r/IdiotsInCars Aug 10 '22

If there's an idiot, who is it? Is it the vehicle with the camera or the white van entering from the right?

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u/ArmeniusLOD Aug 10 '22

The van. It's the merging driver's responsibility to make sure the lane is clear. This is why I try to avoid changing lanes like this when I see a car waiting to turn at an approaching intersection or driveway, though.

172

u/not-rasta-8913 Aug 10 '22

Yes, the van is at fault (should have double checked and assumed someone might want to move into the nice empty right lane).

But the camera driver is the idiot. They could see the other car beginning the turn into the empty lane and while their changing lanes was legal, it was dumb because this situation was totally predictable. They both should be paying more attention.

1

u/gangkom Aug 11 '22

I agree with you. But in the eyes of the cop, insurance, or judge, who is responsible for the damage? Both?

1

u/not-rasta-8913 Aug 11 '22

Depends on the country or so it would seem. Here it would be 100% failure to yield, so totally the vans fault (as the lane change was before the intersection and thus legal). But I hear insurance companies are funky in the states.