Who is at fault for a rear-end collision caused by changing lanes over a solid line on the highway?
3 Answers
Changing lanes over a solid line is already illegal, and rear-end collisions are generally determined by traffic police as the primary responsibility. The decision should be based on the traffic police's judgment. White solid line: The purpose of a white solid line is to separate lanes in the same direction, usually marked before traffic lights at intersections. Many drivers are caught violating traffic rules by crossing this type of line. Single yellow solid line: The purpose of a single yellow solid line is to prohibit vehicles from crossing or driving over the line in both directions. It is marked on roads with only one lane in a single direction or one motor vehicle lane and one non-motor vehicle lane, as well as on sections where overtaking is prohibited due to other hazards. Yellow no-parking solid line: When a single yellow solid line is marked on the side of the road, its identity changes to a "no-parking line," indicating that no vehicles are allowed to park in that section.
Just the other day, I witnessed an incident where a car made a solid line lane change on the highway and got rear-ended by the vehicle behind. The traffic police arrived and immediately ruled the lane-changing vehicle fully at fault. The reasoning is straightforward: changing lanes over a solid line is inherently a violation, and how could the following vehicle, driving normally, anticipate your sudden swerve? More critically, traffic regulations clearly state that the lane-changing vehicle must ensure a safe distance and avoid disrupting normal traffic flow. With surveillance cameras so dense nowadays and dashcams capturing everything clearly, there's basically no chance of shirking responsibility. However, the rear vehicle should also take this as a lesson—maintaining a safe following distance on the highway is the golden rule for survival.
Any trucker with five years of long-haul experience knows that crossing solid lines to change lanes on the highway is practically suicidal. Last time I was hauling freight on the Jinggang’ao Expressway, I watched as the car ahead of me just crossed the solid line, and the SUV behind couldn’t brake in time—boom, straight into it. When the cops arrived and checked the dashcam footage, they immediately ruled the lead car at fault—after all, solid lines are legally drawn no-go zones! The lane-changer had to foot the bill for all vehicle damage and injuries, with no help from insurance. Honestly, with highway traffic moving so fast, the driver behind might only have a second or two to react—turn signals or not, it’s too late.
