billwatson58

It's 10:30 Sunday morning, I'm commuting to work and approach a T intersection/3 way stop. I'm going to turn right, two cars approaching from the left are going straight. The first car (4 dr Buick, middle aged male) is first at the intersection, so I slow way down - almost to a stop - and wait for the first car to go as he should. He thinks I'm going to go - even though I was making no indications as such - and he starts to creep forward. Just as I'm about to give the "thanks for noticing me and letting me go ahead of you" wave with my left hand, the second car (Trans Am, young male) thinks the first car is going to take off, creeps through the intersection, and the two bumpers kiss ---maybe more than a kiss--it was a fairly loud bang. I made a quick decision not to stop. There couldn't have been any injuries, the cars were able to pull ahead out of the intersection to discuss what happened, and had I stayed I'd been late for work. But more importantly my gut told me that if I stayed, maybe one of them or both - and especially the guy at fault aka young TA driver, would have gotten pissed at me for in their mind being the cause of the accident.

Given that hindsight is 20/20....should I have acted diffferently? I know that if I had come to a complete stop and put my foot down, the first car may have taken this clue and gone forward through the intersection and the accident might not have happened. On the other hand, TA driver obviously wasn't paying close enough attention. Believe me, I haven't lost any sleep over this one, I'm just curious what people think.

Crazy Cyclist

I think you did the right thing by leaving, I mean you weren't involved in the accident so why stick around and make things worse? I would have left as well.

scarry

I would have laughed at them, called them stupid fools, and then left, but I'm an a$$hole.

billwatson58

I'm laughing real hard at your reply....I love it!

JohnBrooking

First, I agree that the TransAm was ultimately at fault, and probably you were wise to leave. That being said, if your question is "Could I have done anything differently to make the situation less confusing?", I would agree that stopping with your foot down might have done it, or waving earlier. Of course interaction with motorists is always different every time, so it's hard to generalize. How about this: Always wave the approaching motorist through as you approach a stop sign at which you intend to actually stop. Overkill? I don't know, maybe. Of course, it can be hard to wave while braking, especially with your left (front brake) hand.

richardmasoner

I couldn't really tell from your narrative -- did the TA rear-end the Buick? If so, perhaps it doesn't matter that much.

I've been in a few fender benders and I'm always amazed that nobody stops to give contact information. Every time I've witnessed an accident I always stop and give both parties my name and phone number.

Most of have been rear-enders so fault is easy to establish, but there was an incident that was my word against hers. I was on the right in a double left turning lane in Houston, the driver to my left plowed right into me. She changed her story to the officer three times as she lied through her teeth. It was unbelievable, and it was unbelievable that nobody stopped to corroborate her story against mine.

So yes, you should have stopped.

RFM

DogBoy

Technically you should have stopped. I have witnessed accidents before and left the scene, but that was after calling the police to report the accident and giving them my contact info, and them saying I didn't need to be there.

I wouldn't worry about it.

Primevci

Yea i think your supposed to stay since u witnessed what happend.. but probly no harm done...cuase otherwise its tansam boy vs buick guy hopefulyl someone elsewitnessed this.. yea 4 way stops when your ona bike makes people more ******** then normal me and a freind stoped at the stop sing put our feet down then about ready to pedal cause it was our turn a car just californa stops and turns right in front of us... i gave him the shrug...

genec

I too would suggest waiting and giving name as witness... it helps reduce the arguments from either side. Often later you will get a phone call from an insurance company to tell what you saw.

lilHinault

Hm, a small bump, I'd probably not stick around, if there were injuries and I was a good witness who saw plenty, I'd stick around - I've had people stick around for me.

foehn

You slimy cheezeball.

Yes, you should have stopped. I know it would have made you late, and it would have been a hassel, but at least you could have quickly given both drivers contact info as a witness and then been on your way, maybe before the police showed.

Both my sister and my husband (in separate accidents) got the shaft due to no one wanting to take a few precious minutes to give either of them contact information as witnesses. Insurance savings might have been obtained, and peace of mind gotten if someone had witnessed and been willing to give voice to it.

Not having a witness is extremely frustrating and I hope you never get in an accident where you don't have a witness. Make sure you carry good insurance. . .

DieselDan

Run for cover like you did. Chances are there would have been an a-hole cop that would have blamed you like they tried to do me.

billwatson58

Being late for work would have been no big deal. Having someone harrass me because they want to blame it on me is why I didn't stick around. I had about 5 seconds to figure out if I was going to stay or not...so my gut told me to avoid a possible bad scene. Spineless, wimpy, and whatever else you want to call it is fine.....but thoughts of my own personal safety won out.

Getting hit from the rear is a no brainer insurance wise....the guy in the back is at fault.

billwatson58

oops, I forgot slimy cheeseball.

foehn

Sorry, I guess I am worked up about this because several months ago my sister was a'cruisin home from work and said she had a green light at a particular intersection and WHAM, some lady with a teenager and a baby in a car seat pulls out in front of her. Both of them (the drivers only, the teen and the baby were shook up but ok) get hauled off the the hospital. Both claimed to have a green.

No witnesses came forward, even though several people stopped to help and use cell phones to call for police/ambulances. The reporting officer found my sister at fault due to the fact that the other driver said " I had a green light." and my sister said, " I thought I had a green light. The last thing I remember is a green light." These statements from the both of them were at the scene of the accident, and my sister was on a gurney being examined by Emergency Techs, so she especially was shook up.

I guess that will teach my sister to train herself to say "I HAD THE GREEN!" or to train herself to say "I am too shook up right now to say anything. . ." if she should be in an accident like this again!

CB HI

Too bad the police didn't do a proper investigation. They did have the cell phone numbers of witnesses. Just too lazy, I guess.

sbhikes

You weren't at fault even if you didn't stop. The TA hit a guy who had the right of way over him. You had nothing to do with it. He should have been paying better attention. And speaking of that, you don't know why he rear-ended the guy in front. Perhaps he was fiddling with his stereo, or cell phone or whatever. And just because you were on a bike and not really stopping doesn't mean much (except maybe that you should have stopped). Seems that every stop-sign intersection nobody ever knows who should go anymore.