Thread: Turning left at Red Lights

Originally Posted by ATH

Watching what the other idiot is up to is getting harder with blacked out windows which are never opened these days. Plus the shocking design of so many cars where the indicators are set deep within their plastic housing and can't be seen until the vehicle is coming head on at you.
That doesn't help plan your driving especially at roundabouts where many drivers are confused anyway.
AlanH.

This is a massive issue.

I had a discussion with Mr Glover,motoring writer for numerous newspapers and mags about this,and he agreed something really needs to be done about it.

The issue is the rules relating to indicators haven't changed in at least 50 yrs.

But the roads have completely changed,as have vehicles.

How many roundabouts were around when the rules were conceived,probably none.

Originally Posted by CraigE

Roundabout Rules WA. The only issue is some states can vary.
The main one is proceeding straight through. Most small roundabouts it is not feasible to indicate left after passing the last left exit, so is accepted you dont indicate if proceeding straight through. However people forget that on a larger roundabout you must signal. What I have found in WA is over 50% of drivers seem to think indicating full stop is optional.

Rules of Roundabouts

Each country and sometimes each state, has its own rules for using roundabouts. The following roundabout rules are for Western Australia.
The general rules applicable to all vehicles using a roundabout are that you must:

• always keep left of the central island
• always travel in a clockwise direction
• give way to all vehicles who are already travelling within the roundabout
• follow the direction of any painted lines on the road of the lane you are in

When turning left at a roundabout you must:

• approach from the left lane
• indicate that you are turning left before you reach the roundabout
• stay in the left lane
• exit in the left lane

When turning right or making a U turn at a roundabout you must:

• approach from the right lane
• indicate that you are turning right before you reach the roundabout
• stay in the right lane
• when you have past the last exit, before the one you want to get out at, indicate you are going to turn left

When driving straight through a roundabout you must:

• use the left or right lane and stay in that same lane, unless road markings or signs tell you otherwise
• indicate left, if you can, after you have passed the last exit before the one you want to get out at
• you do not need to indicate when you are coming up to the roundabout if you are going straight ahead

Same here in NSW, except for one difference in bold, they want you to indicate right when going straight through the roundabout, then indicate left as you exit

Originally Posted by Redback

Same here in NSW, except for one difference in bold, they want you to indicate right when going straight through the roundabout, then indicate left as you exit

That's not quite right for NSW. From the Road User's Handbook (page 95):

Going straight ahead: Do not signal when approaching the roundabout but always
signal left before exiting a roundabout.

Originally Posted by jx2mad

You are right. Those feeble almost invisible indicator lights are pathetic. How they pass the ADR test is beyond me.

They pass because they are made by a licensed Automobile Manufacturer. If you were to replicate the same thing on your own build, you would be stone walled by the authorities. You're right. It's feeble ridiculous and bloody disgusting.

Originally Posted by Redback

Same here in NSW, except for one difference in bold, they want you to indicate right when going straight through the roundabout, then indicate left as you exit

Yes, this is also ridiculous.
Oh... Sorry Baz. I killed a massive Redback yesterday. I had no Insecticide so I torched it with a WD40 fire ball. I had to it was about to spawn a plague.

Originally Posted by kogvos

That's not quite right for NSW. From the Road User's Handbook (page 95):

Going straight ahead: Do not signal when approaching the roundabout but always
signal left before exiting a roundabout.

That's a roundabout way of doing things too.

Originally Posted by cuppabillytea

That's a roundabout way of doing things too.

I like roundabouts. I just don't like the blatant disregard for their rules! But having a Defender can sometimes be a useful "persuader".

I'm with you on that one oh Voice Of Sanity.

Yeah NSW is different with most stuff in some way.
What is BS is you learn to drive in the state you live and can be pinged in another state for doing the wrong thing. Way past time for national road rules, but not letting NSW have any input would be a good start.
The main reason the rule about going straight through on roundabouts and not indicating in WA is WA only has a handful of roundabouts big enough for you to have time to indicate. Only 3 of I know about within 100kms of us.
That aside the logic makes sense with basic logic. Based on a 4 entrance / exit roundabout only of course
indicate left for turning left exit 1.
Dont indicate going straight through, but if a large enough roundabout indicate left when exiting exit 2.
Indicate Right to exit 2 then if exiting exit 3 indicate left once passed exit 2.
Same as for exit 3 for exit 4 or if more exits.

Originally Posted by Redback

Same here in NSW, except for one difference in bold, they want you to indicate right when going straight through the roundabout, then indicate left as you exit