Is it always the person who rear ends another car who's liable!

Some people tell me it is others tell me it isn't.

Some people tell me it is others tell me it isn't.

I was always told to leave a massive gap on a motorway so that if needed you can slow or stop at any time. Always leave enough room to stop that is what I was taught!

It's a nice ideal, but a little unrealistic for motorway conditions where keeping 100meters odd between you an every other car is going to be a huge luxury and not something you can count on.

TBH I don't feel the whole 'driver from rear = wrong' thing is the sort of idea you're supposed to try and find obscure fault with as it's only ever a presumption, the same with Cars V Cyclists,

That's a bit extreme what happens if some one has to stop to avoid an accident if the driver behind can't stop it has to be their fault. Obviously if someone stops for no reason just to get some cash yes it's bang out of order. A van broke in front of me once on the A50 I didn't rear end them although must admit was scary and to this day don't know why they did it! I got rear ended on boxing day stopped for a car turning right in front of me the car behind me stopped the car behind him didn't she admitted liability and her insurers paid out for both cars.

The truth is that it is nearly always the fault of both parties. The Highway Code tells us to leave a larger gap ahead of us in front of us if someone is driving close behind, to allow us to brake slower and not get rear ended. We are then also told to obey the 2 second rule which, despite what ‘strider hort’ says is easy as you just slow a bit to create the gap then match their speed. If both drivers obey then there should be enough of a gap behind to stop if someone emergency brakes or enough gap ahead to brake slowly to avoid being rear ended.

In certain situations we should use our mirrors to tell us if it’s safe to brake heavily such as if we see a turning late, safest just to miss it, turn around ASAP and come back if someone is up our ass. In that case the car ahead would be at fault. in cases of distracted drivers rear ending people when not concentrating or looking ahead it would be rear drivers fault.

TheDE

The truth is that it is nearly always the fault of both parties. The Highway Code tells us to leave a larger gap ahead of us in front of us if someone is driving close behind, to allow us to brake slower and not get rear ended. We are then also told to obey the 2 second rule which, despite what ‘strider hort’ says is easy as you just slow a bit to create the gap then match their speed. If both drivers obey then there should be enough of a gap behind to stop if someone emergency brakes or enough gap ahead to brake slowly to avoid being rear ended.
TheDE