Not always easy to straddle both lanes if there’s a lot of traffic, even way before the roundabout the outside lane can be full of cars wanting to get in front of the truck(s), depending on the time of day and other things. But as mentioned, the highway code states that you must allow more room for lorries etc on roundabouts so it’ll be interesting to hear which way this went.
Tommy7437:
They seem a few feet away from it. What were they thinking?!!
I think they froze and convinced themselves they were going to hit the lorry, so he did nothing to avoid it. Rabbit in the headlights… Bit like a motorcyclist, you go where youre looking. On my first bike, I was approaching a r/h bend when I fixated on the l/h kerb, mainly cos it was so tall. I thought to myself “You’re going to hit that!” and I did. 
Brain froze. We’re not all born driving Gods… I ride a VFR 800 now and really enjoy it, cos I don’t do that any more.
I will look it up cos I don’t know, but there’s only one lane on that roundabout, as in no lane markings, which further puts the onus on following vehicles, to my mind…
mrginge:
You got to make it clear to idiots there is no room and just block them. You get a beep off them sometimes but those people can go [zb] themselves as far as I’m concerned.
A wise lady once told me - almost every beep you hear is just another driver warning you that they are impatient and no regard for your safety. 
merc0447:
Thing is did you follow the inner contour or the outer contour?
I followed the outer contour along the nearside.
In the days since the collision I have been thinking about the events, replaying what happened in my head wondering how I could of avoided the collision, one of the things I had in my mind was could/should I of been further over to the NS which would of allowed for more space for the car however I have re-run the same route and drove over the roundabout at a really slow speed making sure to take great care to follow the contour of the roundabout and having done so I can conclude that I was over as far as reasonably practicable, the trailer cut in just as much as it did on the day of the collision.
One minute I was tootling along and everything was good in the world, next minute I have a car stuck in the side of the trailer, I did not have any pre-emptive sense of danger that registered in my mind, it sort of just happened in a WTF moment.
Sumsmeister:
Bump? Thought you were going to tell us you were pregnant!!
+1 on the straddle thing. He was probably so close to your ■■■ you couldn’t see him. I’ve done the straddle thing I a short stretch of two lane just before a roundabout and still had them try overtaking using the other side of the road, to enter a space that didn’t exist. Too much hurry, as you say and we have to protect them from themselves. Bring back public information films, I say. Filmed from above, it would be obvious to a blind man, how stupid it was to try it…
What a pity he didn’t have a drone following him eh, it could have been avoided 
Sorry mate , think I’ve got it all out of my system now…boots filled…promise never to mention it again. 
Well I’ll try anyway. 
I’m afraid my impression from looking at those photos and his account is that it was the OP’s fault.
If you look at the ‘seam’ of the tarmac, he’s clearly infringed the inside lane of the roundabout, and if you’re going to do that, then you either give way to traffic on your inside, or you plan ahead and take both lanes on the approach.
I don’t accept the OP couldn’t have been more vigilant. Unless his workload was high for some other reason, he should have been watching the inside lane and seen the accident developing in his mirror. The Range Rover behind gives an idea of where the outer edge of the OP’s lane is. At best, the OP’s account seems to suggest the outer lane was simply too small for a HGV.
Nor do I accept the other driver steered into the trailer. He looks properly positioned in his own lane (again based on the tarmac seam), and the rear wheels are an entirely reasonable distance from the kerb (for a car driver, as reflected by the car behind too). Moreover, when the vehicles came into contact, physical pressure on the car’s front wheels, as well as the driver’s shock, may explain why he has come to rest slightly wide in his own lane.
I also stand to be corrected on the following point, because it is not entirely clear, but at a glance I’d say he didn’t follow the outer edge of his lane fully - unless that red car is set well back from the give way line. But this point might be an error of perspective.
Richard R:
Did you check the car drivers steering wheel? You could have got a bus between the curb and the car! Seriously was the driver impaired by drugs or alcohol if they failed to manoeuvre the car away from a 44 tonne truck to avoid an accident something is wrong with them.
A police officer arrived after the event, I figure someone had called them because we were blocking the roundabout, I wouldn’t allow them to move the vehicle until I had took photo’s and gone through the company accident reporting procedure, the police officer breathalysed both of us - we both passed.
MickyB666:
I followed the outer contour along the nearside.
Which, if the roundabout is far too small for you (i.e. too small to have an ‘outer lane’ as far as a HGV is concerned), is a dangerous thing to do, because you’re going to entice car drivers into the inside lane (because at first it appears such a lane exists), and then cut into them! And that’s exactly what happened.
It’s not uncommon to misjudge this, but then you can’t just plough on, you have to ease off and give way to the inside lane of traffic (usually drivers behind will give way when they see you crawling and cutting in, but obviously you have to slow or stop to let drivers who are already alongside you clear out).
usual story m8 muppet car driver there are a few decent ones out there basically straddle lanes all junctions/r,abouts .and treat them all as muppets . usual story we have to think for them as well .
Richard R:
Did you check the car drivers steering wheel? You could have got a bus between the curb and the car!
You’re joking aren’t you? The front wheels are not even two grid’s widths away from the kerb, and in the circumstances I wouldn’t say there was any fault at all in the car driver’s positioning. The tarmac seam shows just how far the trailer has cut into the car driver.
Edit: To boot, the OP’s own front wheels are about a similar distance away from the outer kerb, as the car’s are from the inner. It is far more reasonable for a HGV driver to be inch-perfect (because of the facility of his mirrors and better practice), or to even mount the kerb or get so close that he risks doing so (because of the relative robustness of the HGV), than it is for a car driver to do the same.
Although Rjans perspective is interesting and valid I still believe the car is more at fault in this instance, that said insurance will no doubt treat this as a knock for knock accident.
Experience will help in future as sometimes taking control can vary from adopting an aggressive road position to simply tickling her to a stop whilst traffic sorts itself out.
Unfortunately the onus is on the pro driver to avoid common incidents like this.
That said the point of contact and road space available to the car indicates they are more at fault.
Rjan:
I’m afraid my impression from looking at those photos and his account is that it was the OP’s fault.
Thanks for your comments, I appreciate you sharing your point of view (really), just want to come back on a couple of the points you make…
Rjan:
If you look at the ‘seam’ of the tarmac, he’s clearly infringed the inside lane of the roundabout, and if you’re going to do that, then you either give way to traffic on your inside, or you plan ahead and take both lanes on the approach.
There was no lane markings on the roundabout so to me no ‘inside lane’ existed, I don’t know how accurately the ‘seam’ in the tarmac follows the contour of the roundabout, it’s just a different section of tarmac - not a lane marking. No traffic was on the OS of me when approaching or entering the roundabout - the first time I saw anything on the OS it was stuck in my trailer.
Rjan:
I don’t accept the OP couldn’t have been more vigilant
This I strongly disagree with - I checked both mirrors as much as possible - obviously I also need to look in the direction of travel as well, all was clear until the last mirror check - If anything I think if I had not been as vigilant then the damage to the car would of been much worse.
Rjan:
The Range Rover behind gives an idea of where the outer edge of the OP’s lane is.
The Range Rover is off the roundabout and taking the first turn off in the photo!
‘‘Tactical defensive driving’’ is what is being advised on here and it is right.
It was rammed down our necks on our on board computer by the Belgians every Friday afternoon, we got a full screen lecture on it every week.
How to avoid side swipes, collisions on narrow junctions, cars creeping up on your blind sides, and stuff like this on roundabouts, it must have rammed home as I still remember it all.
Rjan:
The tarmac seam shows just how far the trailer has cut into the car driver.
To the best of my knowledge tarmac seams are not put there to accurately mark out lanes.
Rjan:
… the OP’s own front wheels are about a similar distance away from the outer kerb, as the car’s are from the inner.
What photo’s are you looking at? You are just having a giggle now, right?
I was taking you serious until now!
MickyB666:
Rjan:
The tarmac seam shows just how far the trailer has cut into the car driver.To the best of my knowledge tarmac seams are not put there to accurately mark out lanes.
Tarmac seams invariably do delineate the various lanes of a given road, regardless of whether there is any paint laid down. This is because they lay Tarmac one lane at a time usually…
They omit painted lines because there is a school of thought that it makes drivers more cautious.
Chalk it up to experience and move on. It’s hardly a world ender!
DJC:
Could the direction of the sun have played a part here, it seems like it’s in the optimum place to cause you a problem.
Not from my perspective, it was sunny but not in my eyes or reflecting off the mirrors.
Rjan:
Richard R:
Did you check the car drivers steering wheel? You could have got a bus between the curb and the car!You’re joking aren’t you? The front wheels are not even two grid’s widths away from the kerb, and in the circumstances I wouldn’t say there was any fault at all in the car driver’s positioning. The tarmac seam shows just how far the trailer has cut into the car driver.
Edit: To boot, the OP’s own front wheels are about a similar distance away from the outer kerb, as the car’s are from the inner. It is far more reasonable for a HGV driver to be inch-perfect (because of the facility of his mirrors and better practice), or to even mount the kerb or get so close that he risks doing so (because of the relative robustness of the HGV), than it is for a car driver to do the same.
No joking implied I just can’t figure out why a car that had room to manoeuvre away from the trailer safely so they both can pass wouldn’t, I will stick with my gut feeling and I bet there’s a claim in post for whiplash.
peterm:
You must have been pretty slow with witness gathering with that captive audience.
I was working methodically through the company accident procedure paperwork and speaking to the RTC department on the phone who after I’d took photo’s said it was okay for them to move the vehicle - this opened up the roundabout and everyone drove off, wished I had got a witness statement - if only to clear up what had actually happened.
Sumsmeister:
I will look it up cos I don’t know, but there’s only one lane on that roundabout, as in no lane markings, which further puts the onus on following vehicles, to my mind…
Thought I’d heard that one also, couldn’t find anything concrete via ‘google’ though.