The Notorious Roundabouts - Your Views

[Memory]

I

[Takashimaya]

ioyo....better go review the higway code booklet..singapore at present do not have much round about ..maybe L plate driver or newbies don't even know how to tackle roundabout....

[Memory]

ioyo....better go review the higway code booklet..singapore at present do not have much round about ..maybe L plate driver or newbies don't even know how to tackle roundabout....

 

I am not sure what you talking about?

Edited June 4, 2007 by Memory

[Vince69]

The best way is to anticipate danger.Defensive driving will help.

No point arguing who's at fault,unless the other arty want to admit black n white.

Chances are 50/50

sometime, defensive driving may not help, especially if the other party is behind you or there is simply doing irrational stunts...

[Nephilim]

My one and only buang accident in my years of driving happened at Newton Circle. Was driving on the middle lane behind a pickup truck. All of a sudden a taxi on the inner-most lane (of the circle) did a 90-DEGREE TURN across the face of the truck trying to exit!

 

Of course the truck jam brake and me having followed the truck too close behind (yes my fault here) couldn't stop in time and hit the rear of the truck causing my bumper to fall off. The (Malaysian) drivers of the truck (with no visible damage) were very kind and kept insisting that it was the taxi's fault and even helped me secure my bumper to my car using some ropes

 

Of course the taxi sped off before anyone could see its number plate!

[Acemundo]

yes, i find motorist in singapore quite poorly trained to handle roundabouts.

 

I have been in near misses and witness a couple lots more of near misses at newton circus roundabout.

 

The main problem I see is that a lot of guys assume then once they get into the circle, they are king of the circle and free to switch lanes, or enter and exit from any lane. so very often, they cut from the inner lanes on the right to exit on the left, causing a near miss to slower vehicles on the left but not exiting.

 

I would have thought common sense and rules dictate that to exit, any car should only do so from the leftmost lane. the only exception is in the portion of circle entering into newton road whereby the drawn lines on the road indictate that there are 2 lanes for exiting.....maybe the LTA shld draw more indicative lines on other sections of that roundabout.

[Nutty]

No choice. Driving schools do not teach students how to negotiate busy roundabouts.

 

And it is not tested.

[Acemundo]

i know....that's why i will appreciate it if the LTA or TP does something either to educate or guide the motorists..

 

like i say, i have been caught in near misses before. judging from their demeanour, obviously the other motorist apparently thinks he has right of way to cut from right lane to leftmost lane to exit. while i think based on logic he is wrong, but i think he is also ignorant so I can't blame him too much....

 

i would rather our TP draw lines to guide us or embark on a mass education exercise on how to negotiate roundabouts.

[Sony]

Actually, I don't believe the driving schools teach the students on to handle roundabouts. Otherwise, it's supposed to be quite efficient!

 

Driving school also don't cover "speed up when others signal", "tailgate to get ahead", "travel above speed limit", etc... but what have we got here?

 

I find it strange that when things happen, we usually blame it on the school.

[Sony]

my thoughts are that roundabouts are useful only where traffic volume is low ... no need to invest $$ for traffic lights .. but for higher volume areas, a traffic light is still required. Lights are still a more positive approach to either move or stop. No two ways about it.

 

 

That's what the newton circus roundabout have done. Traffic light is on operation mode during peak hour.

 

actually it all depends on the driver. if they are on inner lane, then signal and do the lane change smoothly to get across. I have been using that roundabout for so long and I don't think that's a problem unless some cockoo drivers whom have always declared that school don't teach come along, then it's case of whose insurance premium is higher or who is ahead.

[Nutty]

But somebody has to standardize things mah.

 

For example, "Speed up when others signal" is not an international or even local rule. It's just an unwritten/unspoken rule that not everyone knows.

 

 

Imagine the "Right-Way-Of-Traffic" rule is not taught in school, it'll be chaotic, and everyone will be biting each other when accidents happen as we dunno who is at fault.

[Sony]

If going by what you said, there's plenty of things that the school don't teach or what they teach, hardly apply. Do we park with poles? Do we signal at merging lane? They can only cover the principles of driving and for the roundabout thingy, they already tell student that before entering roundabout or any other filter lane, we should position our car at the right position.

 

So I guess we cannot say that they don't teach at all. We just need to apply it in an active manner.

 

Anyway, I just realised that this is a rather old thread that someone dig out.

 

Cheers

[Latioboy]

Good evening, fellow brothers

 

Personally I have found roundabouts to be potential accident hotspots. Often do we see cars in the inner lanes swerving abruptly into the outer ones to exit the circle. As the impatient driver does his hazardous stunt, fellow drivers in the slower outer lanes have to jam brake to avoid any catastrophic event. However, in event of an actual accident when a car in the outer lane knocks against the rear and/or side of the exiting car i.e. the car at fault, how can the victim claim his damages in turn? What's your take on this matter?

 

Is the roundabout at Serangoon Gardens considered a hazard? So far, stay here 10 yrs liao, no accident..

[Toyo]

roundabout is a junction where u need to give and take

[J_c_boy]

Good morning, everyone

 

Glad that many seniors here acknowledge the problem with roundabouts..

 

They are meant to facilitate traffic flow but at times, harm more than good may result. Never are roundabouts covered during our theory and practical lessons. Thus i guess one has to depend on basic principles such as slower cruising, distance keeping and early signalling with a fair bit of tolerance when tackling roundabouts.

 

Keep the comments coming, people

 

Have a nice driving day

[Takashimaya]

hey..i remember many many years ago while learning driving ..the instructor said...whoever enter a circle and cause a oncoming vehical to brake is at fault....humm..sound like a lesson a lots of driver can learn from.....

[Meggyc]

Good evening, fellow brothers

 

Personally I have found roundabouts to be potential accident hotspots. Often do we see cars in the inner lanes swerving abruptly into the outer ones to exit the circle. As the impatient driver does his hazardous stunt, fellow drivers in the slower outer lanes have to jam brake to avoid any catastrophic event. However, in event of an actual accident when a car in the outer lane knocks against the rear and/or side of the exiting car i.e. the car at fault, how can the victim claim his damages in turn? What's your take on this matter?

 

It's the driver not the roundabout, what you are saying is akin to a driver crashing his car onto a lampost and saying that it is the lampost's fault.

[Nazaki]

They do what... But had you ever took notice? I guess not.