Roundabout law has Queensland drivers in a spin

[KeyboardFighter]

living in QLD I try to avoid roundabouts, people here have no clue on how to drive thru em. just the other day I had to jump on the brakes because this old *** was looking left while entering at speed. I might drive an AU but don't try to kill me for owning one. It's not just old people but younger people that are always in a rush and the roundabout is the "perfect place to cut someone off" Thanks coppa i'll keep that in mind.

[Tassie f100]

Originally Posted by CoupeKing

Gotta hate it when you approach a roundabout with a car in front of you and the right is clear, only to have them stop and give way to a vehicle on the opposite side - panel beaters dream.

And when I can't see because of a van, 4wd, or tinted-windowed car next to me - I trust their judgment hoping that a cement truck or a Kenworth carting bee hives isn't there.


And then you have to deal with the absolute *&&^%wit that decided to plant trees in the middle of it.

Well if you read the Road rules you will see that you have a responibility to give way to traffic either on your Left or Right.Road rules state you must give way to any traffic already in the roundabout.All drivers face a giveway sign and technically the give way to the right doesn't apply

[TheSneakiness]

Originally Posted by PaulXR50

Stuck on the western freeway at the moment in Bris. People cant merge what chance they have with a roundabout. Useless sobs...

That's because the rule is the car merging onto the motorway has to give way to traffic already on there, which I personally think is stupid because in QLD give way means go full bore past or stop completely.

If you can move over to let someone in then that's what you should do. Not just ******* sit there cause the rule on the motorway says keep left unless overtaking. No common sense, courtesy or brains for anyone that drives here.

[bernbo]

Just to throw in a comment about merging in qld. There are two types of merges, if there is a dotted line in the road then you must yield to everyone i.e. stop and wait. If there is no dotted line when two lanes meet then the zipper method applies. A lot of people don't realise and get grumpy when they are not let in when actually they have to yield and await till it is safe. It is designed like this to maintain traffic flow.

[Tassie f100]

Originally Posted by bernbo

Just to throw in a comment about merging in qld. There are two types of merges, if there is a dotted line in the road then you must yield to everyone i.e. stop and wait. If there is no dotted line when two lanes meet then the zipper method applies. A lot of people don't realise and get grumpy when they are not let in when actually they have to yield and await till it is safe. It is designed like this to maintain traffic flow.

I think you will find that rule applies Australia wide,part of the National Road Rules

[xtremerus]

Originally Posted by Tassie f100

Well if you read the Road rules you will see that you have a responibility to give way to traffic either on your Left or Right.Road rules state you must give way to any traffic already in the roundabout.All drivers face a giveway sign and technically the give way to the right doesn't apply

But surely a driver entering and already on the roundabout on your left, would have to be going completely around it [going back to where they came from] for you to have to wait and give way to it.

[Tassie f100]

Originally Posted by xtremerus

But surely a driver entering and already on the roundabout on your left, would have to be going completely around it [going back to where they came from] for you to have to wait and give way to it.

Not necesserily,if the car on the left is going to enter the roudabout just before you and going straight ahead they have right of way

[theBlake]

Originally Posted by Sabantien

In my experience Queenslanders just don't indicate, let alone at roundabouts.

Thats all the bloody victorians up here driving like that.

Qlders drive just fine.
#borninvic

[bernbo]

From memory there is more to the roundabout rule e.g. if the straight ahead path is greater than 180 degrees you should have a right indicator on even though it is essentially the second left exit after you enter i.e. the straight ahead. Might sound stupid but on those huge roundabouts 100m in diameter, sometimes under a motorway you can't see where someone enters so you don't know what n their path is. Also at the tiny roundabouts, when you indicate left to exit you may only get a single flash on indicator and your car is off it anyway, making it pretty much pointless to indicate left when exiting those. It all comes down to common sense and remember the whole point of roundabouts is to keep the traffic flowing. Everyone should know what other people are doing, so you don't have to be so defensive and stop all the time cause you don't know if the person is going straight or turning without an indicator on. When I'm driving I use the indicators in a common sense fashion how i want someone to do for me but unfortunately the majority of people are inherently selfish and only think of driving as going from a to b, as apposed to a skill or an art form, something to be proud of and makes life easier for everybody.

[Mechan1k]

Originally Posted by bernbo

Just to throw in a comment about merging in qld. There are two types of merges, if there is a dotted line in the road then you must yield to everyone i.e. stop and wait. If there is no dotted line when two lanes meet then the zipper method applies. A lot of people don't realise and get grumpy when they are not let in when actually they have to yield and await till it is safe. It is designed like this to maintain traffic flow.

I know it is law ... and ppl love to uphold it .... but it makes it hard for truck and bus drivers trying to enter onto a freeway/motorway with a short on-ramp near-impossible/dangerous.

As others have mentioned .... I keep an eagle out for on-ramps and also what is around me ... and try and get out of the way and allow them an easy merge where possible.

[MITCHAY]

Originally Posted by bernbo

Just to throw in a comment about merging in qld. There are two types of merges, if there is a dotted line in the road then you must yield to everyone i.e. stop and wait. If there is no dotted line when two lanes meet then the zipper method applies. A lot of people don't realise and get grumpy when they are not let in when actually they have to yield and await till it is safe. It is designed like this to maintain traffic flow.

I get the rules. The problem is that everywhere else in my experience, people can merge at 80-100km/h with double or more traffic and not have a problem yet they seem to stop as rule for no reason. Just weird.

[Beastie]

Growing up and learning how to drive in Canberra taught me a lot about roundabouts...

I'll leave you with my thoughts on peoples / drivers understanding of the rules...






















...

[prydey]

Originally Posted by xtremerus

But surely a driver entering and already on the roundabout on your left, would have to be going completely around it [going back to where they came from] for you to have to wait and give way to it.

not if its a long vehicle.

[Kingsley]

Probably a good reason when they send out your licence renewal they throw in a leaflet on rule changes or common questions asked.