traffic cones

[nanscamp]

there is a road nearby where the residents have started placing traffic cones in the road next to their cars, I think to prevent the car being hit by passing traffic. The road is a bit narrow and windy. Is this an offence and, if a car was to hit the cone, which in turn, hit the car who would be liable. I dont think it has happened yet, Im just curious.

[New Judge]

Placing the cones in the road is almost certainly something the local council or perhaps the police may like to deal with (if you can manage to get one of them interested).

However, should a vehicle collide with a cone and damage ensues as you describe, the liability will rest with the driver. Although the object may have been placed illegally and perhaps should not have been where it was, you cannot repudiate liability if you collide with a stationary object.

[gouldc]

As New Judge correctly put it, striking a stationary object is inevitably your fault.

The amount of claims I see where it's ''not my fault'' because:

1) the car was parked on double yellow lines
2) the skip was too far into the road, etc

is astounding. Not having a pop at you nanscamp, but it does amaze me that people assume that becuase other people don;t obey the rules, then it's not their fault if they can;t drive.

[nanscamp]

Thanks for your replies. I understand that the driver of the moving car would be responsible for any accident. Its just getting out of hand with the cones. The cars are double parked all along the road with cones to nearly all the cars leaving a single lane down the middle. I dont use the road often and there are more cones every time I pass. I just wondered what if!

[gouldc]

Hopefully the idiots who can't park/obey simple road rules will come out one day to loads of damage and no notes on their windscreens