Always give way to straight oncoming vehicles: taxi slams into vehicle leaving parallel parking

Singapore ― An accident involving a vehicle coming out of parallel parking with an incoming taxi got netizens debating who was at fault.

“I finally got the video from the taxi (the one who recorded the incident on dashboard camera), which hit me,” wrote the driver of the vehicle exiting the parking space.

The video showed the taxi going down Greenwood Avenue, eventually hitting a silver car leaving its spot from the parallel parking area.

“Just to warn everyone to be careful when coming out of parallel parking,” said the driver.

He shared that the verdict from the insurance claim on the Aug 12 accident was that it is “100 per cent the fault of cars coming out of parallel parking based on the BOLA (Barometer of Liability Agreement) rules.”

The footage was shared on Facebook page ROADS.sg on Sunday (Oct 3), and it got members from the online community talking about who was at fault.

The BOLA guide dictates the liability each driver has in a traffic accident, said ROADS.sg.

“However, this relies on the accuracy of each driver recounting events – it’s always your word against the other driver’s, regardless of who is actually at fault,” the post added.

Meanwhile, netizens noted that the taxi seemed like it was going a little too fast.

“From the video, the car started turning out slowly when you are approximately 400m (based on white line) away, and you have approximately five seconds to react accordingly,” noted Facebook user Eunice Ong referring to the taxi driver.

“Seems to me you have ample time and distance to react even if it is his call to look out for traffic before turning out. The road is clear and bright. The question is, what are you doing during these five seconds?”

The habit of using signal lights when changing lanes was also highlighted in the comments.

“Basic practice signal first. No matter the upcoming car is 1km away. That’s why the car was invented with signal light,” said Facebook user Eric FC.

“If you don’t want to use your signal, don’t drive. And don’t expect everyone to slow down and stop for you. Some might be in a hurry or emergency. Conclusion, learn the habit of signalling and give way to the straight road coming car.” /TISG

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