Use of Indicators, Optional? You'd think so

[Reaper8]

got to love the one's that think using there indicator gives them right of way even if there isnt room.

[Giant Cranium]

a flash of the left blinker when you are about to leave the roundabout^

[new2ford]

There are several posts here that indicate an alarming ignorance of what a roundabout is. The is no such thing as "going straight through" a roundabout or "turning left/right" in a roundabout. A roundabout is like a highway and all the streets leading into it are side streets. It doesn't matter whether one of those streets is the Pacific Highway and another is a cul-de-sac, they all have the same status. You give way when entering the roundabout from any of them and left indicate to exit into any of them immediately before (even on a small roundabout). If you're passing the first exit on the left you put your right indicator on until you reach your exit, then you left indicate. That's the law - nationally.

On general use of indicators (or lack thereof) I think you'll find that's often because one hand is used for the steering wheel and the other hand that should be free for the indicator is holding a mobile phone, ipad, ipod, lipstick, newspaper, body part etc.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by new2ford

There are several posts here that indicate an alarming ignorance of what a roundabout is. The is no such thing as "going straight through" a roundabout or "turning left/right" in a roundabout. A roundabout is like a highway and all the streets leading into it are side streets. It doesn't matter whether one of those streets is the Pacific Highway and another is a cul-de-sac, they all have the same status. You give way when entering the roundabout from any of them and left indicate to exit into any of them immediately before (even on a small roundabout). If you're passing the first exit on the left you put your right indicator on until you reach your exit, then you left indicate. That's the law - nationally.

On general use of indicators (or lack thereof) I think you'll find that's often because one hand is used for the steering wheel and the other hand that should be free for the indicator is holding a mobile phone, ipad, ipod, lipstick, newspaper, body part etc.

spot on. often, if you are waiting to enter a roundabout, you can't see where the car on the roundabout came from. all you see is the car coming toward you from the right, so its only courteous to let everyone else know when you are exiting. if you have both hands available for driving (as you should) then its hardly a hard task!

[Jim Goose]

You give way when entering the roundabout from any of them and left indicate to exit into any of them immediately before (even on a small roundabout).

And i posted up the relevant rules (for QLD) and highlighted the term "where pratical" in regards to indicating left when leaving the roundabout.

On a small roundabout when travelling straight you dont have time to indicate your exit (heading straight). Hence the term in the road rules... where practical.

[new2ford]

Yes I'm aware of the discretionary "where practical" Jim but in most roundabouts it's possible to left indicate in time.

But there you go using the expression "straight ahead"! There is no "straight ahead" in a roundabout no matter how small. That's the fundamental misunderstanding Australians have of roundabouts. Unfortunately it leads to the prevalent accident-causing practice of what I call "charging the roundabout" where drivers have the mindset that they are in the "main road" and going "straight ahead" so they approach the roundabout at a speed that discourages anyone else entering from another street even though they were there first, in order to avoid an accident.

Roundabouts don't work so well in Australia as e.g. UK where everyone understands how they work. It's not helped by the instructions from road authorities here that use the expressions "turning left" and "turning right" when explaining how to use roundabouts. No wonder nobody understands.

[Streets]

Originally Posted by new2ford

There are several posts here that indicate an alarming ignorance of what a roundabout is. The is no such thing as "going straight through" a roundabout or "turning left/right" in a roundabout. A roundabout is like a highway and all the streets leading into it are side streets. It doesn't matter whether one of those streets is the Pacific Highway and another is a cul-de-sac, they all have the same status. You give way when entering the roundabout from any of them and left indicate to exit into any of them immediately before (even on a small roundabout). If you're passing the first exit on the left you put your right indicator on until you reach your exit, then you left indicate. That's the law - nationally.

But there you go using the expression "straight ahead"! There is no "straight ahead" in a roundabout no matter how small. That's the fundamental misunderstanding Australians have of roundabouts. Unfortunately it leads to the prevalent accident-causing practice of what I call "charging the roundabout" where drivers have the mindset that they are in the "main road" and going "straight ahead" so they approach the roundabout at a speed that discourages anyone else entering from another street even though they were there first, in order to avoid an accident.

Roundabouts don't work so well in Australia as e.g. UK where everyone understands how they work. It's not helped by the instructions from road authorities here that use the expressions "turning left" and "turning right" when explaining how to use roundabouts. No wonder nobody understands.

Marry me.

[new2ford]

Originally Posted by Streets

Marry me.

Only if you're female and my missus agrees.

[BHDOGS]

i never indicate when leaving a roundabout as my teacher never taught me that i see some ppl do it others dont seems to be just up to the individual

[geckoGT]

Originally Posted by BHDOGS

i never indicate when leaving a roundabout as my teacher never taught me that i see some ppl do it others dont seems to be just up to the individual

It's not up to the individual, it is the law. Seems your teacher did not teach you but that does not mean it is not in the law.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by geckoGT

It's not up to the individual, it is the law. Seems your teacher did not teach you but that does not mean it is not in the law.

Its a law but its stupid, no way in hell am I going to indicate anywhere near or inside or on the way out of a roundabout UNLESS I was turning left or right, people have a hard time using roundabouts as it is, especially in busy roundabouts where you've gotta be 100% on the ball, planning your exit strategy or you will never get through where people rely on indicators rather than what people are doing. Why would you indicate left when you're going straight through a roundabout?

Another thing is with roundabouts, its not "give way to the right" here in Victoria, its "give way to ALL vehicles in the roundabout", so basically who ever gets in first has right of way regardless if another vehicle is on your right side, if you're passed the dotted lines first you've got right of way rather than the person on your right who is approaching the lines.

I hate roundabouts, if its that bad you need a multi lane roundabout, and theres many cars going through you should just turn it into an intersection with traffic lights, roundabouts should only be used for housing estates, or in Sunbury which is roundabout city, its like the testing grounds for roundabouts I reckon, they've got some stupid ones with pedestrian crossings basically inside the roundabout, so while you're busy looking for cars, someone would be crossing the road in front of you while you're not looking directly in front.

[gtxb67]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

Its a law but its stupid, no way in hell am I going to indicate anywhere near or inside or on the way out of a roundabout UNLESS I was turning left or right, people have a hard time using roundabouts as it is, especially in busy roundabouts where you've gotta be 100% on the ball, planning your exit strategy or you will never get through where people rely on indicators rather than what people are doing. Why would you indicate left when you're going straight through a roundabout?

it is not useless on a larger roundabout - it is courteous. you are never go straight through a roundabout. you have entered a roundabout and you must get off the roundabout. therefore at the exit you choose to get off it, you must indicate

for sure on the small mickey mouse ones we have in surburbia, i don't always, but anything that is big enough for a truck to go through i do - it is the law and it is not up to me to decide which ones i agree with . . . . although i agree with this one

[prydey]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

Its a law but its stupid, no way in hell am I going to indicate anywhere near or inside or on the way out of a roundabout UNLESS I was turning left or right,

try going through a roundabout WITHOUT turning left or right

seriously, there is no 'straight ahead'.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by prydey

try going through a roundabout WITHOUT turning left or right

seriously, there is no 'straight ahead'.

Yes there is, from my perspective:

http://g.co/maps/hsc2k

Go through the roundabout, to me that is going "straight ahead".

And that stupid roundabout is one that SHOULD BE BLOODY TRAFFIC LIGHTS! It gets that busy because it basically links the 4 major parts of the town. Look where the freakin' pedestrian crossing is as well.

Another stupid "roundabout":

http://g.co/maps/mfwfz

[DJR-351]

http://hereforlife.qld.gov.au/Campai...es/Roundabouts

[prydey]

Originally Posted by BHDOGS

i never indicate when leaving a roundabout as my teacher never taught me that i see some ppl do it others dont seems to be just up to the individual

my old man wasn't taught any of todays rules when he got his licence as they weren't around then. i guess that means he doesn't have to abide by them?

[Franco Cozzo]

I've noticed Mum won't indicate when she's driving around the housing estates, or when you're up to an end lane on the freeway and you have to merge right, she won't indicate.

I indicate just about everywhere, if people know what I'm doing hopefully we avoid an accident, lol. The only time I won't indicate is for example, you're going down a street and someone in front is turning right, legally if you where to go around them you have to indicate left, pass them then indicate right again to come back onto the road. I'm not going to do that because if I indicate left, someone in another intersecting road is going to think I'm turning into their road and they'll come out in front of me.

[Jamies460]

Getting Back to the Blinkers................... My comment is No Blinker No Brain, People who do not indicate when merging Left/Right or changing lanes are just pure lazy, I do know a lady in her 70's who refuses to use her Indicators while driving.......... I asked her why & she replied she feels she doe's not feel like using them, She will kill some-one one day................. So stay away from the Central Coast as thats where she lives !!!

[Bridgette01]

Thanks for every ones replies, vast majority agree with me. Does anyone think they are not required. Surely some members are guilty of not using them...their input would be interesting, might spark some hot debate. Hmmmm.

[Romulus]

Originally Posted by Bridgette01

I see it more and more every day, it's just too hard to reach for the indicator lever when changing lanes. 10 years ago this wouldn't be seen. Today, however, common place. Have the laws changed? Are people too busy or too important to use a tiny bit of courtesy. If I point this out to someone who has done exactly this, I become the one who is doing wrong. Am I old fashioned? Did they change the law? Some one please tell me whats going on

I always obay the road rules when I'm driving my 4WD, but when I get behind the wheel of the F6, something happens, I don't know what it is, but I virtually disregard road rules. I attribute it to my frustration level increasing 100 fold when I drive the F6. People in WA can't merge, can't keep left, can't drive at the speed limit (typically 5-10km/h under) and so forth. Toyota drivers are by far the largest culprits. I guess idiot drivers are just attracted to Toyota's. So, I do what they do, and disregard road rules.

[tickfrd6]

Happened to me on friday night. Was traveling in the left lane to turn left before i know it a lady in a lexus turns into my lane without indicating and hits me

[Bridgette01]

Originally Posted by tickfrd6

Happened to me on friday night. Was traveling in the left lane to turn left before i know it a lady in a lexus turns into my lane without indicating and hits me

I am always wary of this happening to me. I guess if you see some one indicating, you can ASSUME their intentions. But as the saying goes, "Assumption is the mother of all .... ups"

[geckoGT]

The only thing stuck on a roundabout is this thread and it seems it can't find the indicator to get off.

Closed.