Safe Speed Forums

On Saturday morning, I was involved in the first collision I have had for 20 years. Fortunately, no-one was hurt but I would be interested in any useful comments.

I was driving along in a 50mph limit section of a single carriageway A-road behind a Micra. We were doing about 50mph approaching a crossroads (which I know well) and a Mini pulled out from the right and turned in our direction. We slowed to about 30mph but the Mini didn't accellerate beyond this speed.

After the crossroads is a long straight with good visibility approaching NSL signs. I decided to overtake both cars and was past the Micra and almost at the rear of the Mini when its right indicator came on and it started turning into a field entrance on the right.

I steered right to avoid it but it hit half way along the passenger side of my car. I was deflected to the right into a barrier and off the road. I chose not to emergency brake as my speed differential was about 25mph and I thought I might get past before the Mini turned or the driver would see me. I thought I would have broadsided the driver's door on the Mini if I had braked.

The Mini driver was a badly shaken 17 year old girl who passed her test one month ago. She was trying to find a friends house and was not familiar with the area.

I think I should have been more cautious about why the Mini was going so slowly and have observed the field entrance on the right. Overall though I think that I was only about 10% culpable and the girl's inexperience was the main issue.

I just ache a bit.

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Malcolm W.
The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not represent the views of Safespeed.

a few thoughts...

a warning beep on the horn before overtaking either of the cars may have helped.

if she was turning right presumably she slowed from 30mph before her turn/indication. Brake lights?

There's an added potential danger that with the front car slowing unexpectedly with the middle car (presumably) relatively close, the middle car may have found themselves needing to take avoiding action into your path. The situation is unusual enough that with hindsight you would want to make allowances for either driver doing something eratic.

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Peter Humphries (and a green V8S)

Definitely the hooter is the biggest omission on your side.Was there room with hard braking and strong lock to go into the field alongside the mini as an escape lane? I think from what you've said, this is what I'd have tried to do. At the very least it would have (almost) kept the cars parallel and resulted in a cymbal clash crash rather than a t-bone - much less jarring even if worse damage. If the field entrance wasn't wide enough, you may have ended up to the right of it, nosing the barrier.

I am assuming the one immediately behind the mini had given an indication (of body language) that they had no intention of passing, or else you'd have hung back. If the straight is really long and clear in front, I tend to not get a differential up of more than 15 mph or thereabouts until I'm committed. Obviously for shorter straights or doing a double (as here) you may need to gun it harder.

In terms of subtle signs, apart from the mini not speeding up or even slowing a little - the angle of the lead driver's head, it's position on the road, the disappearance of steam from the exhaust (a great clue if the engine is cold that the driver has lifted off), the right hand moving to 12 o'clock on the wheel... All tiny, and probably any one (had I spotted it) would likely have made me pull back rather than go for a double.

Erratic behaviour is a very strong contra-indication to overtaking.

One of the most important characteristics of someone that you are planning to overtake is that they should be predictable. If they aren't then trouble follows.

If someone is 'a bit erratic' I'll extend my period of observation and if I do eventually decide to overtake it'll have to be wide and slow.

Of course junctions on the right are an even stronger contra-indication to overtaking. Also laybys on the right.

For driveways, tracks and field entrances, it's far harder to be a) aware and b) certain. Although it's never happened to me, I don't feel that I can completely eliminate the possibility that someone I'm overtaking might turn right into a minor entrance on the right.

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Paul Smith
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