Who Has The Right of Way?

LFatController on 21/08/2024 - 17:16
Last edited 22/08/2024 - 09:13 by 1 other user

Hey guys,

So today I was on the highway doing 100km/hr in the middle lane and a truck on my right lane was also doing 100km/hr. We were more or less parallel to each other doing the same speed when he decided to indicate into my lane.

He was indicating for a good 5 seconds before getting shitty and started to swerve into my lane to get me to move. I braked hard to let him in where he cut across 2 lanes of traffic to get to his exit.

My understanding is that when you indicate, you are just stating your intentions and you don't have right of way? Whats your thoughts?

• 

  TEER3X on 21/08/2024 - 17:17

  +7

  Yep, always a great idea to stay right beside a truck when they are indicating.

  What could possibly go wrong?

• 

  CrispyChrispy on 21/08/2024 - 17:20

  +3

  My understanding is that when you indicate, you are just stating your intentions and you don't have right of way?

  While this is true, it (probably) wouldn't have hurt to slow down and let the truck get to their exit. It's a win-win, you don't have to break super hard, just take your foot off the accelerator, and you can both continue on with your day.

  • 

    FatController on 21/08/2024 - 17:22

    -4

    But we were both going at full speed next to each other why is it on me to slow down in my lane especially if we are parallel regardless of the size of the vehicle. Now if i was in the same lane and sped up to stop him from turning that's a completely different story.

  • 

    SBOB on 21/08/2024 - 18:03

    +1

    It's a win-win, you don't have to break super hard, just take your foot off the accelerator, and you can both continue on with your day.

    Don't be crazy. Lift off and let the truck in and resume their normal driving and they might end up 1.5s later to my destination. /s

    While it might not 'be on' the op to slow down, it doesn't mean they can't just be a decent person, aware of their surroundings, and drive both defensively and with some level of 'being nice'

• 

  psyclone1982 on 21/08/2024 - 17:20

  +3

  I'm sure if he hit you, it would be his fault.

  That being said, for a big truck, I'd start slowing or accelerating straight away myself.

  • 

    FatController on 21/08/2024 - 17:23

    Yeah thats fair enough i probably should have sped up, I wasn't intentionally not letting him in I was more worried about doing the speed limit with all the speed cameras around.

    • 

      SBOB on 21/08/2024 - 18:05

      +3

      probably should have sped up,

      Yeah, that's the opposite of what you should have done
      Lift off the 'loud' pedal for 5s and you'd likely roll off enough speed for the truck to merge across, and you can then either change into the other lane if they continued to slow and continue on, or resume your 100kmh considering you were both so well speed matched.

      Being aware/helpful to vehicles with much larger inertia is always a good idea.

      • 

        FatController on 21/08/2024 - 18:19

        +3

        Yeah totally fair point, I'm doing that next time.

    • 

      Euphemistic on 21/08/2024 - 19:04

      So slow down then.

• 

  mapax on 21/08/2024 - 17:27

  +3

  @pegaxs trigger warning

  • 

    pegaxs on 21/08/2024 - 23:25

    I literally makes me throw up in my mouth a little each time…

• 

  OutOfTime on 21/08/2024 - 17:29

  +1

  You had right of way, but I would never recommend challenging a Big Rig @100km/h

• 

  mrdean on 21/08/2024 - 17:29

  +4

  It's basically an unwritten rule. Get out of the way of trucks, especially 18 wheelers.

• 

  donga100 on 21/08/2024 - 17:31

  +5

  Laws of the road: You win
  Laws of physics: Truck wins

• 

  Euphemistic on 21/08/2024 - 17:32

  +4

  Noone. Noone has the right of way.

• 

  Moneyinthebank on 21/08/2024 - 17:39

  +3

  If you could see him indicating he was a bit in front of you so you should have slowed a tad bit down to let him in

• 

  DingoBilly on 21/08/2024 - 17:47

  +1

  You are in the right - they should have slowed down not you. Not your job to move out of the way, and they shouldn't speed up just to do it so only logical option.

• 

  jv on 21/08/2024 - 17:51

  -1

  Who has the right of way?

  The bigger vehicle.

• 

  Ocker on 21/08/2024 - 18:01

  Might is right

• 

  SBOB on 21/08/2024 - 18:08

  +12

  OP original post for those that dislike people deleting their topic when they don't get answers they like.
  Makes future searching of forums harder, makes thread discussions less useful, and who knows, someone might read your post and learn something.

  So today I was on the highway doing 100km/hr in the middle lane and a truck on my right lane was also doing 100km/hr. We were more or less parallel to each other doing the same speed when he decided to indicate into my lane.

  He was indicating for a good 5 seconds before getting shitty and started to swerve into my lane to get me to move. I braked hard to let him in where he cut across 2 lanes of traffic to get to his exit.

  My understanding is that when you indicate, you are just stating your intentions and you don't have right of way? Whats your thoughts?

  • 

    FatController on 21/08/2024 - 18:17

    My apologies, I was trying to look for the delete button as my question has been answered. I now know I'm in the wrong. Sorry.

    • 

      mapax on 21/08/2024 - 18:58

      +1

      You’re not exactly in the wrong, you’re just not in the right.

    • 

      Euphemistic on 21/08/2024 - 19:06

      +9

      Go put your original post back. There no reason to hide it.

• 

  TEER3X on 21/08/2024 - 19:43

  -2

  I braked hard to let him in where he cut across 2 lanes of traffic to get to his exit.

  Most truck drivers are way more courteous than the average car driver, unfortunately it sounds like this guy wasn't one of those. He sounds like a complete prick tbh.

  regardless even if legally I was in the right or not. Lesson learned.

  Nice work.

• 

  Gunnar on 21/08/2024 - 20:47

  Before opening the thread my thought was “not you’ / your friend / your spouse”

  Then saw this:

  Thanks for the feedback guys, seems like the consensus is that I should have let him in regardless even if legally I was in the right or not. Lesson learned.

  EDIT looking at your revision history, the above is spot on

• 

  Nugs on 21/08/2024 - 20:58

  OP username does not checkout
  .

• 

  Browsers on 21/08/2024 - 21:19

  +2

  So in a recent similar post where a car driver was in the outside lane looking to move left into a busy lane, he was criticised for not planning ahead for the upcoming exit. How is this truck driver any different? Well he isn't, apart from the fact that he gets to bully his way through. OP in this case isn't at any fault, just in danger of being a victim of truck's greater size, which is where the need for defensive driving comes in. Better to get home in one piece than be 'right'.

• 

  ihfree on 21/08/2024 - 21:22

  +1

  I've been meaning to watch Duel.

• 

  KangaDrew on 21/08/2024 - 21:41

  +6

  For all those wondering WTF is up with this post like I was, here's what was deleted:

  So today I was on the highway doing 100km/hr in the middle lane and a truck on my right lane was also doing 100km/hr. We were more or less parallel to each other doing the same speed when he decided to indicate into my lane.

  He was indicating for a good 5 seconds before getting shitty and started to swerve into my lane to get me to move. I braked hard to let him in where he cut across 2 lanes of traffic to get to his exit.

  My understanding is that when you indicate, you are just stating your intentions and you don't have right of way? Whats your thoughts?

  Why even delete it? smh

• 

  pegaxs on 21/08/2024 - 23:28

  -2

  That’s the best part… neither of you had “RiGhT oF wAy”…

  While the truck may have had the “obligation to give way”, but it’s a bit stupid getting between a truck and a lane it wants to be in.