People who don't indicate at roundabouts!

[LordLancington]

Having been reading the 'who's at fault' car crash thread, it got me thinking about something which really annoys me which a lot of drivers seem to do.

I'm a truck driver and need a fair bit of space to pull out, which means being fairly on the ball when at a city centre roundabout. Usually, I'm waiting for somebody to turn left so I can pull onto the roundabout.

What happens a lot is that a driver won't be indicating, so I wait in the assumption that they are going straight ahead. But then they turn left without indicating, which is infuriating as it means I could've gone had they signalled their intentions earlier, but now it's too late and I'm stuck in the stream of traffic behind them.

Even worse, but less common, is those idiots who turn right but don't indicate and almost cause a crash as drivers opposite them pull out not realising they are continuing around the roundabout. Had a woman slam on brakes and beep me today for almost pulling out in front of her, but she wasn't indicating that she intended to turn right. Had me muttering to myself for a good minute or so after! 😂

I've noticed that over the last few years people indicate less in general. I have no idea why as it's not exactly arduous.

It's definitely got worse at roundabouts in the past few years. Particularly dangerous stuff like indicating left and not taking the exit.

I keep noticing that when people go right on a roundabout, they never ever indicate to show they are going round.
They only indicate left when they want to come off. It's really annoying!!

Somebody has voted me as unreasonable. 😂 I wonder if it was the lady who beeped me today!

Some people indicate right when they’re going straight on for some odd reason.

Roundabouts are a brilliant design when used correctly. Unfortunately many drivers are selfish and block exits/entrances, fail to indicate and try and race other cars onto it. If drivers relaxed a bit and allowed other cars to flow on/off a bit more freely traffic flow in general would improve. What we’re now seeing is perfectly adequate roundabouts being torn up and replaced with traffic lights.

@Elsewyre

Latley round here there seems to be a weird trend of people comming round the round about then indicating right (as in already passed one exit then turning their right indicator on while on the round about) before turning left off.

Can't figure out why the hell it seems to be happening so often recently. It seems more like they're accidentally using the wrong indicator rather than trying to cause a crash

I don't know if I'm misunderstanding you but if I'm turning right at a roundabout I indicate right till I've passed the previous exit then indicate left. That's how I was taught to drive - has the law changed? Are we not supposed to d that anymore?

I get really annoyed with DH for nor indicating left when he is about to turn off a roundabout. Having said that, I have to admit I always thought that one was supposed to indicate right when going straight ahead . I thought it showed road users at the first exit that you're staying on the roundabout. So yes, I was one of those people who indicated right, then (having passed the first exit) left when going straight ahead. Realise now i was wrong, so I'll stop doing that!

I've had these problems so much. I've been told by older generation that you didnt used to signal on roundabouts, then the highway code way updated to only signal on exit.

Now you are supposed to signal of course to show which way you intend to go on approach and on exit.

Part of the problem seems to be that people dont update themselves on the highway code

When I was learning to drive, my driving instructor made me park up overlooking a roundabout...
He asked me to guess how many drivers from the next 10 cars would indicate that they were exiting the roundabout. I think I guessed 8... it was 2!!!
He then went on to say, that I needed to up that average and always indicate.
I remember that often at a roundabout and always indicate!

Someone commented upthread about it being annoying that some drivers only indicate their intention at a junction when the lights change - I've noticed this. Just because you're not moving doesn't mean you don't indicate.

Yes I've seen that OP. In face recently, a van driver and I were effectively bullied at a red light. He wasn't moving but I felt awful as it was an ambulance. I thought I could wiggle without going past the red light or the line. After I had finished my manoeuvre, I was past the bloody line. Spent weeks panicking about a ticket. It hasn't come yet so fingers crossed.

Apparently people are getting tickets weeks later now and covid is an excuse.

Ive seen plenty of people bullied by police for it at lights. It's hard if you think someone may be dying in the back of that ambulance tho.

My pet hate on roundabouts is ignoring the rule of giving way. There seems to be a trend near me of just forcing your way in and ignoring those coming around the roundabout

Not as bas as the twat that nearly ran me over of Tuesday (junction not a roundabout) by indicating right, looking right... then turning left.

& I get cross enough with the arses that don't bother to indicate at all.

Roundabouts are my bugbear.

There us one local to me. Its small but on an A road. Its got 3 exits so should be easy to manoeuvre. But for many, they have no idea. 2 approaches have 1 lane and the other has 2. So that one should be used as left lane for left exit and right one for straight ahead and right back round.

Even though the straight ahead one is more like 2 o’clock people use the left hand lane. There have been numerous requests to the council to put arrows on the lanes but “they are not required”.

Fucking useless.

@LordLancington

Another whole world of frustration (actually discussed on here recently) is the widely unknown fact that you will still get a fine and three points if you cross the line at a junction to let a police car past.

In a car you will possibly get away with edging forward but not in a truck as you'd end up blocking the whole junction when lights change. The police aren't supposed to bully you into doing so but IME many will leave sirens on, causing people to panic. I've received abuse from drivers for making the police wait a few seconds, but I can't afford to lose my livelihood that provides for my family over a few seconds (my employer is very strict on driving endorsements and the police need to educate their drivers on this issue as many are either unaware or don't seem to care).

I fully remember this post. Traffic posts really interest me, as I realise I'm not the most raged person on the roads.

I do wish things like not indicating before a manoeuvre was a fine-able offence, though. 😈

@FippertyGibbett

Some people indicate right when they’re going straight on for some odd reason.

There's a few small roundabouts near me where left is the most common choice, so sometimes if going straight ahead (although slightly right off the roundabout) I indicate so the people waiting from the left don't pull out, which has almost happened a few times.

@wowfudge

Someone commented upthread about it being annoying that some drivers only indicate their intention at a junction when the lights change - I've noticed this. Just because you're not moving doesn't mean you don't indicate.

If my husband needs to change lane and realises (when on a roundabout) he waits for the green to indicate?! So annoying! I tell him to indicate so the cars know and can prepare.

@CanIHibernate

My pet hate on roundabouts is ignoring the rule of giving way. There seems to be a trend near me of just forcing your way in and ignoring those coming around the roundabout

I know two or three roundabouts where people do this.

My horn always gets a good test.

It's so annoying! They think the rules don't apply about not breaking someone else's speed.

YANBU. How are people getting their driver's licences? A good three quarters of local drivers don't obey the rules and are discourteous generally.

@Sheknowsaboutme

Roundabouts are my bugbear.

There us one local to me. Its small but on an A road. Its got 3 exits so should be easy to manoeuvre. But for many, they have no idea. 2 approaches have 1 lane and the other has 2. So that one should be used as left lane for left exit and right one for straight ahead and right back round.

Even though the straight ahead one is more like 2 o’clock people use the left hand lane. There have been numerous requests to the council to put arrows on the lanes but “they are not required”.

Fucking useless.

What's the problem with people using the left lane for the second exit? Perfectly ok to do that, signalling left once past the first exit.

Yanbu. Worse still are those that can't stay within lane. There are a couple of large roundabouts I frequently use, and even in a hgv it's as easy to stay in lane as it is on a road. But without fail there will always be a car driver that can't possibly make the turn without overhanging the lines. Invariably a pretend 4wd or matchbox size model car too.

As a cyclist what annoys me is drivers who overtake on my right when I am signalling right and on the right hand side of the lane, about to turn off. They just seem to see a cyclist and have this mad urge to overtake, paying no attention whatsoever to the cyclist or the road, even if it's completely inappropriate!

My pet hate for indicating is when at a t junction and you wait patiently for the car toddling along and then he turns into where you are. You could have gone 30 seconds earlier. Was you not sitting there hint enough to remind him to indicate?

Yeah, that’s annoying. I have to wait at a busy T junction to get out of my street but there seems to be an unwritten rule that anyone turning into it from the main road indicates way before they need to, which lets you nip out. It’s very much appreciated!

@SnackSizeRaisin I'm not a cyclist but DF is. He tells me of people overtaking just before junctions then slamming their brakes on, the same as you mention and just general dickery. I don't know how you do it!