Car crash - who is at fault?

[Guelder]

Just looking for some unbiased opinions on this please..

Car A is travelling on a straight stretch of a main road.

Car B is on a side road from a housing estate which leads out onto the main road.

Car A drives straight along the main road as has right of way to do so.

Car B enters onto the main road from the side road and hits Car A head on.

Car B hits the side of Car A.

Who is in the right / wrong here?

To me it seems quite clear that Car B is in the wrong.

However, if Car B claims that Car A had their indicator on to turn left, is Car A in anyway at fault?

 

[Berni]

Car B cannot read anything into an indicator being on, other than that the bulb works!

With proper observation they should have realised that car A wasn't slowing for the turn, and should have waited for them to pass.

 

[dub_nerd]

You said Car B hit Car A head on, and also Car B hits the side of Car A. It can't be both. I presume it's the latter. It's Car B's fault whether or not Car A was signalling. See Rules of the Road, p. 108. Car A is a potential hazard that Car B should take into account when turning onto the main road.

 

[Sandals]

Was Car A after having taken a left turn, with indicator still on as this can happen. Car B at fault, just checked with driving instructor...Car B were quick to come up with that one...

 

[Purple]

Car B.

 

[Vanilla]

Tends to be two sides to these stories, and especially given the discrepancies in even this short initial account, I'd have to hear more!

 

[mark1]

car b, regardless of whether car a had intended to turn and changed their mind, were the gardai called and what was their opinion. Many moons ago i was sitting waiting to pull out onto a main road during a driving lesson and the insructor asked me what it meant as the approaching car had its left indicator on and of course i replied they are turning left to which he said, no it means their indicator is working, still sticks with me today when i might be impatient.

 

[Billo]

Car B

 

[Brendan Burgess]

Many moons ago i was sitting waiting to pull out onto a main road during a driving lesson and the insructor asked me what it meant as the approaching car had its left indicator on and of course i replied they are turning left to which he said, no it means their indicator is working, still sticks with me today when i might be impatient.

Brilliant.

I always ignore indicators. I don't pull out until the car has turned.

 

[AgathaC]

Same as that. I recall my driving instructor many moons ago saying, 'an indicator is an indication of intent', i.e. you cannot assume that the driver will turn in, or whatever, based on them indicating.
Quite a few drivers don't seem to use indicators at all, but that's a whole other thread, I guess.