Witnessed a crash - Dashcam came in handy!

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derektrotter

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Hi All

Thought fellow members find this interesting, was driving along the M1 when a lorry merged into the car in the next lane, I pulled over (it looks like i'm cutting across traffic however I did check my mirrors to ensure all clear) made sure no one was hurt and have sent the car driver the link to the footage, no one else pulled over so he was quite grateful.

Its quite handy as the lorry driver is claiming the car crashed into him and denying fault, I think at some point I need to upgrade my dashcam, the quality is sufficient to prove liability but cannot quite make out the numberplates which is not ideal.

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Thoughts?
 
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Hi All

Thought fellow members find this interesting, was driving along the M1 when a lorry merged into the car in the next lane, I pulled over (it looks like i'm cutting across traffic however I did check my mirrors to ensure all clear) made sure no one was hurt and have sent the car driver the link to the footage, no one else pulled over so he was quite grateful.

Its quite handy as the lorry driver is claiming the car crashed into him and denying fault, I think at some point I need to upgrade my dashcam, the quality is sufficient to prove liability but cannot quite make out the numberplates which is not ideal.

Skip to 35 seconds in.

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For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Thoughts?

Sorry,
It's not working for me,

Many people seeing an accident don't realize that their footage could help someone involved in the accident. Well done.
 
Even though its technically the Lorries fault, if the Civic wasnt sitting in the middle lane doing below 70mph for so long (the lorry easily able to catch up with it) then this crash could have been avoided...
 
That’s a perfect example why you should never run alongside a foreign HGV (assuming it‘s a left hand drive tractor unit) - blind spot.
Those type of incidents are all too common.
 
The gantries had just changed speed limit so we were all slowing down, I was about to change into left lane until I saw lorry started indicating.
 
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Even though its technically the Lorries fault, if the Civic wasnt sitting in the middle lane doing below 70mph for so long (the lorry easily able to catch up with it) then this crash could have been avoided...

Nothing of the sort. You can see the Civic is sat in line of traffic behind another car in lane 2, as soon as it pulls over the gantry signs kick in so it never gets the chance to accelerate.
 
That’s a perfect example why you should never run alongside a foreign HGV (assuming it‘s a left hand drive tractor unit) - blind spot.
Those type of incidents are all too common.
Happened to my then mother-in-law on the A2 in Kent about 35 years ago when a foreign HGV pulled across the front of her Mini as she was overtaking it. No dash-cams in those days, but plenty of witnesses to contradict the driver's assertion that she had driven into him...

While the advice to avoid running alongside an HGV hauled by a LHD tractor unit is sound, I'd extend that to not running alongside any HGV. In addition to the blind spot issue, if you've ever witnessed an HGV tyre explode, or the tread part company with the carcass, you'll appreciate why.
 
Even though its technically the Lorries fault, if the Civic wasnt sitting in the middle lane doing below 70mph for so long (the lorry easily able to catch up with it) then this crash could have been avoided...

People complain when their insurer increases their premium due to no-fault accidents.

But the reality is that 'no-fault' and 'at-fault' are just technical legal terms, because the actual fault is rarely binary.

While there are obviously accidents that are unavoidable, in the vast majority of cases the 'no-fault' driver could have prevented the accident - if he or she was a better driver.

A simple example is when driving through a teen light at a junction and colliding with another driver who jumped a red light. Whose fault is it? Legally, the driver who jumped the red light is at fault. But really, does the green light driver carry no fault? Did he check that the junction was clear before driving through it? Had he done that, could he have prevented the crash? Etc.

Let's face it, the better driver will avoid more 'no-fault' accidents than the lesser driver.
 
That’s a perfect example why you should never run alongside a foreign HGV (assuming it‘s a left hand drive tractor unit) - blind spot.
Those type of incidents are all too common.
True, but it doesn't fully explain it.

The HGV driver is tagging along behind the car for quite a while before the accident. The car may have been at his blind spot at the moment of collision, but an alert driver that is observant of his surroundings would have known the car was there. I suppose that long hours st the wheel plus a range of potential distractions in the cabin to alleviate boredom do take their toll.
 
People complain when their insurer increases their premium due to no-fault accidents.

But the reality is that 'no-fault' and 'at-fault' are just technical legal terms, because the actual fault is rarely binary.

While there are obviously accidents that are unavoidable, in the vast majority of cases the 'no-fault' driver could have prevented the accident - if he or she was a better driver.

A simple example is when driving through a teen light at a junction and colliding with another driver who jumped a red light. Whose fault is it? Legally, the driver who jumped the red light is at fault. But really, does the green light driver carry no fault? Did he check that the junction was clear before driving through it? Had he done that, could he have prevented the crash? Etc.

Let's face it, the better driver will avoid more 'no-fault' accidents than the lesser driver.
I (used to) see similar all the time whilst cycling on my commute. Most cyclist near misses and incidents that I have seen could have been avoided by those involved being more aware of what was happening around them.

That said, great video and my driving lesson for the day! When gantry speed limits are on I can well imagine being that car keeping a steady speed alongside other vehicles without taking note of the risk of lane-changing trucks tucked behind my rear pillar.
 
Nothing of the sort. You can see the Civic is sat in line of traffic behind another car in lane 2, as soon as it pulls over the gantry signs kick in so it never gets the chance to accelerate.

If you had an HGV tagging behind you on your left for a while.... would you not have kept it in your mirrors and observed what it does?

I don't know how experienced or alert the Civic driver was. And I accept that most drivers wouldn't have been able to avoid the collision. But an experienced and alert driver, would.

In fact, we only hear about these things when the accident wasn't avoided. But every day on our roads there are experienced and alert drivers who avoid accidents - we just take no notice of it.
 
Given that everything is slowing down, one's focus is going to be on what's in front.

Placing the onus on other people to avert the outcome of a collision sets a dangerous precedent.
 
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Well done I have been thinking about a dash camera,the truck drive has made a mistake thankfully it did not cause a big accident,looking at the footage I suspect a small truck driver with left hand drive truck and he missed the car that was just past the front of the truck,but whatever,your footage has ended any chance of him saying he did not cause the accident. :)
 
I'm not sure I'm interpreting the suggestions correctly here but had the Civic anticipated the HGV not being aware of his / her presence and been able to be positioned so not in danger, ahead, behind or changed lanes, another would likely have taken that place.

I'm also not so sure that the HGV driver could be aware of the many possibilities of a car becoming in that position eg a driver from the outer lane moving in at an angle that is along the blind spot line.

A HGV driver must assume that there is something in his blind spot. If this is a left hand drive HGV then even more so.
If this is so regular then an argument for blind spot cameras is created.

I am surprised that the HGV driver became aware of contact so soon. I wonder if he checked his mirror too late and then saw the Civic.
 
I have a sneaky feeling this is going to be one of those long drawn out threads as to who’s at fault :)
 
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There probably wouldn’t have been an accident if it hadn’t been a ‘SMART’ motorway. This type of motorway results in many people concentrating more on their speedo than what’s around them.
 
I suspect the HGV's insurance will pay out, but the Civic driver's a bit of a d1ck; I'd not sit beside an HGV like that, whatever the speed limit, unless in a speed-camera-controlled contraflow or in crawling traffic, and even then I don't like doing it.
 
Well not sure but this is a not so smart motrway,and the gantry had just put up 60 mph and so the cars slowed and the truck kept up his speed as he was doing lets say around 58mph and so the civic did not clear the truck,its what I have said for years before these motorway speed limits,when the old bill used to come out and run at 60 or 50 mph so you had three lanes of traffic all doing the same speed,any driver making a mistake and you have a big accident,the same with a puncture or breakdown because you have nowhere to go with traffic all around you.
 
As others have said, never sit beside an HGV, I always get passed ASAP and be aware they may change lanes unexpectedly..
 

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