Roundabouts are a pain

JamboMac

Learning to drive and wondering how others have licences? Now I wouldn't class myself as a master of driving still a novice, but some people need a re-test. I was turning left onto a road, both cars coming towards me on that road where turning left so I could enter the road but no some bloke who thinks he's a rally driver flies up the road with only side lights on and starts beeping. So he must have just missed these cars turning left and he's beeping me, speed-bumps there for a reason.

Now roundabouts everybody has to indicate but most people don't bother so it leaves me guessing can I go or not. Is this just me? Should I just gun it and if the person crashes into me explain to them what indicators are for.

I don't know whether if I'm to cautious I'll just fail my test because I can't read minds.

Not a helpful post but frustration needed to vent.

mikeym

Ive seen lots of motorists not using the roundabouts correctly and their setting a bad example to learner drivers.

Incorrect lane position and incorrect signalling annoy me at the roundabout.

JamboMac

mikeym wrote: »

Ive seen lots of motorists not using the roundabouts correctly and their setting a bad example to learner drivers.

Incorrect lane position and incorrect signalling annoy me at the roundabout.

I Do wonder how many these people are still on the provisional but just don't have L plate on and no intention of doing their test because that doesn't seem enforced.

You can just continually renew your provisional.

ProudDUB

JamboMac wrote: »

Now roundabouts everybody has to indicate but most people don't bother so it leaves me guessing can I go or not. Is this just me? Should I just gun it and if the person crashes into me explain to them what indicators are for.

No. Where are you going to have that nice little explanatory chat with them....the back of an ambulance?

JamboMac

ProudDUB wrote: »

No. Where are you going to have that nice little explanatory chat with them....the back of an ambulance?

Well yeah the odds of me telling somebody what their indicators are for after being hit by them is slim and me with an L plate I'm sure I'll be labelled as the one in the wrong.

Just to be clear I wouldn't enter a roundabout to prove to somebody they don't use their indicators, I just get the feeling I'm sitting at the roundabout to long and could go sooner if only I knew what other people are doing.

I feel if I sit there during a test I'll fail from lack of progression or at least gain marks against me.

gruffler91

My instructor always warned me to never trust an indicator until you see the car head in the direction they were indicating. After all it is exactly that an indication of what someone might be intending to do.

The amount of people who use their indicators incorrectly or don't use them at all is very annoying agreeably.

beauf

JamboMac wrote: »

...could go sooner if only I knew what other people are doing.....

Don't go sooner. Wait until you 100% certain.

Do not rely on indicators, wait until they are committed, the car is past the point where they can change their mind.

I can't tell you why

Roundabouts are great. Drivers are a pain.

Take a look at the anticipation section on this page. You can look at other driverds indicators, their position, their speed. You can add in an educated guess and then you can still look at the direction they are going. There are lots of ways to figure out where someone is going.

PS: There is also a video explaining roundabouts in the roundabouts section.

Qualitymark

Beeping loudly and repeatedly loosely translates as "I'm a twat."

starlit

The rules of the road book is good as a refresher. I try to be as careful as I can be on roundabouts. Its one place you really need to know where you are going.
Some people just have no paitence at all for learners and its annoying. Its been a few years for me but doesn't seem that long ago when I was a learner. The roundabouts was one thing took me a while to get my head around it. It takes time and practice like anything else with driving.

anncoates

Never expect anybody to do even what they indicate on a roundabout and you'll be OK. Some people basically don't know how to use them.

Qualitymark

This is a nice guide to using roundabouts

And remember especially to be careful of cyclists. You don't want to hurt me!

JamboMac

Thanks everybody thought it was just me for a second.

beauf

With experience/familiarity comes bad habits. Going to early is one of those things, that creeps up on you with time, until something happens to make to correct the habit. As a learner and going for a test you have to have driver better than everyone else.

SureYWouldntYa

"Why would I need to use an indicator ? I know where I'm going"

Silvera

SureYWouldntYa wrote: »

"Why would I need to use an indicator ? I know where I'm going"

...that sums up a lot of Irish drivers! :rolleyes::mad::D

9bred4

JamboMac wrote: »

I Do wonder how many these people are still on the provisional but just don't have L plate on and no intention of doing their test because that doesn't seem enforced.

You can just continually renew your provisional.

Well hey there road elite, wouldn't be a driving thread without you!

Love how everyone tries to blame Learners. I'm no pro but I'm comfortably better than a lot of full license drivers out there.

JamboMac

9bred4 wrote: »

Well hey there road elite, wouldn't be a driving thread without you!

Love how everyone tries to blame Learners. I'm no pro but I'm comfortably better than a lot of full license drivers out there.

If you read my first you'd know I'm on a provisional and don't claim to be the finished article. I also don't claim that every car without an L plate has a full licence. I'm a realist and most bad drivers have little tutelage, so learner driver or people who didn't do EDTS. Why I believe they are on provisional is because they couldn't have passed with those bad habits.

beauf

Of course they can. Most people get their bad habits after the test. After years of driving.

Why because they can.

kerry4sam

gruffler91 wrote: »

My instructor always warned me to never trust an indicator until you see the car head in the direction they were indicating. After all it is exactly that an indication of what someone might be intending to do.

The amount of people who use their indicators incorrectly or don't use them at all is very annoying agreeably.

beauf wrote: »

Don't go sooner. Wait until you 100% certain.

Do not rely on indicators, wait until they are committed, the car is past the point where they can change their mind.

JamboMac wrote: »

Learning to drive and wondering how others have licences? Now I wouldn't class myself as a master of driving still a novice, but some people need a re-test. I was turning left onto a road, both cars coming towards me on that road where turning left so I could enter the road but no some bloke who thinks he's a rally driver flies up the road with only side lights on and starts beeping. So he must have just missed these cars turning left and he's beeping me, speed-bumps there for a reason.

Now roundabouts everybody has to indicate but most people don't bother so it leaves me guessing can I go or not. Is this just me? Should I just gun it and if the person crashes into me explain to them what indicators are for.

I don't know whether if I'm to cautious I'll just fail my test because I can't read minds.

Not a helpful post but frustration needed to vent.

Yeah listen man, take this advice. Don't enter a roundabout until the car already in-front has made a definitive decision.
When I bought my new car the indicators and wipers are on opposite sides to my last car (my 1st that I learned to drive and passed my test in). Anywhoo, I did enter a few roundabouts and had indicators going instead of my wipers; and wipers as I was exiting All sorted thankfully but I know I confused & annoyed more than a few people, twas just instinct with what I was used to.

Yeah some don't indicate at all; some don't even turn on lights at night, never might fog lights when necessary. The amount of times I receive complaints about the standard of driving on our roads by tourists is something I'm sure you'd believe.
You won't be marked down due to you not being a mind-reader. Just don't hesitate when it's obvious it's safe for you to enter a roundabout.

Thanks,
kerry4sam

Sam Kade

Silvera wrote: »

...that sums up a lot of Irish drivers! :rolleyes::mad::D

Also when you use your indicator on a roundabout like I always do they will drive out in front of you :mad:

Craftylee

I've had 3 people so far pull right out in front of me while on a roundabout. I was in the correct lane and signalling - one was during a lesson and I had to slam the brakes on (beat the instructor too it, he was impressed). And the other 2 after passing my test.

On all occasions the cars were going way too fast (almost as if they didn't notice there was a roundabout there...). I just don't get how people can knowingly speed into a roundabout without looking