Am I right or wrong?

rsom

Today I was parked in a parking bay on a one way street. My parking space was 3 spaces from the end of the one way street.

When leaving the parking bay, and reversing to the left, I glanced right then focused to the left as the other parked cars were restricting my view.

A driver entered the wrong end of the one way street, continued driving despite my reversing car, and I reversed into her driver side door. She said I didn't look (ie she knew I was not looking her direction but still continued to drive up behind me), I told her she shouldn't have been there in the first place.

Am I in the wrong for colliding with her while reversing, or does the one way street put her in the wrong?

What do you think?

daveharnett

rsom wrote: »

Today I was parked in a parking bay on a one way street. My parking space was 3 spaces from the end of the one way street.

When leaving the parking bay, and reversing to the left, I glanced right then focused to the left as the other parked cars were restricting my view.

A driver entered the wrong end of the one way street, continued driving despite my reversing car, and I reversed into her driver side door. She said I didn't look (ie she knew I was not looking her direction but still continued to drive up behind me), I told her she shouldn't have been there in the first place.

In my view, about 80% of the blame would lie with her. You should be checking all around you (even if there "shouldn't" be anything coming from that direction). But on the other hand she shouldn't have been there, and given that she was there, should have been giving way to everything else, including people reversing onto the road.

IMO the most likely outcome is that the insurance companies will call it a 'hit for hit', so you (or your own insurers) will each pay for the damage to your own cars.

Wishbone Ash

Bear in mind - a reversing vehicle has no right of way whatsoever and must therefore yield to all other vehicles.

That other vehicle could have been a pedestrian.

Johnny86

What an idiot driving wrong way on 1 way street...she should get penalty points for stupid dangerous stuff like that..reason insurance is so high..makes me sick

Buffman

You were both wrong in that situation, and unless you come to an agreement with the other party to call it quits, it is up to the insurance companies to sort it out.

Also, were the Gardai contacted? Illegal entry onto a one-way street is 1 point and a €60 fine.

DriveSkill

It's a difficult enough situation but in my opinion you are still primarily at fault. It is your ultimate responsibility, as the driver, to ensure that you do not drive into anything while driving either forwards or in reverse. The other driver obviously did not realise it was a one-way street and while that is an error you still do not have the right of way while reversing. As others have said if it had been a pedestrian or cyclist you would equally not have seen them and the consequences could be worse.

I hope there wasnt too much damage done and you can get it sorted easily and quickly.

I think this example and experience clearly illustrates the importance of proper observation and checking ALL mirrors, blindspots over both shoulders and looking out the rear window while reversing. Most learner drivers probably consider it 'overkill' when instructors drum this into them but its the 1% cases like this which is the reason for it - 99% of the time you look and there is nothing there. However, in this case a quick glance over the right shoulder may have prevented it as you might have seen the car entering the road.

daveharnett

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Bear in mind - a reversing vehicle has no right of way whatsoever and must therefore yield to all other vehicles.

That other vehicle could have been a pedestrian.

That's fair enough ash, and the OP has to take a portion of the blame, but does a car driving illegally up a one-way street have less or more right of way?

There is also a point of common sense here. When you are parked at right angles to the road, with cars parked either side of you, you will have to reverse 'blindly' (ie watching behind, but unable to see approaching traffic) for the first few feet. Oncoming traffic ought to be aware of this hazard, and either give the reversing car a wide berth, or wait for them to complete their manoeuvre.

NukaCola

rsom wrote: »

Today I was parked in a parking bay on a one way street. My parking space was 3 spaces from the end of the one way street.

When leaving the parking bay, and reversing to the left, I glanced right then focused to the left as the other parked cars were restricting my view.

A driver entered the wrong end of the one way street, continued driving despite my reversing car, and I reversed into her driver side door. She said I didn't look (ie she knew I was not looking her direction but still continued to drive up behind me), I told her she shouldn't have been there in the first place.

Am I in the wrong for colliding with her while reversing, or does the one way street put her in the wrong?

What do you think?

Ya your pretty much to blame for this i would say, if you didnt see her and reversed into her you have no defense as said earlier that could have been a pedestrian/cyclist and you must give right of way. She was wrong to go down the one way street but your lack of observation caused the accident.

Cabaal

You should have looked where you were going, if it was a cyclist who went the wrong way up the street you'd loose against the cyclist if you hit them tbh

Beau x1

Both pay for your own vehicles damage imo.