Whose fault is it when....

[headlamp]

....you are riding/driving behind someone, they brake suddenly, however their brake lights don't work and you hit them!

I have been following a few cars in the last few days whose back brake lights have not been working. I usually pull up to the driver and alert them - but it's getting ridiculous!
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Using a mobile phone while driving a car should be made a capital offence!

[mchaggis]

It's your fault for hitting them, but the insurance liability should (I think) be split because their lights weren't working.
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I must not be a troll...
Mmmm, Guinness
Discovering the delights of Hammerite and a 3/4" brush.

[TheShaggyDA]

It's your fault. Never assume people have working brake lights.
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Current: CB500 Previous: CB100N, CB250RS, XJ900F, GT550, GPZ750R/1000RX, AJS M16, R100RT, Enfield Bullet

[i:6e3bfc7581]But still I fear and still I dare not laugh at the madman...[/i:6e3bfc7581]

[mrchips]

Brake lights are only a conveniance aid, you should't be sitting watching for brake lights.
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Northern Irish? www.nibikers.com

[Villers]

yeah but you fail your MOT if your brake lights don't function, and you also get in trouble with the police. Is it therefore not to be assumed that the vehicle in question is not roadworthy? The difficult part comes when you crash into the bastards and destroy the evidence with the front of your car.
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RS125 > CBR6 > SV650S > ZX636R > GSX1300RZ Hayabusa > 06 RSVR Mille > SV1000S > Street Triple 765 RS

[mchaggis]

[TheShaggyDA]

[colin1]

if you leave a 2 second gap you shd never go into the back of anyone.

If you leave a 4 second gap I dont think you wd ever go into the back of someone.

You only really need to be closer if you need to get past some traffic lights before they change or if you want to overtake.

I agree with haggis that after an accident they can tell if a bulb was lit at the time of impact. It was on fifth gear. Inert gas in the bulb prevents the filament oxidising when lit. If the bulb breaks when lit, the filament oxidises.
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colin1 is officially faster than god

[Danny]

[Villers]

[headlamp]

Thankfully I have not had an accident like this!! Even if someone was travelling at the 'regulation' distance, without the brake lights, your only aware of the car slowing down as you move towards it at a relative higher speed!

I would have thought that techincally as the car is 'unroadworthy' then this is a good defence & consequently mitigating circumstances for the accident.
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Using a mobile phone while driving a car should be made a capital offence!

[Kickstart]

[instigator]

I'd always assumed that if the braking was unnecessary and for no particular reason, then the driver you crash into could be done for 'dangerous driving' or somehting along those lines. Infact, I'm sure I read it off a link on this site.