A non-drivers experience

Legacy_user

Last Sat, my wife and I (passengers in our daughters car) were leaving the A45 and were about to leave the slip road where four roads link by a give way system.

Our's had two lanes clearly marked. The one on the left arrowed straight on,(and that lane had 3/4 cars waiting), the lane on the right was dual choice, straight on or right.

We wished to go straight on, so felt comfortable and the right to be there and was the first car.

Lights changed and slowly proceeded, however as we moved forward, the first car in the left, (that had straight on arrows only), decided to turn right, in front of us. Both cars touched and slid side by side, simply because we were aiming to proceed forward and hers because she "thought" we would turn right.

Our car sustained scorched rubber marks from her bumper and chips of paint removed, her car appeared with no visible marks.

She, was of the opinion she had the right to turn right, even though it was pointed out the arrows said differently. She then said she was indicating. She may well have been, but as our cars were side by side waiting, they could not be seen, and if the WERE on, maybe they'd been put on as an afterthought for those behind.

I wanted the police called, but she said she would, but didn't. She was alone and maybe because there were three of us, she felt intimidated ?.

We reported the incident to the police. Insurance have been notifired and they will decide later if it is worth persueing.

Now for the "what if's". What if the lights had been on green and traffic had been moving faster?.

Any comments ?

Dave_G_5

I'm afraid this is something that is seen nearly everyday, people just don't understand what lane they need to be in. Sounds like the other driver has made a silly mistake, thankfully at slow speed and no one was hurt. Hopefully she will learn from the experience, but the best thing to do is always treat other drivers as idiots and expect the unexpected.

Hope your daughter gets everything sorted out quickly.

System

For what it's worth, I'll keep this going with info, simply as a learning experience. The latest is that her insurance company will supply her with a car whilst they examine her car, then presumably decisions will need to be made as to who will do the funding.

MarkyMarkD

Her insurance company would supply her with a car irrespective of fault, if that's their policy, whilst the repairs are being undertaken (and assessing the damage counts as part of that).

She is a complete wally IMHO - even if she was indicating to change lane, that doesn't entitle her to push in front of someone who's alongside her. IDIOT!

Yet again, last night, we were cut up at a roundabout - where it happens about 3 times a week - by a driver who was in the LEFT lane, but decided to turn right into the RIGHT hand lane of the roundabout, to then leave the roundabout at the next exit. I was in the right lane, turning right, staying on the right on the roundabout - but that seemed to be a bit challenging for him.

Skint_Catt

Having driven in France recently, I have taken a lesson from the French and expect people to cut me up, pull out on me, overtake in stupid places. I used to get all riled up and angry, but it's me that comes off worse so I smile (which annoys them even more) and hang back.

The French often use the left hand lane at a roundabout to go right (or in the uk the right hand lane at a roundabout to go left!) but no-one bothers much.

I hate it when things like that happen becuase however much it isn't your fault you are always inconvinienced/out of pocket somewhere along the line.

Hope your daughter isn't stressing and it all gets sorted easily.

S_C

madfrenchgirl

I must admit people cuttin in front of you and other stuff is very common in my home country... even worse if you have the mark of the learner or the provisional on your car, people will even mroe bully you around.

I know what i am talking about. I must say that British people are a bit less awkward then french but they still dont indicate where they want to go at roundabouts so you never know if you can pull in or not... they also tend to overtake you while there is a red traffic light ahead (!!!!!! point?), they tend to overtake you if you are going at the speed limit, or and that is the special one for the A303, they will overtake you even if the double carraigeway is running out.

French people have a worse attitude to everything, they "grill" traffic lights, cut you at roundabouts, go into one-way systems the wrong way, decide to park in double lane, open their doors without checking the road and moan at the driver for not having seen them, overtake you while they absolutely dont have the right to so they can go faster than the speed limit, do U turns in town on a straight white line while the cops patrols right behing them (what a laugh that one! I cant tell you) etc etc

here, what appals me here above all is old people owning a BMW, a Merc, or even a Porsche and not being capable to use it properly. I own a small 1.2 corsa R reg, far from being the most powerful thing in the world i know how to use my engine when I use the A30 in cornwall (very hilly). I build up my torque so i dont have to shift gears down. Well, every single time i o/t a big fat slo truck up a hill, every single time I tell you, there is a 60yo pulling in front of me with their 3yo Merc. and they are going at 60-55 miles on a double carriageway, hence i lose my torque and i am obliged to shift a gear down. GRRRR... No need to have a powerful car if you dont know how to use it.

System

No, I think she is frustrated more than anything. The lady who cut her up, said she would contact my daughter on Monday eve, to let her know if her garage had detected any problem.......................she hasn't rung yet.

1) either there is nothing and she hasn't the courtesy to call or,

2) she "could" be developing a problem and should my daughter be thinking, "it's hardly worth persuing" and decide to fund the repair herself, could find a claim going AGAINST herself, making HER look the guilty party.

She feels she should not be the one to make the calls. The more we talk and think about it it makes us cross.

WE were in a lane which entitled us to either continue forward or turn right.
We hit on the left by someone turning right, who should have been driving forward and had changed her mind or thought she was entitled to do it.
We were still in our lane, she had moved into it.

We have no photo's. She photographed and video'd. But why ?

MarkyMarkD

She sounds mad, to be honest. I can't see why anyone would mess around with photos and video unless they were really deluded and believed that they were innocent.

No way, no way at all, would any insurance company accept her view of events as she was clearly in the wrong lane for the direction she was seeking to travel in.

I presume it was the side of your car that was damaged - at least, that's how I read the OP - which confirms the fact that it was her fault. If she'd managed to barge in front, and you'd hit her from the rear, that would make the debate somewhat more difficult - but if it was a barging from the side (and you were in the correct lane), she's got no chance IMHO.

Bossyboots

MarkyMarkD wrote:

She sounds mad, to be honest. I can't see why anyone would mess around with photos and video unless they were really deluded and believed that they were innocent.

No way, no way at all, would any insurance company accept her view of events as she was clearly in the wrong lane for the direction she was seeking to travel in.

I presume it was the side of your car that was damaged - at least, that's how I read the OP - which confirms the fact that it was her fault. If she'd managed to barge in front, and you'd hit her from the rear, that would make the debate somewhat more difficult - but if it was a barging from the side (and you were in the correct lane), she's got no chance IMHO.

I agree with this.