Who is to blame for an accident when changing lanes?

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Quite often, when driving a vehicle, the driver needs to change lanes without interfering with traffic. Failure to comply with traffic regulations may result in an accident. Who will be to blame during the restructuring, as well as what punishment awaits the driver, we will talk about this below.

How the maneuver is performed

When changing lanes, the driver must take into account the following rules:

First of all, you need to pay attention to the movement of other vehicles. Before changing lanes, you must let all cars moving on the right pass.
When changing lanes, a motorist must give way to those vehicles that do not plan to change lanes.
When changing lanes, the motorist must turn on the turn signal. In this way he will notify other traffic participants about the planned actions.

Most lane change accidents happen for two reasons:

the driver did not let other cars pass;
The driver did not turn on the turn signal before performing the maneuver.

When driving in general traffic flow, the task of each motorist is to control the situation on the road. It is very important to pay attention to the movement of other drivers, promptly responding to changes in the situation. If required, one motorist must give priority to the other.

Who is to blame for an accident when changing lanes?

Accidents involving a vehicle changing lanes into another lane of the road can occur for various reasons. The culprit is determined by the totality of traffic violations committed.

The most common causes of accidents are changing lanes to the right or left, as well as when crossing the lane to overtake. Let's take a closer look.

Changing lanes from the right to the left can result in an accident if the road is not clear. The culprit will be the driver who did not allow cars to pass that had the right of way.

When changing lanes of a vehicle while overtaking, the overtaker will be at fault. The driver is subject to administrative and criminal liability even if he complied with the rules for crossing the road.

Overview of Common Violations

Let's look at some of the most common violations that drivers commit when changing lanes:

When changing lanes, the motorist does not keep his distance. Such actions most often end in a collision.
Noticing an obstacle in his lane, the driver begins to abruptly change lanes. This does not turn on the turn signals, and therefore other road users do not have time to react to the changed situation in a timely manner.
Changing lanes is carried out in a traffic jam. As soon as a seat becomes available in the next row, the driver tries to take it, ahead of other motorists. Naturally, wanting to “slip through”, he does not give any light signals, which leads to a collision. This situation is not uncommon.
The driver does not pay attention to the actions of other motorists. Having turned on the turn signal, he must make sure that other cars allow him to pass. Otherwise, a serious accident may occur.

Controversial situations in case of road accidents

Quite often, after traffic accidents when changing lanes, controversial situations arise. A prerequisite for such disagreements is the identification of the culprit of the accident.

If participants in an accident are unable to identify the driver responsible for the collision on their own, in order to issue a European protocol, it is necessary to call traffic police officers to the scene of the accident.

The identification of the culprit of a traffic accident occurs through an investigation, during which traffic inspectors establish all the circumstances of the accident and the fact that each participant in the collision complied with traffic rules.

As a rule, controversial situations arise in cases where motorists simultaneously begin to change lanes into the same lane. In this case, the motorist who performed this maneuver second must comply with the requirements for maintaining the speed limit and distance. If the driver violated these parameters, he is recognized as the culprit of the accident.

However, the first driver can also be found to be at fault for a traffic accident if he does not comply with the speed limit or does not comply with the requirements for light signs.

Of course, both motorists can be held liable. However, in most cases, punishment awaits the driver who was driving behind. You can appeal the received decision within 10 days from the date of its preparation.

A motorcyclist is a full-fledged participant in the movement, and it is this category that most often becomes involved in accidents. Unfortunately, if such a collision results in minor damage to the vehicle, the accident can result in hospitalization or even death for the motorcyclist.

Therefore, the motorcycle driver, when performing this maneuver, must be especially careful, observe the speed limit, distance and inform other road users of his intention using headlights.

Good afternoon, dear reader.

This article will focus on a fairly common type of traffic accident - lane change accident .

Car collisions during lane changes most often occur in populated areas when there is a fairly dense traffic flow on the road. Another characteristic feature of such accidents is that the vehicles usually suffer minimal damage.

However, in any case, collisions should be avoided, because The wait for traffic police officers often lasts for several hours, and independent registration of an accident without the traffic police is not possible in all cases.

Below are several typical accidents during lane changes, in each of which the culprit of the accident is determined:

Learning how to change lanes correctly

At first glance, this maneuver does not pose any particular difficulties. However, in practice, there are a number of nuances that must be observed in order to avoid getting into an accident. When changing lanes, the driver must follow the following algorithm:

First of all, you need to assess the situation on the road. A vehicle changing lanes must not interfere with the movement of other vehicles. To do this, you need to look around and in the rearview mirrors. You should also make sure that there are no potholes on the road that would prevent you from changing lanes.
Before the maneuver, you must turn on the turn signal, notifying other drivers of the planned actions.
You should change lanes smoothly, without sudden jerks to the sides, which can end in failure. At the same time, the driver must monitor the actions of other motorists.

Controversial issues

It can be most difficult to determine who is at fault in an accident if the road is multi-lane or there are factors that are interpreted in favor of the participants in the accident. These include:

a collision between two cars changing lanes at the same time. Here the speed of movement, the distance between cars, as well as the time the turn signals are turned on will be taken into account;
if there are more columns of cars than medians on the road. Traffic police officers will need to track which motorist was moving in which lane initially, as well as who started and overtook;
speeding when changing lanes;
both motorists drive along parallel markings and collide.

The culprit will be held accountable only if the violation is proven.

How to file a traffic accident

Changing lanes incorrectly most often results in a collision with another vehicle. In this case, the motorist must know the rules for registering an accident.

By default, an accident is registered by a traffic police inspector. However, motorists can draw up a European protocol without involving traffic police officers in this process. To do this, the following conditions must be met:

two vehicles were involved in the accident;
As a result of the collision, only cars were damaged;
drivers have no disagreements regarding who is at fault for the accident;
damage from the accident does not exceed 50 thousand rubles;
both motorists have MTPL policies (if you have CASCO insurance, you must call traffic police inspectors).

Responsibility for incorrect lane change

Having committed this offense, the driver may receive one of the following penalties:

a fine of 500 rubles;
deprivation of driver's license for up to 12 months.

Rebuilding concept

Before deciding how to correctly perform such a maneuver, it is worth deciding what lies under this definition. Changing lanes means changing lanes of a vehicle.

As a rule, to change lanes, a motorist needs to perform several maneuvers at once: overtaking, turning around. Due to the complexity of such a lane change, many car enthusiasts believe that this is a good way to show off their driving style and experience in this field.

How to correctly perform a lane change maneuver

Changing lanes begins from the moment the light signal is given; this must be done in advance. Turning on a turn signal at the right time reduces the number of accidents several times.
We look in the side mirror, there you should see more than two adjacent stripes. The viewing distance should be sufficient to ensure that your movement is safe and that your maneuver does not force other drivers to urgently apply the brakes.
We look in the central mirror, we can see everything that is happening behind. Please note that mirrors must always be adjusted.
We are preparing to change lanes; to do this, we equalize the speed with the neighboring traffic, calculate the required distance and cutting angle.
If you notice a hole in your path late, you should not suddenly change the trajectory of your movement; other drivers may not have time to react.
We look in the mirrors again, if you have the skill, you can look over your shoulder to monitor the blind spot, and then we change lanes, monitoring the movement of your own car, as well as those moving in front, behind and to the side. The maneuver should be carried out without jerking, smoothly and thoughtfully.

Dangerous situations:

You start changing lanes, and a moment later, another driver begins the same maneuver. Until this moment, you thought that you would not intersect with him in any way along the way, although in fact it turned out that this was not the case.
When rearranging each other, one must also take into account the fact that not everyone knows even the simplest rules. In some cases, it is better to wait the moment.
You look in the mirrors, and at this time the car in front suddenly brakes. To do this, you need to develop lateral vision, so you can react to any movement.
You are moving into the line that is about to end. To do this, try to always look far ahead, in case of possible obstacles, accidents, and so on.
You begin the maneuver without noticing the movement of the scooter or motorcycle. These are the most dangerous road users.

So, accidents when changing lanes are not uncommon. To avoid unpleasant consequences you must:

Obey traffic rules;
Take into account possible mistakes of other road users;
Analyze your own.

The concept of "rebuilding"

Changing lanes in itself is a change of lane of the vehicle. Many others begin with this maneuver - overtaking, detour, U-turn, advance or turn. But for some, this is also another way to show off their cool driving style and car.

The rules that govern changing lanes are extremely simple (see paragraphs 8.1 and 8.4 of the traffic rules), but this does not prevent would-be drivers from regularly violating them. For them, let us remind you once again:

If the driver is going to change lanes, then he should give way to vehicles that are not changing lanes on the road;
In the case when several cars moving in the same direction plan to change lanes at the same time, then those moving on the right should yield (following the popularly known rule “interference on the right”);
Before performing a maneuver, it is imperative to turn on the direction indicators.

Incorrect lane change tactics

A sudden change of lane in close proximity to someone else's car. How to do it correctly: change lanes strictly at an acute angle, leaving a safe distance for yourself and other road users and aligning the speed of your car with the speed of the flow.
A sudden forced change of lane due to the presence of an obstacle in the lane. Not all drivers can notice the obstacle in advance and change their position in time. So they are trying to get into the next lane, although according to the rules you should turn on the turn signal and wait for other drivers to let them pass.
The laws of psychology apply in a traffic jam. Insolent people are reluctantly allowed to pass here, especially if they do not signal the planned maneuver with a turn signal. The most self-confident drivers, even if their car is not allowed through, decide to take a break, hoping for the compliance and caution of other car owners, and strive to complete their maneuver. But, as they say, the scythe hits a stone and as a result, an accident occurs when changing lanes.
Ignoring the blind spot also causes accidents. Turning on the turn signal warns drivers in adjacent lanes, including those in the blind spot, about the planned maneuver. Make sure the car is noticed. Sometimes it doesn’t hurt to look over your shoulder to make sure you’re moving safely. It is this simple rule that can reduce the likelihood of an accident.

Tricks when moving

It is best to occupy the right side of your lane, which will solve several problems at once. If they change lanes on the left and a collision occurs, then you will definitely not be the culprit. If you change lanes on the right, you will have room to maneuver within your lane.
You shouldn't just cross the line; you should only do this if you really intend to change lanes.
The main rule of safe driving on the road is to try to anticipate not only your own mistakes, but also possible violations by other motorists.

The consequences of an accident when changing lanes are a fine, which is determined by the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation. Thus, for violating the rules of maneuvering, punishment is provided in the form of a fine from 500 to 1,500 rubles.

Find out how to obtain a license to transport passengers in another article.