Well, ive had better days!

Sounds awful but at least your wife is relatively unhurt. Hope everything works out for you and the dozy Honda driver takes it on the chin.

I drive a fair few miles around the UK and see that kind of thing quite often, not so much the stopping dead in the road, but cars swerving last minute to exit a dual-carridge way or motorway. I swear it's half asleep drivers suddenly realising that sat-nav is telling them to take the next exit but they're not really paying attention to where they're going and it comes as a bit of a shock when they glance at the screen as they're sailing past their junction at 70mph so they panic and either swerve violently to the left or slam on their brakes; sometimes they do both but then realise there's either a car to their left or behind them so they carry on up the road, usually slowing right down to take stock and work out where the next exit is.

Did the Honda driver have sat-nav or were they just being a stereo-typical Honda driver?

Hope your wife feels better soon.

glad to hear your wife's o.k. I don't see how she could be any way held to blame, she wasn't following the car in front too close, the car swerved out in front of her suddenly giving her no chance to avoid it. And there is a witness who has given a statement, so shouldn't be a problem.

Daryl.

[mister c]

Originally Posted by ooger

"just stopped dead in the road cos she had missed her turning".

I had similar years ago. the guy just stopped, I ran into the back of him on my bike. When I picked myself off the floor & went to strangle him, he said that he had missed the drive to his house

Glad that nobody was hurt mate, cars can be replaced.

[Dave20046]

Originally Posted by Learningcurve

Luckily for us, a car in the outside lane saw it all, and he was an off duty paramedic. He stopped and helped out. He also gave the Police all the details so it looks like she's gonna get nailed to the wall for this one.

I'm afraid that might not be the case matey It'll likely go partial blame to both.

Thanks for all your messages guys and gals. Just confirms what I had already thought, that there some really nice people on this forum.

After thinking about it last night, I think what some of you said is probably right. Im sure my wife will get some of the blame for the accident, as she hit the back of the other car.

Im not actually sure if it is illegal to stop on a main A road dual carriageway with a 70mph speed limit, unless youve broken down, which she wasnt. There was no hard shoulder, she had just stopped past her turning in the inside lane, presumedly to reverse back when the road cleared?. I know its illegal on a motorway, but im not sure about trunk roads.

Still, as you all said, she walked away with minor cuts and bruises. Any crash you walk away from is a good one in my book.

Let the insurance battle commence!

That sounds well dodgy to me- if she'd stopped dead on a normal road, maybe half the blame but surely you can't do that on a dual carriageway!

Glad your wife is ok - she may well hurt a few days after, so tell her to take it easy. That must have been really frightening.

Les,

Just a thought, but this 'dual carriage way with 70mph speed limit & no hard shoulder' wasn't the A55 was it?

That's pretty much treated as a motorway anyway. Reversing backwards on the A55 to find your sliproad is going to be a big no-no!

Good luck with the insurance battle though!

Originally Posted by shonadoll

That sounds well dodgy to me- if she'd stopped dead on a normal road, maybe half the blame but surely you can't do that on a dual carriageway!

Glad your wife is ok - she may well hurt a few days after, so tell her to take it easy. That must have been really frightening.

Thanks Shonadoll, shes woken up this morning aching all over. Big bruise coming through on her shoulder and chest from the seatbelt. Have you seen the burns you can get on your hands from the airbag propellant? They look like they could be really unpleasant.

My next problem is getting a replacement for the tuition car she was driving. I have pupils doing their test in it over the next few weeks.

I get a replacement dual control car from my insurers, its arriving tomorrow, but they cant supply the same make. This means your pupils have to adapt to a new car just before their test.

Still, hey ho! Cant do anything about it. The main thing is that Sarah is ok.

Originally Posted by Baph

Les,

Just a thought, but this 'dual carriage way with 70mph speed limit & no hard shoulder' wasn't the A55 was it?

That's pretty much treated as a motorway anyway. Reversing backwards on the A55 to find your sliproad is going to be a big no-no!

Good luck with the insurance battle though!

Exactly right Baph, it was the A55.

Just after Queensferry, the main road from Chester comes in from your left to join the dual carriageway. A car cut in front of sarah from there, still indicating left. Then he saw the stopped car and dived to the outside lane. Thats when sarah saw the stopped car, just after the Mold (A494)turn off slip road.

Originally Posted by Learningcurve

Exactly right Baph, it was the A55.

Just after Queensferry, the main road from Chester comes in from your left to join the dual carriageway. A car cut in front of sarah from there, still indicating left. Then he saw the stopped car and dived to the outside lane. Thats when sarah saw the stopped car, just after the Mold (A494)turn off slip road.

That's a nasty little junction even when people behave themselves!!

I wouldn't be surprised to find the driver that stopped on a dangerous driving charge for that!

I still reckon their insurance company will try & blame your wife for part of it though, being the nice kind of people that they are!