On Wed, 17 Sep 2003 00:05:31 +0100, "John Rowland"
wrote:

Hi all,

I've seen a lot of signs recently declaring roads to be private. What does
this mean? Am I allowed to drive down it? If I crash or kill someone, will
the outcome be different to the outcome on a public road?

Certainly there is the standard stuff like speed limits and Road Tax
not applying. Fine if you have a big country estate with lots of
roadway and a classic sports car collection, but most of the private
roads in london are far too short - the one where my sister's house is
certainly is. Not sure about the insurance situation, or indeed
applicable charges for drunk-driving, death by dangerous driving, etc.

I have also seen signs, particularly guarding the car parks of small
pretentious blocks of flats, saying "No Turning". Has anyone ever been
prosecuted for turning their car on a road so marked?

Technically it would be trespassing.

While I was using a private shortcut which serves the numerous car repair
garages which occupy the arches of the Piccadilly Line viaduct in South
Harrow, a big van containing three men whizzed onto my side of the road to
pass a parked car blocking their side of the road. Judging by the smug look
on the drivers face, he presumed that my little Kia Pride (which looks a lot
like a Nissan Micra) would stop and let them through. He was wrong, and we
met face to face at the narrow part. After about half a minute of my
legendary stare he reversed and I got through the gap. Afterwards I wondered
who had been in the right - if they worked at or owned one of the garages,
did they have priority over me? But then again, they might have just been
using it as a shortcut, like me. It doesn't seem possible that priority
would depend on something which is so difficult to ascertain. Or is there no
legally defined "right side of the road" on a private road?

Probably not. I suppose a private road could be deemed to be
opposite, if the owner so wished.
--
Nick Cooper

[Carefully remove the detonators from my e-mail address to reply!]

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