accident

[w8d4it]

Not at all motorcycle related but I have to vent.  I took delivery of a brand new 2015 VW Passat TDI SEL on Saturday evening at 5PM.  Less than 24 hours later, at 1PM on Sunday,  a woman (talking on the telephone naturally) ran a stop sign (rolling stop) and pulled in front of me.  I hit the horn and the idiot stopped dead in the intersection.  No avoiding her.  She admits its her fault and apologizes but my son suffers a minor concussion, I injure my arm and my car with only 72 miles on it now has thousands in damage.  The stupidity of people never ceases to amaze me.  There she is on the phone, with her own daughter in the car, carelessly running stop signs at a four lane road.  Dual carriage way for your Brits.  Then she compounds her stupidity by admitting that she saw the car next to me (making a turn onto the road she was on) but did't see me right next to that car.    I suppose I should be glad I wasn't on my motorcycle.  I lived in Europe for years and I can tell you that licensing requirements in the USA are just too easy.

[azgman]

Nice car.. I have a 2013. You can fix the car, so be thankful nobody was seriously hurt! I would like to rip the cell phones out of the hands of every driver on the road however... 

[cropbiker]

I am glad you and your son are not seriously hurt w8d.... the car can be fixed although I can certainly appreciate the anger of having something that you have invested good money in seriously damaged effectively while brand new.... but at the end of the day it is only metal.

I hope you insist that charges are brought against this woman for whatever the equivalent US offence is for driving without due care and attention. All drivers on mobiles need to learn... its not big, its not clever and it is very rare that it was even necessary. With the low cost of handsfree kit and most modern cars having it built in there is absolutely NO excuse for having a mobile in your hand while driving.

[Coconut]

Likewise I'm so glad there were no serious injuries.

I think you may already know a good lawyer !    

Take care,

[silverstripes]

Glad your Ok with no injuries. Here in the UK if filtering down the outside of stationary traffic I often witness people on the phone. I wear a yellow and blue high viz, ride a silver bike, white helmet and often tap on the drivers window  You ought to see the look on their face as the phone hits the passenger floor mat  Priceless

[Coconut]

If someone collided with me because they were on their Phone,
it might be interesting to see the look on their face after I hit it 

[w8d4it]

Thank you all.  In the US whether use of a phone while driving is legal is dependent on state law.  In Texas it is perfectly legal to drive while talking on the phone, while texting, while putting on your makeup, etc.  You name it as long as it doesn't involve alcohol it's legal      The county sheriff deputy investigating wrote the accident up as her fault but refused to cite her with a ticket. He said "she didn't mean to hit me and accidents happen, that's why they call them accidents".   I later found out her husband is a local fireman so I suspect (rather strongly) cronyism is the reason.   

At the moment her insurance company is being reasonable,  accepting all liability so I will have to see how it plays out.  Still given what could have happened to my son I find it hard to be so sanguine as the other driver, her husband or her insurance company.  All a matter of business to them.  All a matter of stupidity, carelessness and thoughtlessness to me. 

[neojynx]

Used to live in Austin and have driven around Houston (where highways really are high ways) - Driving test was easy, a few lefts a few rights and a parallel park. 

I havent been anywhere (and I have been lots of places including working a number of years in Paris) that is as bad as Texas for driving habits.  Pretty much everyone on the phone, dogs sitting on drivers laps and the worst has to be the laptop on a purpose built laptop holder fitted in the car being used by the driver.

Used to see at least 1 accident a week.  I bought a Nissan Pathfinder on a Monday, Tuesday morning got rear ended by a woman on the phone.  She asked why I had stopped at the RED traffic light. Had a slight dent, her Ford was a write off   

However (something you dont see too often in the UK) she admitted liabilty there & then, phoned the insurance broker directly , passed the phone to me to confirm and had it fixed with a rental in just over a week, good as new.

It was an experience,  I fully understand the gripe!

regards

Garry