Roundabout collision - who is at fault? With diagram

[Notcheekyvimto]

Involved in a collision today at a roundabout.

Both lanes go straight on. The left lane leads to a left turn only shortly afterwards hence lots of people use the right lane to go straight, road markings are clear both lanes permit going straight.

Left hand exit is a car park for a local park marked in green ‘park’.

Red car travels in the right lane to go straight on, indicates left and starts to pull off.

Blue car comes from the park and intends to turn straight or right, into the path of red car.

Red car brakes but cannot stop in time and blue car is damaged on the drivers side, red car on the passengers corner side.

Who is at fault?

The blue car shouldn’t have indicated left unless it was taking the first left. It’s irrelevant whether they knew the area as it is the rule. In any case, it also shouldn’t have entered the roundabout until you had passed them. Tough if it is very busy as they would have to wait but if very quiet, as you say, then just wait until it is clear or a big enough gap comes free.

I can’t see in any way why this would be a 50/50. Insurers can tell from the damage to the cars who hit whom and in what position. Make sure you give the good diagrams, OP, and hope you have photos.

Ah we've found one. You absolutely should signal left before talking your exit on a roundabout, regardless of whether it is first left, straight on or after signaling right to approach an exit beyond straight across. Are you one of those that sails straight across while the rest of us try and guess your intentions?

It will go 50/50 on insurance unless one car admits liability or there is cctv/dashcam or witnesses. I’ve been the red car in this situation, didn’t matter I was already on the roundabout and they were in the wrong lane, if it’s one word against other particularly on a roundabout it will typically go 50/50 unfortunately. I also work in car insurance and have seen examples of this same type of claim multiple times.

Blue car at fault. This happened to me a few years back. Blue car's insurers wanted to make it 50/50 but fortunately I had legal cover and it was deemed that I wasn't at fault as I was already on the roundabout.

Even if the blue car misread your intentions (thought you were going right and not straight) they still shouldn't have assumed. Where I live people always mis-signal or don't signal for exits on 4/5 exit 2/3 lane roundabouts. I just take the stance of never assuming anything and wait until you're sure it's clear, and that's roundabouts I'm fully familiar with.
I'd say blue car fault but fear insurance will go 50/50.

She joined the roundabout and then (correctly) signalled left after she passed the exit to the park.

Oh right. Yes if red car signalled left AFTER passing the first exit then blue car was at fault.

I was in a situation like this, but fortunately without a collision. It was just after I'd passed my test. One of my first drives out. Approached a simple roundabout near my house. A car was approaching from my right. It was signalling left. I assumed it was taking the exit I was leaving, so I pulled out. The car kept coming and I had to brake to avoid hitting it.

The car was a driving school car, and the accompanying driver was the examiner who'd just passed my test!! Embarrassing... but I doubt he recognised me.

Yes definitely re think that. They are inexpensive, and are invaluable for proving what really happened when some idiot crashes into you and tries to blame you.

I have one discreetly fitted behind my rear view mirror. It comes on automatically when I start the car, so it’s just fit and forget about it, and if you ever have a crash the evidence is there.

I’m astounded that there are still so few people who have them. A quick survey walking down my road the other day. I counted 30 parked cars, only one of which had a dash cam in it.

Blue car is at fault, as long as the red car was indicating appropriately. If the red car was not indicating at all then the bluecar would have assumed they were going right. The red car should have been indicating that they
were taking the next left. If the red car was not indicating I think they were at fault. Had tney been indicating the blue car wouldn’t have pulled out thinking they could go straight on.

Good advice. I once had a collision which was 100% the other driver’s fault, but the other insurer wanted to go 50/50. I told them no, I wouldn’t accept that, and that I would see them in court. (I had legal cover). Half an hour later I got a phone call back saying they would accept full liability.

They obviously knew they had no chance of winning if it went to court, and were hoping I’d be scared of going to court and accept 50/50.

Stand your ground OP.

I know this roundabout very well, blue car at fault. The exit from the park is very close to the left turn, they must have pulled out before the roundabout was clear which is why you ran into them.

From the street view photo the blue car driver didn’t seem to look where he/she was going. I hope you are okay OP. I have experienced near misses on roundabouts simply because other drivers are not paying attention or try to undercut me.

Blue car at fault.
Did the other driver try and blame you?
Make sure your insurers do not accept any sort of 50/50 cis they can't be arsed to fight it. Clear case of failing to give way.

I think red car because they should indicate & move over before turning off of the roundabout. However it does depend on how close that blue car came into the roundabout & whether in practice blue car should have waited

I had exact same crash I was the red car ,road markings same as yours at the roundabout, blue car is at fault.

@Notcheekyvimto

it seems like the blue car is at fault. The blue car was entering the roundabout from the left-hand exit (the car park), which typically requires yielding to traffic already on the roundabout. Since the red car was already on the roundabout and proceeding straight, the blue car should have yielded to the red car.

My driving instructor always told me that even if a car indicates, not to pull out until they have already turned so I would say that the car pulling out should have waited

I get that, but what if you're on a very busy roundabout? People behind you are going to get impatient.

True, they would be more impatient if they were stuck behind a collision though. However although this is what I taught I don’t always follow lol. And I always get annoyed at people infront of me 😂 can’t win either way 😂

To put it bluntly, fuck them. They can be as impatient as they like but I'm not risking a crash because Billy Big Balls is fuming behind me.

I have been driving for years and I never trust an indicator alone. I won't move until the other driver has started their manoeuvre and I'm sure it's safe to go. Billy will just have to wait a few extra seconds!

When I used to deal with personal injury claims I had one that was similar to this. Drivers were both going straight ahead and the one in the left lane tried to exit in the right hand lane on the other side. They were found liable for the injuries of the person in the right hand lane.

@LakieLady i agree about indicating prior to leaving the roundabout. But OP says she was indicating left as she pulled off. If she is going straight on, and there’s a left hand turn before her straight on exit it sounds like she was indicating left as she entered the roundabout. So the other car could well have thought she was going to turn left. I mean they still shouldn’t have gone themselves

@CormorantStrikesBack when I said ‘pulled off’ I meant before I pulled off the roundabout to exit not from when I entered it

OP, let us know what the outcome is, if you have time, please.

50/50 really. But perhaps more blues fault.

If the road markings are as you say, red wasn't wrong to be in that lane, but perhaps they didn't indicate when they should have done. Blue should have yielded to the car already on the roundabout.