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Got into my 1st accident [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-frown.gif[/IMG]
Luckily, noone is hurt, just a fender bender.

I am turning left during a yellow light and this car didn't stop so I scratch his car on his driver side, my bumper has a huge dent.
It's the intersection at 104 ave and 160th st in Surrey.

(I think I'm screwed)

So any help would be nice.


edit: made the claim with ICBC, going to have my car check on next Wednesday. Still have to phone the insurance agent.

 
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Do you have any witnesses?

When the light turns yellow, no one else is supposed to enter the intersection but it rarely happens that way... People typically enter the intersection during yellow lights and if you're turning left, you have to wait until the red to do so. You probably could fight it in court if you had a witness to back you up...

 
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No witness, except for the two ppl in my car.

Talked with the insurance agent, and seem like it's my fault because i'm turning left. So I'm screwed!!! [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/IMG]

at least no one is hurt and my civic isn't too bad.

 
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Well, it is an unsafe left hand turn, however, if you turned left on a yellow light and they entered the intersection after it turned yellow... How can it be your fault?

 
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For real??? I better ask my friend who was with me at the time. But I'm pretty sure that I turn after yellow and the other car has enough time and space to stop

 
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sorry to say but ur prolly gonna get screwed..cuz its even icbc..haha

i did the same thing..but i completed my left turn, but the oncoming guy clipped my back...
2000$ in damage, and icbc didnt even cover my kit..
they said since i was turning left it is my fault...

so i got hit and its my fault..if you hit the guy...thats even worse...

sorry dude..just my experience..g'luck to you tho~
cuz im out 2500$...=(

 
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oh ya and a shitty thing too is passagners can't count as witnesses..so that blows..

should jus say one of em got hurt kinda..haha then it will be automatically the other party's fault..hahaha...

if you ever wanna get bak at icbc im with you =P
~

they will say its your fault bc you entered into his lane...anytime you cross lanes or whatever [for lane changes, or turns left or right..] you enter his lane but it will always be his right of way..
so they said to me..

 
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I kinda know I'm screwed!

 
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welcome to the club[IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-frown.gif[/IMG]

 
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ITS YOUR FAULT. CAUSE: FAIL TO YIELD ON LEFT TURN.

It doesn't matter if the guy went through a yellow. It is LEGAL to go through a yellow light. How are you
going to prove that he had enough room to stop when it hit yellow and he still blasted through? Witnesses
in car won't help you and it will be 100% your fault because it is YOU who has to yield on oncoming traffic.

Sorry mate. I went through the same sh|t with my '90 buick. The cop gave me a $100 ticket fine for "Failing
to yield on a left turn". + my ICBC rates went up.

 
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i only had an $81 ticket..hehe...now its time to have a co-owner of the car..ie...your parents..hehe...

 
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Well, according to the Alberta Traffic Act:

RSA 1980 cH-7 s107
Yellow traffic lights
108(1) When a yellow light is shown at an intersection by a traffic
control signal at the same time as or following the showing of a
green light, the driver of a vehicle approaching the intersection and
facing the yellow light shall stop before entering the intersection,
unless such a stop cannot be made in safety.

I don't know if this differs from BC. And, in safety means depending on weather and such. Usually, if the person speeds up to make the yellow, they had enough time to make a safe stop. I've know 2 or 3 people who have fought a "Unsafe left turn" ticket in court and won. All it takes is a witness(if you get in any accident, make sure to get at least 2 witnesses!).

Most people forget this law and think that they have until the redlight to make it through the intersection. Not so and it's not worth proving them wrong(unless you have a video camera set up in your car). Those type of accidents put your passenger at a big risk and can cause a lot of damage.

 
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Yes, that's exactly what i said, he has to prove that the other vehicle could not stop in safety. He had no other witnesses
other than the 2 in his car - and they don't count as 3RD PARTY witnesses. Unless of course you call up a friend and have him
pretend to be a witness standing on the corner and that the two people doesn't know each other. Otherwise, unless he's one hellova talker or have a good lawyer, he's going to lose. If there's a cop at the scene, he'll most likely give him a ticket for failing to yield on a left turn - unless of course there's a 3rd party wiitness at the scene.

 
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Noodleboy - I really don't care to make this one an all out flame-fest... However, police consider the weather (icey roads, wet roads, etc...), for "stop in safety". Also, they consider the traffic that was behind him, if there wasn't any traffic behind him, then he could have easily stopped. I used to fill out police accident reports at a station, so, I was exposed to a lot of accidents. Like I said, I've known 2 or 3 different people who got off of this charge but had to bring it to court and they got off without any 3rd party witnesses. It is possible. The only thing I don't like was the fact he hit the other driver on the driver side door which means he could have avoided the accident altogether. If the driver hit him on the rear quarter panel and he did start from a complete stop making a left hand turn when the light turned yellow... Then, thats a different story. Typically, a yellow light only last about 2-3 seconds and by the time you make the turn, the light is red(depending how big the intersection is)... Which means, the driver could have easily stopped and should have.


I think the lesson that should be learned is that if you get into any accident, make sure to get at least 2 other witnesses! Also, more red-light cameras should be used! I think they are more useful than photo radar and they are an effective a deterrent for running amber lights.

 
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from whut i've heard, it's only illegal if u cross the line (i.e. enter the intersection) on a red...

besides, that's how the intersection cameras work

but i'm sure there's always room for debate so give it ur best shot in court

 
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your rates wont go up if you pay before the next time you renew your insurance..
thats wut im doin..i was 75% at fault so i pay 75% of my damage and 75% of his damage then my rates wont go up..

i kno it will hurt the bank, but just calculate which way is cheaper..paying the hit on ur insurance, or just paying it back within the yr~...

 
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No this is no flamefest, but from what i picture hitting the side of his car means it probably just turned yellow and assumed the other party would stop and began to turn.

Well, fighting left hand turn accidents are hard - even with witnesses. Hard but not impossible. I'd save myself a headache and just pay it out. I mean, even if you did win, u'll probably be found 40-50% at fault anyways, which at ICBC, would make you pay the 40-50% and your insurance premiums would still go up anyways.

 
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Noodleboy - I really don't know the differences between BC & Alberta Highway Act. We do, however, have one of the highest accident rates in Edmonton in Canada, something isn't working. How does ICBC work? I have never heard of someone being 75% at fault, it's either they're both at fault, or one of the drivers is at fault... I think our system is due for an overhaul, the drivers here are just getting worse. I never want to get into an accident, even if I'm not at fault...

Popsiclepete - As for red-light cameras, I think they work best deterring people from running yellow lights in big intersections. We have them here on pretty well every large intersection in the city but only 6 or so are "ON" at one particular time. And, you wouldn't believe how many people slam on their brakes to avoid running the light. Even big semi-trucks stop now. And, they also take pictures of people turning right on redlights after not coming to a complete stop... I think they're worth while compared to our photoradar. Our photoradar in Edmonton is nothing more than a cash-cow... And considering they cut back police funding, the photoradar vans will be out in full force this year.

What's everyone pet-peeves about drivers? Mine are people who push it through yellow lights, people who run stop signs, and people who don't let you merge...

 
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n00dleboy: yeah, I know it's going to be my fault. There's nothing I can do except to wait and get the car checked by ICBC next wednesday.

I will probably pay for the damages if it's worth paying.

Btw, there was no car behind him or next to him but that morning was raining. I assume he is slowing down and will stop but guess he didn't.
And there was no police there.

Anyway, I'm seriously going to extremely careful from now on. Like avoiding left turns all together


edit: I'm going to Germany for Co-op so I'm cutting the insurance down to only storage

 
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The way red light camera works is this. When the light is red, the camera is then on the "on" position. Whenever a car moves over the sensor at the line it takes one picture of the car behind the line, and one picture IF the same car crosses over the line. The camera is disabled for the sensor for left turn people that have to wait for the lights to turn yellow or "late turners". The camera also takes 2 pictures of people turning right on a red light. Legally you have to come to a complete stop before hand, but you don't really need to. The camera will take one as you approach the intersection, then one after you cross the line. When the Red Light camera department looks at the pictures and determines that you were turning right then they just throw out the pictures and don't issue a ticket. I talked to an officer from that department and that's what I was told anyways.

 
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Noodleboy, I know how they work. It's just a really good deterrent though, seeing the camera reminds drivers.

 
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my sister had a same accident around that area...
she turned left right before the light turn to red....
the other car suddenly came fast and heat my sister's car.. acura tl.
the witness said the other car passed at the red light but i heard the witness said the different stoy to icbc and police..
the other car hit acura tl in the middle and the car was not able to fix...
received about $40k from icbc but it is 100% my sister's fault...
i am think about doing the same thing to other guy and do same thing~~~ just kidding...

 
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ouch!