An upcoming campaign suggests too many drivers are not following the road rules at roundabouts.
Tauranga City Council road safety coordinator Lynette Hines says she is launching a campaign in May called ‘Get It Right'.
See video below of Tauranga City Council road safety coordinator Lynette Hines talking about inept signalling at roundabouts.
The purpose of the campaign is to ensure people are signalling correctly at Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty roundabouts.
This includes motorists correctly indicating their exit from an intersection. In a quick exam of the Devonport Road and 11th Avenue roundabout on Thursday, Lyn says at least 60 per cent of drivers did not signal correctly when they exited.
The New Zealand Road Code states a driver must signal left when they exit a roundabout.
'Either people don't know the rule or they are just sloppy,” says Lyn.
'When you indicate you need to be sending the correct message – always signal when you exit and check where you are going.”
She also says while some people are not indicating at all, others are doing it incorrectly.
'A lot of commercial vehicles and trucks we have seen are signalling right at the start of a roundabout when they are going straight ahead, and that is just plain dangerous.”
14 comments
Trucks
Posted on 04-02-2011 09:48 | By MsBehr
I just followed a rubbish truck thru the otumoetai road/ngatai road roundabout and he signalled right as he went on to the roundabout and not at all as he came off. i know some truckies signal right to show they are going straight thru, but there is no point if the rest of the road users dont know that's what they mean!
Owen G.
Posted on 04-02-2011 10:36 | By Owen G.
Hey Molly you should label the promotion "GET IT LEFT"thats the most important one at a roundabout.Good work
Great stuff
Posted on 04-02-2011 10:39 | By philthrottle
Good news. This is an important thing to get right and good on Lynette for indentifying and dealing with it. NZ drivers are generally far too casual with issues like this : Lane discipline, use of ALL lights (including fog, head and indicators)and sometimes giving way when they shouldn't. Some of the worst offenders at indicating on roundabouts are the Police.
Great message
Posted on 04-02-2011 11:03 | By monty111
If only! The trouble is that all these bad/dangerous habits will never go away until people are prosecuted. Every day I ask myself WHY do people who are going straight on signal RIGHT. There is no logic in this whatsoever and it is misleading and dangerous.
Truckies
Posted on 04-02-2011 12:27 | By copyman
Being a pedestrian, it is downright dangerous when a truckie signals left when entering a roundabout, then carries on straight through. I've nearly been bowled a couple of times, and they give ME the 2 fingered salute. Good on you Lynette
Really?
Posted on 04-02-2011 12:59 | By Chris
This is what some people spend their time doing? You really think it's that important of an issue?
Posted on 04-02-2011 13:20 | By sue
Yeah as i have a teenage son who has recently learnt to drive we notice how much the older population don't indicate. Not just on roundabouts but turning into our street most elderly decide they should just turn and not indicate. Then they think teenagers are the worse drivers but I'm not so convinced.
Welcome Bay Roundabout
Posted on 04-02-2011 13:20 | By The author of this comment has been removed.
Transit and the Council could make enough money to fund the roading changes if they cops fined every person that gets in the left lane to go to Welcome Bay coming from the Mount/Papamoa all day long and then push in and cut into the traffic that is in the correct lanes to go straight ahead towards Greerton. Rather than push in they should leave earlier. I see it happening every single day...... WOuld educating help - I think FINES would. This is a HUGE problem....
Confusion
Posted on 04-02-2011 17:53 | By grahamwood
I agree that Tauranga drivers are terrible at roundabouts. Most have minimal idea of the law and the older drivers are by far the worst in this regards. I have driven in Australia and most everyone knows what they are doing without drama over there. I think its a combination of inadequate,confusing road code diagrams,confusing laws and inconsistent enforcement. I went to a defensive driving course and the teacher admitted that our laws leave a lot to be desired and the road code diagrams for roundabouts only cover ones that fit one particular design. I think 60%+ of the drivers on the road are totally confused!!!
Welcome Bay
Posted on 04-02-2011 19:40 | By Kathryn
This round about would provide a lot of funding in an hour or two. Every time I go through it I see someone go through a red or orange light or change lanes without indicating never mind leaving without indicating. Yes the rules are confusing and those shooting the lights dont have time to indicate. A few fines should straighten up some of the offenders. It would be easier than breath testing!
common sence
Posted on 04-02-2011 19:52 | By Capt_Kaveman
law or not law this is how it should be Roundabout indicate - turning left or right not straight ahead Welcome Bay Roundabout problem is the light phase thats why people do it Cam/15th only lets a handful out and wonder why people run the red light Fraser/15th i often see traffic bked up to Cam yet city /15th is quite empty yet 15th ave only stays green for a short time really i think its time to fine the council in thier lack of traffic light management
re traffic lights
Posted on 04-02-2011 21:59 | By The author of this comment has been removed.
Although this article is regarding roundabouts and the lack of peoples use of indicators which they really don't have a clue, the amount of cars that go through the cambridge/waihi rd one and don't know the correct way to exit is amazing and truly scary but the brookfield lights are absolutely useless with the traffic volume now school is back (that is when they are working) then you get people trying to get through and not have a clue of give way to the right once they figure it out it flows better than with the lights going but with the volume on school mornings it would be absolute chaos again!
Frustration
Posted on 05-02-2011 08:08 | By T4FFY
Why do a lot of people here signal right when they are driving straight ahead at roundabouts? There is no need for it, just signal left for the exit you are taking. It's extremely frustrating for oncoming motorists who have to come to a complete stop as they're thinking that this motorist is turning right. There's too many bad motorists on the roads here.
YOU TAKE YOU LIFE IN YOUR HANDS WITH THIS LOT
Posted on 11-02-2011 14:53 | By Ratcatcher
Signal in time, stick to your lane and be very very alert.If you are travelling straight ahead I personally would not signal anything the 'jump starters' will reach the conclusion you are turning left and write you off as quick as a flash.
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