To think that if someone doesn't indicate properly, any resulting accident should be wholely their fault?

[AKMD]

I've noticed in the years I've been driving that about half the people on my town don't indicate properly or at all, especially at roundabouts. There are lots of big roundabouts in my town and it's a nightmare trying to guess whether that car that's indicating left is actually coming off or if they're still going round (usually still going round ) or the car that looks like it's going right is actually going straight across etc. etc.

I think it would be a whole lot fairer if someone who caused an accident by indicating wrongly had 100% fault automatically. E.g. if car A is going round a roundabout, indicating left so car B pulls out but then gets smashed into as car A meant the next left, the fault should lie wholely with the driver of car A, even though car B should give way to the right.

AIBU? Or did that make no sense :o

I think you are supposed to indicate the whole way around, unless you are ging straight over.
Turning right: indicate right on your approach and until you pass the last exit before yours then change to indicate left
Turning left: indicate left on your approach

MadameChinLegs that is what I was taught as well. I'll be very embarrassed if I've been wrong all these years - all that wasted scowling

Er no dotty, you do indicate when going onto a roundabout it going left/right.

I agree with you, tho this subject regularly causes arguments on MN. My DH had to take a Police Crash awareness course, part of which involved being observed on a normal journey. He was told by the police that it was safer not to indicate on roundabouts, because so many people do it wrong.

I have an absolute loathing for those drivers who have to indicate in every direction while hesitating on a r-a-b. I got stuck behind one the other day and realised what it is I hate about it. It's the fact that they think that because they are indicating that absolves them from any other rules of the road. Wrong lane, hesitating - because they can't indicate and drive at the same time- and they don't look. The one I was stuck behind changed lanes twice, despite there actually being no room for him to do so (ie there was already a car there!) and didn't look at all. I expect his justification would have been "I was indicating".

Generally you can tell what someone is planning to do from how they are positioned on the road.

I live in a city famed for it's roundabouts and it's terrifying the number of people that don't know how to use them.

The one thing that hasn't been mentioned here that really gets my goat is when they draw up and ignore the lane markings so cut into your lane forcing you to take evasive manoeuvres or slam on your breaks. Then if they are going over and it's got 2 or more lanes they ignore the lanes and just drive as straight as they can cutting across all lanes.

Should have the lane markings pistol whipped into them if we are still shooting these idiots fir their transgressions :o

I was taught to indicate coming off but it was polite to indicate on the roundabout but this was many years ago, we also had very few roundabouts in our area one town drivers aren't allowed to have their test there because of not having any.

Ooh I get indicator rage

SO many utter twats where I live who have no idea what their indicators are for. And on my commute to work I have over a dozen roundabouts to deal with. Not just those who can't indicate but those who can't work out which lane to use. I really hate those drivers who deliberately pick the wrong lane to overtake slower traffic and then barge their way into the lane they want to be in ahead of everyone who has patiently crawled round.

Drivers that can't indicate are definitely in my Room 101.

Mmm, incorrect lane usage get's my goat too. My driving instructor taught me that staying in the left lane is the default unless you are turning right. This is the only instance to use the right lane. Obviously, if the road markings tell you otherwise, you follow them.

I live in NJ, USA. Most drivers have no idea what indicators are and rarely use them. It is very frustrating, along with illegal immigrants (they can't get DL's but still drive everywhere and if they crash into you then your insurance pays for their medical bills). There are three 'traffic circles' that I know of and I avoid two of them.

I nearly got wiped out by some twat who was using the wrong lane on a roundabout Madame and the swearing I got off him.

Yanbu my father never uses indicators and is an accident waiting to happen. In fact it has already happened, quite a number of times. There are also an alarming number of prats berks and muppets on the road (according to him) when he drives mainly due to no one having any idea which way he is going, people tend to cut him up or have to swerve and honk their horns when he randomly changes lanes with no notice.
Because of this I drive defensively ie assume everyone else on the road is driving a la dad and give them a very wide berth!

My Dad drives like this too. When I first started lessons I used to get palpitations if I saw a silver Land-rover ahead!

I think some of you must never have never had driving lessons!

Rule no 1 Do not rely on another vehicle's indications or lack thereof iwait til you see their wheels turn!

I passed my test 20+ years ago and have lived by this rule ever since.o
If you have an accident it will be YOUR fault.The onus is on you to wait til you know it is safe, not on them !

ariadne1 What are you basing that opinion on?

Your driving instructor might well have said that to you (I seem to remember mine saying that to me too) doesn't necessarily make it true.

It is certainly good practice not to rely on indication from other drivers until they actually at least start the manouever, but there is no law specifically relating to this.

Why exactly do you think it will be entirely your fault?

How could you change the law on this? It would be one person's word against another's.

There is a little 4-way roundabout near me where traffic routinely goes straight across. I regularly turn right at this roundabout. Whether I am in a car, indicating, or on a bike, also signalling - and in the middle of the road, as I need to be here - the traffic coming from the opposite direction often pulls out anyway. (I try to catch their eye as I'm coming round to make sure they know I'm turning, so I can be ready for an emergency stop!) What am I to conclude here? That even if you're indicating, some people just don't bother to look. What would they say if they hit me? That I wasn't indicating?

I live in North London and have twice narrowly missed being hit head on by idiots actually driving the wrong way round roundabouts.

Lack of indicating is the least of the problems.

The number of people hurtling around uninsured, in vehicles that are not roadworthy, who have not even passed a driving test is terrifying.

I wish we had police patrols on motorbikes like they have in USA.

'Why exactly do you think it will be entirely your fault?'

Because right of way means exactly that!
.In the OPs example the car that pulls onto the roundabout is at fault because the other car had right of way.

Unless there's evidence to the contrary, it looks exactly as if you have pulled out in front of an oncoming vehicle, so pretty hard to prove otherwise
I'm more worried about the insurance scammers tbh - oldest trick in the book, alongside 'taking out brake lights then emergency stop' and 'entering roundabout then stopping'

Puts insurance hat on

This may have already been said but RL life is calling just I'll mark my place and drop this is.

Indication is just that, an indication of where I'm going. You should, but if person A doesn't indicate and person B ASSUMES person A is going to do something else and slams into the side of person A liability is with person B.

I have this ingrained into me from work and also from the time I failed my driving test, we avoided any slamming into anyone but it was a near miss and my fault for assuming based on indication.

My driving instructor told me to always wait until they actually took the turn. Never assume.

And keep a safe distance.

So far so good. Driving for 20 years.

Agree with Debeez and Lueji. I think perhaps Lueji and I shared a driving instructor as mine said the same thing.

just because you indicate doesn't give you an automatic right to do whatever you want without reproach.

Drivers in England are so arrogant

Where I live the town is full of roundabouts people not indicating or indicating wrong is my biggest bugbear BUT it is far safer to assume everyone on the roads is an idiot and unless you are 100% sure they are going to do what they are indicating then don't pull out

I live in MK - the land of the roundabout and shit driver and i am currently learning to drive (my test is booked for 17th Aug, 1 week before my baby is due ) and i am appalled at how few people indicate. But as other posters have said, i am taught not to rely on indication or any warnings from other drivers and to not make my decision until i know what they are doing, by them physically turning. Indicating is no indication, apparently.