Who would be at fault in this situation,or would both be?

[al78]

Driver A is driving along a main road and there are two side roads very close together coming up. Driver wants to turn left into the second side road. Driver B is waiting at the first side road to turn right. Driver A starts signalling left before reaching the first side road (where driver B is waiting) intending to turn into the second side road. Driver B interprets this as meaning driver A wants to turn into his side road and pulls out. Driver A crashes into the side of Driver B.

This happened to my father once (without the crash), but am curious if this is entirely Driver B's fault or whether Driver A takes some blame and should have started signalling after it was clear he didn't want to turn into the first side road.

[Pica-Pica]

I don’t know how it would end up in an insurance or court case. Perhaps someone will quote a decided case.
Quite simply; never signal until the last minute when adjacent turns are involved. You can ‘signal’ early to any vehicle behind by using the brake lights to show you are slowing, but never indicate until you are at the first turn. It is frequent enough for most drivers to come across a situation like this (we have a Shell fuel station nearby, with a side road just before the entrance, that would be a typical example).

(Caution: this may descend into an ‘Always Signal’ v ‘Considered Signal’ debate)

[anonymous-user]

A flashing indicator only tells you that the indicator works.

Absent any other form of communication from the driver you believe is turning from the major onto the minor road, wait until the turning driver has completed their manoeuvre as they have priority in that situation.

[PistonBroker]

I don't trust an indicator until I see them actually making the turn.

But I also wouldn't indicate myself until I'd passed the first turn. Appreciate that might be hard if they're so close together, but it's clear that someone turning out of the first road will decide you're turning in there based on your indication.

I used to indicate out of a side road I use regularly. There's an Esso on the left as soon as I get out onto the main road and there was enough time before self-cancellation for someone to see my indicators and pull out. Tbf, indicating left out of a side road is good practice but not really necessary. So I just don't anymore there.

[silverfoxcc]

I was taught that ,

1) as said above a working indicator is just that

2) the ONLY proof that an approaching driver is going to turn left, is whwn the front wheels begin to turn and the car follows ,even to the point that it is actually in the road

So in 99% of the time it would be the driver ASSUMING the driver on the main road is turning'. However in this case as there are two side roads in close proximity and Driver A was indicating prior to arriving at road 1 then Driver B could be confused. Driver A should have waited until passing after road 1 thus eliminating all doubt as to his intentions, even if it meant slowing down to allow time to give adequate warning, however everyone can be wise after the event

[Pica-Pica]

silverfoxcc said:

I was taught that ,

1) as said above a working indicator is just that

2) the ONLY proof that an approaching driver is going to turn left, is whwn the front wheels begin to turn and the car follows ,even to the point that it is actually in the road

When approaching a roundabout, with cars from the right (they often turn left without indicating), I tell my wife just that: Never mind the indicator, watch the wheel angles.

[R56Cooper]

B's fault all day long.

[IJWS15]

I presume this is a left turn in the UK

I was taught that you don't signal until the junction you want to turn into is the next junction, I was also taught not to signal when it might convey a different meaning to that intended.

This falls foul of both.

Would probably go 50/50

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

R56Cooper said:

B's fault all day long.

This.

The exact thing happened to my girlfriend & she was 100% at fault (according to insurance & others involved)

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

....and it was worse as there was no other junction, the person on the main road hadn't cancelled their indicator and had no intention of turning anywhere.

[SydneyBridge]

Trust no one, especially when they are indicating...

Saw the exact same thing happen near me, where a side road is close to a petrol station, car indicated left before side road and car started to pull out from side road I indicate as soon as past side road, even though is then fairly close to garage.

Think indicating driver would be partly at fault, but not much, maybe 20-25%

[Chromegrill]

Seen similar with the car approaching the junction indicating when seems he's actually forgotten to cancel the indicator or decided at the last minute not to turn...if they aren't turning into the road, they are going straight on. If you are in the side road waiting to pull out, until they are turning into the road assume they are driving straight on regardless of indicator or lack of...

[Peter3442]

First never trust an indicator. I followed someone today who was signalling left for about 2 miles.

I go through this situation every time I approach my home. What I do is signal left early for the benefit of anyone following me, cancel the signal sufficiently before the first side road to avoid anyone there assuming I'm turning into it, and resume the signal as soon as I'm passing the first side road. I may be idiot proofing (or looking like an idiot), but either is preferable to damage to one of my cars.

[w1bbles]

Thanks. Good food for thought. I’ve only driven my a Defender since Saturday so have been in very slow mode but I think I’ve learned a lesson on what might be coming round the bend. We live in a tourist hot spot with loads of Dutch and Belgian drivers (the Merc driver had a UK number plate though) so I will change my style accordingly. Bizarrely my wife had a similar experience on the same road - at the same time - about 15 miles south with a German biker who’d forgotten which side of the road to drive on.

[nismo48]

PistonBroker said:

I don't trust an indicator until I see them actually making the turn.

But I also wouldn't indicate myself until I'd passed the first turn. Appreciate that might be hard if they're so close together, but it's clear that someone turning out of the first road will decide you're turning in there based on your indication.

I used to indicate out of a side road I use regularly. There's an Esso on the left as soon as I get out onto the main road and there was enough time before self-cancellation for someone to see my indicators and pull out. Tbf, indicating left out of a side road is good practice but not really necessary. So I just don't anymore there.

+1 Exactly this..