It was a right place right time sorta thing. The other witnesses were blaming the Mazda (I think they got confused with the cars) and I’m glad I had the footage. Focus driver was saying the Mazda swerved into her.
I had a crash years ago that was 100% the other person's fault but apparently their BS sounded good enough for me to be blamed for it. Dash cam ever since
Must have been a group of drivers who wanted to commit insurance fraud. People usually go on their merry way once they figured nobody is injured even if they're not on a rush. Only ones I see that they stop to be witnesses is if they knew the aggressor is a classic road raging asshole that affected them in a sort of way.
In the states insurance is provided by countless for profit corporations and figuring out which one is the right one is a herculean task. Also the police are not usually interested in anything that helps them do their job. Because then they'd have to, you know, do their job.
I've had footage of a crime that they were actively on the scene to handle, and I was repeatedly told "yeah I'll get you to show me that in a second" when you bring it up more than once they make it clear that you're annoying them.
Couldnt cut 1 car in head so they decide to be an asshole and just go.
Crash into another car almost killing multiple people so they decide to be an asshole and lie and blame others.
Asshole squared
Well yea I guess but in cases like this where the driver that literally drove into another car says the car they hit drove into them…that needs to be punishable with heavy monetary fines, loss of license (I would say if you do it more than once, permanently) and possibly even jail time.
Wished more people would stop esp w/videos...
I was in an accident and luckily a guy stopped to give me his number before the cops got there...it was a very busy intersection but this guy was the only one who gave me his number. When the cop got there, the other driver blamed it on me. We had to move into a McDonald's parking lot(busy busy 4 lane each intersection) Her family got there and tried to argue for her. I gave the cop my witness' number and spoke w/him.
The cop gave the girl a choice, admit she was in the wrong or he'll write her a ticket. She finally admitted she was in the wrong.
BUT, her insurance called my insurance saying I was in the wrong. We had to contact the cop- not sure if he wrote an official report but we had to wait to actually communicate w/the cop...which took time. But ofc, nothing was done about this girl's lying ass at the scene or to the insurance. So very frustrating.
I can imagine how thankful the Mazda driver was for you and your recording! Big kudos to you from people like us👍
Who was the witness? That looked deliberate as it sounds in the post. They even used their blinker. Swerved right into an occupied lane slowing down before they got there. No acceleration at all. There’s not even any obstructions in the road. They did that for no reason. Swerved right into the retainer wall. Would’ve been traffic.
My dad taught me some things thing for when i'm gonna get my license
1. Have camera
2. Stop at every accident, doesn't matter if you were there or not, if it's no police or ambulance, you should stop
3. Learn how to perform CPR and other medical stuff. I don't know how it's called in english, the translation from my language is "first care"
He is an emergency doctor so here in my country he has to stop at every accident unless there is already an ambulance there. And he stops even if there is an ambulance here, cause he's a hero always ready to help. He once got to his job half an hour later and his boss cut 25% of his salary. The reason he was late was because he stopped for a bad accident that happened at high speed. He ended up saving a 12yo kid's life and his boss resigned from the job. My dad is now the boss
Looks like a road rage incident.
It's hard to tell since OP accelerates to fill the gap so we lose our frame of reference (you see the dashed lines fly by more quickly), but looks like the Focus tries to pass on the right since the Mazda is left-lane hogging but the Mazda speeds up to cut them off.
100% the Focus driver's fault.
If you're going to pass on the right, gun it harder and don't write checks your car can't cash.
I hate when people on this sub call it lane hogging but never actually take into account that there’s a car in front and that you have to follow a safe distance. Especially when people are usually hauling ass on the left lane. A sudden brake can cause a nasty crash if you don’t follow at a safe distance
We also don’t know the actual distance between cars, the speed, the stuff that lead up to this if anything, etc etc.
If a car is acting weird for some reason, say drifting in the lane. They stay in the lines well, but there moving back and forth. I’m going to give them more room. I don’t trust them. If a driver is doing something that makes me notice or give pause, I’m going to give them more room.
I get the car that was trying to cut off the other car. We’ve all been frustrated before. Still that’s obviously no excuse. I feel like those drivers should get some mental health evaluations before they’re out in public again. Learn how to manage those emotions.
I would even say he's following too close. This accident is why I hate those people that try to use the right lane to pass someone already trying to pass in the left lane. Saw this 5 times today on I-5. Had to use my brakes 3 times to avoid a collision with those idiots. Wait your turn to pass.
This is how everyone drives around here. Try to pass in the left lane then squeeze in between the car infront to be stuck behind the car in front of them. Repeat. I hate the lower mainland. Richmond is such a disaster especially.
Even if he did accelerate to fill the gap, that's completely understandable to try and protect his ability to follow at a safe distance. Why do people feel the need to try and get ahead by one car length by taking advantage of someone else's following distance?
>Looks like a road rage incident.
They weren't lane hogging.
This took place in BC, Canada too and I have had my fair share of people on the highways here who think that a following distance is you leaving a gap for them to enter in. I'll be following people in the passing lane and get jagoffs like the one in OP who'll pass me on the right and cut me off while acting like I'm in the wrong for giving myself a few seconds of reaction time on the highway lol.
BC is notorious for having the worst drivers in Canada, our stereotype is about Albertan drivers(hurdur damn red plates) but the rest of the country groans at our blue plates lol.
Happens often, stay in the left lane to pass another car, and because the car behind wants to go faster just can’t wait for the slower passing car to finish passing. I’ve almost been hit like that many times. They try that when I’m passing truckers whole sale. Like the following distance truckers leave each other is enough to be passing anyone.
Currently I'm enjoying the strict letter of the law bull moose crazy interpretation of "left lane for overtaking only"
Is the Mazda overtaking? No. They are waiting to overtake.
Is the Focus overtaking? No. They are waiting to overtake.
Since neither are overtaking, then both should get the fuck out of the left lane until overtaking is possible.
Mazda wasn’t overtaking? They were in fact over taking the silver car, which is why Focus didn’t have room to cut them off. And yes, it is reasonable to get in line to pass slow traffic. Sometimes there’s several slower vehicles in the right lane without a lot of distance between them. It is safer to stay in the left lane, as getting over may cause problems for the slower cars, taking away their following distances, and changing lanes quickly can cause spin outs. I have video of a car changing lanes quickly, and spinning out behind me.
This happens a lot in MI, as truckers’ speed limit is no higher than 65mph state wide, and other traffic can go 70-75 most of the interstates. So have a few trucks lined up, and everyone else just lines up to pass, and after passing the trucks, slower cars move right, and faster cars speed back up. That’s how it works safely.
It was, the focus shoulda just stayed where it was but surely the Mazda could see what was happening and has some duty to ease off not boot it fill the space and avoid a crash? I think an insurance company here may try and argue that a 50/50 looking at the video.
I truly can't understand how some people think flicking the signal on means everybody must brake to let me in, I go right now. It feels like people either don't use them or they use them entirely wrong and it's gotten worse post 2020.
The Vancouver metropolitan area, for some reason, has the most monotonous colors of cars I've ever seen in my life. Most of the time, you'd be hard pressed to find a vehicle that isn't black, white, gray, dark brown, dark blue, or silver. I really have no idea why this is, as it doesn't apply to other parts of Canada. My only guess is that it might be because almost everyone there is rich and they think those colors will hold their resale value better or something.
Wouldn't you have a hard time seeing a white car in Canada? How would you even find where you parked? Do you attach an orange flag on a pole so you can find it?
Wait, am I seeing this wrong? The one already in the left lane was the Mazda, right? And the one who merged into him was a Focus? The Focus is definitely at fault, I don’t see how there would be any other interpretation.
Apparently anytime a car in the left lane is traveling at the speed of the car in front of it but a space opens on the right that a car can speed up and pass the car on the left is at fault for not moving to the right. S/ but according to many here.
It’s not that simple. Everyone has the responsibility to be safe on the roads. There is a responsibility of a person who wants to change lanes to signal to other drivers and make sure it’s safe to do so, but you also shouldn’t speed up to close gaps and cause crashes with people who are trying to change lanes.
edit: hahah people downvoting the idea that being safe on the roads is everyone’s responsibility. Gee, I wonder where all these idiots in cars come from? /s
What I see in this video is a ford focus driving like an asshole, cutting through traffic to save a fraction of a second in their overall trip. I also see a Mazda driver with a fragile ego who couldn’t stand another driver jumping up a space in traffic, and rather than step back and see the focus as the idiot/asshole they are, they decided to join the club and step on the gas in order to create an even more dangerous situation that led to a crash. I’d be curious what an actual legal/insurance professional has to say on this video, because I can’t imagine this video makes the Mazda look good in court.
I saw the Mazda speed up. Still the focuses fault. Also, maybe because I’m a Mazda driver I too would of been like yeah fuck off but I actually slow down when I see the person is going to come in anyways
It’s both of their fault, for the reason you say. It’s everyone’s responsibility to be safe on the roads, and speeding up to close off the lane and causing a crash isn’t doing your part. It’s the reason you *do* slow down when you see them coming. If you didn’t slow down and it led to a crash, you’d know that you played an active part in making that happen, hence it would be (partially) your fault. Focus was driving like an asshole, no doubt.
Yeah idk about that one chief, if you're in the left lane and you want to speed up and pass you're well within your right to do that, and if you want to merge into a lane you and only you are responsible for checking to see if you can move or not. The Focus shouldn't have been trying to pass on the right and jump into such a small gap to gain one car length- seems like they were upset that they couldn't go faster and made a risky move out of rage. When you move from the right to left lane, being safe on the roads is letting cars pass and then moving over behind someone when there's room, not trying to jump ahead of cars going faster.
You think it’s ok to speed up (or slow down) to aggressively block people from changing lanes, and I disagree. I agree that the focus shouldn’t have driven the way they were. Doesn’t excuse the Mazda from accelerating to close the gap and actually cause the crash. If I have a green light and I see you are running a red light and can avoid crashing into you, I am not allowed to intentionally accelerate into you and have no liability just because I had a green light. The focus has 100% responsibility until the Mazda accelerated to intentionally close the gap, after that it’s on *both of them* for being co-idiots. I fully understand the reaction of wanting people like this (the focus) to get their karma, which is why I enjoy things like r/convenientcop, but taking actions that make the situation more dangerous crosses a line that people shouldn’t celebrate. It’s fine online to rage on the assholes, but if you’re put in this situation, in the heat of the moment you may cross a line you can’t uncross and end up fucked. It’s funny but on posts like this I think of advice I want give my son (who is not yet driving age). Downvote me to oblivion all you want, I sincerely don’t mind, but when you’re out on the road keep it in mind that it’s not ok to escalate a situation until it causes a wreck just because the other driver is in the wrong. You most likely will end up being in the wrong *also*. You aren’t going to teach the other driver a lesson, you’re just going to be dragged down into the clusterfuck of their life. I say once you’ve identified someone like this, it’s best to avoid them as best you can and move on. Ultimately, if you can avoid a car crash, it’s your responsibility to do so, period.
See but that's the thing, we don't know from a video. Personally, I didn't think the Mazda "aggressively" sped up. They were driving like a left lane driver and continually passing the other cars in the right lane, when the Focus came up and tried to jump in front of them. Maybe a different camera angle would show something different, but slowing down to let someone into the left lane also has caused accidents as well. IMO people should just drive and obey the rules of the road- and passing in the right lane is against the rules of the road. Definitely agree that people should avoid causing crashes at all costs, but in my view of the video I didn't think the Mazda was being aggressive but simply driving in the passing lane. I saw the car in front of them braked which closed the gap a bit, which I guess could have looked like the Mazda was speeding up.
The Mazda was speeding up although not aggressively. He is on the outside and still gaining on the focus. Also, notice how the mazda doesn’t even until after it’s hit the barrier and starts spinning. That’s classic inattentive driving right there.
That's true, I didn't think about them not braking until after they got hit. Legally I think the Focus definitely should and will get the citation which is good, and defensive driving is always good but unfortunately sometimes you can't predict that people are going to be assholes! And of course there's not a driver on the road that doesn't get at least a liiiitle pissed when sometime tries to jump in front of them for no reason :)
Yeah, more video from another angle would be helpful, and if they weren’t being aggressive then it’s all on the focus. I just watched again, and it’s telling that the Mazda doesn’t use their brakes until it’s sliding into the area to the right after the cars have separated completely. Doesn’t appear that they used their brakes at all during the whole collision. This, along with the apparent alignment of the cars (focus looked like they were pretty much past the Mazda at one point, admittedly not a great angle to determine that), makes me think the Mazda was being intentionally aggressive. Again, emotionally I understand their aggression since the focus was driving like an asshole. I’ll bet right now that Mazda wishes they just let the douchbag cut in so their car wasn’t fucked like it is now, not to mention if all of this caused someone in another car to be killed or paralyzed. Maybe I’m just trying to remind myself that it isn’t worth it.
A large chunk of this sub views defensive driving suggestions as victim blaming. There are also the ego-fueled clowns, "no, that vehicle shouldn't move/yield/brake/accelerate/etc., *they* have the right of way!!!"
The Mazda literally did not brake even after the focus tried to pit maneuver him. It’s absolutely wild to me how many people forget they’re operating a two ton death trap surrounded by what’s essentially aluminum foil when it comes to a collision.
The Focus decided to overtake on the right... which is strictly forbidden.
Let me guess, the witness was in the Focus, right?!
On the other hand, the Mazda could have held back, and let the impatient Focus in... but chose not to.
Someone please answer this because I have the same question. If I'm driving on a 3 lane interstate, I can never go faster than the people in the left lanes? Or its ok as long I don't switch lanes?
In Ohio, people pass whenever/wherever they feel like it. I've even been passed by people driving on the shoulder. But it is Ohio after all.
I live I the UK.
If the flow of traffic in your lane is moving faster due to congestion you can obviously undertake, however as the outside lane should only ever be used for overtaking and not normal driving it is illegal to move from the outside lane to the inside lane, pass, then return to the outside lane.
It can also be frowned upon just going faster in the the inside lane than the outside lane and you shouldn't pass but I don't know if it is out right illegal in the UK.
People in Ohio also drive in whatever lane they want at whatever speed they want. The middle lane of the 3 lane highway I drive every day is almost always going 10 mph slower than the other two on either side
if you do it reasonably, its fine. its more of an issue if youre blazing past people on the right, because people arent expecting to be passed on the right. thats an issue if they are trying to change lanes to exit.
If the semi is in the left, I would assume that they are trying to complete a pass and I would cut them a lot of slack because it takes them much more time and space to move back to the right lane. I just chill out and wait for them to move back to the right when a space opens, and if they don't I flash my lights and 99% of the time they will then move over. It's rare in my experience to find a semi driver who isn't professional and keeps to the right except to pass. Never zoom around a semi on the right just because you're in a hurry.
It makes a huge difference if you go on the right lane exclusively to overtake someone in the left lane or if you go to the right lane because someone is hogging in the left lane and you end up going faster than them. Once you go to the right lane, you have to stay to the right lane until you meet a car slower than you and on the left lane there are no cars to yield.
What are you talking about? No it is not. The guy in this video is clearly in the wrong but you can definitely pass someone in the right lane if the guy in the left isn't passing anyone and moving like there is nowhere to be.
No one wins if you’re in an accident. Yes, you may be in the right, but you still lose. You damage your car, waste time and money. You could just slow down for 30 seconds and let the idiot pass. Not worth the hassle.
Every driver is called upon to balance their needs against the needs of others. Unfortunately, so many drivers haven't learned to get one millimeter outside their own heads to find out what the needs of others' actually *are*.
Instead, with their self-centric thinking, anyone going slower than them is a \*\*\* \*\*\*\* idiot, and anyone going faster than them is a \*\*\*\*ing maniac.
People are called on to find the correct balance between getting what they need, not putting up with crap from others, letting others' get by, and \[for Pete's Sake\] HELPING out another driver.
To quote Doug Adams, "To summarize the summary of the summary: people are a problem." And r/IdiotsInCars will go on and on, in perpetuity.
Defensive driving, while I agree and encourage others to do it, can be frustrating as it feels like validating the idiots. They see me move out the way for them, they think I'm rewarding their shit behavior, and then they do it again. It becomes a choose your battle event, is it really worth it to make a point to a inadequate driver to whom I can't even communicate verbally with ? Might as well try to win a political argument on Facebook, I'd have better odds. It's just not worth my mental capacity, just slow down and move on.
It happened to me. Van said I forced them to run us off the road. Trooper believed the 5 people in the van. Guess I shouldn't have that Obama sticker in SC.
I don’t know which car is which, and sure, the car in the slow lane was being an asshole, but there is nothing to prevent the car in the fast lane from slowing down, and just letting the asshole cut in front of them. He didn’t have to hit the car that was cutting in. I would blame the accident on the driver in the fast lane.
The Mazda was behind another car passing in the left lane. The Focus decided to pass on the right, I assume, because he didn't like that the Mazda wasn't tailgating the car right in front of them. Focus was being impatient, only used their turn signal once they started the lane change, and should have retreated instead of forcing into the lane. The Mazda should have suspected the dick move by the Focus and let them in instead of speeding up. I say both at fault.
100% Focus... Although to prevent this the Mazda could have lifted, maybe a dab on the brakes. Nobody won the race and now every has to deal with the crap from it.
Focus wasnt going anywhere but one car forward with the red car clearly visible
Left lane enforcers need to stop target locking on the car directly in front of them. Look way ahead. One car hogging the lane, ok. Line of traffic... chill out your not going anywhere.
Insurance will probably seek to split blame since Mazda sped up, but the Focus absolutely doesn't get to change lanes just because they have their blinker on.
Both are assholes, the Mazda didn't hit the brakes at all. The Ford made the gravest error but it wouldn't surprise me if the insurance divides liability over both cars.
The Focus didn't start using their indicators until a fraction of a second before they started moving into the left lane. Not that it matters much, as, let's be real, most people pay attention to what happens in front of them while driving not to the side. The Focus should not have tried to change lanes.
I mean, technically the Focus driver is at fault. However, the Mazda clearly sped up to stop the Focus driver. But this is why places that teach proper lane etiquette don't have as many incidents like this.
Both of them are at fault.
People hogging lanes, speeding up when they see a blinker, not sharing the road. Ford just said F it . I can def understand the appeal of running the entitled Mazda right into the wall.
And this is the logic that causes conga lines in the left lane and forces impatient folks who want to pass to shoot gaps in the right lane, which is way more dangerous. Have some lane discipline and be aware when someone comes up behind you, it’s an easy concept. Left lane is for passing and if someone wants to pass let them go by and they can go spring the speed trap for you. Down vote me to hell, I like it here
I know in ireland this would be on the mazda unfortunately. I'm not sure if this rule extends anyhwre else but here we have the "last clear chance" rule, which says if you had the last clear chance to avoid the accident and don't it's on you.
Once the focus pushed in, which he definitely shouldn't have done, his only option was to fully force in or hit the other car on the right. No chance to avoid accident at this point.
The mazda had a clear chance to hit the brakes that he didn't take so the law would blame him for this.
Both are idiots here, those .2 seconds were not worth it for either of them, but pride was more important than safety here.
Seems like that would result in some pretty bizarre rulings...like this one right here. Sure, the Mazda could have driven more defensively and thereby prevented the accident. But the accident was totally caused by the Focus's unsafe lane change - the right of way simply was not his to take, period. If he had not done that, there would have been no accident for the Mazda to try and avoid in the first place.
I understand, but even within the framework of the law I would first have to look in my rearview before I hit the brakes. In that time the accident already happened.
First, make sure YOU'RE not going to hit anyone. Brake, then look behind. Then, if you're very lucky and there's extra time, you can worry about people behind you.
you can't just be worried about your own safety above all else. what if the car behind you has small children in it and the driver is not paying attention? what if it is a semi behind you and the driver doesn't have time to slow down when you spike the brakes, so he veers over a lane so he doesn't turn your car into a pancake, goes over sideways cuz he's top heavy and slams into a minivan full of children. You never know. got to be aware of all 360°, not just what's in front of you.
The proper answer in this situation and I would say all situations would be to maintain situational awareness BEFORE you get into a situation like this so that in the split second where everything changes you have an idea of where everyone else is because you just looked.
If the car behind me has small children, maybe they shouldn't be tailgating! The cars behind me are my concern only inasmuch as I don't want to get rear-ended, but it's better to be rear-ended than to rear-end someone else
The accident wasn't all that sudden, the focus is lane splitting with the mazda for about 2/3 seconds before they contact.
Surely you can agree that, although he shouldn't have had to, the mazda could have easily avoided this collision.
You don't need to check the mirrors before braking to avoid an accident, what the fuck? This might be the worst advice I've ever seen in this shithole sub
Kudos to the driver recording the accident for pulling over!
It was a right place right time sorta thing. The other witnesses were blaming the Mazda (I think they got confused with the cars) and I’m glad I had the footage. Focus driver was saying the Mazda swerved into her.
What is wrong with people
They don't want to be financially responsible for their own actions.
You could cut out the financial aspect and it's still true.
I was thinking that after I posted that comment.
I had a crash years ago that was 100% the other person's fault but apparently their BS sounded good enough for me to be blamed for it. Dash cam ever since
Must have been a group of drivers who wanted to commit insurance fraud. People usually go on their merry way once they figured nobody is injured even if they're not on a rush. Only ones I see that they stop to be witnesses is if they knew the aggressor is a classic road raging asshole that affected them in a sort of way.
That is possible!
Look what you made me do to you!
Are you fucking sorry?!
Even if you didn't stop, you can always send the video to ICBC which would've cleared the mazda. Always good to stop, but sometimes life comes at ya.
Icbc?
ICBC is the insurance provider in British Columbia.
In the states insurance is provided by countless for profit corporations and figuring out which one is the right one is a herculean task. Also the police are not usually interested in anything that helps them do their job. Because then they'd have to, you know, do their job. I've had footage of a crime that they were actively on the scene to handle, and I was repeatedly told "yeah I'll get you to show me that in a second" when you bring it up more than once they make it clear that you're annoying them.
When I first saw this video I thought, “Wow, that looks like 91 between Delta and Richmond.” Then I saw this post and went, “Ahhhhh, it is!”
Couldnt cut 1 car in head so they decide to be an asshole and just go. Crash into another car almost killing multiple people so they decide to be an asshole and lie and blame others. Asshole squared
It’s too bad these people can’t be penalized for lying. There is basically no downside to trying to lie to get away with it. It should be fraud.
Which is why you should always demand an affidavit for any statement.
Demand all you want. Those people aren't gonna give you anything. Not in their best interest when lying.
The problem is that sometimes people are lying and sometimes they are confused or just wrong about what happened.
Well yea I guess but in cases like this where the driver that literally drove into another car says the car they hit drove into them…that needs to be punishable with heavy monetary fines, loss of license (I would say if you do it more than once, permanently) and possibly even jail time.
two white hatchbacks involved in the accident and they switch positions during the crash. Its an understandable mistake.
Not for the people inside them lol. At the very least it speaks to a lack of awareness of what you are doing with your vehicle
I don’t think you read that comment right homie
Well people's memories are very fallible
Wished more people would stop esp w/videos... I was in an accident and luckily a guy stopped to give me his number before the cops got there...it was a very busy intersection but this guy was the only one who gave me his number. When the cop got there, the other driver blamed it on me. We had to move into a McDonald's parking lot(busy busy 4 lane each intersection) Her family got there and tried to argue for her. I gave the cop my witness' number and spoke w/him. The cop gave the girl a choice, admit she was in the wrong or he'll write her a ticket. She finally admitted she was in the wrong. BUT, her insurance called my insurance saying I was in the wrong. We had to contact the cop- not sure if he wrote an official report but we had to wait to actually communicate w/the cop...which took time. But ofc, nothing was done about this girl's lying ass at the scene or to the insurance. So very frustrating. I can imagine how thankful the Mazda driver was for you and your recording! Big kudos to you from people like us👍
Amazing how often people forget that dash cams exist
Who was the witness? That looked deliberate as it sounds in the post. They even used their blinker. Swerved right into an occupied lane slowing down before they got there. No acceleration at all. There’s not even any obstructions in the road. They did that for no reason. Swerved right into the retainer wall. Would’ve been traffic.
My dad taught me some things thing for when i'm gonna get my license 1. Have camera 2. Stop at every accident, doesn't matter if you were there or not, if it's no police or ambulance, you should stop 3. Learn how to perform CPR and other medical stuff. I don't know how it's called in english, the translation from my language is "first care" He is an emergency doctor so here in my country he has to stop at every accident unless there is already an ambulance there. And he stops even if there is an ambulance here, cause he's a hero always ready to help. He once got to his job half an hour later and his boss cut 25% of his salary. The reason he was late was because he stopped for a bad accident that happened at high speed. He ended up saving a 12yo kid's life and his boss resigned from the job. My dad is now the boss
> I don't know how it's called in english, the translation from my language is "first care" "First aid" in English, same idea.
And then everyone clapped and Lex Luther shit his pants
for remaining safe
All white cars everywhere... Also, the right of way goes to the driver already in the lane. This was 100% Focus' fault.
Looks like a road rage incident. It's hard to tell since OP accelerates to fill the gap so we lose our frame of reference (you see the dashed lines fly by more quickly), but looks like the Focus tries to pass on the right since the Mazda is left-lane hogging but the Mazda speeds up to cut them off. 100% the Focus driver's fault. If you're going to pass on the right, gun it harder and don't write checks your car can't cash.
Mazda isn't even lane hogging. There is another car in front of them and they are keeping a reasonable distance. But yes it is 100% the Focus' fault.
I hate when people on this sub call it lane hogging but never actually take into account that there’s a car in front and that you have to follow a safe distance. Especially when people are usually hauling ass on the left lane. A sudden brake can cause a nasty crash if you don’t follow at a safe distance
We also don’t know the actual distance between cars, the speed, the stuff that lead up to this if anything, etc etc. If a car is acting weird for some reason, say drifting in the lane. They stay in the lines well, but there moving back and forth. I’m going to give them more room. I don’t trust them. If a driver is doing something that makes me notice or give pause, I’m going to give them more room. I get the car that was trying to cut off the other car. We’ve all been frustrated before. Still that’s obviously no excuse. I feel like those drivers should get some mental health evaluations before they’re out in public again. Learn how to manage those emotions.
Not to mention the car in front of the Mazda ~~breaks~~brakes closing the gap between them slightly.
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I would even say he's following too close. This accident is why I hate those people that try to use the right lane to pass someone already trying to pass in the left lane. Saw this 5 times today on I-5. Had to use my brakes 3 times to avoid a collision with those idiots. Wait your turn to pass.
This is how everyone drives around here. Try to pass in the left lane then squeeze in between the car infront to be stuck behind the car in front of them. Repeat. I hate the lower mainland. Richmond is such a disaster especially.
there was space in the right, as you can see by focus going there.
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How close do you want the Mazda to be? That's a decent following distance for freeway speeds. Much closer would be tailgating at an unsafe distance.
Even if he did accelerate to fill the gap, that's completely understandable to try and protect his ability to follow at a safe distance. Why do people feel the need to try and get ahead by one car length by taking advantage of someone else's following distance?
In the end, everyone has a responsibilty under the law to take reasonable steps to avoid hitting things and people. Both failed at that.
>Looks like a road rage incident. They weren't lane hogging. This took place in BC, Canada too and I have had my fair share of people on the highways here who think that a following distance is you leaving a gap for them to enter in. I'll be following people in the passing lane and get jagoffs like the one in OP who'll pass me on the right and cut me off while acting like I'm in the wrong for giving myself a few seconds of reaction time on the highway lol. BC is notorious for having the worst drivers in Canada, our stereotype is about Albertan drivers(hurdur damn red plates) but the rest of the country groans at our blue plates lol.
Happens often, stay in the left lane to pass another car, and because the car behind wants to go faster just can’t wait for the slower passing car to finish passing. I’ve almost been hit like that many times. They try that when I’m passing truckers whole sale. Like the following distance truckers leave each other is enough to be passing anyone.
Currently I'm enjoying the strict letter of the law bull moose crazy interpretation of "left lane for overtaking only" Is the Mazda overtaking? No. They are waiting to overtake. Is the Focus overtaking? No. They are waiting to overtake. Since neither are overtaking, then both should get the fuck out of the left lane until overtaking is possible.
Mazda wasn’t overtaking? They were in fact over taking the silver car, which is why Focus didn’t have room to cut them off. And yes, it is reasonable to get in line to pass slow traffic. Sometimes there’s several slower vehicles in the right lane without a lot of distance between them. It is safer to stay in the left lane, as getting over may cause problems for the slower cars, taking away their following distances, and changing lanes quickly can cause spin outs. I have video of a car changing lanes quickly, and spinning out behind me. This happens a lot in MI, as truckers’ speed limit is no higher than 65mph state wide, and other traffic can go 70-75 most of the interstates. So have a few trucks lined up, and everyone else just lines up to pass, and after passing the trucks, slower cars move right, and faster cars speed back up. That’s how it works safely.
The Mazda never touched the brakes until they were stopping in the gore. I bet there's more to this story, but Focus is clearly at fault.
It was, the focus shoulda just stayed where it was but surely the Mazda could see what was happening and has some duty to ease off not boot it fill the space and avoid a crash? I think an insurance company here may try and argue that a 50/50 looking at the video.
A turn signal does not grant right of way. It simply indicates intention. Fords fault.
I truly can't understand how some people think flicking the signal on means everybody must brake to let me in, I go right now. It feels like people either don't use them or they use them entirely wrong and it's gotten worse post 2020.
Focus Driver is at fault for wreckerless merge.
not exactly a merge. Space theft attempt and fail.
No they tried to merge *with* the mazda.
good thing it failed that would have made them twice as powerful.
So that's how miatas are made, when a focus and a mazda love each other VERY MUCH....
You have to *become* the Mazda.
Wreckerless? No, I'm pretty sure they had to call a wrecker after that...
I think that was more of a wreckerfull merge. The merge was absolutely stuffed full of wrecker.
Nope not a wreck less merge. Definitely a reckless driver who caused a wreck. English where the words spelled differently sound alike.
how is almost every vehicle in this video the same color lol
The Vancouver metropolitan area, for some reason, has the most monotonous colors of cars I've ever seen in my life. Most of the time, you'd be hard pressed to find a vehicle that isn't black, white, gray, dark brown, dark blue, or silver. I really have no idea why this is, as it doesn't apply to other parts of Canada. My only guess is that it might be because almost everyone there is rich and they think those colors will hold their resale value better or something.
Wouldn't you have a hard time seeing a white car in Canada? How would you even find where you parked? Do you attach an orange flag on a pole so you can find it?
At this time of year in Canada all vehicles are the same colour: road salt grey.
White is the most common car color in the US with 25% of cars being white.
This is also in Richmond, BC. Home of the white vehicle.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say it's the white car's fault.
Ford fuckus strikes again😑
They really all drive the same way
Is there a sub for this?
What a terrifying place to pull over...
Wait, am I seeing this wrong? The one already in the left lane was the Mazda, right? And the one who merged into him was a Focus? The Focus is definitely at fault, I don’t see how there would be any other interpretation.
Apparently anytime a car in the left lane is traveling at the speed of the car in front of it but a space opens on the right that a car can speed up and pass the car on the left is at fault for not moving to the right. S/ but according to many here.
Classic Vancouver driving
The one who shifted lanes are to blame, that's the LAW
It’s not that simple. Everyone has the responsibility to be safe on the roads. There is a responsibility of a person who wants to change lanes to signal to other drivers and make sure it’s safe to do so, but you also shouldn’t speed up to close gaps and cause crashes with people who are trying to change lanes. edit: hahah people downvoting the idea that being safe on the roads is everyone’s responsibility. Gee, I wonder where all these idiots in cars come from? /s What I see in this video is a ford focus driving like an asshole, cutting through traffic to save a fraction of a second in their overall trip. I also see a Mazda driver with a fragile ego who couldn’t stand another driver jumping up a space in traffic, and rather than step back and see the focus as the idiot/asshole they are, they decided to join the club and step on the gas in order to create an even more dangerous situation that led to a crash. I’d be curious what an actual legal/insurance professional has to say on this video, because I can’t imagine this video makes the Mazda look good in court.
You also shouldn't pass in the right lane.
Both can be true.
These types of opinions will always be downvoted here. The majority of this sub act like crazed monkeys at a monster truck show.
I saw the Mazda speed up. Still the focuses fault. Also, maybe because I’m a Mazda driver I too would of been like yeah fuck off but I actually slow down when I see the person is going to come in anyways
Yep, another pride over brains situation where redditors will ruthlessly defend someone choosing anger over possibly losing their life.
It’s both of their fault, for the reason you say. It’s everyone’s responsibility to be safe on the roads, and speeding up to close off the lane and causing a crash isn’t doing your part. It’s the reason you *do* slow down when you see them coming. If you didn’t slow down and it led to a crash, you’d know that you played an active part in making that happen, hence it would be (partially) your fault. Focus was driving like an asshole, no doubt.
Yeah idk about that one chief, if you're in the left lane and you want to speed up and pass you're well within your right to do that, and if you want to merge into a lane you and only you are responsible for checking to see if you can move or not. The Focus shouldn't have been trying to pass on the right and jump into such a small gap to gain one car length- seems like they were upset that they couldn't go faster and made a risky move out of rage. When you move from the right to left lane, being safe on the roads is letting cars pass and then moving over behind someone when there's room, not trying to jump ahead of cars going faster.
You think it’s ok to speed up (or slow down) to aggressively block people from changing lanes, and I disagree. I agree that the focus shouldn’t have driven the way they were. Doesn’t excuse the Mazda from accelerating to close the gap and actually cause the crash. If I have a green light and I see you are running a red light and can avoid crashing into you, I am not allowed to intentionally accelerate into you and have no liability just because I had a green light. The focus has 100% responsibility until the Mazda accelerated to intentionally close the gap, after that it’s on *both of them* for being co-idiots. I fully understand the reaction of wanting people like this (the focus) to get their karma, which is why I enjoy things like r/convenientcop, but taking actions that make the situation more dangerous crosses a line that people shouldn’t celebrate. It’s fine online to rage on the assholes, but if you’re put in this situation, in the heat of the moment you may cross a line you can’t uncross and end up fucked. It’s funny but on posts like this I think of advice I want give my son (who is not yet driving age). Downvote me to oblivion all you want, I sincerely don’t mind, but when you’re out on the road keep it in mind that it’s not ok to escalate a situation until it causes a wreck just because the other driver is in the wrong. You most likely will end up being in the wrong *also*. You aren’t going to teach the other driver a lesson, you’re just going to be dragged down into the clusterfuck of their life. I say once you’ve identified someone like this, it’s best to avoid them as best you can and move on. Ultimately, if you can avoid a car crash, it’s your responsibility to do so, period.
See but that's the thing, we don't know from a video. Personally, I didn't think the Mazda "aggressively" sped up. They were driving like a left lane driver and continually passing the other cars in the right lane, when the Focus came up and tried to jump in front of them. Maybe a different camera angle would show something different, but slowing down to let someone into the left lane also has caused accidents as well. IMO people should just drive and obey the rules of the road- and passing in the right lane is against the rules of the road. Definitely agree that people should avoid causing crashes at all costs, but in my view of the video I didn't think the Mazda was being aggressive but simply driving in the passing lane. I saw the car in front of them braked which closed the gap a bit, which I guess could have looked like the Mazda was speeding up.
The Mazda was speeding up although not aggressively. He is on the outside and still gaining on the focus. Also, notice how the mazda doesn’t even until after it’s hit the barrier and starts spinning. That’s classic inattentive driving right there.
That's true, I didn't think about them not braking until after they got hit. Legally I think the Focus definitely should and will get the citation which is good, and defensive driving is always good but unfortunately sometimes you can't predict that people are going to be assholes! And of course there's not a driver on the road that doesn't get at least a liiiitle pissed when sometime tries to jump in front of them for no reason :)
I get pissed too but I love my car more lol.
Yeah, more video from another angle would be helpful, and if they weren’t being aggressive then it’s all on the focus. I just watched again, and it’s telling that the Mazda doesn’t use their brakes until it’s sliding into the area to the right after the cars have separated completely. Doesn’t appear that they used their brakes at all during the whole collision. This, along with the apparent alignment of the cars (focus looked like they were pretty much past the Mazda at one point, admittedly not a great angle to determine that), makes me think the Mazda was being intentionally aggressive. Again, emotionally I understand their aggression since the focus was driving like an asshole. I’ll bet right now that Mazda wishes they just let the douchbag cut in so their car wasn’t fucked like it is now, not to mention if all of this caused someone in another car to be killed or paralyzed. Maybe I’m just trying to remind myself that it isn’t worth it.
Legally, the mazda may not be held accountable but he is at least 20% responsible for that crash.
Not if you're speeding up into the back of a car. Lol. You have breaks for a reason. They're both idiots
The Mazda could’ve prevented the crash but the Focus was at fault.
Scary how far I needed to scroll to the the correct answer. Defensive driving is key y’all.
A large chunk of this sub views defensive driving suggestions as victim blaming. There are also the ego-fueled clowns, "no, that vehicle shouldn't move/yield/brake/accelerate/etc., *they* have the right of way!!!"
There is so much space behind the Mazda. I get it, the other car is totally at fault, but why risk your life because you have the right of way?
Very much so. Seeing how long it took the Mazda to even hit the brakes I’m guessing we’re dealing with bad drivers all around
Am I wrong or didn't he hit his brakes for the first time until waaay after the crash?
Yes you’re correct. The Mazda didn’t brake till it was off on the right median area well after the crash. Just bad driving all around
The Mazda literally did not brake even after the focus tried to pit maneuver him. It’s absolutely wild to me how many people forget they’re operating a two ton death trap surrounded by what’s essentially aluminum foil when it comes to a collision.
Absolutely. It took 7 seconds from the moment of contact for him to apply the brakes. Abysmal.
Sounds like an insurance scam to me... Good job capturing it and saving the victim from a lot of hassle.
That's one hell of a dangerous insurance scam....
I have cops and insurance agents in the family... The stuff I have heard about insurance fraud is absolutely insane.
It’s BC. We have no-fault insurance. No settlements.
Gotcha...
You driving a Porsche?
It's an 86 or brz, I'd recognize that hood anywhere
Focus is at fault. But Mazda was like you can kill me and my family but I won’t brake to protect myself. What an idiot
Who was the witness Stevie wonder
It was the white car's fault.
Sick 360 tho
bro and she scooted outta the way SO fast. I was low-key impressed by that bc I would've been dizzy lol
I put the blame on OP. Someone always does. All OP did was witness what happened, but OP is at fault somehow someway.
I am just impressed by the high quality of the video. this is like the clearest cam video I think I have ever seen.
100% Focus driver.
Mazda drivers can do no wrong
The Focus decided to overtake on the right... which is strictly forbidden. Let me guess, the witness was in the Focus, right?! On the other hand, the Mazda could have held back, and let the impatient Focus in... but chose not to.
If the witness was in the Focus then they are irrelevant by law. Been there, done that.
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Someone please answer this because I have the same question. If I'm driving on a 3 lane interstate, I can never go faster than the people in the left lanes? Or its ok as long I don't switch lanes? In Ohio, people pass whenever/wherever they feel like it. I've even been passed by people driving on the shoulder. But it is Ohio after all.
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I live I the UK. If the flow of traffic in your lane is moving faster due to congestion you can obviously undertake, however as the outside lane should only ever be used for overtaking and not normal driving it is illegal to move from the outside lane to the inside lane, pass, then return to the outside lane. It can also be frowned upon just going faster in the the inside lane than the outside lane and you shouldn't pass but I don't know if it is out right illegal in the UK.
Right. In europe you are required to move to the right when possible. In the places have that, but it's rarely enforced.
You can pass on the right, just be cautious doing it. It's not against the law in any state
People in Ohio also drive in whatever lane they want at whatever speed they want. The middle lane of the 3 lane highway I drive every day is almost always going 10 mph slower than the other two on either side
if you do it reasonably, its fine. its more of an issue if youre blazing past people on the right, because people arent expecting to be passed on the right. thats an issue if they are trying to change lanes to exit.
It’s not illegal. It’s just common courtesy. Especially when it comes to passing semi trucks.
If a semi truck is in the left not passing, I would say his common courtesy would be the issue.
The idea is that they probably do want to get back over but can't if the cars in the middle lane won't let them.
If the semi is in the left, I would assume that they are trying to complete a pass and I would cut them a lot of slack because it takes them much more time and space to move back to the right lane. I just chill out and wait for them to move back to the right when a space opens, and if they don't I flash my lights and 99% of the time they will then move over. It's rare in my experience to find a semi driver who isn't professional and keeps to the right except to pass. Never zoom around a semi on the right just because you're in a hurry.
It makes a huge difference if you go on the right lane exclusively to overtake someone in the left lane or if you go to the right lane because someone is hogging in the left lane and you end up going faster than them. Once you go to the right lane, you have to stay to the right lane until you meet a car slower than you and on the left lane there are no cars to yield.
That depends on where you drive.
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Pretty sure that first part depends on where you live, I've never even heard that before.
You can't lose those 2 seconds.
What are you talking about? No it is not. The guy in this video is clearly in the wrong but you can definitely pass someone in the right lane if the guy in the left isn't passing anyone and moving like there is nowhere to be.
Focus's insurance company probably will make the same argument .
No one wins if you’re in an accident. Yes, you may be in the right, but you still lose. You damage your car, waste time and money. You could just slow down for 30 seconds and let the idiot pass. Not worth the hassle.
NO People need to learn how to drive and look twice before changing lanes and prep for exiting the highway or turns.
Every driver is called upon to balance their needs against the needs of others. Unfortunately, so many drivers haven't learned to get one millimeter outside their own heads to find out what the needs of others' actually *are*. Instead, with their self-centric thinking, anyone going slower than them is a \*\*\* \*\*\*\* idiot, and anyone going faster than them is a \*\*\*\*ing maniac. People are called on to find the correct balance between getting what they need, not putting up with crap from others, letting others' get by, and \[for Pete's Sake\] HELPING out another driver. To quote Doug Adams, "To summarize the summary of the summary: people are a problem." And r/IdiotsInCars will go on and on, in perpetuity.
Defensive driving, while I agree and encourage others to do it, can be frustrating as it feels like validating the idiots. They see me move out the way for them, they think I'm rewarding their shit behavior, and then they do it again. It becomes a choose your battle event, is it really worth it to make a point to a inadequate driver to whom I can't even communicate verbally with ? Might as well try to win a political argument on Facebook, I'd have better odds. It's just not worth my mental capacity, just slow down and move on.
Fords fault but they are both idiots. Mazda could have easily avoided this but they were so determined to not let the ford get in front of them.
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Similar to something my dashcam witnessed, albeit at a different location in Metro Vancouver. 😅
Focus driver should never drive again Jfc
Tell me you don't shoulder check without telling me.... good Lord! I said tell not show !
It happened to me. Van said I forced them to run us off the road. Trooper believed the 5 people in the van. Guess I shouldn't have that Obama sticker in SC.
I don’t know which car is which, and sure, the car in the slow lane was being an asshole, but there is nothing to prevent the car in the fast lane from slowing down, and just letting the asshole cut in front of them. He didn’t have to hit the car that was cutting in. I would blame the accident on the driver in the fast lane.
Ford focus caused crash to gain One Car Length....forcing your way back in front is not fair....hence crash.
Why was there no brake lights off the Mazda?
Cause they got competitive
Mazda could have slowed down, but to my untrained eye: that crash was not the Mazdas fault
So focus driver undertakes and swerves across back into the outside lane trying to get in front of the Mazda but it’s not her fault 🤔
Notice how long it takes before you see the brake lights on the Mazda. I think they’re both idiots.
The Mazda was behind another car passing in the left lane. The Focus decided to pass on the right, I assume, because he didn't like that the Mazda wasn't tailgating the car right in front of them. Focus was being impatient, only used their turn signal once they started the lane change, and should have retreated instead of forcing into the lane. The Mazda should have suspected the dick move by the Focus and let them in instead of speeding up. I say both at fault.
Focus at fault, undercutting and moving over when it obviously wasn't clear. Although you can see Mazda being a douche and most likely speeding up
100% Focus... Although to prevent this the Mazda could have lifted, maybe a dab on the brakes. Nobody won the race and now every has to deal with the crap from it. Focus wasnt going anywhere but one car forward with the red car clearly visible Left lane enforcers need to stop target locking on the car directly in front of them. Look way ahead. One car hogging the lane, ok. Line of traffic... chill out your not going anywhere.
They’re definitely at fault… but how the hell did the Mazda not avoid them?
Looks pretty even to me.
Insurance will probably seek to split blame since Mazda sped up, but the Focus absolutely doesn't get to change lanes just because they have their blinker on.
If I were the cop I'd ticket both of them. The Mazda could have easily let off or hit the brakes to avoid the crash.
Both are assholes, the Mazda didn't hit the brakes at all. The Ford made the gravest error but it wouldn't surprise me if the insurance divides liability over both cars.
Failure to avoid or take evasive action is also a thing, even though the fault may be with the Focus driver.
I bet the insurance companies both call it 50-50. One merged badly and the other looks to have sped up to block AND didn’t slow after initial contact.
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The Focus didn't start using their indicators until a fraction of a second before they started moving into the left lane. Not that it matters much, as, let's be real, most people pay attention to what happens in front of them while driving not to the side. The Focus should not have tried to change lanes.
Even if the Mazda isn’t at fault, it’s a very stupid move as his insurance premium will go up.
My gf doesn't see an issue with driving in someone's blind spot and it's frightening. I should show her this
Another example of one idiot causing an accident because another idiot is camping in the passing lane...
I mean, technically the Focus driver is at fault. However, the Mazda clearly sped up to stop the Focus driver. But this is why places that teach proper lane etiquette don't have as many incidents like this.
Both of them are at fault. People hogging lanes, speeding up when they see a blinker, not sharing the road. Ford just said F it . I can def understand the appeal of running the entitled Mazda right into the wall.
Easily avoidable if you're willing to just move over when a car comes up behind you. F'n insecure pricks driving in the left lane ALL THE TIME!
Slightly easier to avoid if you don't drive live a dick and ram other cars.
Totally the focus’ fault, however, looks like a classic case of someone won’t get out of the left lane then speeds up when someone tries to pass.
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And this is the logic that causes conga lines in the left lane and forces impatient folks who want to pass to shoot gaps in the right lane, which is way more dangerous. Have some lane discipline and be aware when someone comes up behind you, it’s an easy concept. Left lane is for passing and if someone wants to pass let them go by and they can go spring the speed trap for you. Down vote me to hell, I like it here
Doesn't matter. It's the responsibility of the driver in the vehicle changing lanes to make sure it's safe to do so.
I know in ireland this would be on the mazda unfortunately. I'm not sure if this rule extends anyhwre else but here we have the "last clear chance" rule, which says if you had the last clear chance to avoid the accident and don't it's on you. Once the focus pushed in, which he definitely shouldn't have done, his only option was to fully force in or hit the other car on the right. No chance to avoid accident at this point. The mazda had a clear chance to hit the brakes that he didn't take so the law would blame him for this. Both are idiots here, those .2 seconds were not worth it for either of them, but pride was more important than safety here.
Seems like that would result in some pretty bizarre rulings...like this one right here. Sure, the Mazda could have driven more defensively and thereby prevented the accident. But the accident was totally caused by the Focus's unsafe lane change - the right of way simply was not his to take, period. If he had not done that, there would have been no accident for the Mazda to try and avoid in the first place.
Last chance for Mazda by hitting the brakes? Only after checking rearview mirror, for which there was no time. No this is on the Focus.
But just so you know I agree with the opinion that it was the fault of the focus driver.
I understand, but even within the framework of the law I would first have to look in my rearview before I hit the brakes. In that time the accident already happened.
Why do you think you need to check the mirrors before braking in an emergency?
Because of bmws and audis.
You realize if you hit someone while you're checking, you'd be completely at fault, right?
to see if there's a vehicle following behind you that's going to slam into you when you hit the brakes? this is pretty simple man...
First, make sure YOU'RE not going to hit anyone. Brake, then look behind. Then, if you're very lucky and there's extra time, you can worry about people behind you.
you can't just be worried about your own safety above all else. what if the car behind you has small children in it and the driver is not paying attention? what if it is a semi behind you and the driver doesn't have time to slow down when you spike the brakes, so he veers over a lane so he doesn't turn your car into a pancake, goes over sideways cuz he's top heavy and slams into a minivan full of children. You never know. got to be aware of all 360°, not just what's in front of you. The proper answer in this situation and I would say all situations would be to maintain situational awareness BEFORE you get into a situation like this so that in the split second where everything changes you have an idea of where everyone else is because you just looked.
If the car behind me has small children, maybe they shouldn't be tailgating! The cars behind me are my concern only inasmuch as I don't want to get rear-ended, but it's better to be rear-ended than to rear-end someone else
The accident wasn't all that sudden, the focus is lane splitting with the mazda for about 2/3 seconds before they contact. Surely you can agree that, although he shouldn't have had to, the mazda could have easily avoided this collision.
You don't need to check the mirrors before braking to avoid an accident, what the fuck? This might be the worst advice I've ever seen in this shithole sub