Any advice / info appreciated!

Returning from my Grandparents house last night in the snow I came around a blind corner (First gear nice and slow 5 -10mph) As I got around the corner I was greeted with two sets of headlights coming towards me......Three cars were stuck trying to get up the slight incline that the leads to the blind corner, but one lady in a Nissan Almera thought she could make so moved onto the wrong side of the road, over a solid white line. This was the time I came around the corner, I braked, managed to avoid hitting her head on, but did scrape all down the side of her (ripping her rear bumper off) I ended up through a bush and into a farmers field.

The poor vRS looks a bit unhappy and need quite a lot of work, but I am happy to say that it drives exactly as it should! Does anyone have any information on how the insurance companies will view this? I have reported the incident, and have photogrpahic eveidence, but just wondered what you guys think?? In my view she shouldn't cross the solid whit line in any conditions....even snow. Is this correct?

Thanks in advance

James

Edited 4 February, 201016 yr by trickett_james

I dont think the white line in the way you term it is relevent here, What does seem relevent is the fact she was driving on the wrong side of the road, prior to a blind bend..

I would hope you aren't going to have a problem with liability, given that the woman who hit you came round a blind corner on the wrong side of the road having crossed a solid white line and forced you into a field.

If the visibility was so bad she couldn't see your lights approaching then it was a pretty dumb thing to do!

Sounds like her car came of worse, what is the damage to your car?

hmm can't spell but I have just invented a new word - sloid!

Edited 4 February, 201016 yr by trundlenut

What does seem relevent is the fact she was driving on the wrong side of the road, prior to a blind bend..

Although, supposing she was travelling in the same direction as the OP and had suffered mechanical failure just after the corner? The guide is that you're supposed to be able to stop in the distance you can see, so regardless of what's round the corner you should be travelling slow enough to avoid hitting it, whether it should be there or not.

I wouldn't dispute that putting this into practice isn't the easiest thing - particularly if there's snow/ice which makes the ability to stop unpredictable - but from an insurance point of view they won't automatically point the finger at the driver on the wrong side of the road.

Not that she was on the wrong side of the road - if the "stuck" vehicles were stationary, she'd be permitted to overtake over a solid white line anyway (although evidently she misjudged it).

In terms of what to expect off the insurance company...well, I'd go for trying to apportion the blame solely on the other driver, but that's just what you do when dealing with insurance companies.

Rob.

Rob, what you said sounds great in theory, but there's a World of difference between being able to stop short of a stationary barrier, and being able to stop short of an oncoming vehicle.

Unfortunately the solid white line is a red herring here; you are allowed to cross them to overtake a vehicle doing under 10mph. http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_070306

Rob, what you said sounds great in theory, but there's a World of difference between being able to stop short of a stationary barrier, and being able to stop short of an oncoming vehicle.

Although if that oncoming vehicle is struggling to get up a slippery slope I'd imagine it's moving at a speed approximating a stationary barrier...

Rob.