November 26, 2023
Traffic was moving at a snail’s pace wherever the rental store driver went. He thought he had given himself plenty of time, but between construction, accidents and bad drivers he was starting to doubt he would make it to the customer’s event location on time. He neared the final traffic light before the event space where the customer was expecting their delivery. The driver had to make one more right at the light, and he would be there just in time.
As the rental store driver approached the intersection, he examined the lanes ahead. There was one lane to continue straight or turn left and a separate lane for right turns. He realized that the vehicle in the straight lane, a large stretch Hummer, was sticking about two feet into the right turn lane. He saw that the Hummer was trying to turn left, and oncoming traffic was heavy. It would be a while.
The rental store driver decided to hug the curb and slowly inch past the Hummer. His vehicle came up over the curb slightly, but there was nothing on the sidewalk and he continued forward. Just as he thought he was home clear, the back of his box truck began to swing around for the turn. The back of his truck struck the other vehicle. They exchanged information. The police were called but declined to make a report due to there being no injuries.
The matter was reported to insurance. The adjuster will investigate and proceed as the facts warrant. Remember that a few extra minutes waiting for an annoying driver might save you several hours of accident-related delays and a few headaches as well.
This item, provided by ARA Insurance, Overland Park, Kan., contains safety tips and is intended to help readers better understand and manage risk. For more safety and risk management information, customers of ARA Insurance can log on to ReSource. Access is free, so if you haven’t signed up yet, contact your agent or call 800-821-6580.
