Is it just me, or, has the art of negotiating roundabouts completely vanished from the average drivers skill set?...
Lets say we're approaching a text book roundabout, i.e.- an exit at the 12, 3, 6 & 9 'O' clock positions and there are two lanes on the approach road...
I was taught that if I wanted to go left (9 'O' clock), stick to the near side lane, indicate left, enter roundabout and exit as planned. If I wanted to go straight on (12 'O' clock), stick to near side lane, don't indicate, enter roundabout and exit as planned (no need to indicate for straight on). If I wanted to go right (3 'O' clock, or for that matter anywhere past 12 'O' clock), move into right entry lane, indicate right, enter roundabout, indicate left before required exit then exit as planned. Simple you'd think...
So why is it that more and more people are doing the complete opposite? I don't know, maybe the standard of driver tuition has dropped or the rules have changed? Some guy flashed me this morning because I entered the roundabout in the right lane, indicating right, then indicated left just before exiting in approx. the 2 'O' clock position. I had to cut accross him because he'd gone all the way round the roundabout in the outside lane, NOT indicating and exited AFTER me in the 4 'O' clock position!!! Grrr...what's the point? The whole principle of the indicator is to INDICATE YOUR INTENTIONS TO OTHER DRIVERS. Then there's the people who think a quick flash of their indicator automatically entitles them to turn/change lane without looking, aaaaaarrrrrrgggggghhhhhhhhh
There seems to be a distinct "every man for himself" attitude on the roads nowadays, which, I honestly believe, contributes to congestion just as much as the increase in road vehicles. People don't seem to think outside their little world inside the car and don't care about indicating or giving way etc...
I commute 140 miles a day on the M4 (mostly on a motorbike, which is a whole other story!!!) and another thing that really bugs me is the way people join the carriageway. Now my misses will argue till she's blue in the face that the slip road is for building up speed prior to joining the motorway. OK I can see that to a point, but, it is a fact that you cannot argue, where the slip road joins the main carriageway there is a broken double white line. This means "Give way to traffic on major road" (quoted from highway code!), not "cross at 70mph and barge your way onto the motorway"!!! You even get the give way triangles on some slip roads. Then there's the idiots who brake to let them out, another cause of congestion and the motorway concertina effect!!!
One last thing, solid white lines seperating carriageways........need I say more?
Sorry guys, rant over, just had to vent after this mornings commute. I just hope I'm not completely wrong and don't get shown up by someone who knows the highway code better than me lol! Hope you're all having a great day!
Bookmarks