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malcolm

Vehicles in two lanes around a roundabout. Both entitled to exit or continue around. Vehicle on inside signals exit in good time with the vehicle on the outside continuing around. Vehicles collide with damage to the left rear of the exiting vehicle and the right front of the other vehicle. Which vehicle is at fault? Even though there was no injury there was a reasonable amount of damage that I would rather not pay for! Any advice or direction would be appreciated.

Anon

Hi there,
Our roundabouts are not designed (or not supposed to be) to have the inside lane crossing if two vehicles are side by side or already on the roundabout.
We are assuming the round about was marked with lanes?
For example two lanes entering the roundabout will be marked accordingly, the lh lane will be lh turn to exit or continue straight while the rh lane will be straight ahead or rh turn to continue round to the next exit. The give way rule would then apply to vehicles entering the roundabout, and any vehicle crossing/changing lanes must ensure it is safe to do so for the duration of the manoeuvre.
To help understand further, could you please give us more detail of the exact roundabout? Road code info can be found below: http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/roadcode/about-driving/giving-way-at-roundabouts/

malcolm

That is not how this roundabout is designed! It is at the intersection of Truman Lane and State Highway 29A at Mount Maunganui. Search Baypark on Google Earth to view it.

For vehicles entering from Mount Maunganui to the South the markings indicate that both lanes may exit to the West along State Highway 29A or continue around the roundabout ( effectively completing a “u turn” to go back whence they came). This means that paths cross when a vehicle in the left lane continues around the roundabout and a vehicle in the (inside) right lane exits West to continue on SH 29A.

There is the same potential for a collision when a vehicle enters the roundabout from Truman Lane to the East in the left lane and encounters a vehicle in the right lane exiting to the West.

This could be avoided if the left lane was required to exit West along State Highway 29A.

Is the exiting vehicle to blame for a collision?

Anon

Hi there,
Could you please email me on aatech@aa.co.nz and I will email you a diagram of how we see this roundabout to help clarify the road markings.