Roundabouts, especially multi-lane roundabouts can be a daunting experience for a novice driver. They must be mastered as part of goal number 10, complex traffic in the logbook.
In a matter of seconds all their key road craft skills combine and if just one of those skills is a little off, getting through a roundabout can be treacherous!!
First, we have to quickly check our mirrors (all three of them), manage our speed and slow down so that we have time to scan and make good decisions as to whether we enter the roundabout or we come to a complete stop.
While we are scanning and checking our speed, we also have to make sure our position is still centred in our lane and we're not veering toward the median strip or into another lane, so our steering and road positioning skills have to be spot on.
Once we've made a decision and entered the roundabout we then switch our attention to other vehicles entering the roundabout and checking they are giving way to us. As we are doing this, we have to still be aware of our road position, steering correctly and staying in our lane while being aware of other vehicles behind us.
Lastly, we must show our intention to exit the roundabout and signal left just at the start of the last quarter of the roundabout, while also staying in our lane, steering, scanning and managing our speed all at the same time!
Wow! No wonder some drivers struggle with roundabouts and often avoid them as much as possible.
When going for the driving test, we must be competent in all logbook goals and demonstrate we are safe, confident drivers. If we get anxious about roundabouts, we should keep practicing until we can nail them!
Our driving instructors are experts and can unpack many challenging driving skills. We help keep our drivers calm, giving them a process to follow so they can achieve their goals safely and confidently!!