Should cars have a third set of indicators ?

Ok Don't laugh :eek: :eek:

Just driving back from lunch and wanted to go straight across a mini-ish roundabout (the sort with a central island and lamp post on it). So Slowed down, checked to the right and then went to go.
So it's at this point a car goes from the left turn and nearly hits me, completed with a 'Why don't you f'ing indicate' and a shake of tatoos :mad: :mad:

Having lived in Miami where road rage is the number one reason for murder (I might have made that bit up) I've long since given up on getting mad at other drivers so just gave it the english version of the galic shrug :mrgreen:

It did make me think though, given that an increasing number of drivers think indicators are optional, is it not about time we had a third set of 'I'm going straight on' indicators, perhaps in the middle of the bonnet, to prevent confusion/misunderstandings at roundabouts, and differentiate between us drivers who indicate and those that can't be bothered.

Anyway - I blame Cherie Bliar :shocked2:

I think you just found a fking idiot. No a going straight on set of indicators is useless. Making people learn to drive would be more benefical :)

TiG

it's only physically possible to leave a roundabout in one direction - left

so you should only ever find yourself indicating left when preparing to leave a roundabout - similarly, unless you're indicating left, you should NOT leave the roundabout (exceptions can be made for misleading places, e.g. with a road on the left IMMEDIATELY you leave the roundabout)

there's absolutely no reason to throw a "straight on" set of indicators in, since anyone who isn't ALREADY signalling that they're going straight on (by entering the roundabout in the left-hand lane, then indicating left as soon as the next exit is theirs) can't drive & no number of extra lights will fix that

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Originally Posted by directhex

it's only physically possible to leave a roundabout in one direction - left

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i'm not sure, when i had a rwd car i used to leave sideways on occasions ;)

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i'm not sure, when i had a rwd car i used to leave sideways on occasions

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You're not the only one. I once scared the **** out of the then girlfriend by demonstrating oversteer a little too well :eek: :eek: Ended up facing the wrong way on the exit road - perfectly parallel parked 1 inch from the kerb. Of course this was in my much younger days, not a scratch on the car but lovely nail marks on the door where she's grabbed it :mrgreen:

Back to the subject - we have so many drivers round here that don't bother indicating that people chance it that you're going left without indicating.

With a 'straight on' indicator you could positivley reinforce the fact that you're NOT turning.

Isn't it best to just indicate right until you've passed the first junction and then switch to indicating left...means that everyone knows you're not leaving the roundabout until you finish indicating right and start indicating left....

...doesn't help if it's a crossroad junction of course, where I've often thought it would be useful, but only for people coming from the opposite direction, people on the left and right wouldn't be able to see a centrally placed indicator....

I can understand that there are many confusing junctions, for example going straight across at staggered junctions, I was told by my instructor many years ago that you shouldn't indicate onto the main road, but you should when turning off. However there are many people who indicate on both turns or none at all.

Many drivers do see indicating as optional, worst is when they just break and turn off when you're not expecting it or just stopping dead in the middle of the road as they can't turn right yet. I don't think they realise that if other drivres saw them indicating they might get let out at juntions etc...

It's a very annoying aspect of driving, I've only been driving for the lat 6 and a half years and have just got into a habit of indicating whether there are other road users about or not, especially at night when anyone can come out of the darkness.

There's not really anything anyone can do about this, could come up with a 'correct indication' campaign but I don't think it would get very far.

Straight on indicators would not be needed if common sense was applied to driving. If you're at a crossroads and are turning right, how do people coming from te left no this? DO you want to put signals on the left and right side of the car to tell drivers you're going the opposite way, or perhapds reverse lights on the front of the car so people in front of you know you're going backwards. Just needs common sense, not more lights!!!

indicators serve only one purpose - to INDICATE, to other drivers, what you're doing and what your intentions are.

if you're unable to use your indicators, then you're unsable to drive your car, and if you're unable to drive your car, get off the ****ing roads

Am i the only one who thinks they should instead abolish mini-roundabouts?

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Originally Posted by TheAnimus

Am i the only one who thinks they should instead abolish mini-roundabouts?

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probably. in some urban areas they're a pretty effective way of managing traffic flow without lights.

No, because the 'going straight forward indicator' is infact not having the indicator on at all.

If your on a roundabout everyone should indicate, even if going straight on you still need to indicate (on a roundabout).

If you're going straight ahead on a mini roundabout, there's no need to indicate at all. The drivers waiting on the left know to wait unless you're indicating left, turning down their road. It's only irritating when you get the occasional wazzock turning left without indicating.

If your turning at the first left on a roundabout, you indicate left - anywhere else, you indicate right, and just before you turn into the road you want to go to, you indicate left. I think you'll find that in the highway code. :)

If it's a big roundabout, yes. If it's a mini roundabout with two exits then no one usually bothers, lol. In my 18 months of driving I've never seen anyone express their anger at these methods :)

So the general feeling is that it's not a good idea :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

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Originally Posted by Howard

If it's a big roundabout, yes. If it's a mini roundabout with two exits then no one usually bothers, lol. In my 18 months of driving I've never seen anyone express their anger at these methods :)

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Yeah, fair enough, I've noticed that alot too. Nobody goes around them, just through them :lol:.

Why bother ?

BMW drivers have issues with left and right indicators. Adding a centre one would just confuse them even more really :devilish:

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Originally Posted by XA04

If your turning at the first left on a roundabout, you indicate left - anywhere else, you indicate right, and just before you turn into the road you want to go to, you indicate left. I think you'll find that in the highway code. :)

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not quite. i was told not to indicate if going straight on. the highway code is a bit ambiguous

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Originally Posted by highway code

162: Signals and position, unless signs or markings indicate otherwise.

When taking the first exit
signal left and approach in the left-hand lane
keep to the left on the roundabout and continue signalling left to leave.

When taking any intermediate exit
select the appropriate lane on approach to and on the roundabout, signalling as necessary
stay in this lane until you need to alter course to exit the roundabout
signal left after you have passed the exit before the one you want.

When taking the last exit or going full circle
signal right and approach in the right-hand lane
keep to the right on the roundabout until you need to change lanes to exit the roundabout
signal left after you have passed the exit before the one you want.
When there are more than three lanes at the entrance to a roundabout, use the most appropriate lane on approach and through it.

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it just says 'signalling as necessary'

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Originally Posted by XA04

Yeah, fair enough, I've noticed that alot too. Nobody goes around them, just through them :lol:.

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You know what I mean, though?

Say you're approaching a mini roundabout, you can go left, or straight on. If you're going left, you indicate. The person waiting in the road you're turning into, knows they can go. If you're going straight on, just keep going round (or over, if you're one of those people like me :o who doesn't bother swerving to go "round" a mini roundabout, and half over it) and the person in that road knows to wait. No need to fart about indicating right and left as you're just coming off.

Same if you're approaching one where you can go right, or straight on.

And if you're approaching a "medium" sized roundabout like the one the OP was describing, and there's three or four exits, you indicate left for the first exit, right then left for the farther exits, and if you're going straight on you just use judgement to see whether or not you need to indicate off. There's one down the road that I just drive straight round when I'm going straight on (it's before the twelve o' clock position, FYI) and no one waiting on the left ever seems fussed.




Edit: above, "Signalling as necessary". Sums it up well. :)

I'm with Lee.
If they don't bother with existing indicators what makes you think that they would use a 3rd set ...?

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Originally Posted by GFiSH

It's a very annoying aspect of driving, I've only been driving for the lat 6 and a half years and have just got into a habit of indicating whether there are other road users about or not, especially at night when anyone can come out of the darkness.

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Pointless story time...

Once on my way home i was crossing over at some traffic lights, saw a car was by the side of me not indicating, waited another min, checked that the car still was'nt indicating. Then the other lights turned red and the ones i waited by turned green, i started to walk across the ones on red and next thing i hear is a horn and a car braking suddenly. So i can clearly see the guy swearing at me, so i give him a few hand gestures back.
So now i'm ont he other side of the road and the guy has decided to follow me and get out of his car looking pretty well pissed off, only words i said were "Well if you'd turned your f**king indicators on" and he decided to walk back to his car.

The moral of the story is...use your indicators even if there are no other cars behind/coming in the other direction. You might just not kill me :mrgreen:

If people are wanting to come out and not indicating I wont let them out.
Im another one which indicates whether theres anything about or not just to
be in the right if anything did happen. Its not just other cars your indicating to
its people walking and on bikes too.
Sometimes indicating confuses people about what you are doing.

For example imagine a T junction which has a mini roundabout.

======================
------------------ O ---------------
========== .... =========
......................| | |
......................| | |

If you are coming from the left and going straight on then dont indicate, you
could indicate left as there is no left exit but its not necessary.
coming from the right and going straight if you indicate right then it looks like a
U turn

Another thing which bothers me is which lane to be in on some roundabout systems
You have three ways to go and only two entrances. Using the left one means you cant
get out as people just block your way. But as some people use the left one and some
use the right, its a bit dodgy. See greenstead roundabout in colchester for a good
example.

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Originally Posted by Kumagoro

Another thing which bothers me is which lane to be in on some roundabout systems
You have three ways to go and only two entrances. Using the left one means you cant
get out as people just block your way. But as some people use the left one and some
use the right, its a bit dodgy. See greenstead roundabout in colchester for a good
example.

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i can beat that - a roundabout in brighton has 3 lanes entering it, 1 lane exits left (fine) 1 lane straight on.. and thats it.. stupidly, the entrance to the roundablout has 'straightonarrows' on both the middle and right lanes, which leads to scraps for whoever doesnt know the roundabout. i've been cut up at least 10 times on there.

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And if you're approaching a "medium" sized roundabout like the one the OP was describing,

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Actually, I was trying to describe a mini roundabout - it's just it has a small island in the middle with a lampost on, perhaps a 'midi' roundabout ? Certainly not big enough to indicate right then left as you would/could/maybe do at a larger roundabout.

To give an example of what I'm talking about, I was waiting to go right at a different roundabout and a stream of 4 or 5 cars went left (meaning it should have been clear for me to go) without indicating. The temptation is to predict the 6th car will also go left, although it's not indicating. The 6th car did indeed go left but the 7th went straight on. As a positive 'this is what I mean to do' I personally would find a straight on indicator usefull if only to give numpty drivers less of an excuse to drive at me :mrgreen:

Of course we also have lots of drivers round here who don't actually know who to give way to on a roundabout which sort of defeats the whole idea ........

Not many people seems to know what a mini roundabout is. I have gone to go round them indicating right, nothing on it so I go on, all of a sudden some twit in some stupid car thinks he has right of way coming from my left to go straight through! I get hooted and abused. I just mouth "roundabout" and point at the white lump on the floor. Grr. We have so many idiot drivers on hte roads now, its no wonder the government/local authorities/police want to cash in on peoples idocy.

Just flash your headlights in the same fashion as an indicator :D

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Originally Posted by XA04

No, because the 'going straight forward indicator' is infact not having the indicator on at all.

If your on a roundabout everyone should indicate, even if going straight on you still need to indicate (on a roundabout).

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Not on a mini roundabout. I haven't passed my test yet, but my driving instructor (and he should know) says that if you go straight on a mini roundabout, then you don't need to indicate at all, as all you're doing it following the road. If it's a proper roundabout with lanes though, then yes - indicate.

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Originally Posted by ajbrun

Not on a mini roundabout. I haven't passed my test yet, but my driving instructor (and he should know) says that if you go straight on a mini roundabout, then you don't need to indicate at all, as all you're doing it following the road. If it's a proper roundabout with lanes though, then yes - indicate.

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Have you bothered to check what the highway code says instead of your instructor, my instructor tells me to treat mini roundabouts in exactly the same way as big ones so you'd have to indicate left as you passed the 1st exit if you were to go straight on
( 2nd exit ) failing to let others know of your intentions properly will get you a fail

Roundabouts/Mini roundabouts

I think that describes larger roundabouts only with more than on lane. I'm still sure that if you're going straight on a mini roundabout, there is no need to indicate.

It does say "Approach these in the same way as normal roundabouts."

But it used the word approach, with I assume mean "before you get to". For example, firther up, is said "signal left and approach in the left-hand lane". This is before you get to the roundabout. It says nothing about whether or not to indicate when going straight on a mini-roundabout.

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Originally Posted by ajbrun

I think that describes larger roundabouts only with more than on lane. I'm still sure that if you're going straight on a mini roundabout, there is no need to indicate.

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It said this at the bottom

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Originally Posted by Highway code

164: Mini-roundabouts Approach these in the same way as normal roundabouts. All vehicles MUST pass round the central markings except large vehicles which are physically incapable of doing so. Remember, there is less space to manoeuvre and less time to signal. Beware of vehicles making U-turns.

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That says to me to use exactly the same signals etc as you would a normal roundabout, funny how people interpret things differently :)

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Originally Posted by ajbrun

Not on a mini roundabout. I haven't passed my test yet, but my driving instructor (and he should know) says that if you go straight on a mini roundabout, then you don't need to indicate at all, as all you're doing it following the road. If it's a proper roundabout with lanes though, then yes - indicate.

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My instructor told me exactly the same thing when I was learning to drive. Its danagerous to singnal left if your going straight on at a mini roundabout. To be perfectly honest there isnt that much time too signal when your going around a mini roundabout anyway.

It doesnt matter what the highway code says, on this issue. On the road in the real world you have to use common sence, use your judgement and watch what other people are doing. To me signaling left when your going straight on doesnt make sence espeicially if theres a left turn before the straight on exit of the roundabout.

However after saying that I know for a fact that advanced drivers are told to indicate left even if their going straight on. A few of my mates and their dads are and have been police officers and traffic police, they all had to take advanced driving tests before they could drive for the police and they all indicate left when going straight on at mini roundabouts. Though I think im right in saying that the police advanced driving test and the civilian ones are different in some way.

It would be nice if people would use their indicators to start with. I recon more than a quarter of drivers don't even bother with indicators. Police should be able to fine people who do so on a continual basis (i.e. if following someone then pull them over and fine them in the same way you would for not wearing a seatbelt.)

On the mini roundabout i would signal left if going left, wouldn't signal if straight on but left to leave and right if i was going right with left to leave. It's just the same as any roundabout in my view.

Great idea in my opinion.......but only if the third set "indicate" what a prat the driver is for not using the first two stes in the beginning.

Alternatively the third set could be on the roof indicating that the driver is a di*kh*ad!! :)

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Originally Posted by Dingo

Alternatively the third set could be on the roof indicating that the driver is a di*kh*ad!! :)

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Already done mate, look for signs saying "Taxi" :lol: No offense to any taxi drivers here :)

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Already done mate, look for signs saying "Taxi" No offense to any taxi drivers here

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:lol: :lol: :lol:

Just don't get me started on those drivers who don't indicate right when going around a roundabout and then glare at you when go to move ...

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Originally Posted by Dingo

Great idea in my opinion.......but only if the third set "indicate" what a prat the driver is for not using the first two stes in the beginning.

Alternatively the third set could be on the roof indicating that the driver is a di*kh*ad!! :)

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These lights exist, they're found on the bonnet or underside of the local spotty 17-year olds' over-modded Saxo :D

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These lights exist, they're found on the bonnet or underside of the local spotty 17-year olds' over-modded Saxo

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I was in my local Maplins store the other day and they had a pile of these on their clearence table for a couple of quid each. Just for the briefest moment I wondered what they'd look like under our car - luckily sanity prevailed :surprised:

I thought the under car lights were actually illegal anyway? Mind you, noone seems to get pulled over for anything these days. Front foglights on all the time are my particular bugbear.

Well - a couple of months ago I did see the local police seriously questioning a riced car owned and his passenger. They'd fitted blue washer jet lights and made them flash. The passenger was leaning forward on the bonnet being searched and the driver was sat on the rear seat of the police car with handcuffs on being given a severe talking too :D

Back on subject - at least a front indicator would differentiate between people that aren't bothering to indicate and those that are. Theres a crossroads on my way to work that pittifully few bother to indicate turning left on :S I'd say we really need is a device that lights up if the driver has been making a lot of sharp turns without indicating, but theres a lot of sharp turns on the back roads around this area - so that could be confusing too.

Whats really, really needed is for the goverment to admit that people who are driving under the speed limit can still be just as dangerous - and stop putting this artificial emphasis on speeding...

how about making people renew their license every few years, especially if they're young?

i don't know about the rest of you, but at my test center, i failed for indicating wrong on a roundabout

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Originally Posted by directhex

how about making people renew their license every few years, especially if they're young?

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I think everybody with a full licence should be made to take a theory test or some sort of road awareness test after so many years :)

I'm saying this as both a driver and a cyclist (not a red light jumping lycra lout though) ..

I think every couple of years all drivers should be made to cycle a couple of miles along a busy road to appreciate how it feels to have a car slice past you at 60mph with only a couple of inches gap. Latest one to do this to me was a hearse - complete with ocupant :shocked2: I can only guess the driver was touting for business.

I'm in favour of a special set of lights that automatically activate and stay activated for 1 week. If the car detects more than 2 left turns following sweeping right turns (i.e. leaving a roundabout) without the indicators being used in the space of a month then the special "I'm a ****ing retard" light comes on and stays lit for a week to warn other drivers you're a rubbishrubbishrubbishrubbish.

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I'm a ****ing retard" light comes on and stays lit for a week to warn other drivers you're a rubbishrubbishrubbishrubbish.

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I thought cars already had a badge for this - I t looks like a blue propeller thing and has the letters Bloodly Motoring W**ker on it :eek:

I think the fact remains that most drivers seem to have problem enough operating two indicators, let-or-lone a 3rd!