Cagers and roundabouts..

[9cents]

Feel free to ignore this but it has genuinely saved my ass a few times, but...

When you're giving way if you're not sure where someone's gonna go or just want to double check or just don't trust the dopey buggers to know how to indicate properly...

Look at where their front wheels are pointing, it gives a much clearer picture of where that vehicle is immediately heading than a flashing light does.

I've had people indicating left therefore meaning I don't have to give way and can go, but a quick glance at their wheels shows me they have no idea what they're doing so I sit tight and sure enough they turn right

[inlinefour]

If you are on a bike and rely on cars indicating on roundabouts to know where they are going - you are dead meat.....

In fact if you expect all other road users (all types) to follow the letter of the law, your going to come to a sticky end...

[Skyryder]

It's called consideration for the poor sod giving way to you and waiting to discover if you're going straight ahead or turning right.

We are miles apart on this one Lou. If you are not indicating then you are not turning. That's the way it was when I learnt to drive. Now I know there are many drivers who turn and do not indicate..........so a little bit of defensive driving is called for. Now if the HP boys spent more time on 'roundabout' duty and prosecuted these drivers who failed to indicate when turning at an intersection then perhaps this new law would not have needed to be bought in.

I do accept that courtesy may well have been the reason that this roundabout law was bought in but the reality of the law is confusion.

Skyryder

[Skyryder]

Indicators are for indicating your direction
Get the idea that they are just for indicating turns out of your collective heads.
There are plenty of situations where it is courteous and/or sensible from a safety viewpoint,to indicate when your direction does not deviate from a straight line.

The intersection of SH 2 and the Road to Miranda is a perfect example of this.

Really,you lot are making it hard for me not to use the fuckwit word.

This happened to me a couple of weeks ago.

Was approaching a two lane roundabout with me on the inside lane just slightly behind a cage who was in the right hand lane. Cage indicates left as it exits the roundabout just as the law states. Cage suddenly changes lanes. This was completely unexpected. So now when I am in a simular position I back off and as a result of this I slow the traffic down behind me. Now there are two issues here.

1 Could someone tell me just how this driver was courteous by changing lanes and nearly knocking me off.

2 As a result of the above near miss I slow down now when a cage is in the right hand lane with the result that this reduces traffic flow. And this in turn leads to tailgating.

Yep this new law makes sense.

Skyryder

[Skyryder]

Once you are on a roundabout, it's like you are on a straight road that keeps having (left) side roads on it.

(Imagine riding around and around it, ALL the exits are on your left.)

So indicating your exit (with a left turn signal) makes perfect sense.

Once you are on a roundabout, it's like you are on a straight road that keeps having (left) side roads on it.

That's exactly my point. A roundabout is deemed to be a straight road (an intersection) if you are not turning off it. So how does it make perfect sense to indicate when you are not turning?

Skyryder

[pzkpfw]

That's exactly my point. A roundabout is deemed to be a straight road (an intersection) if you are not turning off it. So how does it make perfect sense to indicate when you are not turning?

When you exit the roundabout, you are effectively turning left when you get off it. Whether it's the first exit (left turn), second exit (straight through) or third exit (turn right) - you are always turning left off the roundabout.

Once you are on the roundabout, think of it as a straight road, with a bend in it. Any exit you take, is a left turn off the roundabout.

[Imagine it's a big roundabout, where you actually do need to physically turn left to get off it. The kind of roundabout where if you did try to go exactly straight through (with or without indicating!), you'd end up stuck in the garden in the middle of it. Apply the same logic to the small ones.]

The basic point is, the person on the next exit along can see you are exiting and not continuing round.



In your post prior to the one I just quoted, the problem was the behaviour of the car, in the way it changed lanes. The problem was not the new law (though I agree, it would have been hard to tell the difference between indicating left for the exit of the roundabout and indicating left for a lane change).

Never ride in a cars blind spot.

[motoGP]

Whats even worse is the panmure circle, three lanes and six exits. You get these eggs that come from the inner-most lane and slash their way through three lanes of traffic to exit. They reckon their indicator makes it alright to do so.

[Skyryder]

When you exit the roundabout, you are effectively turning left when you get off it.

I'm in a time warp on this one. When I ride or drive there is nothing 'effectively' with my driving. I know where I am going and it is in my interests to tell other road users in my vicinity where I am going.

Guess we wil just have to agree to disagree.

Skyryder