Accident at roundabout

P_Fitz

In order to go down the PIAB route who makes the call on who was at fault? Is it the garda who attended the scene or the PIAB? There has been debate here over who was at fault or who was mainly at fault.

goz83

P_Fitz wrote: »

In order to go down the PIAB route who makes the call on who was at fault? Is it the garda who attended the scene or the PIAB? There has been debate here over who was at fault or who was mainly at fault.

Ok so let me try to clear a couple of things up.

If you have no intention of making a PI claim, you only need to contact the hospital and tell them you are not making a claim and the bill will be revised to €100. I would be looking for the motorist to cover this bill, as I believe the onus is on the motorist in the vast majority of cases.

If you intend to claim, tell them that you will be claiming and the charge will be the €300 odd bill will be frozen until the claim is settled.

To make a claim, you can either go through the injuries board directly, or have a solicitor do this for you. It costs about €50 to register a claim. A medical report will be required as part of the application, which will cost around €300. You must cover these fees.

Many solicitors offer no win, no fee services for claims and I have chosen to allow a solicitor to act on my behalf on two occasions. You will received copies of all correspondence from the Injuries Board. You can read up about the process at www.injuriesboard.ie

The injuries board often have you checked out by a doctor and will make an assessment based on proven loss of earnings, medical bills and of course, pain and suffering from the injury. The insurance company can reject the application from the Injuries Board (at which point you choose if you wish to bring them to court) but they generally allow the Injuries Board to proceed and often accept the assessment of the Injuries Board.

If you, or the insurance company reject the Injuries Board assessment, you can choose to proceed to court, or drop the claim.

If both parties accept the assessment, you must pay your solicitor and any medical bills out of your compensation.

Going to court changes any original agreement you had with a solicitor (if you engaged one) and a different arrangement is put in place.

It is a long process in most cases, lasting usually at least a year. It's not worth it (in my opinion) unless you have ongoing difficulty with an injury.

I suggest letting things cool off for a couple of weeks before seeking any legal advice.

P_Fitz

Thanks for the info goz83. Much appreciated.

Little CuChulainn

Seems a bit silly that the state covers the bill if someone decides not to claim. Once third party liability is involved, particularly in the case of a road traffic collision, the bill should really be covered by the responsible party.

maniac2000

P_Fitz wrote: »

The left turn refers to the first exit from the roundabout. He could have turned left (first exit), straight (second exit) or turned right (third exit).

I crossed the road at the first exit.

I hope that makes sense.

On a roundabout you signal left ONLY once you have passed the first exit if your intention is to proceed through the roundabout (second exit).

This was drilled into me for my C license test last year.

Rubberchikken

drivers have to be aware of everything on the road but it doesn't absolve pedestrians from doing something that might result in an accident to them either imho.

i have had so many experiences of runners who will chance crossing in front of my car and others rather than jog on the spot and wait until it's safe to cross.

they all can't be training for the olyhmpics and it's not fair on drivers.

oh and never assume a driver's intentions by lack of indicator - most don't use them.

feel better

Peregrinus

goz83 wrote: »

I would disagree here, but I do see what you are saying. Think about this for a second.

If you are on a straight road and you are coming to a cross junction ahead of you, which is of equal importance. If turning left, you signal left and complete the turn if safe to do so. If going straight, you do not indicate, as to indicate at any time would confuse other road users. If turning right, you signal right and complete the turn if safe to do so, giving right of way to those travelling in the opposite direction. If doing a U-Turn, you generally signal right and complete the manouvre when safe to do so. At all times, you position your vehicle appropriately before each turn (left, right, or centre of directionsl lanes).

Now imagine a standard roundabout with a total of 4 exit points. There are great similarites, as in, you want to take exit 1 (left to the road you're on) you signal left, be left to lane and begin your manouvre when safe. If you want to take exit 3 (right to the road you're on), you signal right and position your vehicle to the right of the lane you're in, beginning the manouvre when safe. If going straight to exit 2, then you only indicate when exiting the roundabout. So, much is the same, but there are some big differences concerning right of way, which technically does make a roundsbout a road in itself, which is why they are named if they are of any real significance.

The only instance where a person does not need to indicate when entering a roundabout, is when they are taking exit 2 when there are 4 exits. To be fair, even the ROR are not exactly crystal clear on roundabouts, but for a "normal" roundabout, we know this much is true. I personally think that a vehicle should always have to indicate when entering a roundabout and only signal left when approaching the appropriate exit. Signalling right would show ones intention to remsin on the roundabout for at least one more exit.

And then we have traffic lights and turns within 5 meters off a roundabout, but don't get me started!!!

I disagree with this, or at least with part of it. My view is this:

When entering a roundabout, there is only one way you can lawfully go, and no signal is necessary to indicate that you will be going clockwise. If you approach and enter a roundabout while signalling left, that will be understood as an indication of your intention to take exit 1, and you should not do this unless you in fact intend to take exit 1. (But if you do intend to take exit 1, then you should be signalling left as you enter the roundabout and, indeed, as you approach it.)

Once you're on the roundabout, for each exit that you approach there are only two options; take the exit, or stay on the roundabout. If you intend to take the exit, you should be signalling left. (You start to signal left as you pass the immediately preceding exit so, if taking exit 2, signal this as you pass exit 1.) If you intend not to take the exit you do not need to signal at all.

You should not be signalling right to indicate that you intend to take exit 3, or making no signal to indicate that you intend to take exit 2; either of these is unintelligible to any road user who did not see you enter the roundabout; he has no idea which exit represents straight ahead or a right turn for you, given your point of entry. If I'm reading you correctly, you would leave the roundabout at exit 3, while still signalling right. That can't be safe.

If you signal right on a roundabout, strictly speaking it means you intend to change lanes from the outside to the inside lane. It's acceptable to signal right to indicate that you will be staying on the roundabout, i.e. not taking the next exit, if you think there will be any ambiguity about that. But strictly speaking it's not necessary. Not signalling at all as you approach an exit means "I'm not taking this exit".

schemingbohemia

maniac2000 wrote: »

On a roundabout you signal left ONLY once you have passed the first exit if your intention is to proceed through the roundabout (second exit).

This was drilled into me for my C license test last year.

That's what the OP is saying, as the driver didn't signal left there was the implication that they weren't taking the first exit but the second.

Still should have looked around mind.

P_Fitz

Peregrinus wrote: »

I disagree with this, or at least with part of it. My view is this:

You should not be signalling right to indicate that you intend to take exit 3, or making no signal to indicate that you intend to take exit 2; either of these is unintelligible to any road user who did not see you enter the roundabout; he has no idea which exit represents straight ahead or a right turn for you, given your point of entry. If I'm reading you correctly, you would leave the roundabout at exit 3, while still signalling right. That can't be safe.

If you signal right on a roundabout, strictly speaking it means you intend to change lanes from the outside to the inside lane. It's acceptable to signal right to indicate that you will be staying on the roundabout, i.e. not taking the next exit, if you think there will be any ambiguity about that. But strictly speaking it's not necessary. Not signalling at all as you approach an exit means "I'm not taking this exit".

OP here:
That's wrong, look at http://www.rsa.ie/RSA/Road-Safety/Education/Road-safety-tips/Using-roundabouts/
But thanks for the feedback.

degsie

Roundabout discussion is banned in the Motoring forum, no wonder!

goz83

Peregrinus wrote: »

I disagree with this, or at least with part of it. My view is this:

When entering a roundabout, there is only one way you can lawfully go, and no signal is necessary to indicate that you will be going clockwise. If you approach and enter a roundabout while signalling left, that will be understood as an indication of your intention to take exit 1, and you should not do this unless you in fact intend to take exit 1. (But if you do intend to take exit 1, then you should be signalling left as you enter the roundabout and, indeed, as you approach it.)

Once you're on the roundabout, for each exit that you approach there are only two options; take the exit, or stay on the roundabout. If you intend to take the exit, you should be signalling left. (You start to signal left as you pass the immediately preceding exit so, if taking exit 2, signal this as you pass exit 1.) If you intend not to take the exit you do not need to signal at all.

You should not be signalling right to indicate that you intend to take exit 3, or making no signal to indicate that you intend to take exit 2; either of these is unintelligible to any road user who did not see you enter the roundabout; he has no idea which exit represents straight ahead or a right turn for you, given your point of entry. If I'm reading you correctly, you would leave the roundabout at exit 3, while still signalling right. That can't be safe.

If you signal right on a roundabout, strictly speaking it means you intend to change lanes from the outside to the inside lane. It's acceptable to signal right to indicate that you will be staying on the roundabout, i.e. not taking the next exit, if you think there will be any ambiguity about that. But strictly speaking it's not necessary. Not signalling at all as you approach an exit means "I'm not taking this exit".

No, You were misreading what I meant about exit 3. But, there is no need to explain. The poster above linked the very video I was thinking about when writing my comment. Saved me the trouble of searching for it

Now you know how to use a roundabout

Unfortunately, most people don't. I would also advise against changing from the outside (left) lane to the inside lane while navigating the roundabout, as this is what causes most accidents on roundabouts. The motorist should be in position "before" entering the roundabout.