For my international readers, you can take five on this one, because this post is mostly aimed at Queenslanders. It’s a good idea that everyone brush up on their road rules from time to time so you can stick around and see how the rules differ from country to country.
Okay, Queenslanders listen up: you don’t know how to drive on a roundabout. I lived in New South Wales for the majority of my life and didn’t become a Queenslander until almost a year ago now but I have lived near the border of the two states forever and I have driven in and been driven in both of them. I didn’t really notice the difference in driving between the two until recently and now it has become clear to me that Queenslanders don’t know how to drive at roundabouts. Maybe you aren’t taught this in your lessons or maybe you just don’t care but it’s getting very dangerous out there. I have a friend who was struck from behind on a roundabout and I almost got side swiped the other day. Driving is dangerous enough without people who don’t know or who don’t follow the rules. So here they are:
When you’re on a roundabout-Indicate!
This applies to whatever you’re doing no matter what you’re doing. If you’re turning left then you indicate left. If you’re turning right then you indicate right. If you’re doing straight then you indicate left when you are in the final approach. It’s really not that hard, and you can’t get in trouble for over-indicating.
Also, don’t assume that the other drivers know what you’re thinking. Sure, technology has come a long way, but we still don’t have an app that will let us know that the person without their blinker on is turning.
See this picture? Car B doesn’t know if they can turn if A doesn’t have their indicator on. Without signalling it seems that A is going straight, so B has to wait. Imagine if this happens three times in a row on a busy day with a long line of cars behind you. When car four enters the roundabout without their blinker you probably think that they are going to turn too, but if you pull out too quickly you could get hit by A who is actually going straight.
We have rules for a reason folks. And no, the reason isn’t so that police can fine you and get money, it’s so that everyone is safe. And I don’t feel safe driving on roundabouts at the moment.
Please forward this blog to everyone you know who is a driver no matter what state they are in and urge them to be smarter when they are driving. It’s not just their life in their hands and I would hate it if I were killed by some idiot who refused to indicate on a roundabout.
Kathy
Dictionary: Roundabout; also known as a traffic circle or a rotary.
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roundabout a wiki page but it describes what a roundabout is and it also has a moving picture that shows proper driving rules.
http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Safety/Queensland-Road-Rules/Road-rules-refresher/Roundabouts.aspx the official Queensland state website that has the clear rules for a roundabout
http://hereforlife.qld.gov.au/Campaigns-Road-rules/Roundabouts This site has videos for those who still don’t get it
Themes: road rules, roundabouts, traffic rules, Queensland, queensland, traffic circle, rotary
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