xhute

Last night driving in canberra in the rain I turned right on to a street through a giveway sign. Checked to my left and proceeded to turn. Half way through the turn I heard a horn and once again looked to my left. I briefly caught a glimpse of a bullbar in a reflection and immediately planted the accelerator. This bloke in a landcruiser continues to jump on his horn for another 30m down the street right up my arse before he realises he didn't have his lights on.

It was at about 9pm in pelting rain and I didn't see him through the slight build up of mist in my passenger window. Had he had his lights on I would have seen him. In this situation if he had hit me who would have been in the wrong as technically I did not give way to him.

Looking back on it putting my foot down probably wasn't such a good idea as I reckon I went slower when the wheels started spinning and ended up with a slight (...read lots of) oversteer.

I am only young and fairly inexperienced and this is the first close call I have had. Talk about getting the heart pumping.

Any opinions on this situation?

EBXR

Wasn't in Philip? I was there last night, and saw a couple of near misses involving 4x4's in the space of 50 meters. Scared my missus who was in the car.

I s'pose if he hit you at night, and you could prove that his lights were not on, then it would be equal fault. Failing to give way, and failing to have headlights on. A friend had his car written off in similar circumstances, and the police deemed it to be equal fault. He was spewing as he lost his no claim bonus through no fault of his own.

Main thing is that you are okay, and there was no damage to you or your car. Becoming a better driver is based on experiences of driving in all sorts of conditions and learning how to adapt your driving style.ing things on the road. I must admit the roads were very greazy too, which would not have helped your wheel spinning...

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'67 Mustang V8 4sp... what fun to drive!

xhute

No it was in Civic

Thank god he/she didn't hit as I would have been pissed losing my no-claim bonus when in my opinion it wasn't my fault.

PHoeNiX_EB

Thats a tough one, personally i think its his fault for not having his lights on! Ill have to ask my mate whos a cop what he recons.

PHoeNiX_

rob_o

I reckon it would've been his fault... driving without lights on at night or in the rain is dangerous.

Fortunately I havent come close to hitting anyone without their lights on, but seeing them go down the street at night is kinda hard to spot them.

-Rob

FalKeen

good luck proving he didnt have his lights on
unless you get a witness...

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VanGelder

Yeah, definately his fault, like you said there was no possible way you could've seen him. Lucky you got out of it without an accident !

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XWJG34

That's easy... Do what the lady did when I hit her when she went through red lights. She got her boyfriend to say he was walking nearby and saw the whole thing... then pretended he was a stranger and had never seen them before.

She admitted it to the cops and myself that it was her fault... but after finding out she was screwed because it was her boyfriends company car she then made up a story later. Played poor little innocent naive girl to the coppas.

We ended up in court and the judge said it was 50% my fault (all based on this so called witness) the judge wouldn't hear my story and my solicitor was a total knob who wouldn't listen to me. I had to sit there and listen to lies while keeping my mouth shut.

Moral of the story is DON'T HAVE AN ACCIDENT if you do...get witnesses (not passengers in your car as they don't count)... but in the meantime thank God that nothing happened and learn from the experience. You'd be amazed that even if you know you are not at fault the story can be turned around against you.

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LSUG (Leaf Spring Users Group) Durability Tester and Restorer.
Delete striped BAGTs look like (*)(*)less models!!!!

BA GT-HO

The police (crash investigators) can tell if the lights were on or not by conducting a test on what is left of the bulb, wiring and light. I remember watching motorway patrol on CH 9 and a guy killed a lady on a freeway by ramming into the back of her car whilst she was changing lanes and he said that she was changing lanes without indicating. She was proven to have been indicating from what was left of the bulbs. (he was racing another ricer at something like 160km/h around a corner in the wet which doesnt help) Something to do with how you can tell that there was heat in the wire (hence the bulb was illuminated) inside the bulb after an impact. I reckon they only go to these lengths if it was a real serious crash though.

HO HO HO!

Yeah its a tough one. The best advice I can give you is what my dad taught me when I was learning: When you're giving way at an intersection, be like a spectatot at a tennis match: keep checking left and right.

Sounds like you were lucky to avoid that one, no real lessons to be drawn from it I guess. Always flash guys without their lights on or else this could happen to someone else a few kms down the road!