Hi all , I hope someone can help me clarify an issue I am having. I appreciate its a bit long but I wanted to be detailed.
I was involved in a minor collision with another vehicle. I was inside a roundabout (North Circular). The roundabout has 4 exits. North, East, South and West. I entered the roundabout from the South heading North. After I passed the east exit, my car was positioned in the left lane of the roundabout. As I proceeded to the North exit - on my lane there was a left arrow. The lane to my right had a left and a ahead arrow. The North exit is the A10 and it is a dual carriage way with 2 lanes. On the lane I am on (Left) as you just exit the roundabout there is a road on the left (A curved round not a right angle left turn), which is one way. On the entrance to this road is a broken white line. (It looks like a slip road).
Here is the accident and my understanding. As I was on the left lane then the arrow pointing left tells me that I must exit the roundabout. This arrow does not tell me that I must take the left (slip road). I continue in my lane as there are 2 lanes after you exit. The driver on my right, wants to take this slip road, they indicate but not much I can do as they are almost parallel to me, the driver begins to come into my lane to make the left turn (into the slip road) but I am continuing straight and I beep my horn. As a result our cars touch. Minor scratches.
So the driver tells me that the left arrow on my lane tells me to take the left slip road and that I should have gone left. The driver then tells me, that they were also able to take the left turn as there is a left and ahead arrow on her lane. So basically we both could have gone left at the same time because there are 2 lanes inside the slip road. My understanding is that the left arrow indicates to come of the roundabout. In the other drivers lane the left and ahead arrow tells them they can exit the roundabout or continue to the West exit. There is a left arrow on all the other exists on the left lane as you are about to exit so why should this arrow be any different.
I just need clarification on this. When I told my insurance company they looked at the lane and told me that I should have gone left. I use that road frequently and I always use the left lane to exit and then continue straight. I have seen cars that go into the slip road and indicate left as they go in and other cars go straight. Please can someone clarify.
I was involved in a minor collision with another vehicle. I was inside a roundabout (North Circular). The roundabout has 4 exits. North, East, South and West. I entered the roundabout from the South heading North. After I passed the east exit, my car was positioned in the left lane of the roundabout. As I proceeded to the North exit - on my lane there was a left arrow. The lane to my right had a left and a ahead arrow. The North exit is the A10 and it is a dual carriage way with 2 lanes. On the lane I am on (Left) as you just exit the roundabout there is a road on the left (A curved round not a right angle left turn), which is one way. On the entrance to this road is a broken white line. (It looks like a slip road).
Here is the accident and my understanding. As I was on the left lane then the arrow pointing left tells me that I must exit the roundabout. This arrow does not tell me that I must take the left (slip road). I continue in my lane as there are 2 lanes after you exit. The driver on my right, wants to take this slip road, they indicate but not much I can do as they are almost parallel to me, the driver begins to come into my lane to make the left turn (into the slip road) but I am continuing straight and I beep my horn. As a result our cars touch. Minor scratches.
So the driver tells me that the left arrow on my lane tells me to take the left slip road and that I should have gone left. The driver then tells me, that they were also able to take the left turn as there is a left and ahead arrow on her lane. So basically we both could have gone left at the same time because there are 2 lanes inside the slip road. My understanding is that the left arrow indicates to come of the roundabout. In the other drivers lane the left and ahead arrow tells them they can exit the roundabout or continue to the West exit. There is a left arrow on all the other exists on the left lane as you are about to exit so why should this arrow be any different.
I just need clarification on this. When I told my insurance company they looked at the lane and told me that I should have gone left. I use that road frequently and I always use the left lane to exit and then continue straight. I have seen cars that go into the slip road and indicate left as they go in and other cars go straight. Please can someone clarify.