Safe Speed Forums

Hi,

New member here after some advice please, still shaken after my experience!

I was driving today on my way to B&Q to fix my sink can you believe it! When a girl ran in front of my car!!

Let me explain what happened.

I was driving down a road (Single carrigeway) around 50mph-55mph max (The speed limit on the road is 70 then changes to 60), where I saw 2 girls standing in the middle of both the roads, at first I thought they were about to cross so I slowed down slightly but they didnt and waited in the middle. Eventally when I got almost next to them, one of the girls ran out in front of me, I think I must had been doing around 45 - 50 mph at this time.

I couldnt believe how stupid this girl was she blantely saw I was coming as she looked at me, but still ran out as if she wanted an accident!!!.

I swerved to try avoid her and slammed my brakes on almost causing another accident in the process!, it took a few seconds for my car to actually stop, at first I thought I hit her!!!

She then got up from the ground crossed back over the road and ran off with her friend the way she came.

Thankfully it doesnt appear I hit her, she seemed to be OK as she got up and ran off, the car behind me saw what happened, so I asked if he would be a witness in which I took his name and number.

I have already reported it to the police, but could she sue me?!

Im pretty shaken up after the experience, as Im only 21 and have been driving for just over a year.

I think Im gonna grab a cuppa now!!

Thanks
TD

I don't think you should worry. You didn't hit her and you got a witness as well? So chill

_________________
Motoring Convictions
Convicted Driver Insurance

Hi and Welcome!

As the previous poster has said, you appear to have done all the right things. Scary, yes, but that's why we need to concentrate, observe, anticipate, and adapt our driving to the conditions we see. Not just in a built-up area, but every minute, of every trip, everywhere. That's one of the things that most Safespeeders find so frustrating about the current government's over-zealous enforcement of speed limits. The safe and appropriate speed for any given stretch of road at any given time varies constantly - and may or may not be remotely connected to the speed limit sign in force at the time! Sure, they add the footnote in the "small print" about selecting an appropriate speed WITHIN the limit, and they're quick to say, when challenged, that the speed limit isn't a target, but the over-riding public message rarely, if ever, focuses on this - which is a pity because in my view it's the most important bit! Somehow, we motorists are (quite rightly) expected to use our skill and judgement to select an appropriate speed, but if those same skills lead us to select a speed that happens to be in excess of the speed limit, then we've obviously selected the "wrong" speed!

This policy has failed, over the last 10 years, to reduce road deaths or serious injuries significantly faster than any foregoing policies, so instead of admitting defeat, we now see increasingly frequent reductions in speed limit all over the place. Basically, they made the (flawed) assumption that far more deaths and injuries were caused by speeding vehicles than was actually the case. After 10 years or so of not seeing the reductions hoped for (hardly surprising really, given the incorrect assumption to start with!) they've decided that many of the speed limits are too high.

I must say, I can't think of any 70 limit single carriageways, but even if you had been driving at the 60 limit, you'd, most likely, have hit the kid. Needless to say, at that speed, the chances of her surviving would have been slim. If that had happened, (apart from ending her life - and, most probably, ruining yours and her family's), there would have been a public outcry and calls for the speed limit to be reduced. In all likelihood, I imagine it would have been reduced to 50 - maybe even 40 - but that still is unlikely to solve the problem if people continue being brainwashed into thinking that as long as they drive within the limit "nothing bad will happen". It is FAR more important to (as you did) observe the conditions and adapt your speed accordingly. By doing so, you avoided a nasty accident. OK, not by much, but by ENOUGH. Unless we want to go back to the days when all cars needed a man with a red flag to walk along in front of them, that's the price society pays for all the benefits that the motor car brings.

Hi

Sorry to hear you had a nasty experience.






I would have slowed down to a stop ..just in case. I think the act of slowing perhaps? She did not judge your speed as 40 mph ish perhaps? Was the road a dual carriageway moving to single NSL?





How old were they? Sounds like they may have been stupid enough to "play chicken" You describe exactly what happens when you stop - at speed in an emergency. Your car cannot "stop on the spot".. It will stop safely enough in a shor enough distance dependent on speed when brakes applied hard - but we cannot change laws of physics/potential wheel lock all the same. It would be stupid of me to say otherwise My COAST system would have had you at 25 mph or less.. but since this kid made eye contact with you - she was playing chicken in my reading of your post. I hope her parents do hit this site as I will take the opportunity to to tell them that their girl is a fool and they need to have a hard disciplinary word with her. Any kid of mine would have had all privileges withdrawn for 6 months plus a fine from their pocket money. I do adopt the Mad Cat policy on child rearing as it .. err .. seems to work for them. I have to admit they were better at disciplining my own kids than me and Alice. Their own "wild kitten" - Lukas - on the other hand held me in "AWE!"



Mate.. you have done the right thing. She may have been reported by others as well. From what you have posted - it does sound like she was "playing that very dangerous and lethal game of chicken"

You did not hit her.. nor injure her. You have a material independent witness. For all you know - as said . others may have had a similar experience. It may that police have enough intelligence on her to pay a visit or .. if not .. we usually request our liaison officers to ask the schools to do a "pastoral" on the topic and the obvious dangers .. .. and include on the routine visits on road safety and other routine matters.


How I would love to have what Switzerland has.. and charge these kids with "malicious intent to cause an accident/anit-social behaviour " as playing "chicken" is just that. In your case - you were lucky... you had that important witness.






Hey.. chalk it to experience. You are doing all the right things.. you reported and you are evaluating it. THINK how you might react the next time.. . could you have slowed to a near stop and waved her across - for example? Could you have tut-tutted the horn gently .. but not "intimidatingly" to let her know you had seen her and were warning her not to move? But still slowing and keeping an eye contact to try to communicate a "be careful .. I'm in a car here - and I need to know what you intend to do? " to her?

You have the makings of a fine driver from this first post alone by the way. Because you are clearly thinking and trying to make sense of the incident Build on this. Check out IAM to help boost confidence and enhance these evaluating skills of yours.

And do not panic. She cannot sue you. You did not harm her in any way.


PS .. My fave cuppa's "Assam" with milk and one sugar.

_________________
Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.