Roundabouts

[st2]

A roundabout I use frequently has shrubs planted on it which completely obscure vehicles already on it coming from the right until the very last moment. Even if I have stopped at the give way line and am moving off a car can suddenly come into view.

If I then stop my vehicle is half way onto the roundabout and a re-start from this position is even more difficult with cars coming from the 9o'clock entry and would normally stay to the nearside of the roundabout swerving round me. Should I stop as I've just described or, as I've already crossed the give way line am I entitled to keep going and force the other vehicle to possibly stop?

Usually it,s a long vehicle that I'm driving and is slower to move off.

Any thoughts on this please.

[scoobman]

Technically you should cause another road user to brake by your actions.
However as we all know in the real world that isnt always possible - especialy in a situation like you have described above.

So for me it would be all about the aproach speed of the vehicle coming round the roundabout. When you judge them to be driving within their limit point - then I would say keep going - as they will slow down - as stopping may cause more problems. Like someone rear ending you. For the few that you judge are exceeding their limit point - then stopping is the only option. So bit of an open answer really. All down to your judgement of their approach speed really.

Steve

Edited by scoobman on Friday 11th May 22:18

[insane-drifter]

Or how about contacting the local council to get those pesky shrubs cut back a little.

[Jaguarnut]

Any idea if your local council has a Road Safety Officer? Might be worth finding out and giving him/her some serious ear ache regarding these shrubs. Sounds like someone's daft idea - probably labouring under the misconception that it will slow drivers down. That may or may not be true but it clearly does not take in to account slow vehicles, particularly those driven by caring drivers such as yourself!

[FunkyGibbon]

The entrance to the science park has such a roundabout adorned by flora as can be seen here:

look at these shrubs

cars coming from the North East lane cannot see if anyone is coming from the SW turning right - which is a shame as that is the most common direction for people to travel when leaving at night!

edited to add - it is OK when traffic is light as you can see over the roundabout on approach - it is when you are stuck at the front of a queue (most of the time!) when it is a problem.

Edited by FunkyGibbon on Thursday 17th May 08:58

[BOF]

I was told by someone in authority that the planting of shrubs at roundabouts - and many other places - is part of the Elfan project*.

Us punters cannot be trusted to judge approach speeds so early vision is removed.

BOF

* Elfansafety.

[7db]

The roundabout giveway line isn't quite as strict as other giveway lines in that the regs refer to "near" the line, IIRC. Get your nose out a little for the view and roll in where safe. Don't rely on downstream people giving way -- especially if you are carrying any speed.

You mustn't enter so as to endanger any road user on the RAB or make vehicle to the right brake or change direction (except that if it didn't change direction it would goflying off the RAB).

Chances are that the signage for the roundabout is upside-down, so the RAB regs will be unenforceable, but S3 still applies.

I thought the whole point of RABs was to slow people down at the junction and make any collisions that occur oblique rather than t-bone/head-on.

[TripleS]

It seems to me that a fair proportion of these 'road safety experts' are grade 1 idiots with too much of our money available to them, which they waste on stupid measures like the one referred to here.

Maybe you ought to have a stroll down there one dark night with your pruning gear!

Best wishes all,
Dave.

[Flintstone]

A spray can of Agent Orange should do the trick.

[Tunku]

TripleS said:

It seems to me that a fair proportion of these 'road safety experts' are grade 1 idiots with too much of our money available to them, which they waste on stupid measures like the one referred to here.



Maybe you ought to have a stroll down there one dark night with your pruning gear!



Best wishes all,

Dave.

Completely agree, some small roundabouts near me have been turned into mini spherical Kew Gardens, making proper sight lines and anticipation impossible.