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 feel for OP and everyone

I have done the advanced driver training but it's applicable to say , driving along a country lane with no one in sight, making a turn wouldn't require indication if there's only you around.

Of course you should indicate, it should be second nature when driving.

I lived in an area which had a massive road regeneration and the average sized roundabout doubled in size with but with clearer road markings and over head signs. It became easier to use. Lost count of the number of people moaning online about how dangerous it had become etc etc
I just couldn't fathom what was so difficult about reading clear signs, planning an approach to the roundabout and moving around it effectively. It almost did the job for you. I concluded that no one pays proper attention - but that's true in general motoring anyway. So many people are driving around without actually thinking about and concentrating on the actual job in hand.

Kill Them!

Its not even the lack of indicating that annoys me, its the motorists who drift between lanes on roundabouts. You wouldn’t randomly drift into other lanes on a motorway or dual carriageway, so why do people do it on roundabouts?!

Of course you should indicate, it should be second nature when driving

Exactly. There may be a pedestrian who wants to know what your plans are.

One of ds’s friends scored a minor fault in their test for indicating when there was no one behind or in front

Humpf. I disagree. You may not be able to see a pedestrian who wants to know where you are heading before eg they cross the road.

@Penners99

If you think your life is meaningless, please spare a thought for the car workers that fit indicators to BMW and Audi cars!

You mean - there is such a person

If you think your life is meaningless, please spare a thought for the car workers that fit indicators to BMW and Audi cars!

m.youtube.com/watch?v=2irIiWw6GAY

@cologne4711

Of course you should indicate, it should be second nature when driving

Exactly. There may be a pedestrian who wants to know what your plans are.

Quite. Why waste time looking around to see if there is anyone? Just bloody indicate every single time. It’s not like your car has a limited number of flashes.

I think there's a fault with a lot of cars in the Midlands that stops indicators working.

Not indicating is my biggest annoyance on the road. I can live with the fact that people do stupid things in the road, we’re all human. But if you at least indicate, I’ve got half a chance of anticipating it.

I have done the advanced driver training but it's applicable to say , driving along a country lane with no one in sight, making a turn wouldn't require indication if there's only you around.

Of course you should indicate, it should be second nature when driving.

The decision to indicate should be made on the basis of need not habit. Habit does not suggest you have observed correctly and not observing correctly is dangerous. Easy to glance into you mirror but not actually absorb the contents and just indicate through habit.

Quite. Why waste time looking around to see if there is anyone? Just bloody indicate every single time. Why waste time looking for hazards? Is this a joke?

The point is that you should have enough awareness of your surroundings to know if there is anyone you need to signal for.

@helpfulperson

The point is that you should have enough awareness of your surroundings to know if there is anyone you need to signal for.

But why not do it? Is there a charge per flash or something. And yes you should have the awareness of your surroundings etc but what about someone who is obscured from your view. Why piss about deciding, just bloody do it.

Indicating is always best, no doubt.
But I don’t mind cars not indicating if it is a massive roundabout and the car’s body language tells me that they are about to turn off, such as keeping extremely tight in to the edge of left hand lane, slowing down. When they turn their wheels to exit I pull out knowing I am safe.

However, occasionally I get a car that does exactly as above, drives about 15 miles an hour and keep extremely tight to the left, no indicator, but doesn’t turn left anywhere till last minute. I can’t read that so I stop and wait. I know it’s just ten seconds but it feels like years watching the tiny small cars crawling in the roundabout.

I also hate when cars take up two lanes, mostly in one lane and 25% of another lane when stopped at the red light. When I am feeling petty i will squeeze my car in and give them THE LOOK. The reaction is always hilarious 😂

The decision to indicate should be made on the basis of need not habit.

What a load of rubbish. You should always indicate because even if you think you've have the lay of the land, you might not.

The point is that you should have enough awareness of your surroundings to know if there is anyone you need to signal for.

In an ideal world that might make sense. Unfortunately, we don't live in an ideal world and modern cars with their bias towards secondary safety at the expense of visibility don't make it any better.

@Ineedaduvetday

The decision to indicate should be made on the basis of need not habit.

What a load of rubbish. You should always indicate because even if you think you've have the lay of the land, you might not.

That is not my decision - that is the view of driving examiners. You should not always indicate...because you do not always need to.

Indicating is always best, no doubt. There clearly is a doubt when driving examiners do not agree with you!

You cant really rely on signalling or not signallin, what if they have it on incorrectly and you pull out - still at fault

@RB68

You cant really rely on signalling or not signallin, what if they have it on incorrectly and you pull out - still at fault

If someone is incorrectly signaling they are at fault - it's against the highway code.

@knickybricks I'm pretty sure that's wrong, if someone is indicating wrong and you pull out, you are still to blame. You shouldn't rely on an indicator.

@RB68

You cant really rely on signalling or not signallin, what if they have it on incorrectly and you pull out - still at fault

What about if you are a pedestrian about to cross a side road and think you are safe to do so?