Had my first accident, wasn't really avoidable.

[jamei]

So the other day I had my first accident. I was doing nearly 20mph and someone pulled out of a side road and literally drove straight into my nearside rear wheel. I can only assume they just didn't see my vehicle at all. I'm trying to think of what I could have done differently to avoid the incident. It happened at a roundabout that I have always thought is particularity likely to lead to accidents and so try and take special care through. Obviously this time it wasn't enough.


Here's the junction: http://tek303.xsmail.com/accident2.jpg

here's a streetview link. I was on the same path as the red Micra and got twatted by a vehicle emerging from where the beige Saab is.

People tend to come shooting down the hill from the right confident in their "right of way" across the roundabout. Consequently people trying to emerge from the three adjoining roads along the bottom feel they need to welly it into any kind of gap they can find asap.

I have considered using the right hand lane here, as that would put some space between me and the vehicles waiting to emerge, and I think that's probably what I'll do in future.

Short of perhaps having my headlights on, I can't think of what else I might have done.

Also, I can't really think of any better way to design this roundabout that doesn't involve traffic lights...any ideas?

[MrToad]

If it's available, the right-hand lane offers more separation from potential issues so that's not a bad idea at all.

How early could you see this other car coming, and did you think he might not stop?

[jamei]

If it's available, the right-hand lane offers more separation from potential issues so that's not a bad idea at all.

Yep, I'll be doing that in future

How early could you see this other car coming, and did you think he might not stop?

He was stationary the entire time, until I heard I bang. He must have been totally distracted and then glanced to his right before pulling off, failing to notice my car sailing past in front of him.

[Gareth]

Were you slowing as you went through the roundabout? I'm wondering whether the driver expected you to be travelling faster, thinking you would clear his way so he could make use of a gap behind you.

I imagine you might have been slowing if another car was threatening to emerge from the left to join the dual carriageway in the same direction as you were travelling.

[jamei]

I slowed more than most people before entering the roundabout (e.g. 20 rather than 30), but went through it very deliberately maintaining my speed as constant. The road ahead and the next adjoining road were clear for me so I would have accelerated a few moments later had he not hit me.

When I go through there I am always prepared for people to launch themselves in front of me, I am ready to brake or take evasive action etc.. But people staying still and then ramming into the side of me isn't something I had ever expected before. I suppose I now need to add that to my list of things I need to plan for.

[exportmanuk]

Common problem

People look left and right but do not see directly ahead at junctions. Our minds skip the information from our eyes as we look from side to side ( I guess it has something to do with motion sickness If you play action PC games a lot you can understand ) So unless you make a conscious stop and look ahead or move you head slowly you will miss what is directly in front of you.

[exportmanuk]

Common problem

People look left and right but do not see directly ahead at junctions. Our minds skip the information from our eyes as we look from side to side ( I guess it has something to do with motion sickness If you play action PC games a lot you can understand ) So unless you make a conscious stop and look ahead or move you head slowly you will miss what is directly in front of you.

[Horse]

Common problem, posting in stereoscopic vision

It's a good point that experienced drivers simply look where they expect problems to be. There's some work been done on this WRT motorcycle crashes. Drivers - and the experienced ones are worst - look, typically, for 0.4s and even then only in a small search area.

However, what I think may have compunded it for you is the geometry of the junction. It appears (from the image) that for the encroaching driver you would have been potentially hidden by the encroaching car's 'A' pillar.

If the driver started to pull forward on a curve as you were approaching/passing then you would have stayed within the blind spot . . . In the image, imagine you were the driver of the white Mazda, then 'look' towards the Saab.

What's your car and what hit you?

[exportmanuk]

Common problem, posting in stereoscopic vision

Oops

[Russ_H]

Here's the junction: http://tek303.xsmail.com/accident2.jpg

here's a streetview link. I was on the same path as the red Micra and got twatted by a vehicle emerging from where the beige Saab is.

I recognise that roundabout. It's difficult to say how you could deal with it any differently. It has been
suggested that you use the right hand lane, but I greatly dislike being in the right hand lane on
Milburngate Bridge, as it is ridiculously narrow. I use the left lane when heading west, as you did.

[waremark]

If you choose the right lane, you may make matters worse by leading drivers joining from the 'bottom' of the roundabout to think you are turning right, so that there is room for them to join alongside you.

My car has daylight running lights (as do all new cars) - I am happy for this to help me be seen.

[dombooth]

My car has daylight running lights (as do all new cars) - I am happy for this to help me be seen.

Now there's a thread starter.

Dom

[Mr Grieves]

It doesn't sound like you could have done anything to avoid it, especially since it seems like you were already passing the driver's exit when hit. The driver was probably just giving too much attention to traffic streams from his/her right, maybe looking for a tiny gap, and hadn't realised you'd not cleared their path.

I know that roundabout well, and the layout of it is just pretty horrible on that side, with that little cluster of three give ways all within a few yards. I'm usually coming from Elvet and turning left (where the Keep Clear marking are on the photograph), and often find someone half blocking my lane, at the same place your protagonist was coming from, after failed attempts to emerge. Their position gives a poor view. There's also the question of the joining roads meeting the 40mph on the main road. So if I'm taking your route across the roundabout, I usually take the outside lane to avoid braking/swerving for them. But it really sounds like only the ability to read minds and see into the future could have let you dodge your accident. Hope you're not too shaken.

[martine]

Welcome Mr. Grieves to ADUK and your first post! Have you been 'lurking' sometime?

Mr Evans.

[Mr Grieves]

Welcome Mr. Grieves to ADUK and your first post! Have you been 'lurking' sometime?

Mr Evans.

Well, not exactly lurking...

Just been a keen reader of what's going on (lots to learn from the wise, etc), and this is the first time I've had anything to add, since I know this particular stretch of road well and I've experienced one or two weird moments there myself.

Okay, you caught me, but lurker no more