Other drivers underestimate your speed at roundabouts

[Martin L]

Does anybody else find that at roundabouts you're always having to back off or brake when you're already on it to avoid other cars entering?????

I guess it's because these stupid drivers under estimate the speed our MINIs can actually take them

This happens to me at literally every medium/large roundabout and is starting to annoy me

Why do these drivers have to try and dampen my fun

With my experience of this let's all be careful out there

p.s. this probably doesn't apply stateside as roundabouts are very rare there

[minimenace]

we went through one at 80mph last weekend
other drivers didn't seem to interfere much at that speed - great fun.

[Dom]

Ask smiffy about the astra that was following us on the way to longleat, and how it met the kerb...

Dom

[COOPERation]

Quote:

Originally posted by Martin L
p.s. this probably doesn't apply stateside as roundabouts are very rare there

Actually, stateside they are becoming more common. The road that I live on added one this summer and I travel through it everytime I leave my house. My biggest complaint so far is the idiots that don't understand how it works. They either stop at the "yield sign" when no one is even in the roundabout, or they ignore the "yield" sign and enter at will, causing the aforementioned braking maneuvers...

It also doesn't help that the road I live on is blind to the main road that I enter, until I'm in the roundabout. If they could plant a flag person there to warn drivers of my approach, it would prevent me from slowing and entering sooo cautiously.

[John24]

thank god i thought it was just me . i have to brake neraly everytime

[chiph]

Quote:

Originally posted by Martin L
<snip>p.s. this probably doesn't apply stateside as roundabouts are very rare there

We don't have the medium & large models, but we're seeing more of the mini-roundabouts (no pun intended) that are replacing four-way stops.

Like COOPERation says, it's a slow learning process. When people encounter them for the first time, they usually freak-out in some fashion - either coming to a complete stop, or just driving on in, assuming that because they're on the right, they have right-of-way.

BTW, why isn't it called left-of-way in the UK?


Chip H.

[minimenace]

who needs to????
left them all behind at the previous roundabout (also 80mph)

[Pebble]

If they do become common in the US we will have to have the public Information films on how they work that I remember from 'ITV' when I was a kid.

Do they still show those films in the UK?

Pebble.

[Martin L]

Quote:

Originally posted by chiph
BTW, why isn't it called left-of-way in the UK?

Errr.... because you actually give way to people from your right when entering a roundabout
It should really be left of way in the states as people will be coming from that side
Chip maybe this is where you're going wrong

[Mike Clarke]

Common experience here in Australia
They just don't seem to understand that a MINI sees no difference between a straight road and a roundabout - except that the roundabout is more fun - as long as the morons keep out of the way.

[MiniMayhem]

Quote:

Originally posted by Pebble
If they do become common in the US we will have to have the public Information films on how they work that I remember from 'ITV' when I was a kid.

Do they still show those films in the UK?

Pebble.

Yes - occasionally - but they are newer films used and they are more likely to appear early in the morning when not many people are watching. I have recently seen two films about the danger of house fires, and another film about how much longer it takes to stop if the 30 mph urban speed limit is exceeded (showing a car hitting a realistic-looking dummy pedestrian). There was another recent (and quite scary) film about the consequences of not wearing a seatbelt, with the unbelted rear passenger flying forward through the windscreen, which is quite frightening to watch for the first time

[Martin L]

Quote:

Originally posted by MiniMayhem
another film about how much longer it takes to stop if the 30 mph urban speed limit is exceeded (showing a car hitting a realistic-looking dummy pedestrian).

I have no problem at all with the government using these reduce speed campaigns, but what really pi55e5 me off is that while telling driver to slow down they should also show campaigns for kids on how to cross roads properly.
Remember the Green X Code man, something like that should be brought back. It seems at the moment that the government are intent on placing all blame on drivers

[dietcokeplease]

Quote:

Originally posted by Martin L

Errr.... because you actually give way to people from your right when entering a roundabout
It should really be left of way in the states as people will be coming from that side
Chip maybe this is where you're going wrong

Right of way isn't anything to do with traffic coming to you directionally to the right! (Although that does apply at UK roundabouts).

It's the "right" as in you have the priority over other traffic. If you approach a roundabout and a car approaches from your right, that car already on the roundabout has "right of way." Similarly, on entering a traffic light controlled junction on a green signal, you have right of way over traffic on a red signal.

Martin, maybe this is where you're going wrong?!

NeverDrivingWhenMartinLIsAboutDC

[Martin L]

Quote:

Originally posted by dietcokeplease
Martin, maybe this is where you're going wrong?!

NeverDrivingWhenMartinLIsAboutDC

Well duh DC
Me and Chip were just having a bit of banter
I know it's the "right" of way as in the "bill of rights", not as in "left or right"
I may be an accountant but I ain't that stupid...
Well I don't think so anyway

[Dom]

Quote:

Originally posted by Martin L

Well duh DC
Me and Chip were just having a bit of banter
I know it's the "right" of way as in the "bill of rights", not as in "left or right"
I may be an accountant but I ain't that stupid...
Well I don't think so anyway

You'll have to excuse DC, he's anally retentive

Dom