Driving me round-a-bout

Sep 1 2008 Jackie Violet

Driving me round-a-bout

WHAT is it about roundabouts that cause some motorists to go completely brain dead? It appears that all logic goes out of the window.

How many times have you witnessed drivers signalling right to go straight on, more bizarrely signal right then turn left or signal left then turn right?

Would they use the same indications at a crossroads for instance? I doubt it, yet there is hardly any difference except for a great big round green grassy thing in the middle or a blob of white paint. No wonder the Highway Code advises motorists never to rely on other driver¿s indications.

A roundabout is a glorified junction. If you want to turn left, stay left and indicate left. To go straight on, stay ideally left and do not signal until after you have passed the first exit. Which means to go right, it makes sense to signal right on the approach, keep in the right hand lane, then indicate left and start to move over after you have passed the exit before the one you want.

Sadly it appears this is not straightforward for many a driver.

Still visibly shaking from being the innocent victim of such an appalling cut-up at a roundabout I had to pull into the lay-by that fortunately was close by.

I had wanted to turn right so being a good girl I dutifully signalled right on the approach and moved into the right hand lane. I waited patiently for a gap and then pulled out. I steered around the roundabout then noticed this maniac far too close to my rear left side than is permissible. As I went to turn left off the roundabout he ¿ yes it was a man - tried to inch his way inside me and came incredibly close to pushing me off the road back to the way I had just come!

Of course to avoid an impact I let him go through, for which he thanked me politely with a serious display of hand gestures. I noticed it was the same car that was next to me on the left hand lane whist waiting to get on to the roundabout.

So he was in the left hand lane and wanted to turn right. Where on earth is the logic in that?