Yes, because brakes work instantly. As soon as you touch the pedal, you go from whatever speed you were doing to zero. Instantly, in the space of millimetres.

By the way, does sarcasm work in print ?

Not with this OP.

I note that he STILL hasn't enlightened us what he drove for 30 years. Mind you, you can drive a flock of sheep or herd of cows, can't you, and if paid to do so you would be a professional driver

Edited by galileo on 19/06/2018 at 23:25

The OP is understandably very upset but saying that deaf drivers should perhaps not be driving is making me lose some sympathy.

Indeed deaf people have to meet the same standards as all other drivers in the test but are given a longer timeslot during which the test takes place so the examiner has extra time to explain - possibly in writing or via a sign language specialist who can be in the car during the test - what will happen and how the examiner will communicate with the candidate from time to time during the test.

www.gov.uk/health-conditions-and-driving lists many medical conditions and details if they are notifiable or not.

Not everyone can hear and you need to make allowances for that - for example if a pedestrian steps out they may be deaf and not hear a horn sounding. Many people with a hearing impairment are not totally without hearing, however and many may hear an emergency siren to some extent but a car horn very much less so.

Of course you also need to keep in mind that other people do stupid things, unfortunately not all can be anticipated accurately although you can sometimes tell the likely culprits from the way they are driving. I'm convinced theres a sort of "car body language" in the same way as human body language.

Was the driver of the other car hearing impaired in any way? - presumably details were exchanged after the incident so the OP should know how well the other driver communicated verbally (and if lip reading was involved - the hearing impaired need to be able to see your face). However any "deafness" is just a minor side issue. At least with a video to give to the insurance companies "fault" can more readily be apportioned.

I'm told that if the DVLA rules permit you to drive with a specific disabilty the insurance company can't discriminate against you in any way, but don't know this as a certainty.

No you are right but thd same webiste stated that a driver can be prosecuted and fined upto £1000 if that medical condition is a contributary factor in a collision.

I weill post the gov link if you need it.

The point is avant he should have looked left before turning and given way to oncoming traffic. Anyway he is not admitting liability, but both his insurance and mine have said he is 100 % at fault.

You can come to a complete stop instantly at 10 mph as well, although I have no way of knowing I htink he was only doing 5.

Instant stop? Only if you hit a wall.

And we're still waiting for you to provide the link about deaf driver's responsibility.....

And information of what you have been driving 'professionally, as you didn't manage to show us your work vehicles.

I suppose that if a driver is deaf they exercise extra caution and observation to mitigate the effects. However it does seem to me that a significant number of drivers are to all intents and purposes 'deaf', by virtue of their personal music systems connected via earphones which renders them unaware of surrounding noises that could be useful in alerting to a potential accident. I would seperate the two groups however, because the deaf person is not distracted but alert. The music fiends are very distracted and often rocking along to the music. This I fear puts them into the 'without due care and attention category.

There is of course another plausible explanation: Darwinism in action!!!

Cheers Concrete

My definition of a professional driver, and bear in mind like all people professional or otherwise, there are some who are good at their job and amazingly bad.

Using a car to get to and from work, no matter how long the drive does not make you a professonal, sorry bt it don't,. Using your car as part of your job also does not make you a professional.

The simple question is this, if you didnt need the car to do your job, ie it was within walking distance ( forget about the individual firm ), then could you still do your job / continue your career ? If the answer is no then your are a professional driver ( not automatically a good one ), if the answer is yes then you are. ( again not automatically a good one ) If you could still do your job with someone else doing the driving then you are not a professional driver.

I had a job once driving a doctor around because he had lost his licence, he was not a professional driver because he could still continue his profession and continue to be a doctor, which he did do.

Take a flt, reach truck, barlow high racker etc, all professional driving jobs because if they lost the certificate / licence to operate those machines they would be out of work, if dvla decide to revoke your driving license ( taxi ), or pcv hgv etc then the company could legally sack you, because without that they cannot legally put you out on the road.

Anyway agree or not that is my definition fo a professional driver.

Edited by 30 yr's a Professional Driver on 18/07/2018 at 21:55

So update on the initial story

Despite the evidence of the video he has not admitted liability, but his insurance company has, and mine agrees that he is 100 % to blame.

So it has been looked at and the quote to get it repaired has come in at 1700 / 1800 pounds, the car was only valued at a grand, so it is what they call as beyond economical recovery, I am waiting for official confirmation of this by my own insurance, but I am hoping his insurers will agree to pay it, plus the cost of a hire car.

I am not holding my breath. This car was bought 2nd hand after the dealer selling it had put in a new engine, on the fist mot I put it through it had 4 majors and 7 minors, but after getting the majors done it got through, in the last mot ( 3 weeks ago ), it only failed on frosty headlamps ( dont know what the proper term is ), and the steering rod that goes straight up from the wheel bearing, £ 250 for new parts and 2 hours labour, halfords gave it the 2nd years mot at my hands ( had it for about 3 years, it came with 12 mths mot ), it went through with only 3 minors, so thanks to this idiot that is 2 years work, ruined in a matter of minutes.

What annoys me more then anything is that this idiot is too old to be driving and should be forced to give up driving if he is not willing to do it voluntarily, he is not the only geriatric causing havoc on our roads, I hope that one day there is cut off time when you are deemed too old to drive, and the license is automatically cancelled when you reach a certain age, which was really the point of me posting this in the first place.

Edited by 30 yr's a Professional Driver on 18/07/2018 at 22:12