Approaching a roundabout in a car or any other vehicle is always a time for that extra little bit of concentration. Because, quite simply, roundabouts are a common cause of road accidents every year – particularly in the UK where the use of roundabouts as road features is more common than in other countries.
That’s reflected in the large number of personal injury claims made every year by victims of roundabout accidents. The thing is, most of these accidents and injuries are completely avoidable and usually down to driver error – pure and simple. Here what to look out for.
Speeding on approach to a roundabout
Speeding is always going to cause problems on the road. But it’s especially dangerous when approaching a roundabout. For one thing, you may be required to join a queue of traffic and if you’re traveling too fast, there’s every chance you could rear end the car in front. And of course, it could be you that’s patiently waiting and suddenly the victim!
Failure to give way to roundabout traffic
Closely linked to speeding on approach to a roundabout is the problem of failing to properly give way to traffic on the roundabout. Sometimes this is down to poor judgment of distance (thinking you can join the roundabout ahead of the approaching car). Sometimes it’s down to simply not looking properly – turning to the direction of oncoming traffic is an absolute must. Failure to do so can lead to disaster.
Lane discipline on a roundabout
When negotiating a roundabout, picking the right lane, sticking to it and exiting properly is absolutely crucial. Every year, thousands of accidents are caused by drivers swerving out of their lane and cutting across traffic to get to a roundabout exit – putting countless other cars and their passengers at risk when there is simply no need at all.
Mini-roundabouts
Finally, take care with mini-roundabouts too. They often go unnoticed and as a result, drivers fail to stop properly and observe roundabout etiquette. Plus there’s a chance you are caught by surprise by the adverse camber which can also lead to accidents.
So please be safe out there with your help we can cut down the amount of accidents at roundabouts. In all cases of accidents at roundabouts that aren’t your fault, you could consider consulting a personal injury lawyer to see if you have a valid compensation claim.
Carol Hepton works for a personal injury solicitor and regularly uses this compensation calculator http://www.watermans.ws/injury-calculator to help her clients get an idea what claims they can expect. Carol says that bad driving is a common cause of people making a personal injury claim.