Merging into one lane accident

Merging into one lane accident

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Greengecko

Original Poster:

594 posts

146 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
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So this morning, was traveling to work as usual.

Get to the traffic lights that are red, where the two lanes go into one ,I'm the third car to arrive (blue), with a car already both in the left and right lane. A fourth vehicle (green) arrives in the left lane, towing a trailer.

We pull away and the car in front of me (in the right hand lane) merges first, with the car in the left lane merging next. I go to follow and am almost an entire car length ahead of the vehicle (green) and go to merge; as I do so the vehicle (green) hits the accelerator with his vehicle making it through but their trailer (which is greater that the width of the towing vehicle) impacts on the front passenger side of my car (blue) where I'm positioned to merge. By this point I had slammed on the brakes so was almost stationary.

They stopped, and there argument was that as I was in the filter lane it was entirely my fault. Just looking for some advice on this.

It won't be going through insurance as it's an older car that's just used to commute to work in, however the damage was quite deep scratches and dents to the front passenger side and had to have the wheel replaced which had a massive tear in.


Evolved

3,553 posts

186 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
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Given the trailer is the thing that hit your car I fear the ins company would side with the other person anyway.

Doesn't help now but I'd have either A. booted it with more conviction or B. backed off due to the car and trailer being so close.


Greengecko

Original Poster:

594 posts

146 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
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I agree, and in hindsight I probably should've hit the accelerator a bit more. Caught me a bit unexpected as had already checked I was considerably in front of them.

Image shows why the trailer, or the trailer flare hit and the vehicle got through.

MrBarry123

6,025 posts

120 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
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If you were in front by a good margin as you say, the driver of the Defender is a for accelerating and effectively blocking your path.

Greengecko

Original Poster:

594 posts

146 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
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I was, I had checked in my wing mirror and was almost the entire length of my car in front. He even admitted this but simply said that as I was in the filter lane it was my fault entirely, must admit it did cause me to question myself for a minute or two.

Lesson learnt to drive a bit more defensively especially when merging, oh and getting round to installing the dash cam that's been sitting on the office desk for the past few months.

btcc123

1,243 posts

146 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
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Greengecko said:
I was, I had checked in my wing mirror and was almost the entire length of my car in front. He even admitted this but simply said that as I was in the filter lane it was my fault entirely, must admit it did cause me to question myself for a minute or two.

Lesson learnt to drive a bit more defensively especially when merging, oh and getting round to installing the dash cam that's been sitting on the office desk for the past few months.
In your first post you said I am almost an entire car length ahead of the vehicle and you repeated it on this post as well.I dont think that is a big enough gap to move into,it should have been two car lengths to move into safely.

Yes you should have booted it to be first to merge or take it carefully as it seams the sort of place that if a car is behind another in the nearside lane may not know that the road merges ahead.

Greengecko

Original Poster:

594 posts

146 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
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btcc123 said:
In your first post you said I am almost an entire car length ahead of the vehicle and you repeated it on this post as well.I dont think that is a big enough gap to move into,it should have been two car lengths to move into safely.

Yes you should have booted it to be first to merge or take it carefully as it seams the sort of place that if a car is behind another in the nearside lane may not know that the road merges ahead.
Of course, completely agree it needs to be more than a car length to move into. We had both just pulled away at a steady pace before he hit the accelerator, he admitted he had seen me in front but as he believed I was in a filter lane, simply said that he had right of way at the merge confused

btcc123

1,243 posts

146 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
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Greengecko said:
btcc123 said:
In your first post you said I am almost an entire car length ahead of the vehicle and you repeated it on this post as well.I dont think that is a big enough gap to move into,it should have been two car lengths to move into safely.

Yes you should have booted it to be first to merge or take it carefully as it seams the sort of place that if a car is behind another in the nearside lane may not know that the road merges ahead.
Of course, completely agree it needs to be more than a car length to move into. We had both just pulled away at a steady pace before he hit the accelerator, he admitted he had seen me in front but as he believed I was in a filter lane, simply said that he had right of way at the merge confused
I am not a big fan when there are two lanes of traffic at some traffic lights and then the road immediately merges into one as its an accident waiting to happen.

I guess it is easy to have an accident when you least expect it.As you said you are not going through the insurance I hope there is not too much damage to the trailer and your car and just have to put it down to one of those things.Good luck.

Toltec

7,159 posts

222 months

Thursday 2nd April 2015
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Sounds like you did give way, he then underestimated the width of his trailer and hit you...

He hit you from behind, depending how you look at it.

KrazyIvan

4,341 posts

174 months

Thursday 2nd April 2015
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Sorry, just so we have this clear. Are you saying a defender towing a trailer out accelerated you, or in a way that caught you by surprise......

There not exactly known for their turn of speed, even less so when towing a ton of trailer.

As for the accident, 50/50 is probably the best you could hope for.

Cliftonite

8,406 posts

137 months

Thursday 2nd April 2015
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MrBarry123 said:
If you were in front by a good margin as you say, the driver of the Defender is a for accelerating and effectively blocking your path.
This. If you are in front at a merge you have priority.

Claim off his insurance as he hit you from behind (with trailer) when you were stationary.

I would have assertively closed the door on him as soon as he accelerated.

Good luck, though! It won't be easy for you!



Greengecko

Original Poster:

594 posts

146 months

Thursday 2nd April 2015
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KrazyIvan said:
Sorry, just so we have this clear. Are you saying a defender towing a trailer out accelerated you, or in a way that caught you by surprise......

There not exactly known for their turn of speed, even less so when towing a ton of trailer.

As for the accident, 50/50 is probably the best you could hope for.
Not really, no.

Pulled away at a steady pace, got to the point in the diagram where I was car length in front, and was about to start the merge. They sped up, and as I saw it emerging in the corner of my eye, braked. Defender moved slightly further to the left and touched the grass verge, but the trailer flare hit the front passenger side.

Digby

8,230 posts

245 months

Thursday 2nd April 2015
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This situation happened to my friend several years ago.He had to admit he was in the wrong, however, because he pulled in behind a vehicle not realising the guy was towing a trailer! hehe

mph999

2,714 posts

219 months

Thursday 2nd April 2015
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Feel for you, sounds an absolute to**er.
I don't understand people's mentality that there have to be one car ahead no matter what.

Google [bot]

6,682 posts

180 months

Thursday 2nd April 2015
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mph1977

12,467 posts

167 months

Thursday 2nd April 2015
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and while this might sound like freewibbler nonsense becasue of the nautical connection there really needs to be a motoring equivalent of 'mast abeam' in the racing rules of Sailing - which once you've established a good overlap you have the right of way and the vessel being passed can;t attempt to prevent from passing

PurpleMoonlight

22,362 posts

156 months

Thursday 2nd April 2015
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Seems like the Landrover undertook you when not safe to do so to me.

Bet it will go 50:50 through insurance though.

Corpulent Tosser

5,459 posts

244 months

Thursday 2nd April 2015
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Legally I don't know but if it all happened as you say then it seems to me the Disco driver caused the collision, you were ahead and he accelerated to block you, however I think it would be difficult to prove.

Either you or he could have backed off unfortunately nobody did.

spikeyhead

17,224 posts

196 months

Thursday 2nd April 2015
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I was once in an Austin 1100 Auto. I'm sure at this point the astute are wondering where I'm going with this and the very astute will realize that it was the last vehicle made that a Defender towing a heavy trailer could outdrag.



Jonsv8

7,175 posts

123 months

Thursday 2nd April 2015
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How did his trailer hit the front of your car? Were you stationary and skewed across the road?

Why did you slam on your brakes?

Did he close the gap or did the cars infront not pull away leaving you a space to zoom into?

'almost an entire car length ahead of the vehicle' - from your picture that's nose to nose and your rear is not clear of the front of his car. Is this right or do you mean between the rear of your car and the front of his is a whole car length. Going into his lane if there is an overlap is going to cause an accident as you've just cut them up

Edited by Jonsv8 on Thursday 2nd April 06:51