Car accident, is this right?
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Hi all,
My car met another car this afternoon.
Spoke to insurance who say it's half liability (split between drivers) but wanted to check.
I was going onto a roundabout on left hand lane (6o'clock), thinking my exit was the second one (about 10o'clock). But as I went past the first exit (8o'clock) I realised I made a mistake and as I went past the second exit, I indicated right but still on the left hand lane. As I was nearing the third exit (12 o'clock), a car from the inside lane, drove past me and clipped my front wing panel and front bumper. I pulled off 12o'clock (this is dual carriageway a road) and we swapped details.
I am a new driver, 2 years clean drivers license, zero years ncb. I don't know how badly his car was damaged as its my first car and I went into shock.
insurance (admiral) have said it's split liability and unless I need to write the car off it's not worth claiming, so I would get it repaired privately for the excess (£250). I would get to keep one years ncb if he doesn't claim as well, which would offset the increase in premium as I had an accident. Insurance man says normally most people don't claim when it's an accident like this.
A friend has said that my premium would go up a lot and that it was his fault (I feel I made a bad call but in the eyes of the law, was I wrong?).
Any advice anyone? The car is a 14 year old citroen, runs well and drove it home after the ding.
My car met another car this afternoon.
Spoke to insurance who say it's half liability (split between drivers) but wanted to check.
I was going onto a roundabout on left hand lane (6o'clock), thinking my exit was the second one (about 10o'clock). But as I went past the first exit (8o'clock) I realised I made a mistake and as I went past the second exit, I indicated right but still on the left hand lane. As I was nearing the third exit (12 o'clock), a car from the inside lane, drove past me and clipped my front wing panel and front bumper. I pulled off 12o'clock (this is dual carriageway a road) and we swapped details.
I am a new driver, 2 years clean drivers license, zero years ncb. I don't know how badly his car was damaged as its my first car and I went into shock.
insurance (admiral) have said it's split liability and unless I need to write the car off it's not worth claiming, so I would get it repaired privately for the excess (£250). I would get to keep one years ncb if he doesn't claim as well, which would offset the increase in premium as I had an accident. Insurance man says normally most people don't claim when it's an accident like this.
A friend has said that my premium would go up a lot and that it was his fault (I feel I made a bad call but in the eyes of the law, was I wrong?).
Any advice anyone? The car is a 14 year old citroen, runs well and drove it home after the ding.
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Comments
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You were in the left lane turning right - it sounds like you were at fault?0
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Disregarding the right indicator for a minute..
You definitely didn't leave the outer lane on the roundabout and didn't try to enter the inner lane?
Did the Maserati driver stay in the inner lane, or was he trying to leave by the 12 o'clock exit?
I.e. did the Maserati driver enter the outer lane and cut across your path as he tried to leave the roundabout at the 12 o'clock exit?0 -
He wasn't a Maserati and I know it wasn't a great judgement call.
I did not enter the right hand lane before 12o'clock. He was trying to leave by the 12 o'clock exit. so he was turning left presuming I would do so and I didn't.0 -
Google Streetview the actual roundabout. Full of win that site is 0
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As it took you four hours to enter and exit a traffic roundabout, I'd advise you to relinquish your driving licence immediately.0
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Don't blame yourself just yet, sweetheart!He wasn't a Maserati and I know it wasn't a great judgement call.
So he cut across your path, since you were in the outer lane of the roundabout (and indicating right).I did not enter the right hand lane before 12o'clock. He was trying to leave by the 12 o'clock exit. so he was turning left presuming I would do so and I didn't.
To leave by the 12 o'clock exit, the [strike]maserati[/strike] maestro van driver should have dropped into the outer lane shortly after he had passed the 9 o'clock exit..
He shouldn't have cut at 12 o'clock from the inner lane to the outer lane, passing across your path.
The fact that you were indicating right showed that you were a Damsel in Distress®. He should have taken that signal as a warning.0 -
As far as i was aware, and how I was taught 20 odd years ago, when you are going straight over a roundabout you can indeed go into the middle lane go round the roundabout in the middle lane and then exit straight from the middle lane, but only if the exit is straight across from your entry point, that makes more sense in my head, but you try and write it! If the exit point is past the straight ahead you would also enter into the middle lane.When the exit point is before the straight ahead exit then you would tend to enter and remain in the left hand lane. These are general rules and due to the state of our roads there are exceptions where the lane required is marked on the road surface.
From what the OP has said, she got slightly lost going round the roundabout, and instead of taking the lane that she had actually intended to take changed her mind and decided to go round the roundabout in the outside lane, which you aren't supposed to do.
All drivers would have assumed a vehicle driving round the outside is coming exiting at the next exit, not driving ast two or three exits.
I would say the Insurance are being generous offering to make it a 50/50 incident, inother words both drivers are to blame equally.
My opinion is that your inexperience was more responsible for the accident than anything the other driver did.
These things are a learning curve, but I would expect slightly better ability to see what is going on around you after two years behind the wheel.
This may sound harsh, but you are driving a car which is a very dangerous item when not driven with full concentration. You could very easily have knocked off a motorcyclist and killed them.
Just so you know your friend is wrong, the accident was more your fault than the third party.
Just because you have put on your indicator whilst driving round a roundabout without knowing which exit is yours doesn't mean you have the legal right to drive where you like, you still have to look where you are going and keep a proper lookout for other road users.
I advise you get out a copy of the highway code and read the section on roundabouts.
At the end of the day, it was a minor collision, nobody was hurt now you need to address the problems that got you into the situation, and use it as a learning expierence to improve your driving.
When you enter the left hand lane of a roundabout then the assumption is that you are preparing to exit the roundabout, not take the long way round.
But for future reference please review your Highway Code. There is nothing to be ashamed about admitting you have forgotten a few points or need to refresh some things since your test.0 -
From what the OP has said, she got slightly lost going round the roundabout, and instead of taking the lane that she had actually intended to take changed her mind and decided to go round the roundabout in the outside lane, which you aren't supposed to do.
All drivers would have assumed a vehicle driving round the outside is coming exiting at the next exit, not driving ast two or three exits.
I would say the Insurance are being generous offering to make it a 50/50 incident, inother words both drivers are to blame equally.
My opinion is that your inexperience was more responsible for the accident than anything the other driver did.
These things are a learning curve, but I would expect slightly better ability to see what is going on around you after two years behind the wheel.
This may sound harsh, but you are driving a car which is a very dangerous item when not driven with full concentration. You could very easily have knocked off a motorcyclist and killed them.
Just so you know your friend is wrong, the accident was more your fault than the third party.
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Yup.
And I know I've had my driver's license for 2 years but I was a Sunday driver until January when I started a new job. I fully expected me to be better too, I don't like car accidents.
Just glad to know they were wrong as I was going to follow the insurance company's advice they deal with it every day.0 -
It was an accident, sounds like you were 50%+ to blame, that still lays some blame on the other driver.
Nothing you can do or improve by worrying, just furnish full details with accurate drawings or photos to the insurer and let them do their job.
The other party will give a totally different version as is normal, but again you cannot affect this so chill.;)I like the thanks button, but ,please, an I agree button.
Will the grammar and spelling police respect I do make grammatical errors, and have carp spelling, no need to remind me.;)
Always expect the unexpected:eek:and then you won't be dissapointed0
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