View Full Version : Theoretical accident/insurance Q
let me stress that this did not happen to me...
I'll describe the road:
narrow-ish single carraigeway (ie 2 way) straight through a village at 30mph limt. There is a cross roads with 2 adjoining roads - tower road and an access to stable/work units. The road through the village continues and has right of way (ie not an all-stop Xroads).
The situation.
I'm sitting in the road waiting to turn right onto Tower Road. Indicator going.
In the opposite direction comes a white transit with the right indicator flashing (ie indicating to turn onto the access road).
The road is too narrow for a rear-rear turn, so all manoveurs are carried out nose-nose
The speed of the transit indicated that he may possibly put on the brakes and turn down the access road, leaving me clear to cross his carriageway and turn up tower road.
However, I did not as I drive to what people do rather than what they indicate.
In the event, he had left his indicator on and continued down the carriageway - had I turned right as planned he would have slammed into the side of me.
If I had made the turn and the accident had happened, how would I have stood on insurance? Bear in mind the type of road, the speed of the transit and the fact that he was indicating...
Would it have been my fault, given the points above? After all, I was going on the information present at the time - ie that he was about to make a cross carriageway manoveur and, had he done so, there would have been ample space/time for me to make my move...
Your fault i think,
Indicators are just that, you shouldnt rely on other drivers signals 100%.
thats what i thought. as i say, i drive to what ppl do - not what they are indicating...
JonnyBoy
15-07-2004, 12:54
Yeah, I think its like flashing headlights - all he's showing you is that his indicators work.
You're fault as indicators aren't always a true indication of a driver's intentions. Just why, when I'm waiting to pull out onto a road, if a car approaching is indicating, I still wait for them to slow and actually start turning before I pull out.
Pete Larsen
15-07-2004, 13:00
Have witnessed a accident "just" like this:
At last intersection a Transit :wack: came on the road and of course use
turnsignal.. Because of a fault with the crappy Transit the turnsignal did not
reset and kept on blinking.
In the next intersection a female driver thought "hey, this car is turning here
so will I'll belive I'll sneak out".
Kablam, since the Transit never intended to turn anywhere but to continue down the road.
Since the transit had right-of-way she got all the fault. It did not matter what she "belived", she still had the blame becuase of the "yeild" factor.
Your fault i think,
Indicators are just that, you shouldnt rely on other drivers signals 100%.
especially if they are in a white van.
Would probably be on their mobile though so you could argue the case that they were breaking the law when they ploughed into you.
:p
Yip, would be your fault, the reason my car is all smashed up atm! :cry:
He was indicating and slowing down, think he was lost. Dont ever go until they turn! I will never do it again! :no:
and flashing headlights is a warning, not a invitation to move!
(in the highway code)
Mint_Sauce
15-07-2004, 16:31
I was on a roundabout. The person who hit me was indicating left but carried straight across in to the side of my trusty Nova 1.2 (non luxury as it didn't have the little plastic dash clock :cry: ). Deemed my fault as it was just an indication of where she was going and not where she was actually going.... mmmmmm. :angry:
I was on a roundabout. The person who hit me was indicating left but carried straight across in to the side of my trusty Nova 1.2 (non luxury as it didn't have the little plastic dash clock :cry: ). Deemed my fault as it was just an indication of where she was going and not where she was actually going.... mmmmmm. :angry:
It's a shame instructors don't seem to tell you this... there's quite a few wooly areas and I'd not have expected this scenario (glad I know now though) - if everyone knew this then it wouldn't be a problem, but you tend to expect someone indicating left to actually turn left!!
dexteruk
15-07-2004, 18:18
but they can be done for due care and attention if they don't cancel their indicators after they have finished using them.
It's a shame instructors don't seem to tell you this... there's quite a few wooly areas and I'd not have expected this scenario (glad I know now though) - if everyone knew this then it wouldn't be a problem, but you tend to expect someone indicating left to actually turn left!!
I can't really remember but I'm sorta sure that my instructor told me to being in the move if the other person was giving all the normal signs of being about ready to make the turn.... I think....
I'm just glad that i treat all other road users as if they were on a personal mission to kill everyone else... Saved my life many a time :(
Yeah I tend to imagine the worst case scenarios and how I'd deal with them should those situations arise... I try to anyway :)
Martin T
15-07-2004, 20:36
It's a shame instructors don't seem to tell you this... there's quite a few wooly areas and I'd not have expected this scenario (glad I know now though) - if everyone knew this then it wouldn't be a problem, but you tend to expect someone indicating left to actually turn left!!
I was told quite specifically by my instructor to not make a move untill the person has comitted themselves to the manouver and indicators should not be taken as more than a flashing light.
BMW drivers stick to this principle like glue :D
I was told quite specifically by my instructor to not make a move untill the person has comitted themselves to the manouver and indicators should not be taken as more than a flashing light.
BMW drivers stick to this principle like glue :D
How true is that!
Someone really should tell these BMW drivers that their indicators don't work, I'm surprised more of them dont fail their MOT's! :wack: :rolleyes:
I drive a BMW :indiff: :wack:
Anyway, this happened to me - I was waiting at a crossroads to go straight over, lady coming down the road started indicating left (into road I was coming out of), I was in a rush and pulled out, she t-boned me at about 40. It hurts a lot. She claimed she wasn't indicating (she cancelled it after the cars came to a rest!) - there was another left hand turn about 200 yards further on, I reckon she was probably indicating waaay too early for that. Deemed my fault.
I learnt a (painful) lesson - now I don't move until the person commits to the turn.
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