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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think it wasn't her right of way?

52 replies

ChopMonster · 03/09/2011 12:20

On my way to the shops yesterday, came to a mini roundabout which was busy, traffic queuing from all three directions, so we were doing the "no, you go first" roundabout dance. The woman to the right of me decided to go, but her exit was blocked with a queue of traffic, so she effectively parked her car across the roundabout, blocking me in. My exit was clear so I could have gone.

I must admit to making a face which probably wasn't the best idea because she saw me and shouted "it's MY right of way!" and then glared at me for the next couple of minutes until the traffic moved and she drove off.

AIBU to think it wasn't her right of way? And even if it was, I was under the impression you shouldn't go if your exit is clear?

I think I need to relax

OP posts:

baguettecut · 03/09/2011 15:59

At least you don't live in a village where, ahem, more elderly drivers, wave you through at a roundabout, when it's your right of way anyway, like they're performing their random act of kindness for the day.

AryaStark · 03/09/2011 16:03

I asked my driving instructor what you should do when everyone arrives at once and she said the trick is to not arrive if possible and safe to slow down on the way. Tried it today and it worked really well. You're not always able to obviously.

SilentSinger · 03/09/2011 16:04

Thumbwitch since I was told that a few weeks ago I've been looking at roundabouts more carefully and have found a couple with 2 give way signs! So it might not be the most reliable piece of information. There are also different white lines where the give way signs are.

Thumbwitch · 03/09/2011 16:06

SilentSinger - perhaps that was one of those ideas that someone thought was a good one and most other people went "nah, can't be bothered, it's not that big a problem" and didn't do it? :)

southeastastra · 03/09/2011 16:14

it's amazing how many people don't understand roundabouts, i got crashed into by one woman who thought she had the right of way because she was on the roundabout (i was coming from her right)

Thumbwitch · 03/09/2011 16:21

SEA - was she French? I got crashed into by some French woman on a big roundabout because "her wheels were engaged on the roundabout" while I was coming round it.
TBH, I don't care that her wheels were engaged on the roundabout, nor that the rules are different in France - if there's a car in front of you, don't friggin' drive into it!

southeastastra · 03/09/2011 16:29

no she wasn't - didnt' know the rules were different in france either, not wonder their roads are always so chaotic!

Thumbwitch · 03/09/2011 16:38

oh yes, their right of way stuff can be very tricksy! Not just France though, much of continental Europe.
like this for e.g.:
Diving in France you may notice signs with a large yellow diamond and a white border. It's important to pay attention to these signs as they designate who has the right of way and it's not always what you would expect. If there is no black diagonal through the diamond, you have the right of way - so far so good. But there are main roads that have a sign with the black diagonal through the diamond. On these roads, even though they may be the obvious main road, anyone coming on to the road from the right, even from a dirt lane, has the right of way.

This means that if someone approaches the main road from the right, you have to stop and let them on, even though you are on the main road. This is standard practice in Belgium too - makes driving there a touch scary!

PotatoesOfTheCarribean · 03/09/2011 17:34

" I got crashed into by one woman who thought she had the right of way because she was on the roundabout (i was coming from her right)"

Actually she might have been right (though am unclear of exact legalities). My insurance company told me of this when a woman hit me when I was going around a roundabout. She was already 'established on the roundabout' apparently because she had started to pull out so the crash was deemed joint responsibility. Am still annoyed about this as I originally did have right of way and the silly BITCH shouldn't have pulled out. Grrr

MrsRhettButler · 03/09/2011 17:36

yanbu she was being silly and should have let you go but i guess technically she was in the right

SouthernFriedTofu · 03/09/2011 18:04

I have no idea. roundabouts are the devil's work

LunarRose · 03/09/2011 18:10

^" I got crashed into by one woman who thought she had the right of way because she was on the roundabout (i was coming from her right)"

Actually she might have been right (though am unclear of exact legalities).^

Yes she was right, if she was already on the roundabout and established you have no right to crash into her, even if you do come from the right. Insurance companies usually look at area of damage to work out if someone is established. You were very lucky to get joint liability in that case.

PotatoesOfTheCarribean · 03/09/2011 18:14

Lunar - she drove into me, she was only just on the roundabout (front wheels only) and caved in my passenger front door.

PotatoesOfTheCarribean · 03/09/2011 18:15

Ah, that wasn't to me, was it :p

LunarRose · 03/09/2011 18:19

Just looking at it from the subjective perspective, I used to work for an insurance company.

southeastastra · 03/09/2011 19:27

my sit was similar to potatoes btw, was long and drawn out though.

LunarRose · 03/09/2011 20:45

Actually I take back my previous comment, your damage was passenger side door?

old habits die hard, I was about to ask where her damage was...

then ask. Can I have a sketch of the incident and I'll look it up on google earth to get a better idea of the road markings?

Nooooooooooo

I will now step away from the car accident thread

Thumbwitch · 04/09/2011 00:31

Potatoes - same as me, it was my back passenger door that was hit in my case; plus she pushed my car onto a concrete bollard on the exit corner of the roundabout, damagin the other back passenger door as well - her insurance argued that they were only liable for the LH passenger door, not the RH one, as she hadn't hit that one - but I pointed out, none too gently, that I wouldn't have sideswiped the bollard without her help.
They did pay out eventually but took so fecking long to do it that the quote was a couple of £100 out of date by the time I got the car fixed. When I complained, they told me to return the original cheque, which was impossible as I had cashed it to pay for the repair, having had to wait for it to get the repairs done in the first place (didn't have a spare nearly £2k sitting around just for car door repairs)

PotatoesOfTheCarribean · 04/09/2011 09:36

Bloody hell Thumwitch.

In my case the woman who crashed into me had just been to a wake and "had only had a couple of glasses of wine, so fine" . Had a been a little older and wiser I would have called the police and suggested they breathalise her. My 18yo self was less confident about such things though.

The cheeky bitch had the gall to suggest that the accident was entirely my fault as well!

PotatoesOfTheCarribean · 04/09/2011 09:36

ThumBWitch

LRDTheFeministDragon · 04/09/2011 11:38

" I got crashed into by one woman who thought she had the right of way because she was on the roundabout (i was coming from her right)"

Erm .... she DID have right of way! Even if you are coming from the right, you still have to give way to traffic already on the roundabout. What do you think they're there for otherwise?!

southeastastra · 04/09/2011 16:44

she didn't - don't get your point?? she crashed into my passenger side, she didn't even look to her right.

Thumbwitch · 04/09/2011 16:53

Sorry LRD - I think in all 3 cases mentioned the person entering the roundabout was in the wrong, as all 3 of us got hit on the passenger side door.

southeastastra · 04/09/2011 16:53

and fgs i did not go into complete details about the case because it took up such a sodding long time to sort out (in my favour) wish i'd never effing mentioned it.

some people on here know it fucking all.

southeastastra · 04/09/2011 16:54

sorry thumb (hyperventilates) it really pisses me off now (as you can tell!)

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