Safe Speed Forums

I was approaching a roundabout in Telford this evening to make a right turn. Nothing unusual about that, only this wasn't a direction most people take when approaching from the direction I was. I suspected that the car coming up the hill towards me might expect me to go straight ahead and so eased off just in case.
Sure enough, the other driver was in autopilot mode and just drove staright onto the roundabout, braking uselessly at the last minute to come to a halt directly beside me where I'd come to a serene stop moments earlier. Looking across at the driver I received in return:

a. An aplogetic gesture as thanks for saving him from a smash
b. A damned good ignoring as he drove off around the back of my car.

Which do you think dear readers?

Well done.

My answer is 'b' Rigpig.

From experience( of people in general and other drivers), drivers who are that in the wrong as you describe tend to exibit many other antisocial personality traits, aside for acting like an idiot on the road.

I can't quite make proper sense of this...

- Was it a mini roundabout?
- Was the conflicting car oncoming?
- How did you end up 'directly beside' the other vehicle?

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Paul Smith
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The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

I take it you intended to go straight on yourself but had to move to the right hand lane because the car entering came from the left, hence you ended up along side each other?

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Useless laws weaken necessary laws.

OK, I was turning right

It was a reasonably small roundabout, a fairly large mini roundabout I suppose.
Yes, the conflicting car was oncoming up a hill between some trees and round a corner. Still plenty of time to assess the situation ahead once he'd seen me though. He was, as it transpired, turning right too (no signal) but might have been going left. He couldn't go straight ahead to where I had come from, its a no entry.
I had seen him coming at the point I entered the roundabout quite slowly, indicating whilst trying to make a demonstrable show of going around the roundabout - it is actually big enough. If I'd stopped there and then, there was a possibility he might have clipped me if he'd cut the roundabout - I was caught tween devil and deep blue sea.
Once I became aware that the oncoming driver was on autopilot I essentially knew I was going to have to stop and made sure I hadn't yet nosed across his entry to the roundabout. The other driver braked as he awoke to the situation, straightened up and we ended up beside one another. He was now effectively pointing at where I'd just come from.
I can't really fill in any more detail, thats what happened. I was entitled to turn right where I was going, even though most vehicles go straight ahead.
I assume that he saw me and instantly assumed I'd be coming straight on as 99.9% of vehicles do at this point and would be gone and passed him as he entered and commenced his turn.

i recall something similar on a mini (ok it was on the way in to a supermarket carpark but even so).

i'd dropped the wife off and driven round the car-park for another pass at the drop-off/pick-up bays (all full of parked cars of course).

i got back to the mini roundabout where most traffic from the car park would go straight over to exit, but i wanted to go right back in to the car park.

i'm indicating, i'm proceeding as cautiously as i can, i try to get my tyres pointing round the roundabout and some obvious yaw as early as possible....
i'm looking at the car coming down from the main road, i'm making eye contact.

and i still nearly get t-boned
(which in a smart takes some co-ordination )

Perhaps a good case for the idea that all other road users are idiots and cannot be trusted - all indications are false and misleading, until proved otherwise, and drive according to these premises - i.e - trust no one and prove their intentions ,before acting upon them - that way you will keep a healthy NCB and a car free from major dents.

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on