Highway code - who is in the wrong?

[Bryan]

Me = blue car
Police car = red car

Please excuse my basic MS Paint skills but I had an altercation at the weekend with a Police officer regarding this and I'm still not 100% sure about who was in the wrong.

Basically we both approached the end of our roads which were both give way (as above diagram). However I arrived at my junction slightly before the Police car opposite and the road was clear both directions so I began my maneuver to turn right onto the main carriageway. I had been indicating right approaching the end of the junction. As I was pulling out of the road the Police car began to pull out to the left and promptly beeped his horn at me. I had to stop on the main carriageway to avoid a collision but I had no choice but to carry on otherwise I would have been blocking the road.

Then on came the blue lights and I was pulled in. The Police officer was obviously having a bad day and wasn't in the mood for any kind of conversation regarding the maneuver. The Police officer said he had right of way because I had to cross his carriageway.

Nothing became of it as the car was fully road legal and it was a total waste of his and my time.

 

[pablo]

him imo if you were already out on the road when he got to the give way line then you had right of way as you were actually on the carriageway. If you were both there at the same time and both pulled out at the same time Id say they had right of way then.

nothing to base that on though.

 

[Bryan]

It's times like that I wish I had a dash cam to review it.

 

[saxo_man]

I also go on the basis of the amount of lanes/lines being crossed, so in that case the red car has right away before the blue car because they are only crossing one lane. I probably would have just let the police go on ahead regardless, I hate them driving behind me, feels like I'm on a driving lesson

 

[Bryan]

It just felt like he went out of his way to do it in order to make a point. If the blue lights were on when it approached the junction there would have been no question of waiting for it to do whatever it was doing. I also don't clearly remember the Police car indicating which direction he was aiming to go upon coming up to the junction but I could be wrong.

 

[pablo]

if you were already out before he moved off then he purposefully decided to effectively drive into you.
assuming your diagram is accurate

 

[Bryan]

I clearly remember looking out the passenger window and seeing the front of the car.

 

[Antoin]

If you started the manoeuvre first id say you had right of way as he is essentially pulling out into moving traffic.

 

[martybelfastsri]

id say police car in the wrong means nothing if your insurance company dont want to fight it ect and just settle for ease of cost ect

 

[PDK]

Get yourself a cheapo dashcam. Loads available - stuff like this isn’t worth the agro. Then you’ll have proof.

 

[Apis]

I can't see how you did anything wrong.
My guess is he rolled up at the line, glanced out his right window, saw he was clear, but didn't really see you until he started to move out. Then ego got the better of him.
Also, not the law as far as I know, but I think this should be like America; the person who arrives at the junction first has a priority over the other one. Even if there's a doubt, it makes them pause for a second, eyeball each other and be courteous about moving out.

 

[Boydie]

I would say the police man is right under normal circumstances but if you made the first move then he would have to give way to you - like if you were 2-3s quicker or further out then how could his argument stand up?

Personally if I saw the police in front of me, I'd let them make the first move

 

[Gavlar]

Sounds like he had little be at!

 

[Cookies]

If you had already cleared the Give Way line on the junction you exited, then you are effectively on the main road. The following Highway Code rule would apply to the police car, if it reached the give way junction once you were on the main road.

172​

The approach to a junction may have a ‘Give Way’ sign or a triangle marked on the road. You must give way to traffic on the main road when emerging from a junction with broken white lines across the road.

Laws RTO 1995 Art 50 & TSR regs 8, 14 & 24

 

[stevieturbo]

The white lines you've marked at each side are different.

Are both give way ? stop ? other ?

But if you were already that far out on the road....would be hard to argue you were wrong. But then the police will always think they're right and threaten and harass you etc. You've more to lose when you are forced to prove you are innocent.

 

[Enda]

Priority on Crossroads - aDriving

Learn how to approach crossroad safely and rule of priority on crossroads | How to deal with crossroad controlled by traffic lights

www.adriving.co.uk

it doesn’t say anything about who arrived first on this but if you were both at the line at the same time then he would have priority. If you were already mid manoeuvre when he arrived at the junction the the priority is yours.

 

[mike150]

I always thought the first vehicle at a crossroads like the one you've pictured has the right of way, I've always drove in that manner across them.

In your case that was you so they where at the crossroads after you and pulled out after you so they are at fault. They're the cops though and you won't win an argument