Roundabout Indicating Mystery
Discussion
Can anyone shed any light on this insignificant but rather puzzling mystery? This is a roundabout that I encounter when I walk to work each day:
Most cars follow the red route shown below and as a pedestrian I cross the road on the black line, where there are reflective bollards and yellow tarmac with an island to wait on in the middle - so not a crossing as such (zebra or pelican), but it makes things a bit safer, especially in poor visibility or at night.
What's been puzzling me is that about half of the cars following the red route above indicate left on approach to the roundabout. I realise most drivers are clueless, but the other day some police bikers on what looked like a training ride all did it, including the guy up the front who looked like he was leading them.
When there is a constant stream of cars in rush hour, pedestrians crossing the road as indicated by the black line have to wait for someone breaking the stream of traffic by turning left (to go up the road at 11 o'clock in the picture) or right to do it. Nobody indicates to turn right, so you have to wait for a left turner. However, with half the cars on the red route indicating left to go straight on, this task is made almost impossible. As a pedestrian, the only truly safe way round the problem is to divert all the way round using the zebra crossing visible at the bottom of the picture and the pedestrian crossing visible to the left of the picture, which involves a dangerous crossing on the road at 11 o'clock because occasionally drivers follow the red route and take the first exit at the roundabout without indicating, nearly running you over in the process (it's a constant stream of cars, so you can't wait for a gap). Drivers waiting on that road at 11 o clock to join the roundabout have the same tough task, as they're faced with a constant stream of cars coming at them from their right, half of which are indicating to take the first exit, but most of whom go straight on. Queues often form as a result.
Could someone point out where my highway code is failing me here? Why are so many people, including those police advanced riders, indicating left on approach to a roundabout if they intend to take the second exit?
Most cars follow the red route shown below and as a pedestrian I cross the road on the black line, where there are reflective bollards and yellow tarmac with an island to wait on in the middle - so not a crossing as such (zebra or pelican), but it makes things a bit safer, especially in poor visibility or at night.
What's been puzzling me is that about half of the cars following the red route above indicate left on approach to the roundabout. I realise most drivers are clueless, but the other day some police bikers on what looked like a training ride all did it, including the guy up the front who looked like he was leading them.
When there is a constant stream of cars in rush hour, pedestrians crossing the road as indicated by the black line have to wait for someone breaking the stream of traffic by turning left (to go up the road at 11 o'clock in the picture) or right to do it. Nobody indicates to turn right, so you have to wait for a left turner. However, with half the cars on the red route indicating left to go straight on, this task is made almost impossible. As a pedestrian, the only truly safe way round the problem is to divert all the way round using the zebra crossing visible at the bottom of the picture and the pedestrian crossing visible to the left of the picture, which involves a dangerous crossing on the road at 11 o'clock because occasionally drivers follow the red route and take the first exit at the roundabout without indicating, nearly running you over in the process (it's a constant stream of cars, so you can't wait for a gap). Drivers waiting on that road at 11 o clock to join the roundabout have the same tough task, as they're faced with a constant stream of cars coming at them from their right, half of which are indicating to take the first exit, but most of whom go straight on. Queues often form as a result.
Could someone point out where my highway code is failing me here? Why are so many people, including those police advanced riders, indicating left on approach to a roundabout if they intend to take the second exit?
It looks like the first left isn't part of the roundabout.
The road markings seem to cut it off.
So on the red line approach left lane is turning left without touching the roundabout.
Right lane is for using the roundabout.
So, strangely, the correct way to follow the red line is to be in the right lane indicating left.
Edit - the Above is wrong.
I've just looked again and I misread the markings.
The road markings seem to cut it off.
So on the red line approach left lane is turning left without touching the roundabout.
Right lane is for using the roundabout.
So, strangely, the correct way to follow the red line is to be in the right lane indicating left.
Edit - the Above is wrong.
I've just looked again and I misread the markings.
DoubleSix said:
Cross further down.
There's no island to wait on in the middle of the road, so that's a virtually impossible task. The only options are as I've described above. There is another option, as described, but the point of my post is to find out why indicating left is seen as correct, even by police advanced riders.Snowboy said:
It looks like the first left isn't part of the roundabout.
The road markings seem to cut it off.
So on the red line approach left lane is turning left without touching the roundabout.
Right lane is for using the roundabout.
So, strangely, the correct way to follow the red line is to be in the right lane indicating left.
Edit - the Above is wrong.
I've just looked again and I misread the markings.
That's ok. There's actually a pavement there - it's not clear from the picture.The road markings seem to cut it off.
So on the red line approach left lane is turning left without touching the roundabout.
Right lane is for using the roundabout.
So, strangely, the correct way to follow the red line is to be in the right lane indicating left.
Edit - the Above is wrong.
I've just looked again and I misread the markings.
Here's a Google Street View:
The mystery is why cars in the position of the Passat above would be indicating left when in fact they follow the red route. The black route is the crossing point, which has since been formalised on the left hand side with yellow tarmac, nodules for blind people and bollards to match those on the other side of the road.
No mystery here at all in my experience of driving. 90% of people just don't seem to know how to use indicators on roundabouts.
I drive over this roundabout below every day for work, if there's a car in front of me at the roundabout, they always seem to have their right indicator on and proceed to go straight over the roundabout, not all the way round as their indicator would have you expect.
Left indicator on after passing the B1318 turning so that drivers coming the opposite way on the A1056 know I plan on going down there. Simples.
I drive over this roundabout below every day for work, if there's a car in front of me at the roundabout, they always seem to have their right indicator on and proceed to go straight over the roundabout, not all the way round as their indicator would have you expect.
Left indicator on after passing the B1318 turning so that drivers coming the opposite way on the A1056 know I plan on going down there. Simples.
marshalla said:
They indicate left because it isn't absolutely straight ahead or right, but slightly left of where the car is pointing. They're wrong - but I'll bet that's how the "thought" process goes.
That'd be my guess.2013ZetecS said:
No mystery here at all in my experience of driving. 90% of people just don't seem to know how to use indicators on roundabouts.
I drive over this roundabout below every day for work, if there's a car in front of me at the roundabout, they always seem to have their right indicator on and proceed to go straight over the roundabout, not all the way round as their indicator would have you expect.
Left indicator on after passing the B1318 turning so that drivers coming the opposite way on the A1056 know I plan on going down there. Simples.
I think that is more forgiveable and, whilst technically wrong, I would probably assume anyone making a right signal was following the route as per your red arrow.I drive over this roundabout below every day for work, if there's a car in front of me at the roundabout, they always seem to have their right indicator on and proceed to go straight over the roundabout, not all the way round as their indicator would have you expect.
Left indicator on after passing the B1318 turning so that drivers coming the opposite way on the A1056 know I plan on going down there. Simples.
marshalla said:
They indicate left because it isn't absolutely straight ahead or right, but slightly left of where the car is pointing. They're wrong - but I'll bet that's how the "thought" process goes.
I think this is more or less exactly what happens.The Highway Code suggests that generally, an exit before 12 o'clock means left lane indicating left.
That's probably what's happening here.
For cars it's probably just because it's before 12 o'clock position and they may not even have seen the first exit clearly - just looking where they are going and it "looks a little bit left".
As for the bikers in convoy - perhaps the first one indicated as he passed the first exit (for him then correct) and all the others just followed immediately like lemmings but had not reached the appropriate point yet? Just a thought.
As for the bikers in convoy - perhaps the first one indicated as he passed the first exit (for him then correct) and all the others just followed immediately like lemmings but had not reached the appropriate point yet? Just a thought.
Ok, Head above parapet!!
I was told at a well known manufacturersd chauffeurs course to
Get in the correct lane
If taking the first exit indicae left on approach and keep indicating left until you exit
If taking any other exit DO NOT INDICATE until you are at the exit before the one you wish to take THEN indicate left
The reasoning behind this is
You have precedence on the roundabout and no indication whilst you are on it should alert the 'gamblers' who try to get in front of you if you do indicate right
By only indicating left on exit, you are not giving ambiguous signals.
How many times have you seen
drivers indicating right whilst turning left
And those indicating left and going all the way round?
One signal lets the guy whose Exit You are taking that it MAY be safe for him to emerge onto the roundabot.nthing mote nothing less
Oh and show me in the HC or Roadcraft where it specifically says Keep indicating right when going around a roundabout
Ducks down
Ducks down
I was told at a well known manufacturersd chauffeurs course to
Get in the correct lane
If taking the first exit indicae left on approach and keep indicating left until you exit
If taking any other exit DO NOT INDICATE until you are at the exit before the one you wish to take THEN indicate left
The reasoning behind this is
You have precedence on the roundabout and no indication whilst you are on it should alert the 'gamblers' who try to get in front of you if you do indicate right
By only indicating left on exit, you are not giving ambiguous signals.
How many times have you seen
drivers indicating right whilst turning left
And those indicating left and going all the way round?
One signal lets the guy whose Exit You are taking that it MAY be safe for him to emerge onto the roundabot.nthing mote nothing less
Oh and show me in the HC or Roadcraft where it specifically says Keep indicating right when going around a roundabout
Ducks down
Ducks down
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