Right of way VS common sense

Thread Starter

strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
At least a dozen times in the past month I have nearly backed into people in parking lots and had to slam on my brakes, nearly inflicting whiplash on my passengers. People just cruise down the aisles with total disregard for people backing out. It's painfully obvious when someone is backing out, because 2 symmetrically positioned beams of light will emit from the rear of the vehicle right before it starts going backward. When you try to speed up and 'squeeze through' to avoid the inconvenience of waiting for the other car, it's just plain stupid. When you are driving down the aisle, you have right of way (as I understand it) and it is up to the person backing out ensure it is safe to do so. This is all well and good, but when you are backing out, with vans and trucks on both sides, you can't see out into the lane except for maybe a few degrees FOV, and you can't look over both shoulders at the same time. Every time it happens I consider a little more seriously welding a piece of I-beam to my rear bumper and burning out in reverse from parking spots.
[/rant]
 

jimkeith

Joined Oct 26, 2011
540
Parking lots are more dangerous than roads in terms of bumper crunchers--I drive so slowly in parking lots that it annoys my wife--I generally park where I can pull out rather than backing--more of an issue at age 68 due to limited range of motion in my neck.

Watch out for pizza delivery drivers!!!!!!!!!!! They do not realize it, but they are using their private insurance for commerce--if caught, accident damage will not be covered.
 

praondevou

Joined Jul 9, 2011
2,942
Driving is soooo much stress.

What about passing a truck driving at 100km/h on the highway (which is the limit here) and you are at 120 and then there is this guy 2m behind you ??? Oddly my car gets slower not faster when this happens...

Some people transform themselves into something different when they are behind the wheel.
 

debe

Joined Sep 21, 2010
1,389
Hi Strantor i have a Panel Van which is hard to see out the back off. I fitted a rev camera & 7inch lcd screen, with the camera pointing slightly to one side so i can see down the road ime backing into. Also good for backing onto trailer hitches. Got the camera from Ebay $15 Lcd screen $50, comes on when rev selected.
 

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THE_RB

Joined Feb 11, 2008
5,438
Either back in to the spot, so you can drive out forward, or choose a spot where you can drive through and park in a way where you can drive straight out.
 

K7GUH

Joined Jan 28, 2011
190
Most traffic codes state clearly that a vehicle in reverse is required to yield the right of way to all other vehicles, moving or not. If you have a problem with that law, parking lot owners have every right to ban you from the premises, insurance companies have every right to decline coverage, and the list goes on. We can't make you care, but we can certainly sue when you back into us. We can't fix your thinking, either, so there may be no remedy for your distress.
 

Thread Starter

strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
Most traffic codes state clearly that a vehicle in reverse is required to yield the right of way to all other vehicles, moving or not. If you have a problem with that law, parking lot owners have every right to ban you from the premises, insurance companies have every right to decline coverage, and the list goes on. We can't make you care, but we can certainly sue when you back into us. We can't fix your thinking, either, so there may be no remedy for your distress.
someone took it a little personal. Were you recently backed into?
 

praondevou

Joined Jul 9, 2011
2,942
Strantor, I think I understand what you are saying. All you want is some courtesy.

Just because someone has the right to do something it doesn't mean he HAS to do it. So why not let somebody back out of a parking lot? What do I loose? 15 seconds? I usually park far away from the entrance of any shopping center etc. You have far more space available and will never worry about what you described above.

If every driver followed two simple rules driving would be much more fun:

- if you CAN give way to someone, do it
- if someone is in front of you who CANNOT give way than don't push him

We have long tracks of highways without speed limit in Germany, they need to be shared between vehicles driving at speeds from 50mph to 150mph and there are only 3 lanes, stress is unavoidable because someone driving at 150mph does not want to slow down because of a "slow" vehicle (like 130mph).

In South America I drove both motorcycles and cars, motorcycles usually drive in a corridor between lanes, they drive FAST even when everything stops, poor car driver who sleeps behind the wheel and stops his car in a way that nobody can pass. :D

The solution to all the anger we feel when driving is very easy, don't think that you are the only one on the street!

I can't wait my wife getting her driver's license.:rolleyes:I won't have to drive anymore.

Best solution: Flee overpopulated urban areas.
 

maxpower097

Joined Feb 20, 2009
816
Actually the car driving down the lane looking for the parking space has the right of way. So it sounds like your pulling out into traffic. Them stopping to let you out is nothing more then a courtesy. When you start to think you have the right away backing out of a parking space your gonna get hit and its gonna be your fault. So just be more careful. :)
 

Thread Starter

strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
Actually the car driving down the lane looking for the parking space has the right of way. So it sounds like your pulling out into traffic. Them stopping to let you out is nothing more then a courtesy. When you start to think you have the right away backing out of a parking space your gonna get hit and its gonna be your fault. So just be more careful. :)
Most traffic codes state clearly that a vehicle in reverse is required to yield the right of way to all other vehicles, moving or not. If you have a problem with that law, parking lot owners have every right to ban you from the premises, insurance companies have every right to decline coverage, and the list goes on. We can't make you care, but we can certainly sue when you back into us. We can't fix your thinking, either, so there may be no remedy for your distress.
Guys, I know that. That's what I'm saying; just because you have the right of way, doesn't mean that people backing out can see you, and thus yield your well deserved right of way to you.

...When you try to speed up and 'squeeze through' to avoid the inconvenience of waiting for the other car, it's just plain stupid. When you are driving down the aisle, you have right of way (as I understand it) and it is up to the person backing out ensure it is safe to do so... but when you are backing out...you can't see out into the lane
It would be in everybody's best interest to (even though you have the right of way) yield to the guy backing out.
 

thatoneguy

Joined Feb 19, 2009
6,359
The worse part about parking lot accidents is that in most cases, it is private property, so the police will call it "no fault", and each person is responsible for paying for the repairs (and increased insurance premium).

Otherwise, Anybody backing up needs to yield the right of way to oncoming traffic. Most of the time, this problem solves itself, since the traffic stops because it wants your spot. :D
 

GetDeviceInfo

Joined Jun 7, 2009
2,192
The worse part about parking lot accidents is that in most cases, it is private property, so the police will call it "no fault", and each person is responsible for paying for the repairs (and increased insurance premium).

Otherwise, Anybody backing up needs to yield the right of way to oncoming traffic. Most of the time, this problem solves itself, since the traffic stops because it wants your spot. :D
which is my aggrevation, bogged isles while people wait for someone to back out, even before they're in the vehicle. In all my years of driving, I've found that 'right of ways' are appied on common sense principals, otherwise it's going to be a pile up.
 

thatoneguy

Joined Feb 19, 2009
6,359
which is my aggrevation, bogged isles while people wait for someone to back out, even before they're in the vehicle. In all my years of driving, I've found that 'right of ways' are appied on common sense principals, otherwise it's going to be a pile up.
The best driving IQ test is to have 4 cars stop from 4 different directions at a 4 way stop at exactly the same time. There are some really ill informed people out there as to how a 4 way stop is supposed to work. Some people will make a try for a false start, then slam on the brakes, and when they started moving, another moved, and they stop, then everybody looks at each other, all thinking "that guy is an idiot!". It's rather sad, actually.
 

Georacer

Joined Nov 25, 2009
5,182
Are there 4-way stop intersections? I 've never seen any. I have, however seen 4-way intersections with no signs. That's easier, though.
 

praondevou

Joined Jul 9, 2011
2,942
Are there 4-way stop intersections? I 've never seen any. I have, however seen 4-way intersections with no signs. That's easier, though.
Come to my part of Canada and you will see more stop signs than you would like to. :) 4-way stop intersections are very common here.
 

evilclem

Joined Dec 20, 2011
118
Common sense says that the larger vehicle has right of way.

But I know what you're saying strantor, I always stop for someone backing out if I see them from far away enough, especially if they can't see me, not everyone is quite so courteous though.
 

Thread Starter

strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
Common sense says that the larger vehicle has right of way.
Haha funny you should mention that, I was just talking about it with a friend the other day. That's the one and only rule of thumb in some countries I've been to. For example, in the Philippines; I lived in Manila for a while and owned a car there. It is an absolute madhouse. I was nearly killed a few times. If you see a bus coming, get the **** out of the way, that's all I can say. And no, you're not safe in the opposite lanes of traffic from the bus.
 

thatoneguy

Joined Feb 19, 2009
6,359
Are there 4-way stop intersections? I 've never seen any. I have, however seen 4-way intersections with no signs. That's easier, though.
We are progressing toward Europe though. We have not one, but TWO roundabouts in town now! Fortunately, they have a pull off area about half a block before each one with instructions on how to drive around one.
 
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