Roundabouts: The rules of engagement
We had a little feedback to our "roundabout roundup" article (28 March) which looked at the landscaping of these in Kerikeri and surrounds.
What gets the "blood boiling" is not the design so much as the disregard of, or confusion around, the "rules of engagement" when approaching and transiting a roundabout.
Unfortunately, the current road layout in Kerikeri results in particularly heavy traffic flows along Kerikeri Road and with four roundabouts, it is important that we all "do our bit" to ensure that we help to keep the traffic flowing.
So here are the rules as they apply to the use of indicators at roundabouts:
If you are going 'straight' through a roundabout:
don't signal as you come up to the roundabout
signal left as you pass the exit before the one you wish to take. At some small roundabouts it may not be possible to give three seconds warning, but it is courteous to give as much indication as you can.
If you are turning left at the first exit of a roundabout:
signal left as you come up to the roundabout.
If you are traveling more than halfway around the roundabout:
signal right as you come up to the roundabout
signal left as you pass the exit before the one you wish to take.
It is not a bad strategy to refresh our understanding of these from time to time. Let's face it, the liveability of our town is also effected by how we behave on the town's roads. The full rules plus illustrations can be found at the link below.
