Minor road traffic accident, who's in the wrong? (Round about related)

[lego]

This morning while on the way to work I witnessed a van pull into a car. It wasn't a big crash, but more a scrape. I stopped to offer any help, and gave my details in case they needed a witness.

The round about in question is on the M4 as seen here.

The red arrow shows the car, and the purple arrow shows the van. They were both side by side as they went around, when it came to the straight the van indicated and immediately pulled over, crashing into the car.

As you can see from the yellow arrows, both these lanes can be used for the next exit (Where they were both going).

Now I've always taken the "inside" lane as the van has, but as there's no need to pull over I never do. Plus there's always that after 12 o'clock / third exit thing.

But it has got me thinking who was in the wrong (Other than the van just pulling over)

Over to you guys

quick edit - The damage was to the back third of the car and the front of the van so the car was ahead

 

[chroniclard]

Van turned into the car, is there any debate here?

 

[TheMightyTen]

Surely everything else is irrelevant because

......the van indicated and immediately pulled over.....

Indicating is just that indicating intention and requesting awareness from other drivers it doesn't implicitly give permission to perform the action simply by switching the indicator on.

 

[Casdawer]

Van turned into the car, is there any debate here?

This.

The Van should have checked his mirrors / blind spot, indicated for 6 seconds allowing other vehicles to slow down to allow him to enter the lane.

 

[lego]

It's what i thought, but was the car in the incorrect lane?

 

[Kuros]

Van pulled over. If you don't check your mirrors and ensure it's clear, you're in the wrong regardless of if the other person is or not.

Also, I see no issue with what the other drive did, most other motorway roundabouts work the same way.

 

[kindai]

Van at fault. Probably on his phone knowing most van drivers on roundabouts.

 

[Semple]

It's what i thought, but was the car in the incorrect lane?

If the lane allows the car to exit where he was intending to exit, then no he was in the correct lane.

If as you say both lanes exit at that point of the roundabout anyway, then no idea why the van suddenly felt that he had to move over. Do you know if he admitted fault to the other driver?

 

[Kaeo]

Even though the car is technically in the incorrect lane aka turning right from a left lane, the point is the van changed lane without due care and attention. The point stands. The car could have just as easily come from the next entrance from where they did and ended up in the same position.

 

[Rroff]

Ultimately though the car wasn't probably using the roundabout "properly" any vehicle "could" have come into the position the car was in at the moment of impact through proper use of the roundabout so the van driver is at fault.

 

[FTM]

mirror,signal, manoeuvre..you only move when it is clear and safe to do so

van driver at fault

 

[Scania]

Van at fault, he just indicated and pulled over probably didn't check his mirrors or the car was momentarily blind to him.

Had a similar incident a while ago, watched a van on my off side indicate and pulled straight into the side of my trucks trailer, it was only 13m long and 14'6" high, easy to miss, the van driver was adamant it was somehow my fault......

 

[lego]

Van at fault, he just indicated and pulled over probably didn't check his mirrors or the car was momentarily blind to him.

Had a similar incident a while ago, watched a van on my off side indicate and pulled straight into the side of my trucks trailer, it was only 13m long and 14'6" high, easy to miss, the van driver was adamant it was somehow my fault......

lol, how did that work out for you?

 

[peterwalkley]

Van at fault, he just indicated and pulled over probably didn't check his mirrors or the car was momentarily blind to him.

Had a similar incident a while ago, watched a van on my off side indicate and pulled straight into the side of my trucks trailer, it was only 13m long and 14'6" high, easy to miss, the van driver was adamant it was somehow my fault......

Unique way of trying to "collect" a Stobart

 

[tom_e]

Van at fault, he just indicated and pulled over probably didn't check his mirrors or the car was momentarily blind to him.

Had a similar incident a while ago, watched a van on my off side indicate and pulled straight into the side of my trucks trailer, it was only 13m long and 14'6" high, easy to miss, the van driver was adamant it was somehow my fault......

I can sort of understand when people try it on me when I'm zipping along on my bike, but that's a special kind of stupid.

 

[MooMoo444]

Van at fault, he just indicated and pulled over probably didn't check his mirrors or the car was momentarily blind to him.

Had a similar incident a while ago, watched a van on my off side indicate and pulled straight into the side of my trucks trailer, it was only 13m long and 14'6" high, easy to miss, the van driver was adamant it was somehow my fault......

Damn truck drivers thinking they own the road to be honest

 

[rodenal]

With your statement it will likely go down as the van drivers fault, regardless of who was in the "correct" lane it isn't ok to just drive into another car.

Without any witnesses almost definitely 50/50

 

[Scania]

lol, how did that work out for you?

Reported it, never heard anything else about it so I assume he decided not to claim after all, it really was bizarre, my cab was in front of him (hence me being able to watch him in my mirrors) he couldn't possibly have not seen he was along side an artic yet I saw him indicate and start to move immediately,thought to myself "he isn't is he?" Bang!

Priceless

Damn truck drivers thinking they own the road to be honest

Thinking we do? How dare you! - of course we own the road!

 

[Deleted member 66701]

It's what i thought, but was the car in the incorrect lane?

It could be argued they were in the incorrect lane when entering the roundabout based on the exit they wished to take, but not at the point of impact.

Van driver at fault. As it's a roundabout - it will probably go 50-50. Props to you for stopping and offering to be a witness though.

 

[theone8181]

So if the car was in the wrong lane is the best the van driver can hope for 50/50? I ask as I'm often going round roundabouts and idiots pull infront of me resulting in my having to come to a stop on a roundabout and just wondered whose fault it is if I t-bone someone who pulls infront of me and I can't stop.