I hate roundabouts

[jeffwebb]

You guys (and gals) should be out here in Spain. Roundabouts are a fairly new phenomenon here, but are springing up everywhere, and the Spanish have no idea how to negotiate them. It is normal to see someone taking the last exit going all the way round the outside or someone taking the first exit being in the outside lane. When these two meet, the results are often hilarious.

 

[comports]

Hey MS500,

May I ask at what speed are you taking your roundabouts at if you are feelling "G Forces"...!!

 

[-V-]

I think there's a hell of a lot of people out there don't have a clue when it comes to roundabouts

Couldn't agree with you more!!

For some reason, people think those white lines on the road prior to a roundabout mean nothing!!??

 

[st4]

Slightly OT but another pet hate (and amazingly frequent) are people who "turn right" at roundabouts but enter a large roundabout in the left hand lane so cutting up people in the right hand lane who are exiting "straight on". Have just filled in a witness statement for one of these accidents I saw.

BTW, the other reason for cutting lanes is so you don't have to slow down so much.

This exact scenario faced me a few weeks back.

I was nearly sidewipped by a vectra turning right but it has in the left lane, he cut right accorss my lane at the last moment, however he was initially dithering so I hung back just in case he did his worse, which he did.

Anticipation and making a plan of where you need to be can work wonders.

 

[ms500]

Hey MS500,

May I ask at what speed are you taking your roundabouts at if you are feelling "G Forces"...!!

About 18-23mph? It depends on how big the roundabout is.

It just always seems like I'm being thrown into the passenger seat, especially on the smaller ones. Most uncomfortable, every car I've driven it's the same. I don't notice it as much when I'm a passenger since I can lean against the door.

Plus they increase wear on the passenger side tyres, roundabouts are a damn nuisance, just like most of the UK's traffic systems.

 

[robert.saunders]

Roundabouts are extremely efficient at moving traffic - unfortunately, no-one knows how to use them correctly

 

[st4]

About 18-23mph? It depends on how big the roundabout is.

It just always seems like I'm being thrown into the passenger seat, especially on the smaller ones. Most uncomfortable, every car I've driven it's the same. I don't notice it as much when I'm a passenger since I can lean against the door.

Plus they increase wear on the passenger side tyres, roundabouts are a damn nuisance, just like most of the UK's traffic systems.

Thats about right, you shouldn't be flung around in your car like that.

There are two issues you may have, one is your cars suspension is iffy or that your seat isn't adjusted properly so your not being "held" in it.

 

[Dieselman]

roundabouts are a damn nuisance, just like most of the UK's traffic systems.

Maybe you should avoid using the UK systems then..

 

[oorjim2]

Thats about right, you shouldn't be flung around in your car like that.

There are two issues you may have, one is your cars suspension is iffy or that your seat isn't adjusted properly so your not being "held" in it.

Or maybe slow down when going round the roundabout.

 

[R129mine]

I have a constant argument with my wife when i am in the car with her about a round about in Milton Keynes (500 yards from the MB garage it is called the kingston roundabout),

80% of the drivers don't know how to use this roundabout with a 3 lane approach, 1 for left, 1 for straight on and 1 for either straight on or to turn right (aka 3 exit).

people who sit in the middle lane should move to the outside of the roundabout when they are passed the first exit but they stay in the central lane which means they are cutting up the people who started of in the middle lane who then move to the inside lan and they cut up the drivers who are trying to turn right (inside lane)

i am scared to death when i am a passenger on that round about and when i drive myself i get very nervous too.

having said all that i have never seen an accident happen on that particular round about so maybe it is just me who doesn't know how to take that roundabout?

 

[pluggers]

Had a call off driver assist this afternoon,seems they are backing out of supplying me a like for like car as the other driver is disputing it .So if I want the repairs done It will be a car supplied from the repairers.I said I don't mind waiting a bit to see what happens when the recovery dept' get involved,and see what they say.Don't suppose anyone has heard of KC Autos in Winsford have they? (http://www.kcauto.co.uk/contact.html)Its who sainsburys use for this area.

 

[st4]

Or maybe slow down when going round the roundabout.

He didn't quote a speed that would indicate that he should be flung about, 18-23mph is a similar speed range to what I do on a roundabout, and I am not flung around. However I have my seat adjusted so it holds my in place and I drove a car with a badly adjusted one (backrest to far back) and I felt the phenonema of being flung about at fairly pedestrain speeds on corners and roundabouts.

 

[oorjim2]

He didn't quote a speed that would indicate that he should be flung about, 18-23mph is a similar speed range to what I do on a roundabout, and I am not flung around. However I have my seat adjusted so it holds my in place and I drove a car with a badly adjusted one (backrest to far back) and I felt the phenonema of being flung about at fairly pedestrain speeds on corners and roundabouts.

I have never experienced anything like that going round a roundabout in any car I have owed or driven from a 1970s Ford Escort to 2007 GMC Sierra. I must be doing something wrong.

 

[ms500]

Roundabouts are extremely efficient at moving traffic

They might be if there weren't about 4 sets of traffic lights on most of them

 

[robert.saunders]

They can indeed be ruined by signal placement

 

[Colin_b]

Fascinating thread this (with apologies to thr OP). For some reason roundabouts in Cumbria are objects of mystery and suspicion. Common traits are random stopping, the assumption that they are all single lane and they are good places to turn sharp right.

You have to assume here that no one will take any notice of any laws, regulations or conventions and drive as if everyone is out to kill you.

Mostly they are. Be warned