Page 3 | Who was in the wrong driving?near miss

Snowplacelikehome26 · 2023-12-14T22:33:00+00:00

Near miss today. There was a car approaching the mini roundabout from the right but he was a while off and wasn’t near the line yet so I entered the roundabout as I had time. However he sped up very very fast to intimidate me. He was so close going to the side of me. I do know it’s give way to the right but I thought as I’d already entered before him and I was already on the roundabout and he was not yet entering then I thought I would have had the right of way?

amylou8 · 15/12/2023 07:40

Sound like he was going too fast, you misjudged this and caused him to break. Legally I expect you'd have been at fault, as there you be no way of proving his speed and you've pulled out on him.

margotrose · 15/12/2023 07:40

This annoys me you only should give way to the right if they are at the roundabout first.

Nope.

Priority goes to anyone approaching from the right.

margotrose · 15/12/2023 07:40

Lifestooshort71 · 15/12/2023 07:22

Yes, you're right, he could. I learnt to drive decades ago and if you rear ended someone it was always your fault - do they still do knock-for-knock?

But OP says he nearly went into the side of her, which says (to me anyway) that she pulled out on him and he then didn't have time to stop.

MontyDonsBlueScarf · 15/12/2023 07:43

I had a similar situation, but I was sure I hadn't blocked the other driver because there was a third car on the roundabout which was turning into my road. I turned left as the third car passed me on my right, between me and the original car, which was still waiting for the third car to pass. Nevertheless the driver followed me to a petrol station, got out of his car and shouted at me as I was filling up. I still feel shaken about it and it was a few years ago now.

pinkstripeycat · 15/12/2023 07:48

I was teaching someone to drive and we went through a narrow gap where the opp side of the road had priority (marked by a sign with arrows).

Nothing coming so we went through. Once you are half way through you can see the cars coming from the other direction and there’s no going back due to the angle of the road.

Opposite side can see our side of the road as they have a mirror angled to show what’s coming.

As we had just passed the halfway point (you have to go really slowly) a car on opp side was approaching their giveway line. He accelerated and swung on to our side of the road. He positioned right in front of our car so we couldn’t get through. He refused to move. We couldn’t go back due to cars behind us.

After a bit of me waving him to go back and him waving me to go back I got out to say as we were already half way though when he reached his giveway line he had to go back as there was no way for us to reverse. He sat there lips pursed saying “no I don’t, it’s my right of way”. I said well what do you suggest we do as we can’t go back?

Cars behind him started beeping so he manoeuvred past our car where there was a wide enough gap, drove right at me so I had to leap (not quite) out of the way and went on his way.

As I teach people to drive, I see it happen so many times where someone speeds up to claim priory even though they aren’t at the line. Priority doesn’t work like that I’m afraid. Sometimes they even beep at you and they haven’t even reached the line!

Op you were in the right

Peacheroo · 15/12/2023 07:51

pinkstripeycat · 15/12/2023 07:48

I was teaching someone to drive and we went through a narrow gap where the opp side of the road had priority (marked by a sign with arrows).

Nothing coming so we went through. Once you are half way through you can see the cars coming from the other direction and there’s no going back due to the angle of the road.

Opposite side can see our side of the road as they have a mirror angled to show what’s coming.

As we had just passed the halfway point (you have to go really slowly) a car on opp side was approaching their giveway line. He accelerated and swung on to our side of the road. He positioned right in front of our car so we couldn’t get through. He refused to move. We couldn’t go back due to cars behind us.

After a bit of me waving him to go back and him waving me to go back I got out to say as we were already half way though when he reached his giveway line he had to go back as there was no way for us to reverse. He sat there lips pursed saying “no I don’t, it’s my right of way”. I said well what do you suggest we do as we can’t go back?

Cars behind him started beeping so he manoeuvred past our car where there was a wide enough gap, drove right at me so I had to leap (not quite) out of the way and went on his way.

As I teach people to drive, I see it happen so many times where someone speeds up to claim priory even though they aren’t at the line. Priority doesn’t work like that I’m afraid. Sometimes they even beep at you and they haven’t even reached the line!

Op you were in the right

If you teach people to drive, you're not qualified to do so.

NoMoreShit · 15/12/2023 07:52

These aggressive idiots don't check to their right properly because they're completely fixated on 'winning' the race to the roundabout with the car on their left. Dangerous as hell & a sure sign of a fragile ego.

margotrose · 15/12/2023 07:53

@pinkstripeycat if you genuinely teach people to drive, you should probably stop.

You're basically telling OP she was right even though the Highway Code says she was wrong.

SinnerBoy · 15/12/2023 07:54

Nope. Priority goes to anyoneapproaching from the right.

2 miles away? Half a mile? 20 metres?

I think it's written badly and does mean already on, or about to be and unlikely to be able to stop. As pinkstripeycat said (Today 07:48) some people are stupid enough to accelerate, thinking that they are proving a point.

Muchof · 15/12/2023 07:55

It only a second or two to clear a mini roundabout, so if he ended up practically in the side of your car, I would say you probably should have waited.

Sirzy · 15/12/2023 07:56

Some people seem to be trying to over complicate things.

if you can’t clear before the vehicle to your right gets to you then wait for them to pass. If you can tell a vehicle is going too fast and therefore you can’t clear you still wait.

Spinet · 15/12/2023 07:59

My H recently failed his driving test for doing what you did on a mini roundabout so you're not right and should have waited. However there's no excuse for being a dick. I'm sure he's made a bad judgement when driving ever in his life and if not he can't have been driving long.

margotrose · 15/12/2023 08:00

@SinnerBoy if it meant already on the roundabout then that's what it would say

LumpyandBumps · 15/12/2023 08:01

I am pleased that I saw this thread. I always err on the safe side anyway but until today I thought the vehicle had to be on the roundabout to have priority.

I don’t normally have any problem with giving way to the right.

The major issue I encounter is vehicles approaching a local mini roundabout from the opposite direction to me. We are equally to the right of each other, but for some reason the ones coming from the opposite direction seem to think they have priority if the are exiting to the right even if they are not first onto the roundabout.

Peacheroo · 15/12/2023 08:01

SinnerBoy · 15/12/2023 07:54

Nope. Priority goes to anyoneapproaching from the right.

2 miles away? Half a mile? 20 metres?

I think it's written badly and does mean already on, or about to be and unlikely to be able to stop. As pinkstripeycat said (Today 07:48) some people are stupid enough to accelerate, thinking that they are proving a point.

So badly written that in no way could mean what you say it means? Come off it. It's obviously approaching and if they have to adjust their speed for you then you fucked up.

The Highway Code is not badly written. It's clear.

Peacheroo · 15/12/2023 08:02

margotrose · 15/12/2023 08:00

@SinnerBoy if it meant already on the roundabout then that's what it would say

You said it better than me. This thread, like all other threads about driving, is fucking terrifying.

MurielThrockmorton · 15/12/2023 08:05

We've got a junction for which our town seems to have made up a priority to the right rule even though the Highway Code doesn't support it (it's give way to traffic on the main road) so you have to follow it otherwise people get annoyed! It's very odd @LumpyandBumps

SinnerBoy · 15/12/2023 08:13

So badly written that in no way could mean what you say it means? Come off it. It's obviously approaching and if they have to adjust their speed for you then you fucked up.

But what distance? It's not specified.

Personally, if they were really close, I wouldn't pull onto the roundabout, but if they were 20m back, I would, as I'd have time to be clear.

Peacheroo · 15/12/2023 08:15

SinnerBoy · 15/12/2023 08:13

So badly written that in no way could mean what you say it means? Come off it. It's obviously approaching and if they have to adjust their speed for you then you fucked up.

But what distance? It's not specified.

Personally, if they were really close, I wouldn't pull onto the roundabout, but if they were 20m back, I would, as I'd have time to be clear.

Exactly... you have time to clear. That's the defining factor.

Sugarsun · 15/12/2023 08:38

It would depend on how close he was to the roundabout but it sounds like you were in the right and he was an arse.

This also happened to me twice.
Once a man just sped up and went straight over the roundabout and starting beeping, shouting and getting right up behind me.
Then another time a police woman nearly drove into me because she just pulled out and sped across it.
Both times I should have reported.

You find many people look and see that the right is clear and just go without checking the rest or try and get in there before you do.

Daffodilsandtuplips · 15/12/2023 08:41

No one should be speeding up approaching a roundabout, even if no other vehicles are around. They should be slowing down. Spilled diesel, black ice, wet leaves are all skid risks at roundabouts.

Dbank · 15/12/2023 09:05

If you were on the roundabout first, you have priority, over traffic approaching from the right.

Unfortunately most car drivers think it's okay to drive over the centre marking, which makes mini roundabouts much more dangerous than they should be.

Highway Code Rule 188
Mini-roundabouts. Approach these in the same way as normal roundabouts. All vehicles MUST pass round the central markings except large vehicles which are physically incapable of doing so. Remember, there is less space to manoeuvre and less time to signal. Avoid making U-turns at mini-roundabouts. Beware of others doing this.
Laws RTA 1988 sect 36 & TSRGD regs 10(1) & 16(1)

It appears to me that the general standard of driving has deteriorated in recent years and my advice is to fit front and back dash cams, and report dangerous drivers here

National Dash Cam Safety Portal

https://nextbase.co.uk/national-dash-cam-safety-portal/#:~:text=How%20do%20i%20report%20an%20incident%3F&text=Incidents%20can%20be%20reported%20via,Force%20where%20the%20incident%20occurred.

Peacheroo · 15/12/2023 09:11

Dbank · 15/12/2023 09:05

If you were on the roundabout first, you have priority, over traffic approaching from the right.

Unfortunately most car drivers think it's okay to drive over the centre marking, which makes mini roundabouts much more dangerous than they should be.

Highway Code Rule 188
Mini-roundabouts. Approach these in the same way as normal roundabouts. All vehicles MUST pass round the central markings except large vehicles which are physically incapable of doing so. Remember, there is less space to manoeuvre and less time to signal. Avoid making U-turns at mini-roundabouts. Beware of others doing this.
Laws RTA 1988 sect 36 & TSRGD regs 10(1) & 16(1)

It appears to me that the general standard of driving has deteriorated in recent years and my advice is to fit front and back dash cams, and report dangerous drivers here

If you were on the roundabout first, you have priority, over traffic approaching from the right.

How have you read what you've quoted below and come to that conclusion? If they're the same a normal roundabout you give way to cars approaching from the right. If the nose of my car touches the give way line but there is a car coming from the right that will have to adjust speed or brake based on me pulling out then I must stop and give way.

You say the standard of driving has depreciated (I wholeheartedly agree) but then your post shows that you are part of this.

Dbank · 15/12/2023 09:16

Sorry I don't understand your comment, the OP was on the roundabout before the driver crossed the line, so has priority.

Peacheroo · 15/12/2023 09:25

She shouldn't have been on the roundabout. Had she been driving correctly, she would have been stopped and giving way to the approaching vehicle.

As we've said, and used the Highway Code to show, it is not who is on the roundabout that his priority. If a car is approaching from the right, you must give way.