Defensive Driving?

[markjay]

As mentioned though if she'd been looking the wrong way she could have pulled out with the other car only a matter of yards away. The only way to avoid a collision then would have been for the other driver to have slowed to a walking pace, just in case. Is that realistic?

Sound the horn?

 

[BTB 500]

Sound the horn?

If you could see the driver and the fact that she wasn't looking your way, yes. But this might not have been possible, depending on angle/lighting conditions/etc.

 

[markjay]

If I saw a car gliding to a stop at the junction, I'd grasp the steering wheel, place one finger on the horn in readiness, and be very alert until I passed through the junction.

When teaching my daughter to drive, whenever passing through a junction, on approach I'd ask loudly "junction clear?", regardless of who has 'right of way'. She has to answer "yes" before reaching the junction. If there's a car waiting or approaching, she needs to acknowledge it.

I am not suggesting that I'll never get caught out, I certainly might, but if it happens, then I'll see it as my fault for momentarily losing concentration.

 

[StMarks]

If I saw a car gliding to a stop at the junction, I'd grasp the steering wheel, place one finger on the horn in readiness, and be very alert until I passed through the junction.

When teaching my daughter to drive, whenever passing through a junction, on approach I'd ask loudly "junction clear?", regardless of who has 'right of way'. She has to answer "yes" before reaching the junction. If there's a car waiting or approaching, she needs to acknowledge it.

I am not suggesting that I'll never get caught out, I certainly might, but if it happens, then I'll see it as my fault for momentarily losing concentration.

Sounds to me as though you drive like a seasoned motorcyclist ...

 

[markjay]

Sounds to me as though you drive like a seasoned motorcyclist ...

Not a biker myself, but an ER doctor once told me that there are two types of bikers, those that he has already treated, and those that he has not treated - yet. So your comment rings true....

 

[Pontoneer]

Tesla driver, 43, crashed because she 'forgot' she was in Britain

High-flying company director Olessia Willybiro, 43, had her two children in the back of her £100,000 Tesla Model X when she failed to look for oncoming traffic as she exited a service station.

mol.im

What do people think? Should driver Damon Campion have been more focused on the road ahead and anticipating the hazardous situation?

I am not referring to the legal aspect or the insurance aspect. I am thinking of driving in self-preservation mode. Is it unreasonable to request that drivers pay attention and spot hazards well in advance?

Just seeing this for the first time , despite the sensationalist reporting ( why publish TWO photographs of the woman , one being a cropped in version of the other ? ) , I have little to no sympathy for her .

I have made numerous trips to the continent and have driven in most of continental Europe ( France and Spain excepted ) ; when I do so , and after returning , my first few days involve being ultra cautious when leaving premises for exactly this reason . generally , after a day or two I become reasonably accustomed to driving on the left/right and don't so much need to worry about it ( this includes periods of several months in Holland/Germany ) but rarely more than a week or two elsewhere , which have ranged as far as Denmark/Poland and Austria/Switzerland/Italy .

In this case , I just see , once again the Anne Saccoulas mindset , only at least this one remained within reach of our judicial system .

Re the original question , yes , we should all try to anticipate unforeseen events , and as part of my advanced driver training is looking for eye contact with people emerging from premises or side roads ahead of me .

 

[Pontoneer]

He probably could, but if some idiot pulls out from where they shouldn’t you will go into them. No amount of defensive driving or hazard awareness can compensate for the unusual.

As drivers, we anticipate that the other vehicles are under sane control, and will more or less follow the rules of the road.

On a different point, it’s a shame that with all her income she cannot afford non ripped clothes.

I was taught , long ago , to ALWAYS look for eye contact with other drivers ; if they are not looking towards you - expect them to do something foolish .

 

[Pontoneer]

She's a wrong un alright.
A high earning Russian born blond woman with a foreign name, a £2m house, an EV, and the temerity to spend time in Europe! Go get her Daily Mail! Jeez, we're lucky to have such socially committed journalism.

'High earning' and 'highly paid' are two very different things .

 

[Pontoneer]

Of course some types of hazards cannot reasonably be anticipated or avoided. But I suspect that most can. In fact, over the years, there have been many a time when I did something stupid on the road, and yet didn't crash, simply because the other driver was alert and corrercly spotted me as a hazard.

I have no issue with how insurance - and the legal system - work, I just wish that more attention was given to the behaviour of the not-at-fault driver, to increase awareness and so that others may learn from his/her experience. And without accusations of 'blaming the victim'.

If you haven't already seen it - look up Ashley Neal's channel on youtube . Ashley is a driving instructor and has a lot of content and helpful advice over there .