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Volkswagen Polo IV - Oncoming lorry causes curb collision - georgeshaw24

I was driving along a village high street, with cars parked on the other side of the road, and I saw a very large lorry travelling quite fast towards me. I slowed, from 30mph to just under 20mph, as I was slightly apprehensive being a new driver, having only passed my test a month ago. The oncoming lorry did not slow down, which I believe it should have done, as there were cars obstructing his side of the road. He moved inward, onto my side of the road, and I panicked and slowed right down, and I then realised he was not going to slow or stop, so I drove onto the curb slightly so that he could pass without hitting the right hand side of my car, whilst sounding the horn so that he would at least slow, and to warn any pedestrians (of which there were none). I parked up, and check the tyre, and there is now a large puncture and the tyre went flat within a minute.

Can anybody shed some light on the situation - I would like to know whether I did the right thing in this situation? Should I have stopped well before the parked cars on his side of the road, as the oncoming lorry may not stop, or should I continue as it was my right of way? Also, is there somebody I can report this to, officially, perhaps as a warning to the company he was driving for? I, unfortunately, did not see his registration plate or any vehicle details so cannot identify the driver or the lorry.

Volkswagen Polo IV - Oncoming lorry causes curb collision - Bobbin Threadbare

Did the lorry have a company name on it? If you caught that you could ring them up. I've done that before - if you're gonna drive poorly, don't do it in your company's vehicle!!

At leats you're ok George. A white van driver forced me off the road a while back (plain van, and he floored it so I never got the reg) and I had to choose between hitting him full on and destroying the front of my car or going into a ditch. I went in the ditch. I still reckon it was better not to have hit him but I do wish I'd got the reg of the van.

Volkswagen Polo IV - Oncoming lorry causes curb collision - Vitesse6

Sadly the fact that you have the right of way doesn't mean that the other vehicle will give way. Your best course of action would have been to stop and let him past. When you have more experience at judging distances and widths you may feel differently.

I presume you are paying a huge insurance premium so your prime concern at the moment should be to earn some your no claims bonus rather than risking a bump defending your right of way.

I am sorry if this is cold comfort, but sadly some people don't respect others in the way they ought.