Hit And Run - Hit And Stop

[Sinista32]

Question: Please explain your understanding of the Hit n Run - Hit n Stop laws.

I'm baffled when a pedestrian is on the road and gets hit by a car! The villan is automatically the driver. There's been a constant stream of news on the teev's about Hit n Runs this last week and it's erked me.

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Cars are supposed to be on the road and pedestrians NOT. They cross them at personal risk. We see kids run across, drunks stumble across and the elderly slow and not so steady crossing at the wrong place/time.

When did we decide to stop educating about the dangers of crossing roads? Why aren't parents responsible for teaching their kids about the dangers and why are young kids not with their parents? Why isn't duty of care solely with the pedestrian?

There is always a spate of these and the way it seems to me it is that the driver has to fear the law. Is there any wonder why drivers do a runner. I know there's drunk/drugged/speeding drivers and they definately shouldn't be behind the wheel, but shouldn't responsibility also be on the pedestrian to cross safely?

If a drunk driver hits a drunk pedestrian on the road is it 50/50 for responsibility/liability ?

If a legal driver hits a drunk or sober pedestrain is it the pedestrian totaly "at fault"?

Other questions:

Why are school zones kilometers long 360 around a school now days and not 50 meters?

and why between 8am and 4pm. and not 8-9am & 3-4pm?

Why do parents park at the crossings on both sides of the roads to pick their kids up?

Is there any evidence that the reduction in speed limits has reduced road fatality's in Australia?

My unsubstantiated view is we have made dumber/arrogant humans and that fatality's remain comparable over the last 30 years per capita. If you can find stats to proove different please send me a link and I'll change my view/s.

SPEED KILLS -> idiots. I'm all for valid speed limits because alot of drivers dont know their own and their vehicles safe limits. I blame Xbox...lol

Not for protecting those who fail to think first or parents from teaching kids.

Rant over

Edited June 8, 2010 by Sinista32

[natett]

who did you hit?

[Bullet32]

Whoa Richard... Did someone hit a nerve or something?

To be honest, I have to agree with most of what you said... Especially about the reduced speed limits.

I think that because the world has gone so litigation crazy that everyone is just trying to cover their own ass these days, because if you dont someone will sue you for something sooner or later, even if it wasnt entirely (or even remotely) your fault... All it takes is a loophole.

What I dont understand though are the laws governing which vehicles are classed as "roadworthy" and which arent...

Why is it that every day I see 20 to 30 year old old bombs driving around pumping out blue smoke from their exhausts which are barely held on by fencing wire, have buckled wheels and no tread left on their tyres driving on our roads when perfectly good condition cars like Skylines, Supras, WRX's etc are picked on by cops and inspectors all the time for being "unroadworthy"??

I had better stop there cos I could rant about this stuff all day

[Gus-]

woah richard - take a deep breath. and ask yourself this...

would you really want to hit somebody in your car??? if your like any other reasonable person...then the answer is no.

unfortunately theres pedestrian crossings, cyclists (i believe the term i get called is wanker), school zones, drunks in civic, little kids chasing balls, other cars with the worlds worst drivers, buses, trucks, young kids in sports cars and old tradies in dodgy vans and utes. people steal cars, key cars, hell someone even broke off my windscreen wiper.

its all part of driving on our public roads...and to answer your first question the reason the predestrian has right of way is because if they get hit by the person in the car (who may or may not be paying attention.) they are going to get hurt. i know people who have been hit bar a car, and ive been in a car when it hit someone on a motorbike. ive seen almost motorbike accidents that were almost fatal, and been in a few close calls myself.

fact is if a drunk driver hits a drunk walker then you could probly guess who will wake up with a hangover and who wakes up with a broken back.

so 2 options, keep driving like u do and dont let it get to u, pay attention, watch out, be patient and you wont have a problem,

or - take canberras awesome public transport

[Sinista32]

Wise words, Thanks for listening to my rant.

[Giveway]

woah richard - take a deep breath. and ask yourself this...

would you really want to hit somebody in your car??? if your like any other reasonable person...then the answer is no.

unfortunately theres pedestrian crossings, cyclists (i believe the term i get called is wanker), school zones, drunks in civic, little kids chasing balls, other cars with the worlds worst drivers, buses, trucks, young kids in sports cars and old tradies in dodgy vans and utes. people steal cars, key cars, hell someone even broke off my windscreen wiper.

its all part of driving on our public roads...and to answer your first question the reason the predestrian has right of way is because if they get hit by the person in the car (who may or may not be paying attention.) they are going to get hurt. i know people who have been hit bar a car, and ive been in a car when it hit someone on a motorbike. ive seen almost motorbike accidents that were almost fatal, and been in a few close calls myself.

fact is if a drunk driver hits a drunk walker then you could probly guess who will wake up with a hangover and who wakes up with a broken back.

so 2 options, keep driving like u do and dont let it get to u, pay attention, watch out, be patient and you wont have a problem,

or - take canberras awesome public transport

I really think your missing his point. He never said he wants to hit people, but he like many others including myself, are sick of blame being put on the person doing nothing wrong. Really. How out of it do you have to be to get hit by a car crossing the road? I can understand on crossings it being the drivers fault and while lowering speed can stop such things from happening, is it really that hard to just look before you step out somewhere? poke your head out before your body? I locked up all 4's today because someone jumped out without looking. If I had of hit them, I would of been hounded as being a dangerous P plater but I was doing the speed limit and this dip shit didn't even look.

Who has right of way is in no way related to who will get injured more. If a car is on the wrong side of the road and plows into a truck, do you think the truck driver is responsible?

Sinista never said he drives irresponsibly but he said he's sick of regulations being put on drivers because people who don't have right of way are getting killed. It's not necessarily the drivers fault just because they couldn't stop in time.

Putting up with bullsh1t shouldn't be part of driving on public roads. What sinista is doing is whats required for change.

Bullet32, your probably preaching to the choir but please go on. People need to hear it.

The fact that our performance cars are deemed dangerous is ridiculous. They turn and stop faster than normal cars and with the right driver, are far more controllable. It's just a few people can't drive.

Just my thoughts anyway.

[Sir Lord Van Von Vader'ham]

+1

[DAN00H]

in answer to the original question asked, hit and run = contacting a pedestrian/ person on the road with a vehicle and continuing to drive/ not stop at the scene.

hit and stop = like the above, contacting a person, but stopping at the scene. my advice is to always stop as it looks bad for the driver if they leave.

Obviously this doesn't mean I think drivers are responsible for the stupid behaviour of people who step out into traffic and get hit, but I do think we can always be aware that anything can enter the road unexpectedly and to be prepared for that (comes from my days spent on the motorbike...)

speed limits around schools... I'm for it, but not for general 50 in the burbs/ residential areas FFS

[TUFF_350]

The world is a messed up place.

I remember reading that in America a thief broke into a man's garage, tripped over a paint can and broke his leg leaving him stranded for 2days whilst the owner was away on business. Thief then sued the owner cos the paint can was a safety hazard and won!

[RB ONEVIA]

you are 100% at fault if you hit a pedestrian on a crossing. if you hit someone not on a crossing then doesnt it rely on witnesses? "they ran out onto the road infront of the car", "they were crossing the road and the car didnt slow down".... also they can tell how fast you were going from injuries and skidmarks etc....