Road traffic accidents at roundabouts are common because vehicles are emerging and exiting from various junctions and in various lanes. Unfortunately, responsibility for roundabout collisions is not always straightforward and the onus is on the injured party to establish liability against the other negligent driver.
Fortunately there are a number of proactive ways to protect yourself in the event that you are involved in a roundabout collision. To avoid road traffic accidents it is always advisable to follow these guidelines:
- Familiarise yourself with the Highway Code directive on the use of roundabouts. This knowledge will allow you to negotiate the roundabout correctly thus minimising any potential fault on your part.
- Give priority to traffic from your right;
- Give an appropriate signal at the appropriate time so as not to confuse other road users;
- Get into the correct lane for the exit you wish to take:
- Left lane for first exit;
- Right lane for right exit or going full circle;
- Select the appropriate lane for any intermediate exit and signal left at the exit before the one you want;
- Allow plenty of room to pedestrians/motor cyclists/horse-riders/long vehicles;
- Approach mini roundabouts in the same way as normal roundabouts. Avoid U-turns at mini-roundabouts and beware of others doing so;
- At junctions involving multiple roundabouts, treat each roundabout separately.
What To Do If You Have An Accident
Sometimes accidents are unavoidable and you should be aware of what to do if you are involved in one. We would advise our client’s to gather as much evidence as possible and as soon as it is safe to do so. This will be important when it comes to proving how the accident happened. Some of the information you should gather in the aftermath of an accident will include:
- Take photos of the vehicles in the immediate aftermath of the accident;
- Photos of roundabout layout and any skid marks
- Name, address & vehicle registration of the driver you believe to be a fault – take a photograph if you can or record a description;
- Names & contact details of any independent witnesses – drivers or pedestrians;
- Check for CCTV or dashcam footage;
- Save any written communication from the other driver such as text messages/emails/acceptance of liability;
- Write a statement and draw a diagram of the accident circumstances;
- Our personal injury solicitors are highly specialised in claims of this nature. If you are involved in a roundabout accident you should arrange to meet one of our expert solicitors and they will explain the claims process to you.
They will ask you to provide any relevant information that you managed to gather in the aftermath of the accident and will write to the third party’s insurance company to set out your claim. We will help you to claim the costs of your vehicle damage as well as any personal injuries you may have suffered.
In claims of this nature timing is often imperative. Repair your car if damaged. If there is a liability dispute it is important to seek legal assistance. Our personal injury solicitors will act quickly to have your car examined by an expert engineer, who will provide a report on the likely cause of the accident; including who was likely to have been at fault.
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