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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Had a car accident on the way to school

197 replies

Zaina89 · Today 10:08

Was on the way to take my kids to school this morning, exited a roundabout 2nd exit with my left indicator on. I assumed my indicator had turned of because I had turned and I have played back the dash cam footage and can’t hear any indicator. Neither when I was driving could I hear the indicator hadn’t switched off.
was driving 40 on a 40 road. This was 1/2 minutes approx after putting my indicator and exiting round about.
next thing I know driving down this 40mph road a car on a give way on my left with his indicator on turns out in front of me, immediately as I see him turning I slam my brakes on and beep my horn. Because of my high speed you can hear on the dash cam footage the noise my brakes are making because I slammed down. He didn’t even attempt to move back and he hit into the left side of my car. The man wasn’t even getting out of his car he just reversed back. I got out of my car shouting “ what have you done?” “ why did you just do that?”
only then he got out of his car and even then didn’t check his car or mine and just stayed at his drivers door. When I kept asking him “ why did you do that?” He just remained calm, smiled weirdly and said “ you had your indicator on to turn left, I’ve got it all on camera”
my indicator wasn’t on when I immediately got out to check my car, he didn’t even bother to check for any damage on his car and didn’t bother to see mine.
I asked him for his phone number and details and that I would be going to drop my kids off at school because we are now late and they are in shock and upset and he refused and said “ it’s a company car, just take a picture of my reg” and got back in his car. He didn’t even move away from his drivers door, didn’t check the damage, didn’t make any pictures or videos of our cars or the damage. Refused to give me his name and phone number and just said take a picture of my reg and got back in his car and drove away like nothing happened.

im just in complete shock, my son was sat in the passengers side and im just getting a panic attack thinking if I wouldn’t have slammed the brakes as soon as I saw him doing what he did it would have been a bad accident. No one is hurt, my car isn’t badly damaged mostly just bad scratches.
I genuinely did not know my indicator was on ( if it even was!) I can hear when my indicator is on and I couldn’t hear anything even looking back at the dash cam footage you can’t hear the indicator just me and my children casually talking and then you can hear me beeping and slamming down on the brakes and then the collision. If my indicator was on, I’m not sure why it hadn’t turned off or made noise because I exited the roundabout a minute or 2 before the collision.

surely by my speed going 40mph and not slowing down or intending to turn he should have known I was not turning and shouldn’t have pulled out! Trying to remain calm but it’s just so strange he refused to give me his name and number and also very strange he didn’t seem concerned to atleast check his own car and any damage, didn’t even take any pictures or videos!

OP posts:
AnnaQuayRules · Today 10:12

I think it's the law that you have to exchange details at the scene of an accident?

Hoppinggreen · Today 10:12

By refusing to give you his details he has actually committed an offence.
Maybe he is genuine or maybe he was setting you up for an insurance claim
Either way let your Insurance Company deal with it but under no circumstances say what you have said here about your Indicator. Don't lie but don't offer information that you don't know to be true
I am sure it was very scary OP and I hope you and your DC are all ok

Potooooooooes · Today 10:14

He might have been alarmed by you getting out and shouting at him. Smiling, being calm, non reactive are placatory actions.

It does shake you up, I hope you're okay.

viques · Today 10:15

He was silly to pull out in front of someone he says was indicating left until they actually start to turn! Especially if they were going at a fair whack because someone intending to turn would have slowed down from 40.

I never believe anyones indicating until I see them start their manoeuvre.

Zaina89 · Today 10:17

viques · Today 10:15

He was silly to pull out in front of someone he says was indicating left until they actually start to turn! Especially if they were going at a fair whack because someone intending to turn would have slowed down from 40.

I never believe anyones indicating until I see them start their manoeuvre.

Yes this is my point. My speed was 40mph and I never dropped the speed. Even on the dash cam footage I go a little bit past the line/road to turn and he still came out. Hope that makes sense but it happened very quickly.

OP posts:
Rollercoaster1920 · Today 10:17

Did you take a photo of the driver? I would report to police as leaving the scene of an accident without providing details. But I think he had 24 hours to report the accident to the police with his details.

Use your insurance, the indicator is not that important, he is likely to be held fully liable. Save dash cam footage. Do you have a witness?

Take a moment to relax and get over the shock too.

There is a chance the car isn't insured, or a clone. There's is the motor insurers bureau cover for that scenario.

Bitzee · Today 10:19

Call your insurance company, give them the details including his reg and your dashcam footage and let them deal with it. Don’t mention any of that nonsense about your indicator. You don’t think it was on. Your dashcam footage doesn’t have the sound. There’s no evidence AT ALL it was other than the accusation of a man who (illegally) refused to give his details at the scene.

Hope you’re all ok and not too shaken up.

TakemedowntoPotatoCity · Today 10:19

I'm not an expert but it sounds like he was at fault, not you. You simply can't rely on an indicator. The best advice I ever got was to drive as though everyone else is an idiot. He didn't take due diligence. Try not to worry, though I get it was a horrible thing to happen.
With my psychology hat on I would imagine his blasé attitude was a form of defensiveness because he knows he's at fault.

Teeheehee1579 · Today 10:20

You are supposed to swap name and address as well as reg so as he refused you are supposed to report it to the police and get a crime number plus obviously your insurer. It’s an offence for him not to give you these details but I am not sure everyone knows this and he was probably in shock too. If he remained calm then that’s ok - you were shouting and some people go into shut down mode if they are in shock and being shouted at. I’d call 101 and see what they say. Hope you are ok now!

Blogswife · Today 10:20

Contact the police & tell them that he left the scene of an accident .Inform your insurance company - you have his registration so they’ll take it from there
Dont agonise over whether your indicator was on . If he can prove it, he will
You’re likely in shock, this was a horrible accident but thankfully you are fine .

TY78910 · Today 10:21

That must have been scary. Don’t worry too much about the indicator - rule 104 of the Highway Code:
104
You should also

  • watch out for signals given by other road users and proceed only when you are satisfied that it is safe
  • be aware that an indicator on another vehicle may not have been cancelled.

Report him to your insurance, they’ll handle the rest. I’ve been watching some liability videos online as I find them interesting and they tend to say roundabout collisions are tend to be settled 50/50 because you can never assume someone is in the correct lane.

Catroo · Today 10:21

He should of given his name, but as you have the car reg it won't be classed as fleeing the scene and the police won't care.
I know it can be really unnerving, but it sounds like the blame is on him, regardless of indicator or not, he pulled out/started manoeuvre when the road wasnt clear.
Just give your footage and factual statement about what you know happened (not what you think may have) to your insurance company.

SilenceInside · Today 10:30

You don't pull out in front of anyone who is indicating exactly because they may not actually be about to perform that manoeuvre and you need to judge their speed, road position and the gap between you and them. So this chap is completely wrong that you indicating (if you were) means he was right to drive into you.

He should also have given you his details, his registration number isn't sufficient.

ijustwanttoworkout · Today 10:33

You left your indicator on, 40mph is a limit not a target and you should’ve been paying better attention. A scary lesson to have learned.

SpringsOnTheWay · Today 10:38

I had someone pull out in front of me as they said I had my indicator on (I didn’t) wrote my car off. Insurance found her entirely at fault.

what I think happened was the same colour car in front did turn, and she hadn’t seen me.

I would report it online to the police and unfortunately you’re going to have to go through your insurance company which is always a pain in the arse. And save the dash cam footage in multiple places. Front and back.

Mum2Fergus · Today 10:39

Can’t tell entirely from your post but if on roundabout insurers tend to settle in 50/50 liability split unless there is definitive proof otherwise. Report to Police and insurance and let them get on with it.

Dbank · Today 10:40

Whilst you may or may not have left your indicator on is irrelevant, you still had right of way and he drove into you, and left the accident without leaving his details which is a criminal offence.

I would file a police report and contact your insurance company today.

You might also check the registration is valid and he had insurance. This may b e the reason he didn't want to leave his details....

Zaina89 · Today 10:40

ijustwanttoworkout · Today 10:33

You left your indicator on, 40mph is a limit not a target and you should’ve been paying better attention. A scary lesson to have learned.

Whether it was left on is the question. I wasn’t aware of it being “left on” I said this is what he is saying but I said I am not sure of it being on as I didn’t hear the indicator after I turned around the roundabout so I assume it had switched off, I put my indicator on at the roundabout exit 1/2 minutes before he came out and hit into me. Even looking back at the dash cam footage you cannot hear the indicator and when I got out to check the damage of my car the indicator wasn’t on and when I got back in my car the indicator signal wasn’t on either.

regardless yes I was driving the speed limit on a 40mph road, he could see I wasn’t slowing down and he shouldn’t have came out when I was already past the road that he thought I was turning into as I clearly wasn’t making a turn and wouldn’t be trying to turn at that speed.

OP posts:
champagnePicnic · Today 10:41

ijustwanttoworkout · Today 10:33

You left your indicator on, 40mph is a limit not a target and you should’ve been paying better attention. A scary lesson to have learned.

Clearly you can’t read

Zaina89 · Today 10:42

Mum2Fergus · Today 10:39

Can’t tell entirely from your post but if on roundabout insurers tend to settle in 50/50 liability split unless there is definitive proof otherwise. Report to Police and insurance and let them get on with it.

It wasn’t on a roundabout, sorry if it wasn’t clear.
i meant I put my indicator on at the roundabout exit..
i assumed the indicator had turned off ( I am still not even sure it was on as he says) I couldn’t hear the indicator going off after I made the turn and exited the roundabout.

the collision happened 1 to 2 minutes further up the road, he was turning onto the road that I was already driving on, says my indicator wasn’t on so he made the turn and came out in front of me and hit me, quite a while after I exited the roundabout with the indicator on.

OP posts:
Watchoutfortheslowaraf · Today 10:43

ijustwanttoworkout · Today 10:33

You left your indicator on, 40mph is a limit not a target and you should’ve been paying better attention. A scary lesson to have learned.

she didn’t leave it on.

even is she did, you never pull out when someone is indicating if they haven’t slowed right down. He would still be at fault. She has right of way.

AllotmentTime · Today 10:45

Can you hear the indicator if you go back on your footage to the roundabout?
Not that it matters, he still should not have pulled out, but for your peace of mind!

SilenceInside · Today 10:45

@Zaina89 whether or not your indicator was on, and from what you describe it seems very unlikely it was still on, he still should not have pulled out and crashed into you.

Iheartmysmart · Today 10:46

One of the basics my driving instructor taught me was to always make sure of the other drivers intentions before making a manoeuvre. For the very reason they may not always do what you expect them to do!

TY78910 · Today 10:47

Zaina89 · Today 10:42

It wasn’t on a roundabout, sorry if it wasn’t clear.
i meant I put my indicator on at the roundabout exit..
i assumed the indicator had turned off ( I am still not even sure it was on as he says) I couldn’t hear the indicator going off after I made the turn and exited the roundabout.

the collision happened 1 to 2 minutes further up the road, he was turning onto the road that I was already driving on, says my indicator wasn’t on so he made the turn and came out in front of me and hit me, quite a while after I exited the roundabout with the indicator on.

Ohhhhh that makes a lot more sense.
I do think that’s his fault then. You should never trust an indicator 100%, especially as you were driving so fast. If you were slowing down then it would have been more apparent you were turning in instead of going straight. That’s what his apparent dashcam is going to show.