Driving through a busy town centre at rush-hour can be difficult for a new driver, as there
is usually a lot of traffic to deal with.
Roundabouts in particular can be tough to negotiate, especially if they have multiple
lanes.
Many new drivers will need to drive themselves to and from work, and the traffic on the roads
at peak periods will be much heavier than the rest of the day.
In this video we will share our tips for keeping safe on rush-hour roundabouts.
We always use the MSPSL routine on approach to a roundabout - whether it is rush hour
or not.
Using this routine ensures that we give ourselves time to complete each task correctly - which
is much better than trying to do 3 things at once just before we enter the roundabout.
Rushing a task makes it much easier to make a mistake, such as accidentally selecting
4th gear instead of 2nd - so we always start the routine fairly early.
For more detail on the MSPSL routine, please watch our other video - ‘Roundabouts for
beginners’.
When traffic is heavy we should plan ahead as far as possible, as this will allow us
time to complete all of our tasks well before we reach the roundabout.
Planning ahead is much easier when we are familiar with the road we are driving on,
but if we are on an unfamiliar road then why not use a sat-nav to help us plan ahead further.
This is especially important when driving in one-way systems, as there can be many lanes
to choose from - which makes it easy to make mistakes.
We must look out for any road signs or markings that show which lane we need to take for our
destination.
Sometimes we might need to use the right lane to drive ahead, or even both lanes occasionally.
Spotting lane markings can be difficult if there is a queue of traffic covering them,
so it is easy to find ourselves stuck in the wrong lane.
If this is the case, it is better to stay calm and follow that lane than change lanes
dangerously.
A detour is far better than a crash!
We should approach a busy roundabout at a slow enough speed to allow us to assess the
traffic flow.
If the roundabout has good visibility we can approach a little more confidently, as we
will know if it is safe to enter well before the Give Way line.
Here there is fairly poor visibility so we must approach more slowly as we can’t tell
if we need to Give Way until the last moment.
If we approach the roundabout too fast, then it will give us far less time to think, and
will usually result in harsh braking to a stop - which could surprise following traffic.
Second gear is usually the best choice to approach a roundabout, as it is flexible enough
to pull away from a very low speed and then give good acceleration back up to speed.
If we slow to less than walking pace, we select 1st gear to ensure we have plenty of power
to pull away with.
It is important to keep the car in the correct gear for its current speed, so that we are
always ready to pull away without any delay.
We try and look right as early as possible, so we can start to anticipate other traffic.
At this roundabout the oncoming traffic is blocking the black car, so it is safe to keep
rolling and enter the roundabout without stopping.
We must look in front of us as well though, to check the road is clear and that we keep
the correct road position at all times.
The best time to enter the roundabout is usually when other traffic is leaving the roundabout
into our road, as this gives us a few seconds to pull away before the next car comes towards
us.
We look for other cars steering towards the exit they wish to take, as this is usually
a reliable signal of where they are going.
It can be difficult to see other car’s indicators sometimes, and also other drivers often forget
to indicate when leaving roundabouts - so watching for their road position is easier
to spot in our experience.
We need to know that the roundabout is definitely safe to enter - so we must see for ourselves
that there is no traffic coming towards us.
Our view is blocked by the bus for a moment, but once we see the roundabout is clear we
continue.
Trusting the judgement of other drivers when our view is blocked can put us in danger,
so if we can’t get a good view before we cross the Give Way line, we stop.
If we stop at the Give Way line we need to be able to pull away promptly, so that we
don’t get in the way of oncoming vehicles.
If we are stopped on a gradient, then we like to use the handbrake to keep the car stationary
whilst allowing our feet to get ready.
Confident use of the accelerator to give plenty of engine power and good clutch control will
accelerate the car up to speed and out of harms way.
Once we enter the roundabout we must be careful to stay in our lane.
Good lane discipline is important as it makes our intentions much clearer to other drivers,
and allows the traffic to flow better.
On this roundabout we stay positioned in the outer lane until our exit, and leave the inner
lane free for other drivers that are turning right.
When turning right we must be sure to change lanes safely before our exit.
We always check our left mirror in case another car is beside us, and only indicate and change
lanes if there is space.
On larger roundabouts we also check over our left shoulder as there is more space for a
car to hide in, and we are driving at a higher speed.
If we do see danger, the easiest solution is to complete another lap of the roundabout.
When traffic is really heavy we might find stationary traffic queueing across a roundabout.
At this time of day the traffic will continue to flow from the right for some time, so there
is no point waiting for the roundabout to clear.
Once we reach the Give Way line, we look to the right and wait until another driver let’s
us onto the roundabout.
Sometimes the car will just stop and leave us space, other times the driver will nod
or gesture to give us a signal that they are happy to wait.
If there are multiple lanes at the junction we must still check for other traffic before
entering.
So, remember to Use the MSPSL routine on approach
Plan ahead and get into lane early Wait until its safe before entering the roundabout
Steer carefully to stay in lane
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