Roundabout rant (1 Viewer)

[mart]

OK here goes, why o why cannot the French driver use his indicators when using a roundabout , the amount of times, in the last 3 weeks, we have had to quess what they were going to do , maybe they are such good drivers, they do not want to let go of the steering wheel, or does anyone have any other than ideas.

 

[Sheddy]

We have noticed it more on our current trip than in the past, the lorry drivers are fine but it seems to have got worse with car drivers they just can't be bothered, perhaps the local police are not pulling folk for it, in fact we have seen very few police in the past few weeks.
Cheers
Ed

 

[Puddleduck]

The excuses I have heard from people for not using indicators:

"I know where I am going"

"I always turn here"

but I think there weren't born with indicators and have never learnt to use them.....

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[chaser]

Afraid I stop on the outside now and just signal when i get to my exit.
Only in France though but have found if you go into any other lane you can't get out again for French just going around the outside with no signals whereever they intend getting off.

 

[LOOSE WHEEL]

OK here goes, why o why cannot the French driver use his indicators when using a roundabout , the amount of times, in the last 3 weeks, we have had to quess what they were going to do , maybe they are such good drivers, they do not want to let go of the steering wheel, or does anyone have any other than ideas.

They must of picked it you while they were on hoilday in the U.K.

 

[MR. FUSION]

This seems common to a lot of European drivers now, but I think it seems the French excel at this one. Still it could be worse, you could be driving in Portugal where most of the drivers are drunk over the weekend and the national driving sport is reversing from a side road/driveway etc onto a main road, without looking

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[bigtwin]

OK here goes, why o why cannot the French driver use his indicators when using a roundabout , the amount of times, in the last 3 weeks, we have had to quess what they were going to do , maybe they are such good drivers, they do not want to let go of the steering wheel, or does anyone have any other than ideas.

Roundabout rant?

I thought it was fairly straight to the point!

Ian

 

[FJmike]

I don't think the French have ever got the hang of roundabouts, they must really suffer if they go to the Netherlands as most roundabouts are land and have kerb stones segregating them

 

[Baldeagle7470]

Surprisingly it is (I am pretty sure) an offence here not to signal your intention.I know it is when overtaking or pulling back in.
My understanding of the Code de la Route is to continue around the roundabout hugging the kerb and to signal just before turning off.
I believe ( this tells you how much I know ) that there has been a recent change to this rule but like the French I have been here too long and too tight to buy a new Code de la Route,anyway just do what the locals do and you will be fine..

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[John&Kate]

Not just the French

I hate it when people turn right at a roundabout without indicating, and then suddenly decide to indicate to come off ... ... "Too bloody late mate" I dont care when your coming off, I need you to indicate to tell me your going ROUND the round about AAAAARGH

 

[The Nomad]

Careful. The "Brit" way to negotiate roundabouts is WRONG in many other mainland European countries, including Spain. In many mainland Euopean countries the traffic law says that you must treat a roundabout with more than one lane as the same as the dual carriageway you enter/leave it from/to. Thus it's simply an endlessly curving piece of dual carriagewsy. Thus, as with any other piece of dual carriageway you must remain in the right hand lane (unless temporarily in the left, overtaking, lane whilst overtaking a slow moving vehicle, or unless directed to the left lane by road markings), regardless of which exit you intend to take from that endlessly curving dual carriageway. Thus you do not indicate except just before turning off that endlessly curving dual carriageway on to whichever side turning you intend to .leave it from. I've probably over complicated the explanation. Simply....stay in the right lane and indicate right shortly before the exit you intend to take. DO NOT enter a roundabout in the left, overtaking only, lane and then sail round it in that lane just because you want tp.take the 3rd or 4th exit. There is no requirement to indicate left on any roundabout unless it is because you are about to move out into the left overtaking only lane temporarily to overtake a slow moving vehicle.

 

[Lenny HB]

Afraid I stop on the outside now and just signal when i get to my exit.

That is a dangerous sport to play in France by doing that we have nearly had our front end taken off. The French had a habit of diving up the outside of you (inside lane) and spot their exit at the last minute and drive straight across the front of you without indicating

I don't think the French have ever got the hang of roundabouts, they must really suffer if they go to the Netherlands as most roundabouts are land and have kerb stones segregating them

Found out about them the hard way, caught one on our first van put the tracking out.

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[John&Kate]

1st exit left .. Indicate Left
2nd exit / straight across .. No indication
3rd/4th exit .. Indicate Right, then indocate left to leave 3rd/4th exit

Point is "most" people only indicate when leaving a roundabout, pointless. You need to tell the other drivers waiting at the RA where you are going.

 

[JJ]

I bet the French are really glad to have British drivers crossing the channel and driving around their country trying to teach them how to drive properly...

JJ

 

[Lenny HB]

When we first went to France in a car with tent in the boot, they only had a handful of roundabouts in the whole country, and you had to give way to the right so as you were going round cars entering the roundabout just drove straight on, it was up to you to stop for them, great fun, I'm lying it was bl**dy nerve-racking.

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[Lenny HB]

I bet the French are really glad to have British drivers crossing the channel and driving around their country trying to teach them how to drive properly...

JJ

They need someone to do it.

 

[chaser]

Careful. The "Brit" way to negotiate roundabouts is WRONG in many other mainland European countries, including Spain. In many mainland Euopean countries the traffic law says that you must treat a roundabout with more than one lane as the same as the dual carriageway you enter/leave it from/to. Thus it's simply an endlessly curving piece of dual carriagewsy. Thus, as with any other piece of dual carriageway you must remain in the right hand lane (unless temporarily in the left, overtaking, lane whilst overtaking a slow moving vehicle, or unless directed to the left lane by road markings), regardless of which exit you intend to take from that endlessly curving dual carriageway. Thus you do not indicate except just before turning off that endlessly curving dual carriageway on to whichever side turning you intend to .leave it from. I've probably over complicated the explanation. Simply....stay in the right lane and indicate right shortly before the exit you intend to take. DO NOT enter a roundabout in the left, overtaking only, lane and then sail round it in that lane just because you want tp.take the 3rd or 4th exit. There is no requirement to indicate left on any roundabout unless it is because you are about to move out into the left overtaking only lane temporarily to overtake a slow moving vehicle.

This is exactly what I do, something wrong there surely, never right before

 

[chaser]

1st exit left .. Indicate Left
2nd exit / straight across .. No indication
3rd/4th exit .. Indicate Right, then indocate left to leave 3rd/4th exit

Point is "most" people only indicate when leaving a roundabout, pointless. You need to tell the other drivers waiting at the RA where you are going.

That is the English way, doesn't apply in France though

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[John&Kate]

That is the English way, doesn't apply in France though

Does'nt apply in this country either

 

[DanielFord]

That is the English way, doesn't apply in France though

I have spent the entire evening searching, even been through all versions of their highway code (why isn't there one official one). The roundabouts rule appears to be identical to ours, apart from the few remaining priority to the right ones. The consensus appears to be that the French simply ignore the lane discipline rule!

 

[Abacist]

I don't find them any worse than drivers over here!

I find the best practical way to deal with roundabouts abroad is as follows:-

Suppose that there are four exits North South East and West.

You approach from the South and if you want to go east you indicate Right.

If you want to go North or West you indicate Left.

If going North, having indicated West you change to indicate Right as soon as you have passed the East exit.

If going West you continue to indicate Left until you have passed the North exit then immediately indicate Right.

In this way anyone trying to get on the roundabout knows whether you are turning off enabling them to get on or to stay still until you have passed.

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[WillH]

France isn't bad compared to where we live, never mind indicators the locals have never got the point of roundabouts. Just today I stopped at a roundabout as the driver on my right had priority, he actually stopped on the roundabout and waved me on! Fortunately we haven't any traffic lights in our county, heaven knows what it would be like.

 

[Stretto Boy]

I don't think we can knock the French too much, for the general standard of driving in this country is dreadful. Too many drivers seem to think that indicators are used to confirm a manoeuvre that has just been performed, rather than to give advance warning of one about to be undertaken. When I took the Police High Speed Driving course about 25 years ago (as part of my ambulance training with St John Ambulance Brigade) we were instructed not to commence a manoeuvre until you had given at least 4 flashes. These days people think you should get out of their way after one flash, so by the time of the second you usually have a BMW up your rear end. Of course I exempt Funsters (even ones who drive a BMW) from any criticism, for I know that you are all perfect. Just like me!

 

[Abacist]

Roundabouts are have started to appear in Canada without carnage, I wonder how long it will take the Yanks to catch up!

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[Gromett]

It's no better in lincolnshire. Just went into town and there is a T junction with a mini roundabout. I was coming from the base of the T wanting to turn right.
5 cars, I counted them, 5 cars coming from my right turned left and not one indicated... By the third I was shouting "INDICATE" out of my window at them as they passed by.
Not one car was going straight on and I waited while they all went left. Grrrrr.

 

[Allanm]

Roundabouts are have started to appear in Canada without carnage, I wonder how long it will take the Yanks to catch up!

We visited some friends in Wyoming a few years ago, they were both Realtors ( strange U.S. name for estate agents) anyway, they had just finished a new development of houses and at the end of one of the roads was a roundabout. They were keen to let us show them how to use it " properly"
Anyway, back to France. I suggest you drive into Paris and try to negotiate the roundabout at the Arc de Triomphe and get off at one of the 11 exits.
You will never be fazed by another French roundabout again.