintain a safe distance when merging and overtaking or changing lanes… to remain predictable to other people for the most part (besides courtesy and actual road regulations).

    A moments inattention is all that's required for an accident to happen , and that's what did happen , in your case you should have kept more gap and made sure they were fully merged in and left before attempting to merge in.

    The most important thing here is a lesson was learned by yourself (hopefully) and nobody got hurt.

    But yes the reality is the person whom you hit probably should not have stopped but they have every right to and by road regulations you need to ensure a safe gap between vehicles at all times.

    Safe travels

    P.S don't forget , driving on the road is one of the most dangerous things you do daily and people can be in a completely different state of mind when driving (emotions , drugs , intoxication , lack of sleep ..etc) and even in un-roadworthy vehicles. it is up to you to ensure you get to your destination safely , it takes 1 person to have a crash but 2 people to have an accident.

  • atwilliams on 11/10/2021 - 19:52
    +4

    Unfortunately for the OP it's irrelevant why the car in front stopped. It could have been for any number of reasons (some valid, some which others might think are invalid). However, what matters is that as the car following, it is your responsibility to match your speed to theirs and take actions to avoid a collision. In this instance, it doesn't sound like you did that.

    If I was you, I would just add it to the "life lessons learnt" folder and reflect on what (if anything) you could do differently next time around.

    • gimli on 11/10/2021 - 19:57
      +1

      Unfortunately for the OP it's irrelevant why the car in front stopped.

      So true. I feel sorry for the OP because I'm sure many of us would have ended up with a similar result if were in the same situation.

      There's not much you can do about other's behavior. Your post reminded me in situations like this you gotta see what you can learn and do differently next time. If there really isn't anything well then shit happens but you got to get on with life.

      • Eeples on 14/10/2021 - 17:06

        Really?
        The OP admits looking to his left, then accelerating.

        No, I always look where I accelerate.

    • pegaxs on 11/10/2021 - 23:04

      Yeah, because white, Australian males are the best drivers… </s>

      • TEER3X on 12/10/2021 - 20:21
        -2

        Never said that, males are probably much worse on the whole, but I've seen a certain demographic slam on the brakes for no real reason, just wanted to confirm my stereotyping / racial profiling

        • Euphemistic on 13/10/2021 - 05:25

          And that’s not racist?

          • TEER3X on 13/10/2021 - 23:10
            -2

            @Euphemistic: Nah more like stupid, I don't think they're purposely trying to get rear ended by a certain race, could be wrong, but I just don't have enough data points

    • gimli on 14/10/2021 - 18:36

      Dude you are such a troll lol

  • dasher86 on 11/10/2021 - 20:40
    +3

    Obligatory MS Paint Diagram?

  • stedmaster on 11/10/2021 - 21:00
    -6

    The scenario can be classed as a road code violation on her part, if someone stops abruptly on the road in an unsafe manner or obstructs traffic for no apparent reason or emergency it is Illegal.

    I think you shouldn't have to pay your excess, it might help to do some investigating if you're bothered, I'm not sure what your excess is or how your premiums might change in the long run.

    Perhaps give these guys a brief call they specialize in these cases it appears. Here

    As to Queensland Consolidated Regulations - Here is an example

    TRANSPORT OPERATIONS (ROAD USE MANAGEMENT—ROAD RULES) REGULATION 2009 - REG 125
    Unreasonably obstructing drivers or pedestrians
    125 Unreasonably obstructing drivers or pedestrians
    (1) A driver must not unreasonably obstruct the path of another driver or a pedestrian.
    Penalty—
    Maximum penalty—20 penalty units.
    (2) For this section, a driver does not unreasonably obstruct the path of another driver or a pedestrian only because—
    (a) the driver is stopped in traffic; or
    (b) the driver is driving more slowly than other vehicles (unless the driver is driving abnormally slowly in the circumstances).
    Example of a driver driving abnormally slowly—
    a driver driving at a speed of 20km/h on a length of road to which a speed limit of 80km/h applies when there is no reason for the driver to drive at that speed on the length of road

    Similar scenarios can occur if you break far too hard to stop for only a yellow light, when the car or truck behind you is not able to react and stop in a reasonable manner.

    In regards to the abrupt stop you said "She said to me that she didn't know why" If she holds to that or you can get it on record it might be helpful.

    You were not able to respond in a reasonable manner despite adhering to regulation.

    I can only speculate as to this lady you crashed into, but it sounds similar to those situations where you see a grandma get her pedals mixed up and ends up going through a brick wall somewhere or through a carpark and an intersection, except this was on the road. Maybe she wasn't driving with her glasses on when she should have as well, who knows. It appears she displayed behaviors of uncertainty hesitation with error and confusion, despite the way being clear as you say.

    If I were you, I'd investigate this thoroughly or at least get professional advice, I know I don't want increased premiums or pay my excess if I can easily avoid it.

    • RockyRaccoon on 11/10/2021 - 21:48

      A driver must not unreasonably obstruct the path of another driver or a pedestrian.

      In Qld many drive in the right lane regardless. Never seen anyone pulled over, so this rule in practice doesnt apply.

      • stedmaster on 12/10/2021 - 03:21

        I'm not sure what you mean specifically, are they stopping traffic to a halt, or is this to do with letting people pass in the right lane if they want to go fast?

        The specifics are defined in the sections above.

        I actually came across that regulation from a whirlpool forum post, where someone stopped in the middle of a three lane road just to pick someone up, they immediately got a ticket from a cop as soon as they stopped. Here

    • [Deactivated] on 12/10/2021 - 11:24
      -1

      That's not how it works. The exact same thing happened to me. Identical. It was ruled 100% my fault by insurance, because I ran into the back of another car (and wrote my car off). The person I hit even admitted to fault, like the OP, and said they didn't know why they stopped. But they did.

      • stedmaster on 12/10/2021 - 13:49
        -3

        I guess it can become somewhat of a legal technicality, that's why I made the suggestion that she perhaps get in contact with this group Here, they're better qualified to assess this, for her interests rather than an insurers.

        One of the things they specific is precisely this scenario

        Not every rear-ender is the fault of the tailing driver.
        In fact, there are many instances where the leading driver can be at fault, or at least partially.

        These instances often include:

        Slamming on the brakes suddenly and unexpectedly (whether to harass or annoy other drivers);
        Drive aggressively or rampantly;
        Failing to indicate a turn or lane change;
        Driving too slowly;
        Dangerous driving (such as driving carelessly in bad weather conditions);
        Dangerously merging in front of you (cutting you off);
        Failure to pull over and engage hazard lights when broken down;
        Reversing suddenly;
        Lacking functioning brake lights; and
        Impeding on the space left between two cars that results in them being rear ended.

        They are a legal firm

        If I were her I'd at least try my options, it should only take a phone call to assess the possibility.

        I've had my own experiences with insurance and we've all heard what they can be like at times, I actually documented it on here. I was advised otherwise and stood my ground and didn't let them give me the short end of the stick and in the end it went very well, if I had just stood there and got told and listened to the initial insurers verdict, I wouldn't have gotten what I did, although the circumstances were completely different. You won't know unless you try.

      • Quantumcat on 13/10/2021 - 20:01
        +1

        It doesn't matter what reason they had. If they had a genuine reason it wouldn't have stopped you running into them. You have to leave enough space so if the car in front stops for any reason, you can stop without crashing into them.

        • stedmaster on 14/10/2021 - 17:16

          There could be arguments made until the cows come home either way, its the same as the above comment by Burnertoasty. I could comment identically.

          Stopping distance isn't the only variable that determines whos at fault.

          She said she stopped for no reason in the middle of the road, that's illegal and for good reason.

          If someone is driving recklessly or does a break check or doesn't know how to drive which results in an accident, more often that not, its entirely on them.

          That's why I made the initial suggestion because its a dodgy scenario, there are a number of places that assess these specific incidents like the one I listed above, they are more qualified to make this assessment. I don't know why they'd go to the trouble if they had no legal grounds.

          I get the impression a number of people want to stick with this one dimensional view "you should have had enough stopping distance" as a hindsight mechanism based on their own sense of driving ability or what they would have done in this impression of the situation, along with what they think good driving is, which is a regular cliché.

          Chances are anyone could have crashed into her in this situation, she said she stopped for no reason, for no apparent danger, she herself didn't know why. How many people here reasonably do the 3 second rule check on just a merge lane, as well as accommodating for the time it will take for you to have to check your blind spot?

          If OP was further down the road, it likely wouldn't have ended in a collision, how can I disagree, but it doesn't mean that the other person is in the clear and that OP insurance should all be on her, this is what I'm saying from the beginning, we can only speculate, but there are outfits that cover these cases specifically when it is dodgy.

          The first case example they have on the site that I listed, actually has similarities. Its a different circumstance, but it involves poor merging and slamming on of the breaks because of bad judgement, the driver behind was initially blamed even by the police for tailgating.

          Here is an excerpt

          Kayla was obviously a victim of a rear-ender caused by the leading driver because they:

          Slammed on their brakes suddenly;
          Drove rampantly; and
          Merged dangerously.
          But, despite that being obvious to people who knew the full story, the police who attended the scene of the accident did not. And as the tailing driver, there was already a preconceived idea that Kayla was at fault.

          After all, she was the tailing driver. It was presumed that her tailgaiting had caused the accident.

          • Quantumcat on 14/10/2021 - 19:05

            @stedmaster:

            She said she stopped for no reason in the middle of the road, that's illegal and for good reason.

            That's true, but if she stopped for a legal reason like the car in front of her stopping suddenly, you would still crash into them. The legality of the reason does not matter at all. You're in charge of not crashing into the car in front.

            • stedmaster on 14/10/2021 - 19:45

              @Quantumcat: The first part makes sense, but in that scenario the first car would be in question. Same too if the lady had to stop for tree debris or something like that, but even that can be scrutinized, maybe someone had an unsecure load.

              Many hypothetical scenarios can be made, but they are not the scenario at hand.

              The lady did something very dangerous for no good reason as she even said herself, that is why it is outlined as being illegal, that is the legality.

              It goes towards questions of intent or a form of negligence.

              For all we know the lady may have break checked deliberately for insurance fraud.

              That's why I recommended a better assessment, if its worth it. I'd have at least called. I'm not phased as to whos right or wrong, its about options on the table, at least as far as If I were concerned.

              • Quantumcat on 14/10/2021 - 20:00

                @stedmaster:

                in that scenario the first car would be in question

                What does it matter about the first car? You still ran into a car (who in this situation stopped for a legitimate reason), and you still crashed into them. The fact that the second car stopped for a legitimate reason didn't stop you running into them. Do you think your car has magic brakes that can detect if the car in front is stopping for a legal or an illegal reason, and stop faster if it is a legal reason?

                Whatever the reason for the car in front stopping, it is always your responsibility to be in control of your own car and aware enough of your surroundings so that you can stop in time.

                • stedmaster on 14/10/2021 - 21:11

                  @Quantumcat: Multicar pile ups happen and are an insurance nightmare.

                  Determining fault in a multi-vehicle car accident typically comes down to finding which driver initially acted negligently.

                  But you are also back tracking and side tracking, you appear to have missed or don't understand the basis of my initial comment.

                  Additionally In one of her later comments Op did say someone very nearly clipped her rear as well, as a result, Op appears to have nearly been in a multicar pile up herself.

                  The guy behind me only just missed clipping the rear of my car due to the driver in front of me stopping suddenly… he was equally unimpressed with her driving skills.

                  He didn't have issue with Op, he had issue with the driver at front, he was there and knew the scene first hand, at least to what's being portrayed.

                  Op could have said, he was annoyed at me and I tired to tell him, "she came to a complete halt for no reason", but he said "oh but you should have made more stopping distance, why didn't you?!?!" Hahaha

                  Anyway I've said enough now, I can see this will just keep going on and on….

    • Eeples on 13/10/2021 - 19:50
      -1

      grandmas going through a brick walls? link?

      You know this is ageist rubbish, right?

    • Eeples on 14/10/2021 - 17:08
      +1

      What a joke.
      The OP admits to looking right, then accelerating.

      Do you really think it is okay for the OP to accelerate when not looking at the direction in which he is accelerating?

  • puchipucca on 11/10/2021 - 21:10
    -1

    If I am not mistaken, this is where it happen https://goo.gl/maps/AMFJWLWHkqtsMp8EA

    Example is the truck is the lady car trying to merge to the right so that in about 20m she can turn right into Industrial Ave. I believe she is at fault for dangerously push on the brakes but I also agree with everyone else that OP should leave a safe distance but I can see everyone speed at that particular entry trying to get to the right lane to turn right.

    • pegaxs on 11/10/2021 - 23:03
      +2

      I believe she is at fault for dangerously push on the brakes

      Yeah… I’m really going to need to see the relevant piece of legislation for that…

      • bobbified on 12/10/2021 - 22:04
        -1

        I’m really going to need to see the relevant piece of legislation for that…

        Geez.. learn the bloody rules. It's here

    • MS Paint on 11/10/2021 - 23:11
      -1

      What a load of hog wash. Industrial Ave is more than 20m away and that is a dedicated merge lane where the truck is so no reason for the lady to stop. Perhaps her GPS confused her and she just decided to stop and assess incorrectly.

      Merge right, in 200m turn right into industrial avenue

  • s1Lence on 11/10/2021 - 21:18
    -1

    shoulder checks should take less than a second to complete, many people spend too long checking and this can happen as a result
    if you only spend 0.5s doing your shoulder check you should be able to avoid this situation in the future, especially if you also keep a safe following distance and maintain good awareness of your surroundings

  • t_c on 11/10/2021 - 21:23

    Maybe she saw your x5 and decided she wanted a 80k BMW too and decided your the person to buy it for her.

    Does anyone know the calculation for the increased premiums. Ie. Will OP essentially pay the repair cost over X years?

    • MS Paint on 11/10/2021 - 23:07

      You can pick up an X5 for $3k.

      OP was never trim variant specific.

      • t_c on 13/10/2021 - 00:30

        Being that OP is a ozbargainer I think it's only fair we give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they are not driving a BMW older than 3 years.

  • Mysterious Laptop on 11/10/2021 - 22:33

    I've learnt this lesson having a really near miss is this situation, luckily no accidents.
    From then on in T junctions, merging, turn left at any time with care I have to watch the car in front because people change their mind easily.

  • paradise on 12/10/2021 - 00:12
    -1

    How is any random going to know if the subject herself doesn't know?
    Some people don't have good driving skills.

    • oranglama on 13/10/2021 - 08:02

      From the comments, i've learned that people on ozbargain have perfect driving skill, we're lucky to be here 😂

      • nobro25 on 14/10/2021 - 08:43

        It's not about having perfect driving skills is about gauging your distances to allow enough time to break to avoid accidents or collusions.

        Is like saying someone is really rich because they can go on holidays every year. But in reality the person is just earning 60k year with a mortgage. They just learn to budget well and save enough money in order to do so.

  • [Deactivated] on 12/10/2021 - 02:20

    She shouldn't have stopped but you should have left sufficient stopping distance and not taken her driving skills for granted. When I was learning I had some idiot who left his indicator on while driving along a straight road, I thought "oh he is turning into the road that I'm coming out of, I'm good to go" so I check the opposite direction and go, but then I hear a beep and he's still coming up the same road behind me. My father claims that he didn't have his indicator on when he looked at him, so he must have taken it off just after I looked at him, it taught me a valuable lesson to not trust other drivers intentions just by their indicator.

  • mafroew on 12/10/2021 - 06:26
    +5

    I accelerate to merge then I look ahead

    There's your mistake…

  • Bob Svargis on 12/10/2021 - 07:35

    Unfortunately it’s your fault legally whether she was competent or.not. Similar happened to me at a roundabout - person in front took off, then suddenly threw out the anchors and I rear ended her - my fault. I don’t think there’s anything you can do. You will probably have to cop this one on the chin.

    • gimli on 12/10/2021 - 20:24

      I don't get this unless it was a round about at a major road or something.

      You have to err on the side of caution and be ready to stop. I assume anyone in a roundabout or entering a roundabout doesn't know the rules.

      • Bob Svargis on 16/10/2021 - 10:21

        It was.

        But I accepted the blame and paid up so telling me to be careful is kind of redundant really.

  • [Deactivated] on 12/10/2021 - 07:54
    +3

    To answer all the questions…
    My understanding of "merging" means to seamlessly join something. For example, when you merge onto a highway, you need to smoothly join the traffic, forgetting everything you learned riding the bumper cars at the fair. If two or more things become one, they merge. You don't fully stop, drive if you have started to merge and then change your mind and stop.
    She had moved almost fully into the merged lane, I was glancing both in front and behind to judge where she was and when I should merge.
    I am comprehensively insured, rating 1 for life, been driving for 33 years, take this route every day, never had an accident. Towed trailers, caravans, driven all over Australia, Europe and the US multiple times. I think I am a reasonable driver.
    @axelstrife not asking if you know why she stopped… pointing out that it's a stupid thing to do when there is a whole lane of traffic moving forward to merge. The guy behind me only just missed clipping the rear of my car due to the driver in front of me stopping suddenly… he was equally unimpressed with her driving skills.

    • [Deactivated] on 12/10/2021 - 08:31
      +7

      you are right, she should not have stopped and she is mostly to blame for this accident, but you share some of the blame, not for her stopping but for not paying enough attention to what was in front of you, you should have been more alert. most people aren't this careful because the majority of the time people drive well enough that they don't have to watch for someone suddenly stopping in a merge lane, but occasionally it does happen and that's why driving instructors teach people to be so cautious even though it isn't necessary most of the time, it's that 1 time where someone does something dumb that you have to watch out for.

      all it takes is 1 second of inattention because you assume the person in front of you is a competent driver, the only thing you should assume about other drivers is that they are bad drivers, always watch out for idiots

      • trapper on 12/10/2021 - 15:23
        +9

        She is trying to merge safely and in the process stops for some unknown reason.

        OP is not looking where he is going and accelerates straight into the back of her - OP is totally to blame.

    • [Deactivated] on 12/10/2021 - 11:26
      -2

      I had an identical situation. Wrote my car off. I had two accidents in the space of 3 months. First one, someone ran a red light, car in front emergency stopped not to hit him, I smashed into car in front.

      Second one, identical situation to you, wrote my car off, person who stopped for no reason admitted fault, insurance didn't care, was pinned on me.

      Before that, never even a hint of a crash, and one speeding ticket in 20 years for doing 63kmh in a 60kmh zone when taking off from the traffic lights.

      • Fuzzy Toaster on 13/10/2021 - 15:55
        +1

        So you're saying you have a habit of following cars dangerously close, which has caused two accidents. You should stop driving until you can recognise your dangerous behaviour. I hope you don't live near me.

        • [Deactivated] on 13/10/2021 - 16:42

          In 20 years of driving, zero accidents. Don't even a curbed rim. So no, I don't have a habit. The second situation is essentially the same as someone brake testing you. That was about 7 years ago, I've driven hundreds of thousands of kilometres since, not even close to an accident.

    • stedmaster on 12/10/2021 - 15:36
      -1

      Despite the down votes on my previous comment I still think its a good idea to see where you stand based on Here in regards to whos insurance will cover things if you're bothered, unless its already been settled.

      • Eeples on 14/10/2021 - 17:10

        The OP should stand as embarrassed as he didn't look in the direction in which he accelerated.

    • MagicMushroom on 12/10/2021 - 20:12
      +3

      when you merge onto a highway, you need to smoothly join the traffic

      Only if everything goes smoothly as a lot of things or trouble can happen.

      I was glancing both in front and behind to judge where she was and when I should merge.

      But if you judged correctly, you wouldn't have rear ended.

      I think I am a reasonable driver.

      You probably are. Just wasn't 100% perfect this time.

  • thom on 12/10/2021 - 08:08
    +3

    It sounds as though you don't know how to merge into traffic.
    1) Why didn't you pay attention to the vehicle in front of you? They could stop at any time for any reason.
    2) Were you leaving a safe distance for the speed that you were traveling?
    3) Were your brakes / tyres roadworthy?

    It's unfortunate that both cars were involved in an accident but it's lucky that no-one was injured. Take this as a lesson to learn how to drive defensively and stop trying to place your own fault on another driver.

  • 91rs on 12/10/2021 - 08:22
    +3

    Because most Australians (Queenslanders and Victorians especially) have no idea how to merge.
    People are taught to pass a test, not to drive safely on our roads.
    There is very little skill required to obtain a driver's license and we treat many licenses from other countries as a 1:1 when in reality they aren't and shouldn't be.

  • Loopholio on 12/10/2021 - 08:23
    +4

    Where is the dashcam footage?
    I am disappoint.

  • gr70 on 12/10/2021 - 08:25

    There is no “law” that attributes liability automatically to the person behind. Its a good starting point since you should be keeping a “proper lookout” and maintaining a ‘safe stopping distance” etc. But that doesn’t mean negligent drivers at the front are blameless. If she admits to stopping suddenly for no reason in a 100 (or 80) zone then she may be liable as well - its called “contributory negligence”. Insurers (or ultimately a Court) would apportion the blame and damages. It might be - for example - that she is 20% and OP 80% to blame. Same as someone changing into your lane in front of you with no warning - they don’t just get to say “but he was behind so he is at fault”. This is one reason why your insurance contract requires you not to admit liability (you can admit the facts though).

    FWIW, on the Gold Coast it is not uncommon to see drivers that treat the merge lines as stop signs and at a busy times get stuck there. You have to merge past them. I don’t really see this elsewhere. Maybe she was from the GC?

    • trapper on 12/10/2021 - 15:18
      +3

      Liability is attributed to the person who caused the accident - in this case by carelessly driving into the back of another car.

    • Cave Fire on 12/10/2021 - 22:37

      Maybe the "gold coast" drivers are from NSW or new/elderly drivers? The law in QLD changed to be the same as there around 2018, unmarked: whoever in front has right of way. Marked: car merging has to give way. https://www.racq.com.au/Live/Articles/NS-081020-The-merging-… Haven't seen too many people drive like that in practice around here though. More likely to sneak in a gap whenever they can…

  • Brick Tamland on 12/10/2021 - 08:34

    Just let the insurance sort it out. Because it was a merging lane and she stopped for no reason hopefully its not your fault. It can be a dangerous situation and I've been caught out before in a similar situation. You're looking over your shoulder, see a gap, accelerate and as you swing you vision back round the car in front has decided to stop. Bang.

    • Euphemistic on 12/10/2021 - 08:41
      +3

      I suspect she’ll come up with a reason for stopping when it comes down to it. At the time, under pressure and in shock she may not want to incriminate herself by giving a dumb reason.

      ‘I thought I saw another car’ is all she will have to say to make it a legit stop.

      • gromit on 12/10/2021 - 11:41
        +11

        She doesn't really need a reason, just has to say she was being overly cautious. As long as she wasn't stopping to intentionally cause the accident she is pretty well in the clear as the driver behind wasn't paying attention and keeping a safe distance.

  • LoserScott on 12/10/2021 - 09:23
    +1

    BMW rams behind confused driver..

    Seems perfectly fine there it seems, if only it was a camery that ramed behind them it's rage.

    • imurgod on 13/10/2021 - 09:25

      Tall poppy syndrome is alive and well in Australia.
      People hate to see other succeed.

      • LoserScott on 13/10/2021 - 09:37

        Most that succeed from my understanding never really give back to the community, like BMW drivers.

        • imurgod on 13/10/2021 - 11:21
          -2

          I don't drive a BMW but tell me where you get that info or did you just make it up?

          My experience has been that successful people give back more than most.

          My business donates $20K per year to charity, for example.

        • keejoonc on 13/10/2021 - 16:01

          self entitled much? why do you believe successful people HAVE to give back to the community?
          If they do, good on them, but if they don't, it's no reason for anyone to criticise.

  • b0rnwithabeard on 12/10/2021 - 09:30

    it doesn’t really matter what the laws are, or whether people think that what she did was reasonable, your insurer is going to say it was your fault. Sorry my dude.

  • gromit on 12/10/2021 - 09:33
    +5

    What she did may not have been good driving, But the reality is this is 120% your fault, you need to be paying attention to the car in front and leaving enough space so that you can stop if he/she needs to stop for any number of legitimate or illegitimate reasons and you failed to do so.

  • ozbjoe on 12/10/2021 - 09:51
    +5

    This is easy one to reconstruct.
    merging from 60km/h to 100km/k lane may be , "vroom vroom"
    she slows down before the merge
    sees no traffic on other lane and a good gap ahead
    immediate thoughts "let me speed up. yeah. no traffic 15 min save of my day . hip hip hurray".
    brain freeze for a sec. lifts foot and presses hard on brake by mistake "screeeeeech"
    you rear ended her. " bang, thud". water leaking from your car
    you - " WT&… SH&***"
    she -" OMG SHI    & day ruined. lost 8 hours now"
    you - "why did you do that "
    she - "I really don't know why I did that, I am sorry "
    exchange details
    the end.

  • Lucille Bluth on 12/10/2021 - 10:49
    +1

    Why Did Car in Front Stop Suddenly?

    So why on earth did she stop abruptly? She said to me that she didn't know why

    If she doesn't know, then not even us using telepathy would work. Maybe we could extract this information from her using mind-body intervention such as hypnotherapy.

    Or maybe JV could mentally break her down if she was to comment in this thread.

  • OzHunterNSW on 12/10/2021 - 11:10
    +7

    The question is "Why did you ram into the back of her?"

    It is your responsibility to keep a safe distance behind the vehicle ahead. She could have had young children aboard, and in your haste, you fail to keep a safe distance and ram into the back of her - why did you do that?

  • spb on 12/10/2021 - 11:15

    Pretty similar thing happened in my first accident except it was pouring rain, and the reason we were changing lane was due to cops closing the lane ahead of us because of a separate accident.

  • Fuzzy Toaster on 12/10/2021 - 11:27
    +6

    It's your fault, and you're in an oversized stupid 'look how much money I have' mobile. Stop whinging.

    • keejoonc on 13/10/2021 - 15:35
      -2

      someone's been bitten by the jealousy bug.

    • [Deactivated] on 14/10/2021 - 17:59

      Charming. I am a nurse, work very hard and save my money, so I can buy things that I like. Mortgage free, kids at uni, happy hubby. I volunteer in the Pacific in healthcare every year (self funded) sponsor 2 underprivileged kids, and donate to various charities. It's not nice to assume how someone spends their time depending on the car they drive.

      • Fuzzy Toaster on 15/10/2021 - 09:41

        Nowhere in my message did I say anything about how you spend your time, it's telling that you invented that and felt the need to explain. It's also hilariously tone-deaf to reply to a message pointing out you have a car that boasts of money… by talking about how much money you have.

        "I work hard for my money" - the eternal neo-liberal cry of the privileged, deluding themselves their position has nothing to do with luck.

  • Littlevu on 12/10/2021 - 11:30
    +1

    Sucks to pay the excess but your rating isn’t affected so pay it and move on. No one was seriously injured and that’s the main thing. Be glad you didn’t rear end her on the freeway and someone didn’t rear end you travelling at freeway speed.…..

  • aurotaro on 12/10/2021 - 11:38
    -1

    BMW X5 whilst on OzBargain. Nice.

    • dji1111111 on 13/10/2021 - 08:16

      So you have to be struggling financially to be on ozbargain? Nice… has to be the most ridiculous generalisation ever

  • tikei on 12/10/2021 - 11:46
    +2

    OP needs to share the fault for not paying enough attention to the front, or not leaving enough distance to react in time. My partner does the same thing - looks at oncoming traffic for too long while merging, not looking at the front enough and it drives me insane. Thankfully there's always been enough distance so no accidents.

  • GG57 on 12/10/2021 - 12:03

    A bit of sympathy for OP here; we've all done it at one stage - thought they were entitled to complain on here about something they did which they shouldn't have done, that is so out-of-touch with the rest of the community.
    Lesson to be learned.

    • Eeples on 14/10/2021 - 17:13

      No, I have never accelerated in a direction I was not looking.

      • GG57 on 15/10/2021 - 09:53

        My sympathy with OP only extends to posting the experience on here only to be walloped in the comments for the obvious driver error they had made.

  • Herbse on 12/10/2021 - 12:35

    The most common accident on the road. Everyone is focusing on the traffic on their right and not what the car in front is doing..

    They usually stop for traffic soon after, an unexpected cyclist, pedestrian, just unsure if another car is coming, plain stupidity, or maybe they need a new bumper and want someone else's insurance to pay for it.

    If anyone wants their rear panels fixed up for free just take off at a turn or roundabout then stop suddenly and the people not paying attention will deal with it. Or do the same at the traffic lights when someone is busy playing on their phone and not watching the traffic.
    Free panel repairs paid for by idiots.

  • cheaper on 12/10/2021 - 13:25
    +1

    Can this be avoided if AEB is equipped? X5 should have it?

    • CocaKoala on 14/10/2021 - 11:22

      Can this be avoided if AEB is equipped? X5 should have it?

      Yes. But no AEB in a 20 years old X5. As a matter of fact, a number of 'high end cars' of today don't have AEB systems that work at high speeds.

  • Hangryuman on 12/10/2021 - 13:34
    +5

    was this the spot ? - https://goo.gl/maps/rBRPtFccfUjLskQE8 - if so, I wouldn't call that a merge, there's two Give Way signs meaning you have to wait until you can see a chance, and if the car in front felt they missed a chance, then they were required to stop until the next chance - i.e. they must Give Way to the traffic coming from the right …

    so yeah sorry - your bad

    if I was doing the same I'd be using my peripheral vision and moving my head back and forth to keep tabs on both the car in front - while looking for the gap in the traffic coming from behind me - and I would keep my main focus on the car in front of me until after it had gone past BOTH sets of dotted lines across the road and joined the main flow

    you're automatically at fault if you run into the back of the vehicle in front - unless maybe you've got a dashcam video showing a road rage driver in front deliberately slamming on the brakes, and even then it should just go to insurance, as you should have known to slow down to avoid the idiot

    from my motorbike experience I assume every other vehicle on the road is trying to kill me, and my job is to avoid that.

  • Livert on 12/10/2021 - 13:56

    Got dashcam footage?

  • Bunsen on 12/10/2021 - 14:20

    @mspaint?

  • imurgod on 12/10/2021 - 14:26
    +3

    Emotions aside, you're at fault because you failed to drive safely. You drove into a stationary vehicle that was right in front of you.

    The way to think about it is; what is a small child out across that vehicle's path and she had to stop suddenly? You did not with caution nor leave enough room to stop.

    Based on your description, you drove forward without looking. This is not how you merge safely.

    To be fair, I see a lot of claims where people are adamant that they are in the right when they're not according to the road rules.

  • thepigs on 12/10/2021 - 14:58

    this happens at least once to everyone. try not to rush. people make mistakes

  • trapper on 12/10/2021 - 15:15
    +3

    Yes you're at fault, because you carelessly drove into the back of another car.

  • pharkurnell on 12/10/2021 - 16:41

    the other driver had accident damage to rear of car and wanted it fixed free of charge..
    you were the 10th brake check of the day - the only one to connect.

    Im shocked by how many 100% perfect drivers there are on OzB…

  • LFO on 12/10/2021 - 18:07

    Anyway, I am automatically at fault because I have rear ended her

    Yes.

    I'm sorry about the consequences but this is an unavoidable fact.

  • greencomet on 12/10/2021 - 18:18

    This happened to me years ago, it's easy done. Now I don't take my eyes off the car in front of me in that situation, or look away assuming they have taken off. Once they have gone then I look to the side for a gap to jump in.

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