Roundabouts

Why is it that half of drivers using roundabouts do no signal correctly?  Exiting the roundabout = left turn = left signal.  Simple. I have seen so many times a car exiting with the right hand flasher going. Also waiting to enter the roundabout a car on your right turns immediately left into your road with no indication. Grrrrr.

Joking apart, I have learnt that in spite of the manufacturers expense of providing a excellent signaling system on cars, ignore any signal and watch for "car language".

Maricardo

Totally agree with you.  People and just too lazy to help the traffic flow safely and quickly.  One of my pet hates too.

All true.

One thing I've noticed, haven driven the MH for a couple of weeks, is the amount of people that pull out in front of you at junctions. I guess they are thinking "big slow thing coming - better get out in front of it"

Starting to get annoyed 

Brian

Same when we towed a caravan.

In Cornwall we have double roundabouts as well, that really does confuse the emmetts......

steve00136 wrote:Same when we towed a caravan.

Yeah ... try being a cyclist!  Not owning a car, I seem to use vehicles that other road users despise 

Lots if fun can be had on the 'magic' roundabouts in High Wycombe and Hemel Hempstead, where you have a number of smaller roundabouts sited around a large central roundabout round which you can travel in either direction ...

                                                                

Brian_K wrote:All true.

One thing I've noticed, haven driven the MH for a couple of weeks, is the amount of people that pull out in front of you at junctions. I guess they are thinking "big slow thing coming - better get out in front of it"

Starting to get annoyed 

Brian

There's no doubt that's what it's all about.  We find this hardly happens at all in most other countries.  UK drivers are the worst, with Belgians possibly close behind

hblewett wrote:

There's no doubt that's what it's all about.

I have been thinking a set of air horns might be appropriate, but this should fit on the Boxer OK and have the desired effect:




Brian

I have had this argument with quite a few driving instructors over the years, even ADIs.

Turning on the right hand indicator upon the approach to a traffic island is now de rigueur.


What is the ambiguity that drivers are trying to correct? Are we to believe that every driver will attempt to circumnavigate the island in an anticlockwise manner unless they indicate otherwise?

Once on the island, what ambiguity does the continued use of the indicator seek to correct?
What other road is there in the British Isles where we have to use an indicator to show that we intend to do nothing?

Some of the issue of turning left off the roundabout, with the right hand indicator on, revolves around driver's perception that they are actually turning right! The use of the right hand indicator reinforces the fact that the roundabout is perceived as a crossroads/junction. So called 'mini-roundabouts' have massively reinforced this perception.

The opinion that I have always put forward is the one that an awful lot of 'old hands' put forward. Namely, there are no right turns on a roundabout, only left turns. Therefore there is no need for the use of the right hand indicator.


This debate will roll on and on.

Derek

Clearly put Derek.  The only thing I would dispute is the situation (very common) where the single lane approach to a roundabout  diverges into two or possibly three lanes immediately prior to the roundabout.  In the case of three lane approach I always assume the nearside lane is for traffic taking the first exit, the middle lane for the second exit and the outside lane for traffic moving further round.  In this case I initially use right hand indicator at the approach if I intend to move to the outside lane to exit the third (or more) road and then signal correctly with the left indicator  when exiting.
Being very cynical these approaches give opportunity for impatient drivers to overtake, nearside or offside on the roundabout.

John

And using a R/h indicator whilst ON the roundabout also helps traffic flow as people entering do not have to sit and wait wondering what you are doing 

Jaytee wrote:And using a R/h indicator whilst ON the roundabout also helps traffic flow as people entering do not have to sit and wait wondering what you are doing 

Precisely 

Or not!

The whole problem is the use of the right hand indicator no matter what drivers are doing or intend to do - even turning left!
Under those conditions traffic flow is not aided at all.

Does he mean left:  or is it right?


Derek
(I said this would roll on and on)

It irritates me if I am approaching a roundabout and see a vehicle on the opposite side coming towards me, no indication, so I wait, sometimes pass by me then turn left,  or go down the road I am waiting to get out of, if the driver coming down the road I was on had indicated then I could have gone after checking he really was going that way, and not forgot to turn indicator off. I was taught to use indicators as courtesy to other drivers, I try to be a considerate driver and would like the same back, but I have seen driving school car, with or without a pupil with appalling road manners, like two days I was near a junction well within the speed limit, and the driving school car pulled out in front of me, if I hadn`t jammed my brake3s on I would have hit him and this was a learner driving, that instructor should have told him to wait. deplorably.

 

Take those exits as clock numbers and you are spot on; i.e anything beyond 12 oclock and you indicate right whilst approaching and on the roundbout until you have passed the exit prior to the one you want. SUCCESS, well done Pablo

I agree with that too Pablo.  That makes it clear what is happening, reduces the likelihood of any crashes and gives everyone wanting to join the roundabout the best opportunity to do so.

...to digress slightly (not off topic - still roundabout), I have sometimes used a roundabout for a different purpose ....
Occasionally, and unfortunately,  I'm going along a road with a reasonable queue behind, with no chance of any overtaking (so I can't wait for a reasonable straight, indicate left briefly, slow, and let cars past ). Now, if I come to a quiet roundabout, I go round it, slowly - that lets the queue carry on, and I continue round and resume my journey, without impeding anyone.

repoort wrote:...to digress slightly (not off topic - still roundabout), I have sometimes used a roundabout for a different purpose ....
Occasionally, and unfortunately,  I'm going along a road with a reasonable queue behind, with no chance of any overtaking (so I can't wait for a reasonable straight, indicate left briefly, slow, and let cars past ). Now, if I come to a quiet roundabout, I go round it, slowly - that lets the queue carry on, and I continue round and resume my journey, without impeding anyone.

Clever idea

Used the complete revolution of the roundabout ploy many times to shake off a persistant tailgater.  He's in front, I'm not being bullied - everybody's happy!

maricardo wrote:Used the complete revolution of the roundabout ploy many times to shake off a persistant tailgater.  He's in front, I'm not being bullied - everybody's happy!

I'm interested that you see it as bullying - I think that's what it is too.  I'm afraid I'm too long in  the tooth to let it worry me, but I do prefer to let people go when I can.  For the desparate ones I'll often say "off you go and have your heart-attack/accident/whatever somewhere else"

It's interesting how one's perception varies with circumstance.  I have to admit for many years I was the one with the busy appointments schedule to meet, who would be frustrated by the old dodderers holding me up.

Now the tables have turned!

However, I do try to let the ones who are in a hurry get past me; after all, they're the ones now paying tax . . .

rogerblack wrote:

However, I do try to let the ones who are in a hurry get past me; after all, they're the ones now paying tax . . .

Funnily enough I always have done that regardless of what I have been driving from cars to coaches to double decker buses to 170 mph m'cycles to pulling trailer tents and caravans and finally now a motorhome. The decline is well underway

As far as I am concerned, all other drivers are total imbeciles.  Therefore I have to force-feed them as much information regarding my intentions as possible.  As stated by many already, on a roundabout I indicate right if exiting anything past "twelve o'clock" and then change to left-indicator as I pass the exit prior to mine. 

That seems totally unambiguous to me.  Just wish all road users would do that as well so I knew what they were doing!