As we all know, accidents at roundabouts are a common occurrence nowadays. The general rule is that you must always give way to all traffic coming from your right, whether this is a mini roundabout, or a larger one with multiple lanes. But all too often drivers are pulling out in front of others and driving in the wrong lane and cutting others up; so it’s no wonder so many road traffic accidents are caused by careless driving on roundabouts.
It’s likely that most of these accidents are caused by a lack of knowledge on how to use roundabouts safely and correctly as well as people not paying attention when using unfamiliar roads. Most commonly, drivers often both enter and exit a roundabout in the wrong lane causing them to cut across other drivers which is usually the cause of an accident. Other problems which may occur are people driving too fast when approaching and leaving a roundabout. Sometimes it may look clear when approaching but at the last second a car or a motorcycle may appear who would obviously have the right of way. Keeping to an acceptable speed is crucial whether you’re entering or exiting a roundabout as you really don’t know what’s around the corner.
Although it is mostly cars that use roundabouts, other vehicles such as motorcycles which may not been seen as well as a car, should also be taken into account. When you are looking out for cars coming round the roundabout, with even the best of eyesight, motorcycles can easily be missed, especially when coming around the outside lane. Other vehicles and road users such as lorries and buses who also regularly use roundabouts should also be taken into consideration too. These are much larger vehicles that cannot set off as quickly as an average sized car may be able to, so keeping to a safe speed is crucial so you can break in time if a lorry or a bus were to pull out further round the roundabout.
Another common problem encountered at roundabouts is when people travel round indicating, but do not leave the roundabout at the exit they initially indicated for. This can be very confusing for other drivers, as it is not apparent which exit they are wanting to use. Even more importantly, other drivers approaching the roundabout may not have seen another driver driving round the roundabout indicating for multiple exits, and may understandably assume they are leaving at the nearest exit to them. So, remember, always indicate only for the exit you are planning to use on a roundabout and not for multiple ones. For example, indicate after you have passed the exit before the one you are going to take to make sure you don’t cause any confusion to other drivers which may cause an accident.
Another common one is rear end collisions on the approach to a roundabout when traffic suddenly slows.
So, understandably, extra care and attention must be taken at roundabouts, especially with so many road users not using them correctly!
If you’ve been injured in an accident on a roundabout, due to another driver’s careless driving, don’t hesitate to give us a call today to find out if you can make a claim for your injuries.
