Signalling on roundabouts

Ultrasonic

knightstyle wrote: »

I recognised one parking so I stopped and asked why, she said that her driving instructor told her that on a roundabout it is courteous to indicate right to show drivers approaching from the left that you are going past their road and they should give way. She mentioned something about "defensive driving"
AAARRRGGGHHH

Defensive driving? Don't think I've ever seen a police driver do this...

If instructors really are teaching this it's incredibly annoying. There already is a system for telling other drivers that you aren't taking an exit, as described in the highway code and understood by other drivers - don't invent a new one :mad:.

On the very rare occasions I have found myself incorrectly in the left-hand lane at a roundabout I have indicated right to warn other drivers that I would like to move across (if safe to do so). I don't want other drivers thinking I merely want to go straight on!

Strider590

knightstyle wrote: »

I commented on this some time ago, it seems to be younger drivers.

You see, that's odd because the only group i've seen doing it are male and 50+.

I'd love to know if it was some quirky change to the highway code during a particular period of time, which was then changed to the current system......
Because surely to do such an odd thing (indicating right to go straight on), they MUST believe it's the right thing to do...... Like "indicate right unless your taking the first exit".

In fact https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/1852947

alastairq

I witness it daily..and the majority of drivers seem to be in the older middle aged bracket?

It has become so bad, that a roundabout near where I work actually has additional signage telling drivers which lae to be in for which exit... and, how to signal!

They still do it, ignoring the road signs!

Since I'm in the business of driver education, I have often considered the reasons why people do this..and other things?

Mostly, it is those with driving licences..who maybe passed their tests many years ago...and think they are actually properly experienced and knowledgeable about driving as such.

Sadly, they have likely never received any formal driver education subsequent to that test.

[If they now do so, they may well be very surprised at how adrift their ideas are?]

The main reason is, they have forgotten....or, more likely, misunderstood, what they were taught?

Misunderstanding is commonplace in driver training and education.

To Know how to deal with a roundabout, the important thing is to follow what the direction signs, on the approach, tell you.

This is ignored ....[as signs are generally ignored?]!

Drivers then go by the geographical location of the exit they want, relative to their entry point.

Thus, the errors are made with signalling...and indeed, road position.

For my own driving, for what it's worth...I avoid being exactly alongside another vehicle going around the roundabouts..preferring to being either slightly ahead, or behind the other vehicle.

This means I am either in a position where I can see, and respond to, the vagaries of the other driver...or I am in their forward view.

Doesn't always pan out as I intend..especially when I am am in a strange place.

But, I try.

[Deleted User]

People who don't stay in their lane on the roundabout annoy me most.

Ultrasonic

alastairq wrote: »

It has become so bad, that a roundabout near where I work actually has additional signage telling drivers which lae to be in for which exit... and, how to signal!

A road sign that tells people how to signal; you're kidding? :shocked:

Any other road signs out there to tell people how to drive I wonder...

mad_rich

Ultrasonic wrote: »

A road sign that tells people how to signal; you're kidding? :shocked:

Any other road signs out there to tell people how to drive I wonder...

There's one near me which says something along the lines of 'Right turners give way to oncoming traffic'.

This has always made me slightly worried. Why aren't they giving way already? And what happens if they get to a similar junction, and there's no sign to remind them?

alastairq

''KABOOOM!'', as the penguin said?

Strider590

alastairq wrote: »

I witness it daily..and the majority of drivers seem to be in the older middle aged bracket?

It has become so bad, that a roundabout near where I work actually has additional signage telling drivers which lae to be in for which exit... and, how to signal!

They still do it, ignoring the road signs!

Since I'm in the business of driver education, I have often considered the reasons why people do this..and other things?

From what I can tell, with a few people posting about this on the internet, those who do this mostly believe that the first exit is "straight on" and anything else needs a RH signal.

Tilt

Ultrasonic wrote: »

It tells cars waiting at the exit you are taking, or further round the roundabout, what your intentions are, and prevents them waiting unnecessarily. It irritates me immensely when people don't bother to indicate to come off a roundabout for exactly this reason :mad:. It is also helpful for pedestrians.

I don't ever remember seeing someone indicating right to go straight on at a roundabout for what it's worth. Perhaps it's a regional thing?

How does that work on small round-a-bouts when by the time you start indicating left, you have most likely straightened up thus making it very tricky for any cars to the right of you seeing your n/s indicator anyway. Cars waiting to join the round-a-bout from the road you are coming off would be taking more notice of vehicle indicating right I would of thought. If they aren't indicating at all suggests that they aren't going to impeded on those waiting cars anyway.

Also as I said previously, it causes confusion when drivers indicate left when coming off a round-a-bout with an turn off/entrance just after it and they don't take it.

As for pedestrians, most round-a-bouts I can think of are not suitable crossing points for them anyway.

However, I fully appreciate the need to indicate left coming off a large motorway type round-a-bout with more than 1 lane going round it.

Tilt

kevin0410 wrote: »

Are you joking?!
This is the most important signal to give when using a roundabout!

drivers emerging from the next entrance from where you are exiting will be looking for this indication so they can prepare to enter the roundabout. This is especially true for drivers of large vehicles.

No and is it? Sorry, I disagree. See my reason above.