Lorries Pulling Out at Roundabouts.

[Shaw S Hunter]

I'm sorry you feel that way about polite debate. It would be a short part of the forum if everybody felt that way.

No problems with polite debate. But how about you moving on from all the negativity to engaging with those who have talked about remedies. If you don't agree with them that's absolutely fine. But exactly what would you like to happen differently and how might that be achieved?

 

[AlterEgo]

Just purely out of curiosity, how posting to this thread are drivers?

17 years full licence holder here.

 

[birchesgreen]

Yes its annoying, always best to let the lorry go first as they are bigger.

 

[westv]

No problems with polite debate. But how about you moving on from all the negativity to engaging with those who have talked about remedies. If you don't agree with them that's absolutely fine. But exactly what would you like to happen differently and how might that be achieved?

What negativity? Most of my replies have been answers to questions asked.



I thought I might post an image of the roundabout with position of car (L) and lorry (L) at the time the lorry pulled out.

 

[Flying Snail]

Maybe you should invest in a dashcam then you can upload your encounters to the internet and get the opinions of all sorts of individuals as to who was at fault.

 

[westv]

I appreciate all the replies even those that may or may not be quite dismissive and condescending.

 

[90019]

Sometimes a lorry's gearbox can be a bit sluggish when going to pull away, especially if you've only just arrived at a junction and it's still changing gear, so from pushing down the throttle to actually accelerating away can be a second or two - enough time for the situation on the junction to have completely changed.

It happens - nobody's perfect and even those of us driving for a living make mistakes. Perhaps there was something else going on that made him react that way, but personally I'd just be letting it go and not worrying about it further.

Just purely out of curiosity, how posting to this thread are drivers?

I'm a lorry driver.
I was also a bus driver before that.

 

[VauxhallandI]

Sometimes a lorry's gearbox can be a bit sluggish when going to pull away, especially if you've only just arrived at a junction and it's still changing gear, so from pushing down the throttle to actually accelerating away can be a second or two - enough time for the situation on the junction to have completely changed.

It happens - nobody's perfect and even those of us driving for a living make mistakes. Perhaps there was something else going on that made him react that way, but personally I'd just be letting it go and not worrying about it further.


I'm a lorry driver.
I was also a bus driver before that.

Without hijacking the thread, what the heck are those very long gear shifters I see in US lorries about? Look like they make the job harder?

 

[90019]

Without hijacking the thread, what the heck are those very long gear shifters I see in US lorries about? Look like they make the job harder?

The really long ones are just for showing off, very much a style over substance thing.

 

[BluePenguin]

We have this every day on the roundabout at the top of Jubilee Way above the Port of Dover, connecting both sides of the A2 with the road to Deal. Lorries pull out without looking. The other bad one is Western Heights roundabout connecting both sides of the A20 and the road to Wycliffe. Whitfield roundabout is less bad, unless you are heading to Tesco. It can be very very scary although us locals are so used to it now almost always will pause when we see a lorry and allow them to pass first, even if we have priority over them. There is no pointing taking the risk, they will never learn. It is what we get for living near a port with international traffic I suppose.

 

[Lewisham2221]

It's highly unlikely that the lorry driver has seen you and thought "F*** it, they can stop"

It's more likely that one or more of the following applies:

- Lorry driver has seen you and has (mis)interpreted your lane positioning and/or signalling as leaving at the first exit.

- Lorry driver has underestimated your speed (and/or you were travelling fast for the situation, but I'm not making any accusations) and committed to the manoeuvre, but the lorry itself has not reacted immediately.

- The driver has started to move with the intention of following on behind you, which you have spotted and reacted adversely to.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

You probably leaned on the horn and gesticulated at the lorry driver.

Also other have already said anticipate that the lorry might pull out, perhaps slow down a little on roundabouts in general to create a gap.

I would advise you to watch Ashley Neal on YouTube and learn to make it a non issue.

And yes I’m a driver who has held a full licence for 28 years now.

+1 for Ashley Neal's channel. I've been binging his videos as I prepare myself to get back on the road after ten years (I've held my licence for 22yrs, and my time off was not enforced by law).

Not reacting angrily to the mistakes of others is great advice. If the red mist descends, you're more likely to make your own errors.

 

[westv]

It's highly unlikely that the lorry driver has seen you and thought "F*** it, they can stop"

It's more likely that one or more of the following applies:

- Lorry driver has seen you and has (mis)interpreted your lane positioning and/or signalling as leaving at the first exit.

- Lorry driver has underestimated your speed (and/or you were travelling fast for the situation, but I'm not making any accusations) and committed to the manoeuvre, but the lorry itself has not reacted immediately.

- The driver has started to move with the intention of following on behind you, which you have spotted and reacted adversely to.

Ok. Let's approach this from another angle as this has occured on a number of occasions at the same roundabout shown in the image

indicate when it would be physically impossible to take first exit
the route taken does not allow excessive speed due to having to stop at entry
at stopping the lorry has passed the front of the car.

what would you do differently?

 

[The exile]

Not referring to lorries in particular, but what gets me are the roundabouts that have become so overgrown that you can’t actually see far enough round them for the speed that other traffic is using the roundabout (typically they have a clear view so haven’t had to stop). Several of those round these parts at this time of year.

 

[AlterEgo]

+1 for Ashley Neal's channel. I've been binging his videos as I prepare myself to get back on the road after ten years (I've held my licence for 22yrs, and my time off was not enforced by law).

Not reacting angrily to the mistakes of others is great advice. If the red mist descends, you're more likely to make your own errors.

Ashley Neal also used to have a bit of a temper a few years back; his advice about "making it a non-event" is a result of personal growth, and he now seems much more relaxed and a happier driver, so the lesson is more impactful.

 

[dakta]

All depends on context, lorries are slow moving, and getting going from stationary takes some effort - I've had it where I've come around a roundabout and found a lorry coming out slowly enough to cause me to slow down, but clearly they were comitted as they were rolling/starting to roll when they come into view or as/before I entered the roundabout

then there's the aggressive bunch that force their way out - yes I know why but these are the ones that will create a situation of safety concern where non existed by comitting when they shouldn't, you'll generally see the suspension start to move (even if the lorry isn't itself rolling) at this point as you can see the lorry and the lorry can see you and you get that 'is he really going for it?' feeling before suddenly it's 'the maniac is!' and you have to brake.

I think in the latter case it's probably down to years of struggling to get out of junctions, time pressure and a naïve view that cars can get out of my way quite easily/their hardship isn't the same value as mine

 

[MotCO]

Many years ago I saw a lorry side-squash a car when going round a gyratory system - the car thought it could go round the inside of a turning lorry, and was wrong. Since then, I have aways given lorries wide berths, even to the point of hanging back when entering a roundabout if there is one in front in a different lane. I've never driven a lorry, but can imagine that lorry drivers have enough to think about without a car trying to take them on the inside. By hanging back, that is one less thing for the lorry driver to worry about.

A second point - how do you know that it is not the lorry driver's first day out solo? They could be very inexperienced / stressed etc, so just hang back, count to 10 and carry on and arrive safely.

I have watched a number of Youtube driving videos; 90% of the accidents could be avoided with a bit of patience, anticipation or foresight.

(A car driver with over 40 years' experience)

 

[Welly]

Happens to me at least once a week on my commute to and from work - I just let it go.

 

[Busaholic]

I got my first licence in 1967, have driven well over half a million miles and, in that time, I've sounded my car horn in warning fifty times at most. Just occasionally I will think 'I better make sure my horn is still working' and will try it out away from traffic and houses but otherwise I always assume the 'other' driver is an idiot and get pleasantly surprised when they're not. The most I do usually is tut if my assumption proves to be right, but I've taken action to avoid a contretemps.

 

[dastocks]

What negativity? Most of my replies have been answers to questions asked.

View attachment 141920

I thought I might post an image of the roundabout with position of car (L) and lorry (L) at the time the lorry pulled out.

Some questions spring to mind here:
What signals, if any, were you displaying?
Which lane were you in, both on approach and on the roundabout?
Which exit did the lorry take?

With the vehicle positions shown in your image I would have thought you should have had ample time to pass in front of the lorry if it was pulling out from a standing start.
If you were in the left lane approaching the roundabout without a signal it may have been reasonable for the lorry driver to assume you just couldn't be bothered to signal a first exit/left turn.
Otherwise, right then left signals as you went through the roundabout would have been very helpful to the lorry driver in deciding whether he needed to wait for you.

 

[MotCO]

Otherwise, right then left signals as you went through the roundabout would have been very helpful to the lorry driver in deciding whether he needed to wait for you.

I thought that the only time you indicated right was if you were turning right. If you are going straight on it's no signal, then left after passing the last exit you don't want to take.

(But sometimes a right indicator at the start might be a good indication to the lorry driver that you were not taking the first left.)

 

[gswindale]

Looking at that image and Streetview, there is only 1 lane for all traffic approaching the roundabout. It looks like you  may be able to squeeeze 2 cars side by side right at the entrance to the roundabout from where the OP has come from and so possibly have 2 lanes on the roundabout if people drive sensibly rather than "racing line".

What I'm having trouble with is:

indicate when it would be physically impossible to take first exit

Looks to be no reason why you can't take the first exit

the route taken does not allow excessive speed due to having to stop at entry

I'm going to assume (I know!) that we've stopped, the lorry was stopped and we're giving way to something that is taking what is our first exit and as it passes us signals left as I believe you should when exiting a roundabout (even if going straight on).

Therefore I don't see any issue with the lorry pulling out when it does.

My normal drive to/from the office involves a number of roundabouts where we get a mixture of cars waiting for a gap big enough to fit a Voyager in before pulling out to a roundabout where drivers of all types coming the other way are unwilling to stop unless they absolutely must.

I try, where possible, not to stop unless I absolutely have to - on some roads, that means a car in the outside lane flies past, comes to a halt and then overtakes me again shortly after the roundabout as having read the road ahead, I've been able to keep going - more fuel efficient and causing less wear on the brakes

 

[GusB]

Honestly, I cannot believe that we're still having this discussion. Some drivers are idiots, no matter whether they drive a car, a bus or a lorry.

I went out for a drive this afternoon and there were several instances where other drivers were slightly annoying. I'm fairly certain that some of those drivers thought that I was an idiot because I slowed down and obeyed the speed limits through the various villages that I travelled through.

A lorry driver moves out in front of you on a roundabout when you should have right of way - it's not right, but do we really need a two-page thread about it?

 

[dangie]

….. it's not right, but do we really need a two-page thread about it?

Only if people wish to keep commenting on it…….

Note: Maybe this topic should have been entered in the ‘Comedic "things you would ban": minor things that irritate you’ Thread.

 

[westv]

A lorry driver moves out in front of you on a roundabout when you should have right of way - it's not right, but do we really need a two-page thread about it?

Things are discussed on this part of the forum because they are of interest to at least one person. I'm sure many threads might fall into the "is this worth the space" area but they are allowed as it helps to make this forum the vibrant space it is.

Finally to clarify, the lorries involved do not stop at the roundabout entrance - they stop to avoid a collision.

 

[gswindale]

Things are discussed on this part of the forum because they are of interest to at least one person. I'm sure many threads might fall into the "is this worth the space" area but they are allowed as it helps to make this forum the vibrant space it is.

Finally to clarify, the lorries involved do not stop at the roundabout entrance - they stop to avoid a collision.

Which is how I drive. Generally works fine unless you have som tw*t of a driver doing something daft.

 

[dangie]

…… Generally works fine unless you have som tw*t of a driver doing something daft.

Of course that tw*t of a driver is always the other driver……

 

[gswindale]

So, what is wrong with driving efficiently? Saves fuel, reduces wear on your brakes.

If I have to stop, i.e. if it's busy, then I will, but generally I slow on the approach using engine braking and hopefully I can then just carry on.

It is only a problem if the other drivers forget to use their brains and fail to turn on their little orange flashing lights to let others know what they're doing.

 

[dangie]

It is only a problem if the other drivers forget to use their brains and fail to turn on their little orange flashing lights to let others know what they're doing.

Well thats certainly a topic for another thread

 

[315801]

Well thats certainly a topic for another thread

Completely agree