At fault for accident?

waamo

https://www.google.com/maps/place/B3063,+Bournemouth/@50.7409804,-1.8630465,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x4873a1fe9749c2dd:0xfdf4255d88e344e

Is that it?

DoaM

You didn't make that easy! :eek:

Here's how it resolves for me. And here's a better link.

OK. If you entered in the RH lane (which you should for taking the right/straight-on exit) then you could exit taking any of the 3 lanes, although logically you would take the middle or right lanes (depending on your next intended direction if it was straight or right .. if you needed to then go left you'd exit into the left lane). The vehicle exiting from Wellington Road should have waited for you to clear before entering the roundabout.

I'm minded to say that the 3rd party was at fault. But it depends on where they were relative to you when you entered the roundabout.

G_M

I came from the right lane of the road opposite the one with three lanes

Since you say you were already ON the roundabout, I don't see the relevance of the road from which you entered it.

The only way you can be liable (where a 3rd party hits the rear of your vehicle) is if you changed lanes to make the exit off the roundabout. (i.e. cut across into their lane - which it sounds like they are alleging).

Agreed. but as OP says it's a single lane roundabout, he can't have been changing lanes......

zagfles

facade wrote: »

There are large area around the car that you cannot see with the mirror- these are called "blind spots".


The plan is to try to adjust all 3 mirrors so that the areas they show overlap, but there is still an area close to the rear of the car in line with the roof pillars that is plenty big enough to hide a car. You can sometimes see the hidden vehicle with a glance over your shoulder in the direction that you are about to move.

If you've got a blind spot big enough to hide a car then your mirrors are seriously badly adjusted!

lister

As a driving instructor in Bournemouth, I know the roundabout well.

I wouldn't really describe it as a single lane roundabout. It is single lane in principle approaching from Charminster Road, but the only thing making it single lane is paint, with the hatching being set out from the physical island at the mouth of Wellington Road.

My guess is the car went ahead in the left hand lane, but as the OP isn't clear on where the car came from, far from impossible it came from Wellington Road.

I am also always concerned when people say they checked the mirror. Internal mirror? Left door mirror? (Or for a really scary thought, the right door mirror - but I have seen learners do that on leaving a roundabout, so why not qualified drivers).

My own take (and I am no expert on insurance claims) would be that if the TP vehicle came from Wellington Road, it is 100% the TPs fault. They have entered a roundabout when it wasn't clear to do so, regardless of any signal the OP was or wasn't giving.

If the TP vehicle came from Charminster Road in the left lane, then they are established on the roundabout in a left position (regardless of the rights and wrongs of that), and OP moved into their path, so certainly bears some, if not all/most of the responsibility.

But this is a small roundabout (actually a mini roundabout with a built up centre). I struggle to comprehend why the OP doesn't know where the car came from. If it was behind on the approach to the roundabout they should have been aware of its presence both directly behind further up the road , and beginning to move across and alongside on immediate approach. If it came from the left, why on earth didn't the OP see a fast moving vehicle approaching from the main source of danger to a vehicle established and looking to exit into the left hand lane?

The OPs description certainly doesn't do many favours and smacks of very weak awareness and observation, likely based on the fact they were doing the correct thing and everyone else would too. As I tell my learners when they say "wouldn't it have been their fault?" when I get them out of trouble, "Sure, but you'd still be in a heap of mangled car..."

Helpmeforum

Thank you for your help as a few of you have said I can't cut across a single lane and they should have waited however it's easier to prove that I cut across rather than them speeding so unfortunately I'm liable as there were no cameras to prove my case. Even though I'll be paying the price premium wise I can rest a bit easier knowing I'm not completely at fault. I'll definitely be avoiding this roundabout in the future as many people think it's a silly layout and I'm not the first or last to have an accident here.

Helpmeforum

@lister my memory isn't great as it is so remembering what car behind me isn't easy, I can note that one is there but not what car it specifically is. I'm 99% sure it DID NOT come from Wellington Road and was infact behind me (in the right hand lane also) otherwise I would've seen the vehicle in my left hand mirror when taking the exit. I don't say I'm a 100% because hey we are all human and maybe I did lack in observation but I'm sure I didn't. I never thought of the fact that they may have been in the left hand lane and didn't turn left in which case I agree that although they were in the wrong I would also be to blame. Thank you for your input, this is why I decided to post about this.

unholyangel

Helpmeforum wrote: »

Thank you for your help as a few of you have said I can't cut across a single lane and they should have waited however it's easier to prove that I cut across rather than them speeding so unfortunately I'm liable as there were no cameras to prove my case. Even though I'll be paying the price premium wise I can rest a bit easier knowing I'm not completely at fault. I'll definitely be avoiding this roundabout in the future as many people think it's a silly layout and I'm not the first or last to have an accident here.

It isn't a single lane roundabout though.

2 lanes on approach (and on every approach) = 2 lanes on it. Just hatched markings are on a part of one of those lanes.

FWIW I had a similar event last week. Smaller roundabout and was exiting onto a 1 lane road rather than 3 but same principle - driver in left turn only lane who decided to go straight on. I avoided the accident as I saw him when I checked before moving over. My dad told me (when I was learning to drive) to treat every other driver like they're an idiot. Its served me well, so I tend to assume theres a good chance someone is going to do something stupid and I'm ready to avoid it.

DUTR

unholyangel wrote: »

It isn't a single lane roundabout though.

2 lanes on approach (and on every approach) = 2 lanes on it. Just hatched markings are on a part of one of those lanes.

FWIW I had a similar event last week. Smaller roundabout and was exiting onto a 1 lane road rather than 3 but same principle - driver in left turn only lane who decided to go straight on. I avoided the accident as I saw him when I checked before moving over. My dad told me (when I was learning to drive) to treat every other driver like they're an idiot. Its served me well, so I tend to assume theres a good chance someone is going to do something stupid and I'm ready to avoid it.

That defence approach, serves lots of people very well.
The attitude of 'my lane' etc doesn't work well if the other driver isn't on the same thinking.

Mercdriver

I also work on the 'all other drivers are idiots, and sometimes that idiot is me" principle. When moving like this, I tend to lean forward to get a better view of the nearside and to do the shoulder 'lifesaver' check. Simply looking at the mirrors without moving won't reveal everything you need to see. More field of vision from the nearside mirror and also a look through the back of the car do be sure.