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Comment by stinos | Hacker News Reader

2. As you exit, it's nice to use your turn-signal to alert the driver behind you.

I always thought the main point of using your turn-signal is (apart from that it is the law, at least where I live) to alert the ones in front of you, i.e. so that drivers wanting to enter the roundabout know they can do so already without having to wait for you because you're leaving it anyway and hence leave a void where the next car can enter?

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I'd never enter a roundabout with an approaching car signalling that they are intending to exit. Some people wrongly signal early (they're actually intending to leave at a subsequent exit), some set their indicator (turn-signal) on when they entered the roundabout and just keep it on, some are indicating because they changed lane on the roundabout. I've seen too many side-on collisions in these situations.

Basically, I drive defensively and don't trust other people's signalling. (UK driver)

Agreed - that's how I was taught (in the UK) - never assume anything about the other driver's intention but wait until that intention is clear. In other words, turn signals mean nothing unless you have confirmation by action.

I'd never enter a roundabout with an approaching car signalling that they are intending to exit

Too late to edit but thinking of it, neither do I. It just allows you to start planning/reacting earlier.

In the UK, where roundabouts are common, there is an added complication of an inside and outside lane.

If you are taking the third exit (turning right) you have to make your way into the inside lane on entry and back across the outside lane on exit.

Doing this without indicating would cause chaos. As driving standards have worsened over the years this has become an all too frequent problem.

One of the nicest sideways-thinking pieces of design I've seen in traffic junctions in recent years has been spiral lanes, which deal with this beautifully. Unless you change your mind while actually on the roundabout you hardly ever need to change lane on one of these.

You select your lane as you approach the roundabout based on which exit you want to take. You then just follow the lane markings, which take you on to the roundabout, around it, and out your desired exit.

Here's a picture (of an unusually complex one; they're usually simpler than this): http://www.whereitis.co.uk/_Media/green-bridge-spiral-rounda...

Here's another example in Oeiras, Portugal: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Oeiras,+Portugal/@38.696...

If they are signaling right, towards you, you obviously do not enter. But what do you do if there's no signal and they are riding the inner lane ? Do you plunge right in only to see they were after all about to exit, just forgot to signal ? Very risky.

I see the signal as a way to communicate inside the circular road, where normal lane rules apply: you keep your lane, and if the lane in right is free, you can switch to it after signaling. Repeat until exit.

Also, a left signal before entering is useful: it says you are taking the 3rd or more exit, and that you will make a tight turn around the center, with slow speed. This way, people entering after you can plan to pass you on your right and continue forward.

These lefts and rights take a bit of parsing because UK drive on the left so their signals would be different.

This sounds completely alien to me and I'm from a country that uses roundabouts extensively. Indicating before you get onto the roundabout and keeping that indicator on the whole time just sounds very wrong. Also changing lanes at will is odd. You join into the inner lane if your exit is after 12 o'clock, and then indicate your exit after you have passed the one before your intended exit. 'Passing' on a roundabout is also a strange phenomenon I've never really seen before (unless it's unintentional of course)

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