I hate technicalities.

[osteodoc08]

I was involved in a minor fender bender tonight and it just really irks me.

I had my cruise control set and was in the left lane as it was narrowing into one. The dashed line had ended. A suburban was trying to pass me and glanced into my right rear bumper (after the lanes merged) and ran half in grass and half road as he passed me. I called 911 and advised them of the tag number and they advised I pull over and I did. I get a call stating that they had pulled the guy over and to meet them there.

I tell my side of the story and the other guy his. He admits to passing me, which is why he was ahead of me......and was stopped ahead of me.......but I received a warning because it said the left lane ended and to merge right. The lanes had already merged and I was ahead but since the road was still wide he attempted to pass me. I received no tickets and I'm not sure about the other guy but the officer said I was the vehicle with "the most contributing factors".

I just don't get it sometimes. Maybe I was wrong. I don't know, but there was a reason this guy didn't pull over. The officer commented they had no record of him dialing 911. Make your own assumptions about that.

[starmac]

Why if the left lane was ending, did you stay in it until it was ended before mergeing??
No technicality there.

Did you and the surburban make contact, or was it almost a fender bender?

[MaryB]

I would be down at the police station getting that warning removed if it affects your insurance. Other guy was obviously at fault for trying to pass on the right!

[NavyVet1959]

One of those cases where a dash camera might help you... Or it might hurt...

[starmac]

Sorry, but if your lane ends and you are suppose to be merging to the other lane, it doesn't matter if it is on the right or left. MERGE means speed up or slow down to safely get in the other lane before it ends, not keep your cruise on until you run out of real estate.

[AZ-JIM]

Out here in AZ people have a VERY bad habit of waiting until the lane has ended to merge. Its as if you look up merge in the dictionary and it literally says wait til the last minute and cut off everyone you can. Not saying this is what you did, as you stated the lane had ended already and you were being passed. I am so tired of these ding dongs thinking they are far more important than everyone else I make a very consious effort to make them fail at the last minute pass and cut off.

az-jim

[NavyVet1959]

If you are in the left lane and someone is having to pass you on the right, that means that you are going too slow. Get over in the right lane where you belong. I just got back from a week of driving in Europe (Spain and France) and as screwy as the roads might be in the cities, at least on the highways that go between cities, they are very good about moving to the right if they see you overtaking them. If not, you put your left blinker on and they will gladly move over. It's not like here where if you flash your lights at someone (the proper signal in the US to ask someone to move over), they get all bent out of shape and aggressive about staying in the left lane because they are either driving exactly the speed limit or they think that they know what speed others should be driving. Around here, if you see someone with their blinker on while on the highway, it's probably because they bought the car and the blinker was on at that time and they've never turned it off. :(

I also spent a week driving in the Domincan Republic and let's just say that that was "an experience". From the look of the cars, the national sport is bumper cars.

[waksupi]

Having cruise control set when going in to any merge situation is not a good idea. Drive the danged thing.
The worst state I have seen for driving is Oregon, by far.

[Artful]

Having cruise control set when going in to any merge situation is not a good idea. Drive the danged thing.
The worst state I have seen for driving is Oregon, by far.

Come to Arizona or California - you'll see things - by the way at this point about half the cars in Oregon are driven by former Californians I'd be willing to bet.

[triggerhappy243]

if the other guy hit your vehicle... he was tagged for hit and run. also possibly failing to yield. glad you did not get injured.

[osteodoc08]

There was 3+ car lengths or better when the lane ended that I was already ahead of him. I was slightly above the speed limit. He was trying to get passed (me) while the lane was wide after lanes had come together. I post this for opinions and I appreciate them.

This was also a rural road and not like a construction area. Not that it matters to the collision but after we collided he passed 2 vehicles on double yellow lines to get away.

If I'm in the wrong, I'll take my lumps and move on. Nobody is perfect. But why would he try so hard to get away?

[osteodoc08]

139406This is the same sign posted on that road. According to driver services it means the number of lanes reduced and is not a merge sign. So there may be no merge sign. I was going on officer heresay. And further down the road, a similar scenario with sane traffic sign seen here is preceded with merge left. I'll have to look closer on way home tomorrow AM as it appears he was to merge into my lane.

[Taylor]

If this is the sign,and you were in the left lane,then yes--he ran you off the road.

[quickdraw66]

From what you said, you did absolutely nothing wrong and the officers claiming you did either didn't understand what happened or don't understand the law. I'd go down to the station and ask to talk to someone about this. That other guy was clearly in the wrong.

[Petrol & Powder]

And that is why we don't hold court on the side of the road.

As for the traffic offense committed by the idiot that hit you, who cares? Whether he gets charged or not isn't going to have a bearing on your situation, unless you just want to sit in court all day waiting to testify, only to maybe see him receive a fine. (if he shows up, the case isn't continued and he's actually convicted). So for the traffic offense - LET IT GO ! Most judges don't get too excited about minor accidents with no injury. You'll be punished more than other guy just by spending the time in court waiting to tell your side of the story. And by the way, even if you prevail, the state taking money out of his pocket doesn't help you one bit. That money doesn't go into your pocket, it goes to the state.

That leaves us with the damage and the civil half of the situation. Clearly the other idiot isn't going to man-up and pay for your damage.
You have to decide what it is worth to you. Maybe a small claims civil suit would be worth it to you. You have a much better chance of prevailing in civil court.
Another option would be to file a claim with the other guy's insurance and leave the courts out of it all together. (at least at first) That would be my choice but be prepared for the other idiot to then do the same with your insurance company. Let the insurance companies duke it out, that's why you pay premiums.

Or, if it's minor. Just let the whole thing go.

[osteodoc08]

Your right. It's not the end of the world. I was just kinda peeved with the whole thing last night and recounting it this morning. I've got too much to be thankful for in my life to let this preoccupy any more time.

[M-Tecs]

Was their any damage to your vehicle?

[osteodoc08]

Cracked side marker lamp and scuffs. Nothing major.

Im gonna let it go and not revisit this thread. I'll call insurance and let them deal with it.

I do appreciate the remarks, advice and criticisms and use it as a learning tool for the future.

[M-Tecs]

If it was the others drivers fault his insurance pays. If you file with your insurance and they pay expect your rates to go up. If the repair is less than your deductible filing with your insurance company does nothing other than jacking your rates up. If he hit you from the rear and didn't stop it is hit and run. http://enlightenme.com/felony-hit-and-run/

[Omega]

And that is why we don't hold court on the side of the road.

As for the traffic offense committed by the idiot that hit you, who cares? Whether he gets charged or not isn't going to have a bearing on your situation, unless you just want to sit in court all day waiting to testify, only to maybe see him receive a fine. (if he shows up, the case isn't continued and he's actually convicted). So for the traffic offense - LET IT GO ! Most judges don't get too excited about minor accidents with no injury. You'll be punished more than other guy just by spending the time in court waiting to tell your side of the story. And by the way, even if you prevail, the state taking money out of his pocket doesn't help you one bit. That money doesn't go into your pocket, it goes to the state.

That leaves us with the damage and the civil half of the situation. Clearly the other idiot isn't going to man-up and pay for your damage.
You have to decide what it is worth to you. Maybe a small claims civil suit would be worth it to you. You have a much better chance of prevailing in civil court.
Another option would be to file a claim with the other guy's insurance and leave the courts out of it all together. (at least at first) That would be my choice but be prepared for the other idiot to then do the same with your insurance company. Let the insurance companies duke it out, that's why you pay premiums.

Or, if it's minor. Just let the whole thing go.
The problem is if nobody calls this guy out he is just going to continue doing it and next time he may drive someone off the road into a tree or unto oncoming traffic. I would be interested to know if he was cited or not, and if not why?


Cracked side marker lamp and scuffs. Nothing major.

Im gonna let it go and not revisit this thread. I'll call insurance and let them deal with it.

I do appreciate the remarks, advice and criticisms and use it as a learning tool for the future.
For you individually that may be the wise thing to do. My son was in a hit and run situation where I had reported the other parties entire information to the detective and nothing was done, no ticket, no charges nothing. And they not only hit his car but also hit him (not seriously) when they drove off. Our insurance did deal with the mom's insurance, since the other car was not registered or insured, but the driver was not held liable for anything.

[NavyVet1959]

Quite a few years ago, my wife was driving down a highway in the left lane and a car changed lanes right in front of her and she had to slam on her brakes and swerve to keep from hitting him. I'm not sure if contact did occur though. She was in an Jeep GC SUV and ended up rolling the vehicle. It rolled multiple times and was totaled, but other than a little glass cuts on the elbow, and being a bit sore, she was OK. Typical case of a high center of gravity vehicle and an abrupt control movement as far as I could determine. The driver of the other car did not stop. I think my wife finally understood the warnings that I had given her over the years about high center of gravity vehicles and abrupt control movements.

Just be glad that you had so little damage.

[mold maker]

Some ins co. have a no increase for a first accident clause. If that's the case with you, let the ins folks deal with it. As far as I determined by your first post, you were totally in the right.
The law isn't always 100%, and after all, the officer did talk to the other driver first. His story may have been very convincing.

[dakotashooter2]

Here it is the passing vehicles obligation to yield if it is unsafe to pass. Since he was behind you when the lanes were merging our HP would have cited him for unsafe passing.... Usually you will see the passing vehicle try to speed up rather than slow down which sounds like the case here.

[triggerhappy243]

also, if no written citation was given to you.... nothing goes on your record. so even if you file a claim with your insurance co, your rates will not go up, because you were not the one being cited. no worries mate.

[NavyVet1959]

also, if no written citation was given to you.... nothing goes on your record. so even if you file a claim with your insurance co, your rates will not go up, because you were not the one being cited. no worries mate.

If your insurance company pays you to fix your car, there is definitely a possibility that your rates could go up. It doesn't matter if there was no citation given to you. I would not involve my insurance company unless it was enough money that it could offset a possible rate increase. Make a claim on *his* insurance company.

[M-Tecs]

also, if no written citation was given to you.... nothing goes on your record. so even if you file a claim with your insurance co, your rates will not go up, because you were not the one being cited. no worries mate.

My rates went up when my parked car was hit by drunk uninsured unlicensed driver. He came across the lawn and hit the car in my driveway. He went to jail and my rates went up.

[starmac]

Odd that he was not given a citation for leaving the scene of an accident at the very least, no matter whose fault the accident was if the vehicles contacted each other.
I would double check the sign, and even then think hard before I caused much of a ruckus. The way fault is assigned anymore is not clear cut, oftern both parties are assigned a percentage of the fault, or at least they tend to do that if a semi truck is involved.

[triggerhappy243]

Navy, that is what i meant.. make a claim in the other drivers co.

[triggerhappy243]

Quote: My rates went up when my parked car was hit by drunk uninsured unlicensed driver. He came across the lawn and hit the car in my driveway. He went to jail and my rates went up.

of course they did. the driver was not insured or licensed. you were the only one with insurance.

[leadman]

I tend to move to the center of the wide area as long as it is clear. Have had too many drivers try to pass me on the right at the last moment, especially when I am driving the motor home.

[starmac]

Generally if you are in the hammer lane and getting passed on the right, you are in the wrong lane.

[firefly1957]

Sounds like the other guy new someone he left the scene of an accident he should have been ticketed for that at least.

[NavyVet1959]

Sorry, but if your lane ends and you are suppose to be merging to the other lane, it doesn't matter if it is on the right or left. MERGE means speed up or slow down to safely get in the other lane before it ends, not keep your cruise on until you run out of real estate.

Unless marked otherwise, the people who are merging because their lane is ending (either as an onramp or as a left lane where the total lanes are decreasing) need to give right of way to the people who are already in that lane. You are moving into *their* lane, so it is up to you to match speeds / find an opening to move into. I have seen a couple of signs over the years that have told the people in the main lanes to give way to the people who are merging into the main lanes, but that seems to be somewhat rare. You can't just assume that you can leave your cruise control on and slide into the other lane and they will automatically give way to you. Ride a motorcycle for awhile and you will new appreciation for what is the legal right of way vs what people actually do. After a few broken bones, you will come to realize that the safest attitude is that the 4 wheel drivers are truly out to get you and the best thing is to be nowhere near them. :(

Used to be that you had to look out for the "blue haired old lady" who was driving a car that she needed to look *under* the top edge of the steering wheel in order to see the road (and subsequently had extreme tunnel vision). They would change lanes with no regard for what might be beside them, especially motorcycles. They were often driving big old Buicks. These days, it's the soccer moms in the large SUVs with a cell phone in one hand, a Starbucks in the other, and screaming kids in the back.

[NavyVet1959]

Sounds like the other guy new someone he left the scene of an accident he should have been ticketed for that at least.

It doesn't sound like much of an accident, so it's entirely possible that he might have not noticed that he scuffed the other car. Or he could have easily claimed that and the cop might have let him have the benefit of the doubt.

[country gent]

You need to find out who was listed at fault in the accident and at what percentages, ( alot of states asighn a % of fault on both divers so both insurance companies can share the % of cost to repair vehicles or medical bills. If you were listed at fault then find out why and decide if its worth it to fight it. But depending fault assghined your insurance may end up paying for most of his vechicle also.

[starmac]

139406This is the same sign posted on that road. According to driver services it means the number of lanes reduced and is not a merge sign. So there may be no merge sign. I was going on officer heresay. And further down the road, a similar scenario with sane traffic sign seen here is preceded with merge left. I'll have to look closer on way home tomorrow AM as it appears he was to merge into my lane.

The sign you posted is a merge sign, but it is right lane merge to the left. If that was the case the guy passing on the right would have been totally at fault. If it was the other way and the left lane was ending, generally the one in the left lane would be at fault.
The reason some people pass at the end of a lane is they are looking at their lane which keeps going, they are not (and don't have to be looking at the end of your lane). When someone stays in a lane that is ending all the way to the end, the driver in the other lane is actually looking at their rig, not thr rnd of the road.

[popper]

Non-injury accident, no cop to see it - can't give a ticket. Idiots don't pay attention to the rules anyway. Traffic circles are worse, town near here had re-invented them - idiots everywhere.

[BLTsandwedge]

Osteodoc,

Just like your malpractice insurance (from your handle I assume you are a physician), your auto insurance purchases you a legal defense team. Let them work- you have no worries. FWIW, I think the Alpha Hotel that hit you told the police that you accelerated so that he could not pass you without hitting your car. From what I know from personal lines auto insurance, who hit whom has an enormous impact on how they subrogate. Personal lines carriers swap 'fault' all the time. It seems to me that the only thing you need worry about is how your auto carrier falls on this issue. If they hike your premium, I'd recommend screaming like a stuck pig until they recant.

[NavyVet1959]

https://www.mainstreet.com/article/when-it-makes-sense-to-skip-filing-a-car-insurance-claim



NEW YORK (MainStreet (http://www.MainStreet.com)) — Drivers pay an average of 41% more for car insurance after making a single claim (https://www.mainstreet.com/autos), according to the second annual study by insuranceQuotes.com.

Massachusetts continues (https://www.mainstreet.com/article/lower-car-insurance-premiums-policy) to be the worst state to have an accident occur – just one claim leads to an average premium increase of 76% compared to 67% in 2014. The national average is up three percentage points this year, compared to the 38% increase found in 2014 (typically your premium will not increase if you are not to blame for the accident, except in a no-fault state (https://www.mainstreet.com/article/can-your-smart-car-be-hacked-the-frightening-reality-is-that-worse-may-be-happening-on-the-road)). The cheapest state is Maryland, which only increases premiums by 22%.

California also penalizes drivers for just one claim and increases rates by 75%, followed by 62% in New Jersey. Other states which have lower increases include Michigan with a 23% increase and Montana with a 25% rise in premiums. To check out where your state ranks, go here (http://www.insurancequotes.com/auto).

Making a second claim proves to be very costly since a driver with two claims pays over twice as much for car insurance as a claim-free driver or 93%.

If you dent your car accidentally by backing into a pole in a parking garage and the amount of the damage is not much more than your deductible, it might be worth it to pay for the repair yourself (https://www.mainstreet.com/article/when-it-makes-sense-to-skip-filing-a-car-insurance-claim/page/le/theres-good-news-behind-these-car-maintenance-tips-mainly-stable-or-lower-costs). “Many consumers underestimate the consequences of making claims because they can affect your rate for years,” said Laura Adams, a senior analyst at insuranceQuotes.com. “If you get a premium hike for making a small claim that could hurt your finances over the long run.”

Location is not the only reason your premium may increase drastically. Many increases are also affected by the type of claim. Bodily injury and property damage including collision claims are the most expensive with insurance costs rising by 45% and 41%, respectively. The cheapest ones are comprehensive claims for non-collision events such as theft and barely increase at 2%.

If you are not sure whether you should file a claim, use the calculator here (http://www.insurancequotes.com/calculators/car-insurance-claim-calculator).

The study found that drivers who make a single auto insurance claim of $2,000 or more will see an average premium increase of 41%. A second claim in the same year increases your average annual premium increase by 93%. The average cost of an auto insurance premium in the U.S. is $815, which means an increase of 41% would result in having to shell out another $335, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

Consumers need to understand that insurers use criteria that assess risk, said Loretta Worters, vice president of the Insurance Information Institute in New York.

“Your premium is based on how likely you are to get in an accident and how much that accident will cost,” she said.

The average yearly auto insurance premium is about $800, but there is wide variation around these averages, said Worters.

For many insurers, “credit-based insurance scoring is one of the most important and statistically valid tools to predict the likelihood of a person filing a claim and the likely cost of that claim,” she said.

Credit-based insurance scores are based on information like payment history, bankruptcies, collections, outstanding debt and length of credit history,” Worters said. “For example, regular on time credit card and mortgage payments affect a score positively, while late payments affect a score negatively.”

A number of factors determine if filing a claim is worth it, and consumers should obtain at least one or even two estimates before making any decisions, said Alec Stewart, principal of Eagle Independent Insurance Agency in Dallas.

“The bottom line is that people need an agent working for them to give them the best advice on whether a claim should be filed and to assist them with the claims process,” he said.

--Written by Ellen Chang for MainStreet

[Pinsnscrews]

A suburban was trying to pass me and glanced into my right rear bumper

In EVERY state of the Nation, if you hit a vehicle in the REAR, it is YOUR fault, "Failure to control speed to avoid an Accident." It is up to the attending officer if he wishes to write you up. You may want to request a copy of the incident report to confirm the officer who arrived did not get the roles reversed and list you as striking the other vehicle.

[NavyVet1959]

In EVERY state of the Nation, if you hit a vehicle in the REAR, it is YOUR fault, "Failure to control speed to avoid an Accident." It is up to the attending officer if he wishes to write you up. You may want to request a copy of the incident report to confirm the officer who arrived did not get the roles reversed and list you as striking the other vehicle.

Nope... I've seen road rage incidents where the person who cut in front of the other person and slammed on their brakes were rightfully charged with intentionally causing the accident.

[starmac]

In EVERY state of the Nation, if you hit a vehicle in the REAR, it is YOUR fault, "Failure to control speed to avoid an Accident." It is up to the attending officer if he wishes to write you up. You may want to request a copy of the incident report to confirm the officer who arrived did not get the roles reversed and list you as striking the other vehicle.

This would be true, if a person merges into the traffic lane and someone hits him from behind, if you stay in your lane until it has ended instead of merging it is a game changer. The rig I run is 120 feet long, folks run out of real estate every now and then when they just stay in their lane till it plays out.

[Pinsnscrews]

Sorry gentlemen, I have seen too many incidents just as you describe above over turned in court. Several were lost on appeal as well. One of the reasons I refuse to go back into working auto claims. Now, in NavyVets example, if you have a very savy Insurance Attorney, I have seen them file Insurance Fraud charges against those who "won" the civil suit, go to jail for the "Intentional Act to cause damage in order to file a claim"

[NavyVet1959]

This is not the road rage incident that I previously mentioned, but I figured I would relay it anyway.

Probably 30 or so years ago, I remember seeing a woman change lanes in front of a large dump truck that was completely full of large pieces of broken concrete. Just as she changed lanes, the light goes to yellow and she slams on her brakes to stop at the light. The truck locks up his brakes, but there's just no way that he can stop in time. The woman and her car was hit and it was like a game of billiards -- she ended up being "pocketed" right into the middle of the intersection.

I don't know who was faulted on the accident report, but in my opinion, the woman should have been ticketed for being an idiot.

[starmac]

If she got all the way in the lame, the dump truck would have been ticketed.
We were hauling gravel in the hill country one spring, and a friend of mine rounded a curve on a pretty good hill, a lady had stopped in the road to take pictures of the bluebonnets, he was ticketed, but at least she did say, she wouldn't be stopping in the road to take pictures anymore.

[starmac]

One of the jobs I worked on in Texas was at the George foundation at Crab Texas. One day a friend was sitting on the 2 lane highway waiting on oncoming traffic to clear, so he could turn left on the 4 lane divided boulevard into the foundation. Several cars stopped behind him, but as soon as he started moving, the back car shot around the cars in front of him and purposley hit the dump truck square in the drive tires on the drivers side. The state cop that came started to give the guy a ticket, and he told him to get a supervisor, because the dump truck was at fault. This caused a stir, but the guy was right. The boulevard was a private road, and in Texas, if you are turning left on to a private road, you legally have to sit there until the cars behind you pass you. CRAZY LAW, but it is what it is.

Highway 78 in Alabama was fourlane thrould every litle jerkwater town, but illegal for trucks to use the left lane for any reason. It was famous for folks to brake in front of trucks to collect insurance. I forget which town it was, but they even caught the cops, one off duty and one on duty working in conjunction. The off duty would pull in front of a truck and if bumped collect insurance, if the truck swerved into the other lane to miss him, the on duty cop would ticket him. Win, win for the local police, until they were busted.

[NavyVet1959]

If she got all the way in the lame, the dump truck would have been ticketed.
We were hauling gravel in the hill country one spring, and a friend of mine rounded a curve on a pretty good hill, a lady had stopped in the road to take pictures of the bluebonnets, he was ticketed, but at least she did say, she wouldn't be stopping in the road to take pictures anymore.

She changed lanes pretty abruptly and I don't remember her signaling. I don't think that given the way it occurred, there was a way for the truck to avoid the accident. It was a city street with at least 3 lanes in each direction and traffic was heavy enough that if he had changed lanes, he would have run over one of the cars on either side of him.

Maybe I'm a bit over-cautious since for many years a motorcycle was my primary means of transportation and I quickly learned that even minor fender benders can be painful for guys on a bike.

As far as I'm concerned, you don't slam on your brakes unless absolutely necessary if someone is right behind you -- especially if it is a vehicle that you should know can't stop that quickly. Sometimes though, I think I'm one of the few people who actually pays attention to what's in my rear view and side view mirrors. I actually *move over* if I see someone coming up behind me going faster than I am going. Sure, I'm probably going over the speed limit, but if he wants to go further over the speed limit and run "ticket interference" for me, I'm fine with it. :)

[Pinsnscrews]

Unfortunately NavyVet, what was cut and dried 30 years ago no longer applies today.

[starmac]

I have well over a hundred thousand miles, probably close to two on bikes. You learn to yield whether you have the right of way, AND to keep a close watch on your mirrors, if you want to keep riding. lol
One fourth of july night, I was cruising seawall blvd in galveston, lots of drunks and dopers were in town. I was in the right hand lane with a car beside me, sitting at a red light. Watched a car coming up behind me, with absolutely no intention of stopping. I jumped the curb and got on the side walk, just in the nick of time. He went on through the redlight without even realizing it was there. I would have been totally in the right to stay in my lane, but a lot of good it would have done me.

[white eagle]

nothing against the op however
I have noticed far to often that people will wait till the very last second to merge into the
lane that they were given fair warning to do so
most people now a days have forgotten how to drive they will most often use the left lane for the day dream lane and forgot that the left is supposed to be for passing and faster traffic
we have a three lane hwy and it never ceases to amaze me that you have most people in the middle and left lanes I guess its to much trouble to let merging traffic in or move over and allow them access
thats why I now use the right lane for passing and such

[nickeda85]

Last time I can recall not getting into the non-merging lane as soon as I saw the sign, or simply driving in it, I was in my sister's Mustang coming out of a town and was in right-hand lane as I was the slower moving vehicle, even though I was doing speed limit. Kept giving turn signal at least 1/8 mile before lane ended and began slowing, several times began to get over and vehicles kept speeding past me until finally it was lock up the brakes, hit guardrail, or punch it. I redlined the Mustang as a car acted like they would let me over then tried to pass at last second.
That was the last time...now if I know or suspect the road will merge I always get into the merging lane well beforehand because people will not let you over. And I have lost count of the number of times people have tried to cut around me or someone else at last second to gain a car length or two.
Hate driving around idiots. Be safe folks.

[starmac]

An 1/8" before the lane ended, that is cutting it close isn't. lol Just kidding, I know what you meant.

I drive truck, in the summer usually it is double tankers, heavy and 120 feet long. We have 2 lane roads for the most part, but quite a few passing lanes to pull out and let people around on the hills. It is not unusual for me to run the shoulder a little at the end of them to let folks around. It is also not unusual for folks to get beside me and just stay there, in which case they get to drive in the oncoming lane a bit.

[MaryB]

I was sitting on a 2 lane state HWY waiting to turn left. No turn lane(there should be!) and this guy I had passed a couple miles back because he was arguing with his wife(looked that way anyway) was all over the road and up and down in speed kept coming at me and I finally decided he was not stopping and I was about to be rear ended at 60mph. Decided that was not in the cards and I stomped the gas and headed for the ditch. I was driving a ratty old GMC Jimmy rust bucket and the dude tagged me on the trailer hitched with his right fender and door.

I had managed to turn 90 degrees and was almost into the ditch when he hit. It dragged the back of the jimmy around and just shredded his right front fender and door sheet metal. Bent my hitch with no other damage. Highway cop saw it and when he gets there the other driver who did not speak good English was screaming at me what you do what you do! Hwy patrol told him to shut up, asked me if I had any damage and I told him just the drawbar, well under $100. He started writing a ticket and the other guy starts laughing and pointing at me when the cop hands him the ticker for failing to stop. The look on his face was priceless! Cop told me I did some great defensive driving and could go. Gave me a card and said if the damage is worse call him and they will send out an accident investigator. Found out later it sheared a couple bolts at the frame, easy fix, still well under the $100 limit for reporting.

Something to be said for driving old rolling wrecks, when hit by a newer car the old *** survives!

[starmac]

I went on a wrecker call out by the Texas line on I40. Two drunk indians pulled over by the state line rest area, because a hitch hiker WANTED out of their car before they killed him. They pulled out in front of a T 600 pulling a reefer. He switched lanes and they did too, THREE times, until he mounted their old chrysler newport. The hitch hiker told the state cop the story, the very same story as the trucker, he was standing there watching this go down. Even though he arrested the driver for dui and the passenger for party to a crime, the trucker was ticketed for hitting them in the rear. The kid driving the truck was scared to death he had killed somebody and ran down the bank to what was left of the car, the bumper was still on the frame, but everything else was even with the front of the front seat. It was winter time, and they had the windows rolled up, sitting there haveing a smoke. He beat on the window asking was anybody in the back seat. They told him to go on and leave them alone, they just blowed a tire and didn't need his help. That is how wasted these clowns were. The hitch hiker had run down there too, and told the kid no one else was in the car. I argued with the state cop telling him he was destroying the kids carreer, and taking his livelyhood away. He was a friend (the cop) and said he had no choice in the matter. I told the kid I would go to court with him, but he said he wouldn't come back and fight it, he was done.

[blackthorn]

I witnessed an accident in an intersection where a young East Indian girl turned left in front of a 3 ton van. She was waiting in the intersection for the chance to turn, the light went orange and she just cranked the wheel and turned. The problem was that the truck was entering the intersection when the light turned orange. He was well over the cross walk line when the orange came on. He had NO chance to stop! He T-boned the girls car. I got the green light after the truck/car slid past me. I gave the truck driver my name and contact information in case he needed it. Sure enough, the insurance called me a few days later. I told them exactly what had happened and sent them a signed statement. I suspected the truck driver might run into trouble so after I got home (day of accident) I had carefully recorded what I had observed. A few weeks later I got a call from the truck driver who told me the cops were trying to charge him and, since he was going to fight the charge, would I appear in court if necessary? I told him I would and I sent him a signed (and notarized) copy of the report I had sent to the insurance company. Got a call a bit later on---thanking me and telling me all charges had been dropped.

[white eagle]

same kind of thing happened in front of a friend of mine in Milwaukee
A woman at a corner gas station just filled up her car and pulled out into traffic
what she didn't see was a fully loaded dump truck hauling gravel or stone could not stop
killed her instantly, drove over her car
she pulled out without looking to see what was coming if anything