Car Incident. Need advice

Libertewhite

So here is my dilemma:




I'm the red lines. Other person is blue dots.

I went on to the roundabout at the turn before the dots. (Where the red lines start)
When I went on to the roundabout, there was nobody else on it. I couldn't see anybody going from my right and there was nobody in front of me. Blue line was not there, thus the blue question mark.
Anyway.

I was indicating right, to follow the yellow lines. If I had managed to get to the yellow spot, I would indicate to go left.
So, this blue car comes speeding around the roundabout and cuts into me. Both of the sides of our cars clash. My right side and her left hand side.

We both got out, asked her if she was okay, she asked if I was okay, etc. Then she said I was in the fault. I said she was in the fault, then she said I was definitely in the fault again and I said sorry. She asked for my details, I gave them. I asked her for her details and she didn't respond. Not sure if she fobbed me off or didn't hear me. All I got was her name, number and licence plate.

She was being really nice and she said she was in shock. I was in shock, too.
When we were parting ways, she said she would get cost to fix and contact me later.

She said she was in an incident last week with her own car and police were involved. (Hit and run). Blue car was her dads car.
I'm a learner driver with L plates up. I have tax and insurance both in date. I didn't have anyone accompany me as I was driving.

What should I do? I can't think straight and I'm shaking.

Nuw

First off, sit back, take a deep breath, it can't hurt
Once you get your wits back, call her and ask for her insurance details, once you have that contact your own insurance to let them know what happened.

Do not admit liability.
You do not have to file a claim yet, just let them know what happened and that you're looking to resolve the issue directly with the other driver involved (insurances actually prefer this).

If it comes to that, they'll already have the details and will just have to file them to process the claim.

Hopefully, everything will be sorted between you two.

As to who's at fault, it's hard for me to tell, most likely there'll be someone else who can help you there

Senna

Very hard to say, as I don't understand your diagram fully, but if your changed lanes and didn't see the other driver in the left Lane (you were coming from the right lane) then you would be at fault as you maneuvered when it was not safe to do so. But I'm not sure if that is what happened.

Libertewhite

Senna wrote: »

Very hard to say, as I don't understand your diagram fully, but if your changed lanes and didn't see the other driver in the left Lane (you were coming from the right lane) then you would be at fault as you maneuvered when it was not safe to do so. But I'm not sure if that is what happened.

I didn't change lanes. Do you see where the red lines start? That's where I joined the roundabout. The yellow was just to show where I was going. I wasn't going to change lanes.

SteelyDanJalapeno

Senna wrote: »

Very hard to say, as I don't understand your diagram fully, but if your changed lanes and didn't see the other driver in the left Lane (you were coming from the right lane) then you would be at fault as you maneuvered when it was not safe to do so. But I'm not sure if that is what happened.

Looks like OP started in the outside lane and wanted to take the last r/bout exit, and the person on the inside lane wanted to take the exit before the last exit.

EndaHonesty

You were in the wrong lane.

Libertewhite

Nuw wrote: »

You do not have to file a claim yet, just let them know what happened and that you're looking to resolve the issue directly with the other driver involved (insurances actually prefer this).

I had thought about that but what if she is genuine and I am in the fault. Would I be ****ed because I don't have a full licence?

Nody

I'm a learner driver with L plates up. I have tax and insurance both in date. I didn't have anyone accompany me as I was driving.

Well for starters your insurance for the accident for any claims on your car is null and void basically; you broke the law and policy so you will get zero from your own insurance for that accident (they would still need to pay third party iirc) and could come after you for the third party cost as well if memory serves. Hence your best bet is to follow up with her to try to get it fixed but with only a plate and name you're going to have to hope to high heavens she comes back to you and don't get a hurt neck out of the blue...

SteelyDanJalapeno

EndaHonesty wrote: »

You were in the wrong lane.

I don't think that's what the OP was asking.

mickdw

If you came on where the red line starts and attempted to go around the roundabout to the right hand exit, you are 100 percent wrong.
2 lanes in and 2 lanes out mean both lanes are entitled to travel straight ahead so both yourself and other car would have been right if both leaving on straight ahead exit. What you did is drove around in front of the other car as they legitimately tried to leave the roundabout. They would have assumed you were exiting also.

Harpie

If I'm interpreting your diagram correctly, tbh I would have taken the right lane to come off at the second exit if I were you. Likewise she should have been in the left lane to come off at that exit, so I reckon you may both be at fault.

EDIT: With regards the unaccompanied Learner issue- I'm not going to get on my high horse about it but the rules are there for a reason, and hopefully it won't be an expensive lesson for you to learn. That said, the general use of roundabouts in this country is abysmal- learner or not.

emeldc

EndaHonesty wrote: »

You were in the wrong lane.

If that's the case, so was the blue car.

Rubberchikken

i'm willing to guess that she is in the wrong. was she attempting to go the same direction you were intending to go?
if so cutting in in front of you (if i have things right from the op / diagram) is wrong.
i stand corrected by others but it just seems that way to me.

also, the part about her possible involvement in other accident you mention causes me to raise my eyebrows.

definitely contact your insurance.
hope things work out ok for you.

SteelyDanJalapeno

Also not her car, was she even insured?

You were in the wrong lane OP.
You were going right and should have been in the right lane

daymobrew

mickdw wrote: »

They would have assumed you were exiting also.

Assuming is dangerous. The other driver, who should have seen you, should have aborted her exit. She could easily go around and try again (it's a roundabout!) - it's annoying (especially if the roundabout has traffic lights) but is much safer.

You said that you were indicating - so check that your right rear indicator is working.

hmmm

http://www.rulesoftheroad.ie/rules-for-driving/junctions-roundabouts/roundabouts.html

Assuming there are no road markings, I'd say both of you are in the wrong - you for being in the wrong lane, her for cutting across you. I'd admit no blame at this stage.

emeldc

bubblypop wrote: »

You were in the wrong lane OP.
You were going right and should have been in the right lane

She (blue) was going left and should have been in the left lane

coolbeans

Seems to me that both drivers were in the wrong lane.

SteelyDanJalapeno

emeldc wrote: »

She (blue) was going left and should have been in the left lane

Depending on where she got on the roundabout, anything other than the entry point before, and this is wrong

emeldc

emeldc wrote: »

If that's the case, so was the blue car.

Nope, two lanes onto & off, the other car was entitled to go straight on.
The OP was not entitled to turn right.
I see you're a learner without a fully licensed driver with you. You're lucky the gardai were not called.
Doesn't matter if she has been in 20 previous accidents that were all her fault, thus one wasn't.
If I was you, I would pay for the damage to her car & hope that's the end of it!

dar83

Op, you were in the wrong lane. You should have joined the roundabout in the right hand lane of the approaching road and been on the inside lane of the roundabout as you were planning on going beyond 180 degrees (straight on). If you think of a roundabout as a clock, which you always approach from the 6 o'clock position the general rules are:

9 o'clock (first) exit - indicate left, stay left
12 o'clock (second) exit - indicate left after you pass 9 o'clock and stay left
3 o'clock (third) exit - indicate right until you pass 12 o'clock, stay right, then indicate left between 12 and 3 and move left.
6 o'clock (fourth) exit - indicate right until you pass 3 o'clock, stay right, then indicate left between 3 and 6 and move left.

Now things get confusing when more exits and multiple lanes are introduced, but if you follow that simple thought process it makes things generally clear on where and what you should be doing.

Jhcx

As above you were in the wrong lane to start with. Any exit after 12 oclock the driver should be using the right lane. If you had began in the right lane moved to the inside lane the driver in the blue car would have to swerve out into the outer lane to avoid you where it seems they were going taking the exit to the left of the picture. after that junction you would indicate left to show your intention to move back out into the outer lane.

Senna

Libertewhite wrote: »

I didn't change lanes. Do you see where the red lines start? That's where I joined the roundabout. The yellow was just to show where I was going. I wasn't going to change lanes.

Sorry I didn't see the red lines, on mobile. Looks to me like equal blame, you shouldn't have been in left Lane if taking last exit, she shouldn't have tried to cut infront of you unless you were taking the same exit as her.
Easy to say admit nothing but you shouldn't have been driving on your own and so you were driving illegally. At best you both pay for your own damage but could be hard to get her to agree to that without involving insurance companies.

Libertewhite

Okay, I was in the wrong lane. My bad. What are my options? If she asks for cash and not to go with insurance, I'd prefer that route. I just hope she doesn't take me to the cleaners.

BigBird58

From what I understand, you were both in the wrong lanes.
The other person should have moved to the left hand lane after she passed the point where you entered,. . . . likewise you should have taken the right hand after you entered the roundabout and then moved to the left lane before exit.

It's unfortunate you had no one with you, as I fear you are actually not insured being on your own.

I think its best to settle this '50 /50' between you, and chalk it down to experience.

Harpie

She was taking her first exit, she should have been in the left lane.

hmmm

bubblypop wrote: »

Nope, two lanes onto & off, the other car was entitled to go straight on.

If someone leaves their lane and hits me on a roundabout, I'm assuming they are wrong irrespective of which lane I "should" be in. Even if they are in the more correct lane, they still do not have the right to cut across me.

mickdw

The most critical point here is that you cannot drive right around the outside of a roundabout when taking the exit the op was taking. Doing that guarantees that you will have several near misses.
You couldn't pay me enough to drive around the outside of a roundabout like that. I would be just waiting for the smash.

CapnHex

This is not an expert opinion, but I do use that junction most days.
I'm very sorry to hear that you were in an accident. I hope nobody was hurt.
Traffic in the lane you were in (left), usually go up the ramp for the M50. Traffic in the right lane, go up the M50 ramp without changing lane or take the next exit.
As you were going past the M50 ramp exit, you would have been safer to be in the right lane approaching the roundabout.
That said, both drivers have a responsibility to pay attention to traffic around them and not just assume a car will take an exit based on their road position.
If you were indicating right, then the other motorist should have seen that and acted accordingly, giving you room.
You also say that you didn't see the other car, so perhaps you didn't check your mirrors adequately.
To me this appears that both of you were at fault, but to what percentage I'm not sure.
Objectively, if I was the other driver I would think that you were more at fault, but I would know that I should have paid more attention to your indicator (ie. traffic around me).
Admit no liability.

MarkR

You were both in the wrong, as mentioned before. Red should have been in the right lane, and blue shouldn't have crossed the other lane (where they intersect at the end of the roundabout) before making sure it was clear.

If you don't know how to use a roundabout, you really shouldn't be driving unaccompanied.