Roundabout Rant

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  1. Chris_23's Avatar
    • Exalted Member
    • Posts: 321
    Roundabout Rant
    Why is it that the majority of road users don't treat roundabouts in the correct way?! never indicate! never in the right lane, usually just straddle the middle of the two lanes, its so frustrating!!!
  2. victormeldrew's Avatar
    • Full Member
    • Posts: 79
    Re: Roundabout Rant
    (Original post by Chris_23)
    Why is it that the majority of road users don't treat roundabouts in the correct way?! never indicate! never in the right lane, usually just straddle the middle of the two lanes, its so frustrating!!!
    All that signalling and lane discipline stuff is just for when you're learning to drive. Even the examiners aren't bothered if people get it wrong on test; the Driving Standards Agency whip them if they don't get enough passes. So, it's hardly surprising if people don't care about anybody else when they're driving on their own.

    And don't forget, lots of people don't have driving licences, or tax and insurance. The car goes well enough without all that, and it's too time-consuming for the police to go looking for drivers without documents. They might prosecute after a collision, but then the courts hand down fines that are less than the cost of running a car legally.

    Society in the UK doesn't think it's important enough. Better not to damage the economy by taking people off the road.
    Last edited by victormeldrew; 11-06-2012 at 23:52.
  3. ranbow99's Avatar
    • Overlord in Training
    • Posts: 3,061
    Re: Roundabout Rant
    (Original post by victormeldrew)
    All that signalling and lane discipline stuff is just for when you're learning to drive. Even the examiners aren't bothered if people get it wrong on test; the Driving Standards Agency whip them if they don't get enough passes. So, it's hardly surprising if people don't care about anybody else when they're driving on their own.

    And don't forget, lots of people don't have driving licences, or tax and insurance. The car goes well enough without all that, and it's too time-consuming for the police to go looking for drivers without documents. They might prosecute after a collision, but then the courts hand down fines that are less than the cost of running a car legally.

    Society in the UK doesn't think it's important enough. Better not to damage the economy running by taking people off the road.
    Erm yes they are bothered, I know a fair few people (myself included) who have failed due to forgetting to give a signal or going in the wrong lane/straddling lanes at roundabouts.
  4. Tateco's Avatar
    • PS Helper
    • TSR Demigod
    Re: Roundabout Rant
    (Original post by Chris_23)
    Why is it that the majority of road users don't treat roundabouts in the correct way?! never indicate! never in the right lane, usually just straddle the middle of the two lanes, its so frustrating!!!
    I'm not really bothered about lanes, but when people don't signal or signal wrongly and it means you have to stop when you wouldn't have to if they indicated then it is very annoying!
  5. ROG.'s Avatar
    • Adored and Respected Member
    • Location: LEICESTER
    • Posts: 598
    Re: Roundabout Rant
    Not signallingy or signalling incorrectly is very common nowadays and learners must learn to 'cope with this'

    Its like a lot of other aspects to driving such as driving too close - pass test and then do as you please as long as the law dont catch you doing something which can be prosecuted for

    that is the way our society now is

    there is a solution - pay more taxes for more traffic cops, make stricter laws and have compulsory driving assessments every so many years

    Who wants the solution?
  6. snowyowl's Avatar
    • Vengeful, Imperial Overlord of The Student Room
    • Location: Milton Keynes
    • Posts: 3,852
    Re: Roundabout Rant
    Try living in Milton Keynes and learning! A roundabout every minute! I've only had 11 hours of lessons in total (I've only been on the roundabouts for 4 lessons though) and yet I've come across my fair share of idiots on the roundabouts already.
  7. Tedaus's Avatar
    • Benevolent Member
    • Posts: 644
    Re: Roundabout Rant
    And people pulling out on you when you're ****ing metres away. My driving instructor calls everybody else on the road "the idiots" as opposed to drivers/cars/etc. It's a good way of thinking of it as it means you're more cautious that morons are gonna pull out/not indicate/not use the right lane.
  8. Hasan's Avatar
    • Peer Of The TSR Realm
    • Posts: 1,694
    Re: Roundabout Rant
    My Dad does this. Sometimes he doesn't even indicate at junctions and left/right turns. So I just reach out and indicate myself and he just gives me a bemused expression. He also obviously goes at 50 on 30 roads and does other douchey thing. I swear when I get a car I'll try to be the complete opposite of him. I'm such a rebel :cool:
  9. Purple Giraffe's Avatar
    • Community Assistant
    • In my own little world
    Re: Roundabout Rant
    Surely if everyone dropped the indicating thing after passing their test everyone would be just sat there wondering where the hell certain cars are going to exit. Indicating helps to keep the roundabout flowing, as people can pull out when they see someone leaving at the exit before theirs.

    Nearly everyone complains when a car approaches the roundabout not indicating, thus meaning you stop assuming its going straight on, and then proceeds to leave at the first exit. This means you have to completely stop, halting all the traffic behind you, when you could have just dropped into second and gone on your merry way. Yet the people who complain often don't think it's a big deal when they do it themselves.

    Two other things that drive me mad:

    - People who indicate right when taking the third exit (completely fine) but don't signal left when they reach it, meaning the car waiting to pull out stops for no reason.
    - People who don't signal when going straight on (also fine) but then don't signal before leaving. Because some people just don't indicate at all, you can't risk assuming that they're going straight on and therefore have to stop.

    It's nitpicking but SO annoying when it's constant start-stop, and can lead to accidents when people get so fed up they pull out assuming someone has just chosen not to indicate.

    OK I'll shut up now :rolleyes:
  10. Runninground's Avatar
    • Overlord in Training
    • Posts: 2,075
    Re: Roundabout Rant
    (Original post by helzz94)
    Surely if everyone dropped the indicating thing after passing their test everyone would be just sat there wondering where the hell certain cars are going to exit. Indicating helps to keep the roundabout flowing, as people can pull out when they see someone leaving at the exit before theirs.

    Nearly everyone complains when a car approaches the roundabout not indicating, thus meaning you stop assuming its going straight on, and then proceeds to leave at the first exit. This means you have to completely stop, halting all the traffic behind you, when you could have just dropped into second and gone on your merry way. Yet the people who complain often don't think it's a big deal when they do it themselves.

    Two other things that drive me mad:

    - People who indicate right when taking the third exit (completely fine) but don't signal left when they reach it, meaning the car waiting to pull out stops for no reason.
    - People who don't signal when going straight on (also fine) but then don't signal before leaving. Because some people just don't indicate at all, you can't risk assuming that they're going straight on and therefore have to stop.

    It's nitpicking but SO annoying when it's constant start-stop, and can lead to accidents when people get so fed up they pull out assuming someone has just chosen not to indicate.

    OK I'll shut up now :rolleyes:
    My Dad does both of them. I think it's because they use the mini-roundabout rules for all roundabouts (i.e. you don't indicate if going straight over, and you indicate right you are going right)
  11. hypercaine.'s Avatar
    • Exalted and Worshipped Member
    Re: Roundabout Rant
    This is a typical learner complaint :P I did the same when I was learning, id always correct my parents when they did something wrong and id always complain when people didnt indicate off roundabouts yet they dont even care and just get on with it, it comes with experience im guessing.
    I know someone who failed for not indicating off a mini roundabout btw, now how many people do you see do that?
  12. TTTC's Avatar
    • New Member
    • Posts: 11
    Re: Roundabout Rant
    once you've been driving a while you can guess where cars are going to go without them indicating using their position on the road. it's annoying but you get used to it.
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