AIBU to ask who would have been in the wrong in this driving situation had a crash happened? Pic included!

[ApolloandDaphne]

Car A is swinging face out of a car parking space towards the exit to the car park. Nothing is coming in at this point. Car B comes at speed into the car park entrance. They do not wish to park, they are dropping someone off and block the exit of car A while they get out. Car A almost hits car B because it has come in so quickly but manages to stop in time.

Who would be liable had a crash happened?

Was B on the wrong side of the road?

Um, can you even be on the wrong side of the road in a car park?

Of course you can be depending on layout.

B inappropriate speed for the conditions.

I think person B didn't actually consider that someone might be coming out of the car park and just swung in to drop someone off. They looked a little surprised to see me - my car is MUCH bigger than theirs was! I would have gone into their passenger door and there was a very elderly man in that seat. My blood ran a bit cold at what might have happened.

I think that if you'd have gone into the side of their car (in terms of the POV of the insurance company)l I'm not quite sure why but I'm sure that's right.

Surely in a head on collision the one on the wrong side of the road is at fault.

Though, this is a reminder why it is always best to drive cautiously and slowly in car parks - you never know what other prats might be about to do!

Car parks are a sticky situation. Normally insurance splits liability unless someone admits it x

I think that if you'd have gone into the side of their car (in terms of the POV of the insurance company)l I'm not quite sure why but I'm sure that's right.

That can't always be true though, cos if someone pulled out onto a road or roundabout without looking you'd end up hitting the side of their car.

Why are people saying car B is on the wrong side of the road? looks like they are driving in the left hand lane of a two lane main road?

Split liability I would imagine. Both cars/drivers would be considered to have contributory negligence.
As you were driving carefully, you managed to stop in time.
If you hadn't have been driving carefully, there would have been an incident in which you would have been a factor in due to careless driving.

Dashcam and B would have no grounds to stand on if as described.

B. However, I think insurance companies will decide both have some fault unless there is CCTV that clarifies it.

Derelict on the diagram car b is joining the right hand side of the 'road'

Something similar happened to me but I was car B.
Although I would have said:
Car A was driving out of a parking space (but not out yet) as car B was entering car park ( not at speed!) and car A almost t-boned car B. I was livid!
If you were still emerging from the parking space you were at fault for emerging onto the "road" of the car park without checking there was nothing coming. B is a twat anyway though for driving too fast.
If you were already out of the space and B came haring into the entrance then B is at fault.

You managed to stop which shows it was possible and you were driving correctly. If you hadn't been able to stop = both at fault. That's not a moral judgement but it's what I would argue if I were B's insurance co.

Mutual blame I reckon, although it would depend on whether both cars were moving and who hit who where.

If it is a privately-owned car park, most likely neither car a or car b would be insured in any case

Regardless, both insurances would treat as knock for knock and you'd BOTH loose NCB.

It's simple, you slow the fuck down to enter a carpark and when you're in a carpark and you drive on the side of the carpark driveway that you would on the road, that would be the left there, and if it's too narrow to have room for two vehicles you check/give way to people who are already there.

I get this at work all the time, plenty of room for two cars to enter and exit providing they stick to their own side, on the right here, but you always get the wankers who plonk themselves dead centre to exit so you can't get in and the other wankers who swing out so wide to turn in they're entering halfway across my side. Slow down and stay in your lane assholes.

Surely both at fault.

Car B was turning from the major road into a minor road/carpark, whilst car A was turning into the minor road/carpark from an even more minor carpark, so car B had priority. But then Car B positioned itself inappropriately. And by the sound of it, both car A and car B hadn't considered the possibility that the someone might be coming the other way. Hard to comment on speed, as it is possible car B would say "fucking hell, they screeched out of that parking space like they were on the formula 1 grid".

Car B is on the wrong side of the road so automatically at fault, surely?

Both. Car B for speed and suddenly stopping, Car A for poor observation.

Assuming the entrance/exit and road around the car park is 2 way, then plainly car B for being on the wrong side of the road (you said they were at the tip of the arrow).

You'd think so Bertrand. Now I haven't been back through this in a few years, the base position legally is the car that drives into another is at fault then it's up to evidence/interviews to alter it. Why do you think so many Crash for Cash chancers always have multiple people in their car whilst the targeted has just one? As I said I haven't been back through this recently, so I may just be spouting bollocks...