A workmate witnessed a bike accident a few days ago, a roundabout in Tuggeranong in the ACT. A fourby drove straight into a bike traversing the roundabout, failed to give way, and the female rider died shortly afterwards. I was thinking about this, as I witnessed a similar accident there myself just last year, but involving 2 cars, where one just drove out into the traffic for no apparent reason. My son had the same thing happen at the same roundabout earlier this year, driving MY car (shit!) and off to the crash repairs it went. I pondered what it was about this roundabout that causes this to happen with such disturbing frequency. Friday night, around 10 to midnight, I was driving my car through the same roundabout and another car approached from the left. I kept an eye on it and expected it to slow down and give way, and when I was into the roundabout ( in the wet mind you) this fucking clown just never slowed down. Not one iota. White car, bright headlights, full streetlighting, and this idiot just never backed off. I ended up planting my foot to escape the collision and exited the roundabout with both wheels spinning and the supercharger whistling away while I looked over my shoulder to see how close the c*nt was getting. I reckon about a cigarette paper decided it, and no dents, but my heart rate tripled in a moment. If I was on the bike I'm not sure how it might have panned out. I know now what the problem is - fuckwits. With licences. I hate riding in Canberra, the drivers here make Sydney and Melbourne drivers look like saints. I dunno about anti-bikie legislation, I'm starting to think it should be mandatory for us to carry shotguns to deter and exterminate these fools. Take care out there everyone.
I am very wary on roundabouts and even more so if I'm on the bike. I do like the idea although they are like the practice of democracy in the world of political ideas but where some practitioners still want to be dictators. There's one near me but it's on a T intersection and most drivers on the through road treat the roundabout like a chicane on a racetrack. Many car drivers, it seems, need to be sent off to a 'camp' to be re-educated on the road rules at roundabouts.
Just below were I live is the most dangerous round about in Tasmania, the Railway round about, in the centre of Hobart. It is dangerous because it is a light controlled round about, which means it isn't a round about at all. It is dangerous because people, mainly tourists direct from the air port in there horrid hire car, either don't see the lights, or ignore them, and so treat it as a round about. My head is swiviling like a crazy when I go through the intersection, and a rental Hyundia will sail past at least once a week, very scary.
Same here, Mysterio. Canberra is Australia's roundabout capital, it's riddled with them on the main roads. I'm always wary of them. I reckon he must have been blind drunk.
I have had a few close calls on roundabouts here in beautiful Townsville. The one that made me really think that we (riders) have bugger all chance of being seen is when I was making a right turn on a small round about with a car coming from the opposite direction going straight through. It was a small roundabout with a good view through it, no other traffic and a nice clear day. I was indicating to turn right and was passing the exit (that goes straight ahead), when the stupid (or blind) woman entered the roundabout, decided to notice me, and then scream and hit the brakes just as I was sliding to a stop a few feet from her door. I still remember the look on her face as she was watching 9 and a half tons off giant yellow backhoe, complete with flashing lights, sliding to ward her. If she couldn't see me in that, she would have stuff all chance of seeing a bike.
I went through this roundabout on my trip round tassie and me and my riding buddy were looking at each other like WTF?!?! That round about is confusing for someone who has never seen one like that but at least we knew the lights were there.
Forget roundabouts, you should see how many people drive straight through the stop sign at the end of our street without slowing down at all. Scary considering there is a child care centre on the corner! There's idiots out there - ride defensively!
that wouldnt be those ridiculous ones on thuringowa drive would it trev?? I have hated them for 15 years, I got cleaned up on my school bike riding home one day!!
Human brains process information in a variety of ways. Maybe the placements and orientation of the offending roundabout, lead up roads etc, create a psycho illusion? Could be 'I hate roundabouts syndrome', where every fifth roundabout you meet, you treat it as if it isn't there. When you think about it, any form of driving is a stupid risk! An unknown person, of unknown ability, piloting 2 tonnes at you at 100kmh 3-4 meters away from you in opposite direction! If you really want to experience a thrill, why not take up medieval jousting? Ian
Nar this was the one near the end of Bayswater road. Thurngowa drive is a nightmare in the backhoe though, they have added a few more sets of lights now just to make it more interesting.
OK... I'll relate a roundabout tale, 1 month after the first one went in at Lismore N.S.W. i was following an old morrie as we got close to one in molesworth street comeing of the bridge i noticed his little fliper on the right hand side flick up and start blinking . Thought to me self this will be good as the dude driveing looked like i do now.. ( close to death by nature.) I must have been the only idiot that didnt know this bloke as he turned into the traffic flow and executed a perfect U turn and drove back past me muttering fukin round thingies. Every one else just stopped and waited for him to go away. -------------------- Old Morrie with flippers for them that dont... you can just see the flipper/blinkar on the pillar between the doors, hey isnt that the guy, naw pommie plates.
There are still a lot of drivers who have no idea how to negotiate a roundabout or what blinkers to use. It doesnt help that not all roundabouts operate the same. In some cases they are set up so that both lanes can be used to traverse it and others allow only one lane. What I do in the semi is hog the centre line on entry so that nothing can sneak past me and maybe end up under the trailer wheels.
I agree wholeheartedly. My gripe is that people entering a round-about don't indicate. Is it my imagination, but so many cars that women seem to buy don't come with indicators!
"A bike on a roundabout?........merely a speed bump under the wheels of my mighty SUV (driven while on the phone with a couple of monsters in the back seats)..........blinkers? He should have been able to read my mind, and anyway my hands were busy TXTing and changing the CD." I drive around for my job now and it's made me even more cautious on the bike- faarken idiots don't see me in the car what hope have I got on the bike. Be careful out there people.
Well said. That about sums it up. Now I need to go and pack my lance and find my steed. Superbikes are on Fux from Assen at a fellow knights place..
i was starting to think that you didn't need to use blinkers in this country, after being nearly run over a few times i now just weight for the car to do what it wants and then i enter the roundabout. the other problem i have is people just going strait through the roundabout just because there to lazy to slow down and steer
As a concept I like roundabouts whether single or dual lane. They are generally straight forward to use, easy to merge into and relatively safe. The only criticism I have is that some people do not know how to use them and stop rather than slowing down and merging. Is there something visually confusing or unusual about these roundabouts ? .
This is a roundabout... Do a few laps round this puppy... and you'll have a whole new frame of reference for lots of things like... heart rate... road rage... frogger... paranoia...
+1 Love the French rules at the Arc de Triumph (?sp), those entering the roundabout have right of way.....:eek1
