Creeping into traffic

Wilkos

Hi guys
I drive a lot in the city centre and outer suburbs and depending on what town I’m in depends on what level of courtesy I come across
Recently I was driving in rush hour traffic and it was a really busy Monday morning. I’d been sitting at a side street T junction for 3 or so minutes without anyone helping me out
Then I noticed a driver coming towards me indicating left into my street. I was indicating right and so crept out into the carriageway. The corner is very tight and so the car was traveling about 10 mph with a line of traffic behind it
As the traffic was virtually at a standstill following close behind, it was safe to stay about 2/3 across the carriageway and wait for the traffic to clear to my left, as it did the car behind the turning car overtook my front end at outrageous acceleration and he swiped my front bumper
Now I’m driving a white high roof minibus, so I totally visable to traffic for a good 25 yards
It took the BMW 30 yd’s to pull up after the collision
Now there are people who’ll say I was in the road and deserved to be hit
However there is a case of driving without due care and attention
True !! However if this were the case why didn’t the BMW just plough into the side of the bus, instead of overtaking the bus on orange and white chevrons followed zig zags on pedestrian crossing
Maybe if I were in anther town doing the same manoeuvre a courteous driver may have let me out
In a driving test you’re likely to fail because you’re not making progress in traffic
So I’ll open it up to your comments
Firstly I was in a 30mph zone with slow moving traffic caused by a car slowing to a virtual stop and surrounded by all kinds of overtaking restrictions to protect pedestrians and oncoming traffic
Oh my only damage was a broken number plate. So why didn’t he stop at the point of impact but carry on at speed over the chevrons
Thanks in advance for your comments
Wilkos

nvingo

Perhaps he was desparate to get somewhere?
[controversial mode]He was driving a BMW[/controversial mode]
From your (and any normal) perspective,  he should stop to your right (even better if he leaves the entrance to the road you were exiting clear) at which point traffic from your left will realise you are holding up traffic from your right and let you finish crossing/enter their lane.

The next step in your travels was clear, and wasn't marked to be kept clear so you could proceed that far.  It may nor be to the letter of the code, but is certainly necessay with traffic volumes and selfish drivers.

Monty Nine

The BMW seems to have incorrectly overtaken a car at a junction.

Wilkos

Well the reason I mentioned BMW was because of the acceleration he had to get from 10 yards doing 5 mph to 20mph when he swerved around me but lost control
Even his witness behind him saw me partially holding traffic. When there was no traffic coming towards me from my left he decided to overtake on zig zags and chevrons.
All for the sake of common courtesy
Checked the police’s stand on this and they say driving without due care as I had given ample warning to make my self be seen

John7

He's up for an instant penalty for overtaking on a crossing zig-zag, which is unlawful.

nabby

Totally agree with all comments so far.  You proceeded with due care and attention, making sure other road users knew your intentions with correct positioning and signalling.  He's obviously not given two hoots over his driving and has decided he's the king of the road and can ignore everyone else and the law.

Did you get his licence plate to report him, or did you actually swap details once he'd stopped?

nvingo

Speeding up on approach to a crossing and driving onto the zigzags; but since he and the OP bus weren't travelling in the same direction I think the term 'overtaking' inappropriate, he was passing in front of it, but had to mostly leave the lane he was in to do so.

Monty Nine

The BMW overtook the car that was turning left.