(Ultra)Minor Collision (Car) video - Fault?

Get them on the back heel by ringing again and saying that as they don't operate in that area you have contacted the traffic commissioner and VOSA as you believe there me be a coach company operating in the area in the guise of another company. Tell them that you have done this on their behalf as you feel it only right that VOSA be notified to protect the coach company in case of future accidents.
This will get the transport manager giving it a little more attention....

What you cant see is what's in the lane to the right of him, He may have been over as far as he was to avoid hitting something there, I don't know the area but quite often it's almost impossible for large vehicles to stay in lane on both sides at similar junctions round my way and as such I wouldn't nip up the inside unless I was sure I could pop through before it narrowed.

Not that I'm suggesting you did anything wrong as such, just that I personally wouldn't have positioned myself in the same way from past experience.

Originally Posted by Dave20046

The lane he's in is really wide, I had the curb as my escape route (wrongly or rightly!) as I did actually clock the risk but thought he'd get close then pop back into his lane.

The fact you say you'd assessed the risk and then decided to carry on with your manouevre instead of backing off and waiting for a few moments makes you as much to blame I reckon.

[Dave20046]

Fg1 like it- although I guess I could just say 'well I'm submitting camera footage to my insurer and they can talk to your driver. Though like Tam says maybe they'll call that bluff! Your idea might be a plan to get to have a word with the driver!

Originally Posted by Spank86

What you cant see is what's in the lane to the right of him, He may have been over as far as he was to avoid hitting something there, I don't know the area but quite often it's almost impossible for large vehicles to stay in lane on both sides at similar junctions round my way and as such I wouldn't nip up the inside unless I was sure I could pop through before it narrowed.

Not that I'm suggesting you did anything wrong as such, just that I personally wouldn't have positioned myself in the same way from past experience.

It's a-road 6109 if you want to look Spank. I think I get what you mean but I'm in a debating mood on this one ... By positioning differently do you mean slow until the coach has passed the junction before passing?(being pedantic as technically road positions wise I couldn't be any further left )
As I approached he was entirely in his own lane as I decided to pass, as he started to close in over the line I took the decision to plough on and move if he got much closer which is what happened ( though I didn't want him to clip my mirror before I did!)- don't get me wrong on a bike I probably wouldn't have accepted that risk... But I reckon most car drivers would have... If even clocking it as a hazard. You don't see many cars slamming on the anchors because a lorry toed the white line.
If he was avoiding something on the right he should have checked his mirror (or maybe he did it at the wrong interval?) if that was the case I'd want the driver to tell me that and maybe explain why he didn't stop, and then I'd have thought 'accidents happen'. It's annoying that I can't even talk to that driver because they're obstructing that conversation.

[Dave20046]

Originally Posted by Teejayexc

The fact you say you'd assessed the risk and then decided to carry on with your manouevre instead of backing off and waiting for a few moments makes you as much to blame I reckon.

I agree to an extent I think, maybe why I'm questioning it- but I was worried 'biker sense' was skewing my opinion.


Asking in terms of 'legal blame' rather than what would actually avoid the scenario in the future.My real question is, if I submit that footage to them as leverage to talk to the driver... Are they likely to start an insurance claim and try to get me in the s*it for the inevitable whiplash the driver and all his passengers suffered

[Kenzie]

I think its 50/50. Poor positioning of the coach, but as Bibio said you should have foreseen the possibility of the coach cutting the corner slightly and hung back a bit. Or possibly stopped once you realised he had started to move.
Tough one, but each of us may have done something different if faced with this situation.

[Dave20046]

Originally Posted by Teejayexc

The fact you say you'd assessed the risk and then decided to carry on with your manouevre instead of backing off and waiting for a few moments makes you as much to blame I reckon.

Originally Posted by Kenzie

I think its 50/50. Poor positioning of the coach, but as Bibio said you should have foreseen the possibility of the coach cutting the corner slightly and hung back a bit. Or possibly stopped once you realised he had started to move.
Tough one, but each of us may have done something different if faced with this situation.

Maybe worth noting there were cars behind me... Would have definitely got a claim in in that scenario! ( if I was that was inclined)

I've reworded my question to the org in the post above though

[Biker Biggles]

I think the coach is legally to blame because he moved across partly into your lane.Legally you had every right to be passing on the left in that lane.He should have ensured it was clear to move over.
Apart from legally though,you could have anticipated the situation and avoided it IMO

[Dave20046]

Originally Posted by Biker Biggles

I think the coach is legally to blame because he moved across partly into your lane.Legally you had every right to be passing on the left in that lane.He should have ensured it was clear to move over.
Apart from legally though,you could have anticipated the situation and avoided it IMO

Thank you, that's what I was after!
The rights and wrongs of why those two things are different have been done death I guess. I was aware I used the word 'should' some where in this thread ,I know in biker hindsight 'he shouldn't have done that' = 'I shouldn't be dead' which is normally my thoughts on accidents...probably why I'm a bit torn.
I reckon the driver cocked up ,then thought he could do one. I'd bet on it... But not sure I'd bet my no claims bonus on it (8 years by the way folks)

Originally Posted by Dave20046

It's a-road 6109 if you want to look Spank. I think I get what you mean but I'm in a debating mood on this one ... By positioning differently do you mean slow until the coach has passed the junction before passing?(being pedantic as technically road positions wise I couldn't be any further left )

looking probably wouldn't help me much unless google managed to catch a lorry/bus on the road at the time.

I mean I'd not be parallel to the middle of a non articulated long vehicle for that for any length of time, not near corners. I'd generally either hang back just behind it so i could slow if needed or dart by quickly if i thought it wasn't going to be coming over my lane before I got though. I'd actually take more of a risk on a bike as I need less room and have more maneuverability.

Bear in mind the only 4 wheeled vehicle I drive is a van so i have to be more careful since the width of roads like that means I take up quite a lot of the lane myself and cant change a maneuver so quickly. Eitehr way I'd have been fully expecting to lose some of my lane there, although maybe not quite as much as you actually did.