Had a car accident on the way to school

[Zaina89]

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!

Your screenshot tells everything that is needed. He has either not seen you at all or completely misjudged the space available to get out of the junction. Unless you were indicating, slowed down, then accelerated into him without turning, or you were driving at some crazy speed (neither of which would seem to be the case) then he is at fault and he has compounded this by not providng details to you. You have his number, you have dashcam footage, police and/or insurance is the next step. Pity the guy behind him didn't offer himself as a witness?

Did you get his reg number?
Report it to the police as a failure to stop

There is also the chance that he was trying to crash into you, there are people who set up crashes in order to claim for injuries.

You can't claim for personal injury off your own insurance, so if you fail to give way at a junction and are found at fault for the collision, you will not be able to claim off your own insurance for that.. it's a pointless idea for a 'scam'.

Crash for cash is normally done where they can 100% blame you (using witnesses in their car, or others that were purposely in the area, as evidence & whiplash claims) and claim off your insurance, like suddenly braking in front of you hoping you drive into the back of them etc.

Dashcam use seems to have reduced the prevalence of 'crash for cash' now.

Most important thing, I hope you and your son are ok. I know something like that is a shock and you'll be shaken.

Given what others have said, phone the police and see what they say (make a note of who you speak to, if they say there's nothing they need to do). Also, call the insurers. As you raised your voice, do you think there was any element that made him retreat back to his car? Just wondering as I had an accident years ago, the other party was really angry, so I wouldn't get out of the car. I was very lucky though as two men I knew drove past and stopped to help me.

I get it - you weren't shouting at him aggressively, you were agitated and in shock. Always better to be completely neutral, non-commital and polite but it happens.
I wouldn't keep on about the indicators in your insurance claim. Just say he made this comment but to the best of your knowledge they were not on. If you both have camera footage it should be resolved fairly quickly. They should factor in his refusal to exchange details - make sure you report that. Don't stress if it takes a long time to resolve. I was in a similar (not identical) accident and it took 12+ months to resolve as neither he nor his employer would cooperate. However, the insurance company were brilliant and I didn't have to do anything. They made it clear they believed I was not liable from the start and I just stopped thinking about it very quickly.

If you put the reg into the MOT/tax checker online that might be telling.

His fault, regardless. Report him.

Company car or not, he has to give his details. I have one and I would have to give my details, the company details and the name of our fleet manager.

I don’t give any insurance company details, as I haven’t got them, that’s the reason I give the fleet managers contact details. For us it’s then handled by the fleet department.

In the situation when you asked “what have you done?” I wouldn’t have responded to that, as I wouldn’t want to say anything that could be taken as admitting liability.

Doesn’t matter if your indicator was on or off.
He pulled out onto a main road, so he is at fault.

The police are genuinely not interested re failing to stop, providing there are no injuries and no severe car damage. Wrong, but that’s how it is.

The other driver will be at fault anyway, even if your indicator was still on, because he was as at a give way - it really is that simple.

To the poster saying 40 is a limit, not a target .. 🙄 honestly I get sick of hearing this .. OP was doing 40 in a 40. Perfectly legal, correct way to drive. Why would anyone drive at 30-35 in good conditions, just because ‘ooh it’s a limit not a target’ ffs, honestly boils me when people say that!

I've got a feeling he has no insurance or tax.

I would be very surprised if he has "camera footage" showing whether your indicators were on or off, given that he was side on to you. Or do dashcams point sideways now? This bullshit then driving off without swapping details sounds more and more suspect to me.

I thought the Highway Code said you shouldn't pull out until the other person has started to turn in and it's clear they are in fact turning, rather than relying on indicators. That's what I was taught anyway (a billion years ago!). He's at fault not you.

I don't think it matters if your indicator was still on or not. You can't assume drivers are going to turn just because they're indicating. I clearly remember my driving instructor always saying "wait until his wheels turn".

He is definitely in the wrong for not giving his details.

Oh you're one of those people that drove at 50 on the dual carriageway and overtake at 55 causing miles of tailbacks arent you. Driving slower than necessary for the conditions it's dangerous btw. It absolutely is a target when conditions are fine to drive at that speed.

I was taught to wait till you see the wheels of the indicating car start to turn. It's irrelevant, legally, if you had your indicator on. He was driving without due care and attention.

Definitely report to your insurance but don't say what he said about your indicator. He hasn't provided his details, so that won't help his case. Submit your dash cam footage to your insurance company asap. Do not share with anyone else or on social media.
If he does have it on dash cam, it's unlikely to show a sideways view. The very worst case scenario is that the collision will be deemed 50/50. Tbh if your indicator was on, the onus is on him to check that you are actually turning before he commits to his manoeuvre. Good luck

Absolutely. My OH has just passed an Advanced Driving Test and that's what he was told too. 'Subject to conditions' is obviously the crucial thing though.

Agreed.

I’ve tutored many people for the RoSPA Advanced Driving Test and you drive on or as close to the speed limit that a) the conditions dictate or b) your ability dictates.

Not sure if it's still the case but I was always taught never to rely on an indicator, that they had no meaning in law. May be worth taking advice.

Rubbish. Your dh was absolutely not told to drive 50 in a 70 🙄
edit: oh not dh

I still remember what my driving instructor used to say to me many years ago... "all an indicator indicates is that the indicator can indicate!" As in, don't trust a car is going to turn until it is.

(He also used to shout "it's not a bloody secret" if I forgot to to put my indicator on)

Er...think you might have the wrong end of the stick here...

I wonder if the car is stolen? what kind of car was it?

Either way, contact your insurance company asap. The indicator thing is irrelevant. You had right of way, were driving at speed limit, and he turned in front of you. He's in the wrong.

The insurance company will advise you on whether you need to report to police or not.

if the car is stolen, which I'm thinking it might be, then it's possible that your insurance will have to pay out and you will have to pay excess and lose no claims. Which is always annoying.

It does, because you can't assume that someone doesn't change their mind about turning, the indicator hasn't cancelled or even the indicator looks like it's on because of sunlight on it.

And you can't bloody well drive assuming everyone might pull out in front of you, you'd never get anywhere and you'd end up clogging up the roads along with the 'drive well below the speed limit just in case' brigade.

If he pulled in front of you it's his fault.