Hello everybody.
I am wondering on a situation that I am not sure and need to explain this to a friend of mine who's just got his learners license.
I am from Portugal (the Azores) and have been living in the UK permanently for the past 12 years. Even though Portuguese (in Lisbon) drivers have a very bad driving reputation, and boy they do, I have never had a speeding ticket, in fact very much made fun of by other Portuguese coworkers who do not like following me dead on at 30 when speed limit is 30. Nothing better than the old cruse control.
Still, I am not perfect as I have had two accidents in very poor weather conditions and at, funny enough, junctions.
One accident I was and give myself as at fault immediately as I had a giveaway sign. I did stop looked twice both sides and just as I was going across the junction, a laddie from the left slams in my car. To my left there was a curb and this laddies car must have been through this curb and as I drive with seat very low to the ground I never seen her.
Not to say that she was not doing 30 as both cars were wrecked and having just about 100 meters before the junction she should have had enough time to stop before crashing. Insurance decided on a 50/50 which in all fairness I think was not the case. I declared myself at fault yet they decided a 50/50. I think this is, like in Portugal, both drivers insurance company was the same, so very convenient for them a 50/50.
Second one, again another laddie and a junction ish. I was turning left but still keeping to the road with priority. This laddie comes from my right and she wants to go straight ahead to a dead end. Had this been 4 months prior, I would have been at fault as I had to giveaway and the road that this laddie drove to was not a dead end. But then this was all changed. She called the police as she was not having it. The police explained to her that even though she was going straight ahead it was as if she was making a right turn. She was exiting the road with priority. She lost.
Still, I regard myself at the age of 36 a very reliable driver and uphold the highway code without questions.
The question I have got is these two situations;
Situation one
In Portugal when in a junction regardless of give way or not when both drivers are to change direction to the right they should do so after passing each other therefore turning once each car has passed. This will never allow a collision whereas if you do it on front of each other a driver could mislead another giving way to collision.
Surely this must be the same in England?
Situation two
In Portugal when on a junction and both drivers want to move direction to the right and no signs are present we must apply right way rule. In this case the car turning immediately right would have to give way to the incoming car as he would present himself by the other drivers right hand.
This last one is the puzzling one.
Please lets have you opinion.
I have heard and read online that the right hand giveaway is not part of the highway code and it's only a mith. In Portugal this is part of the highway code.
Please advise.
Many thanks.
Carlos Arruda
I am wondering on a situation that I am not sure and need to explain this to a friend of mine who's just got his learners license.
I am from Portugal (the Azores) and have been living in the UK permanently for the past 12 years. Even though Portuguese (in Lisbon) drivers have a very bad driving reputation, and boy they do, I have never had a speeding ticket, in fact very much made fun of by other Portuguese coworkers who do not like following me dead on at 30 when speed limit is 30. Nothing better than the old cruse control.
Still, I am not perfect as I have had two accidents in very poor weather conditions and at, funny enough, junctions.
One accident I was and give myself as at fault immediately as I had a giveaway sign. I did stop looked twice both sides and just as I was going across the junction, a laddie from the left slams in my car. To my left there was a curb and this laddies car must have been through this curb and as I drive with seat very low to the ground I never seen her.
Not to say that she was not doing 30 as both cars were wrecked and having just about 100 meters before the junction she should have had enough time to stop before crashing. Insurance decided on a 50/50 which in all fairness I think was not the case. I declared myself at fault yet they decided a 50/50. I think this is, like in Portugal, both drivers insurance company was the same, so very convenient for them a 50/50.
Second one, again another laddie and a junction ish. I was turning left but still keeping to the road with priority. This laddie comes from my right and she wants to go straight ahead to a dead end. Had this been 4 months prior, I would have been at fault as I had to giveaway and the road that this laddie drove to was not a dead end. But then this was all changed. She called the police as she was not having it. The police explained to her that even though she was going straight ahead it was as if she was making a right turn. She was exiting the road with priority. She lost.
Still, I regard myself at the age of 36 a very reliable driver and uphold the highway code without questions.
The question I have got is these two situations;
Situation one
In Portugal when in a junction regardless of give way or not when both drivers are to change direction to the right they should do so after passing each other therefore turning once each car has passed. This will never allow a collision whereas if you do it on front of each other a driver could mislead another giving way to collision.
Surely this must be the same in England?
Situation two
In Portugal when on a junction and both drivers want to move direction to the right and no signs are present we must apply right way rule. In this case the car turning immediately right would have to give way to the incoming car as he would present himself by the other drivers right hand.
This last one is the puzzling one.
Please lets have you opinion.
I have heard and read online that the right hand giveaway is not part of the highway code and it's only a mith. In Portugal this is part of the highway code.
Please advise.
Many thanks.
Carlos Arruda