[Fin]

Over the past few months I have noticed a huge number of drivers who don't indicate or don't indicate properly. At first I noticed many cars that did not bother indicating before changing lanes; some would when overtaking but not when returning to the left hand lane, and then others wouldn't bother either way.

Then I started seeing it on roundabouts. A lot of people when taking the exit 'past the 12 o'clock' position on the road sign would go in the right hand lane, stay all the way around without indicating 'right', and then indicate 'left' at their exit. Others wouldn't indicate at all. And the worst was a woman who used the left hand lane to go right around to the last exit with her 'right' indicator on!

It is one of my pet hates. And it makes me wonder, how did these people pass their tests? Are they deliberately not indicating, or are they forgetting? Because if they are forgetting to indicate, are they forgetting to check their mirrors too?

Has anyone else noticed it or is it just me?

[Paul]

You don't drive in Milton Keynes very often? It's mad around here, especially with the number of roundabouts. You tend to "read" drivers more than go by their indicators. Any HINT they might be turning you just wait, as if you pull out you're the one who'll most likely take the blame.

[wildchild jules]

Don't start me on this subject - it causes me much road rage!!! Recently on the motorway I noticed how so few people actually indicate at all and yet still expect to be let into a stream of traffic if they need to pull out, whereas if they had indicated then at least you would know their intentions!

Roundabouts are another thing altogether!! the one under the M4 at Junction 6 is horrific in the morning when I used to ahve to drive that way to work with people not having any clue what lane they should be in and then just not indication at all and giong the whole way round the roundabout in the left lane - lovely!

[Fin]

Quote: Originally Posted by Paul Mullett (original)

You don't drive in Milton Keynes very often? It's mad around here, especially with the number of roundabouts. You tend to "read" drivers more than go by their indicators. Any HINT they might be turning you just wait, as if you pull out you're the one who'll most likely take the blame.

No, I haven't had the pleasure of driving in Milton Keynes. But I'll be forewarned for the future now!

I wonder how many accidents could be put down to lack of or incorrect indication. I bet it's quite high. They should make it an endorsable offence like speeding.

[Paul]

Trouble is, it's one of those things where you'd have a job to prove it unless you had a witness (since when do people stop at accidents any more anyway?).

Oh also, if you do come to Milton Keynes, look well ahead and plan your roundabout manoeuvres, and don't look for landmarks, look for road signs.

[simeds]

i've learnt the hard way to check that when people ARE indicating, that they actually mean it

[humph]

I have a theory that the orange lights on German (VW,Audi,Mercs, and BMWs) as well as scandinavian cars (Volvo) are dummies and are purely there for show.

But if you think about it, these same people spend their days cruising along in lane two of empty motorways, so why would they need to perfect the art of indication.

As you can tell these are pet hates of mine too.

[Fin]

Quote: Originally Posted by Paul Mullett (original)

Trouble is, it's one of those things where you'd have a job to prove it unless you had a witness (since when do people stop at accidents any more anyway?).

Oh also, if you do come to Milton Keynes, look well ahead and plan your roundabout manoeuvres, and don't look for landmarks, look for road signs.

I'll just come down there in a tank

[Cobby Park Lane]

Quote: Originally Posted by Paul Mullett (original)

Trouble is, it's one of those things where you'd have a job to prove it unless you had a witness (since when do people stop at accidents any more anyway?).

Oh also, if you do come to Milton Keynes, look well ahead and plan your roundabout manoeuvres, and don't look for landmarks, look for road signs.

MK is so bad it seems to be becoming known country wide!

I live only about 40mins away from MK, so must drive through once a month, but still manage to get lost trying to get to/or get away from ikea!

I have to admit tho..... MINIS are the most fun thing to drive round MK!

[sel]

This problem drives me mad at a rounabout!! - especially if they can only turn left or right .... grrr

[Richard Crofts]

Actually Fin ... I was tought to drive by a ex police driver trainer and he tought me that when on a duel carriageway or motorway it is not nessesary to indicate left to "return to" the inside lane. The reason given was that the other lanes on the right are "overtaking lanes" and therefore all vehicles once they have over taken should be returning to the inside, therefore all 'over-taken' drivers should know that this will be what the 'over-takee' will do.

I however have to agree with you on the fact that far too many driver do not signal to enter/exit roundabouts or slip lanes on motorways/dual track or when going right to overtake on motorway. Most just do the drift over the line for a few 100 yards and everyone will just avoid them tactic

R

[wildchild jules]

Quote: Originally Posted by Paul Mullett (original)

Trouble is, it's one of those things where you'd have a job to prove it unless you had a witness (since when do people stop at accidents any more anyway?).

Oh also, if you do come to Milton Keynes, look well ahead and plan your roundabout manoeuvres, and don't look for landmarks, look for road signs.

Swindon is like MK and is a roundabout haven!! As I learnt to drive in Swindon I know I can drive roudnabouts well, but many people are actually scared of them and have no idea what they are doing. Mini roundabouts are the worst and you will often find that people don't realise that the person who is on the roundabout first has right of way and the driver who is going to go driectly striaght over the roundabout almost speeds up if they think they have a clear path and then ends up beeping at the other person on the roundabout!

[Paul]

Quote: Originally Posted by Cobby Park Lane (original)

MK is so bad it seems to be becoming known country wide!

I live only about 40mins away from MK, so must drive through once a month, but still manage to get lost trying to get to/or get away from ikea!

I have to admit tho..... MINIS are the most fun thing to drive round MK!

MK is a fantastic place to drive, beats any other city or town I've ever had the displeasure to trawl through, but it confuses "outsiders" who are used to illogical messy city developments and slow moving traffic, and are more familiar with "turn right at the church, left after the college" instructions rather than just going where the many HUGE signs tell you to go.

Also, it's hard to get lost on a grid system, figure it out, it's simplicity itself.

But people are VERY bad with indication, and increasingly so.

[Paul]

Quote: Originally Posted by wildchild jules (original)

Swindon is like MK and is a roundabout haven!! As I learnt to drive in Swindon I know I can drive roudnabouts well, but many people are actually scared of them and have no idea what they are doing. Mini roundabouts are the worst and you will often find that people don't realise that the person who is on the roundabout first has right of way and the driver who is going to go driectly striaght over the roundabout almost speeds up if they think they have a clear path and then ends up beeping at the other person on the roundabout!

Always used to go over a mini-roundabout in Leighton Buzzard on my commute to work, it was regularly stuck with three cars all waiting for the other one to make the first move. It's the modern version of the old wild west shoot-out, seeing who blinks first.

[118]

it frustrates me too and just lately it seems to have been getting worse for some reason the other annoying thing is those drivers who don't indicate when they should, and do indicate when there's no need!

[Fin]

There is a roundabout on the route I take home from work everyday. It is hardly the most taxing, from the approach to it you have the choice of 4 different exits, and the roundabout itself can't be more than 3 metres across, so there is no question of seeing all other cars at each junction to it.

The sign I'm faced with when going home shows my exit to be at about the 10 O'Clock position, so I get myself into the left hand lane. There is also an exit at the 9 O'Clock position, so as I move onto the roundabout I am not indicating at all, and then as soon as I have passed the 9 O'Clock exit I indicate left.

The problem is that so many people think the right hand lane is the correct lane to be in (even though the sign, and the fact that there isn't a 'left turn' arrow painted on the road of the left hand lane show it isn't). This leads to both being cut up by any traffic joining from the 9 O'Clock exit because they ASSUME you are taking the first exit even though you are not indicating that, and having people in the right hand lane next to you and trying to take the same exit onto a single carriage road.

And the cheek of them when they look at me as if I was in the wrong lane!

[Fin]

Quote: Originally Posted by Richard Crofts (original)

Actually Fin ... I was tought to drive by a ex police driver trainer and he tought me that when on a duel carriageway or motorway it is not nessesary to indicate left to "return to" the inside lane. The reason given was that the other lanes on the right are "overtaking lanes" and therefore all vehicles once they have over taken should be returning to the inside, therefore all 'over-taken' drivers should know that this will be what the 'over-takee' will do.

I however have to agree with you on the fact that far too many driver do not signal to enter/exit roundabouts or slip lanes on motorways/dual track or when going right to overtake on motorway. Most just do the drift over the line for a few 100 yards and everyone will just avoid them tactic

R

I thought that may be the case with returning to the left hand lane as I have seen many a Police driver not indicate when doing so. I always do though, I just think it's good practice.

[humph]

Quote: Originally Posted by Fin (original)

There is a roundabout on the route I take home from work everyday. It is hardly the most taxing, from the approach to it you have the choice of 4 different exits, and the roundabout itself can't be more than 3 metres across, so there is no question of seeing all other cars at each junction to it.

The sign I'm faced with when going home shows my exit to be at about the 10 O'Clock position, so I get myself into the left hand lane. There is also an exit at the 9 O'Clock position, so as I move onto the roundabout I am not indicating at all, and then as soon as I have passed the 9 O'Clock exit I indicate left.

The problem is that so many people think the right hand lane is the correct lane to be in (even though the sign, and the fact that there isn't a 'left turn' arrow painted on the road of the left hand lane show it isn't). This leads to both being cut up by any traffic joining from the 9 O'Clock exit because they ASSUME you are taking the first exit even though you are not indicating that, and having people in the right hand lane next to you and trying to take the same exit onto a single carriage road.

And the cheek of them when they look at me as if I was in the wrong lane!

Now if this is the roundabout I think you mean Fin, then it is the pits. Always makes for a fun few minutes when I go see my mum and dad.

[Paul]

Returning to the left lane you don't have to indicate, as nobody should be there anyway unless they're under-taking, not a good idea!

I also tend to do it anyway, out of habit I guess.

[wildchild jules]

The thing about always returning to the elft hand lane though is the biggest joke ever as how often do you see cars in the middle lane with no traffic in the left hand lane? Or my other pet peeve, people caning it down the fast lane when the motorway is deserted other than maybe me sat in the lefthand lane doing about 80 - WHY ARE YOU IN THE RIGHT HAND LANE???????????