SPEEDING through roundabouts, indicating incorrectly or not at all, and impatiently tailgating are offences which routinely elicit a few choice words from local motorists.
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But not all road violations are the result of blatant disregard for the law.
Many motorists fail to grasp the host of road rules we have to follow, which can often alter with little to no warning.
Peter Draper, of Professional Driver Education NSW, said road rules and traffic volumes have changed “enormously” over the years, but negotiating roundabouts remained the most stressful for motorists.
“People are terribly confused about when you need to indicate and what you need to do to maintain your lane position,” the Tamworth local said.
“A lot of people treat them like stop signs, but roundabouts are designed to keep the traffic flowing ... it causes a lot of frustration for people.”
While not compulsory, Mr Draper said practical refresher courses, particularly for long-term licence holders, would help increase community safety.
In order to combat the potential risks associated with misunderstood road rules, the state government brought back Road Rules Awareness Week last week , along with the addition of new video animations to help motorists get up to speed with any road rules they are uncertain about.
Motorists can obtain a copy of the top 10 misunderstood road rules guide from Services NSW and RMS registries or view it online at www.roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au
Readers’ pet peeves on Facebook
A SAMPLE of the pet peeves posted on The Leader’s Facebook page:
Robyn Brindley-Barnes: When people stop at roundabouts for no reason, and also when people indicate left then right when they are going straight through the roundabout. I’ve seen this 100s of times and it confuses every other driver.
Lucinda Elizabeth May Hubbard: People that can’t read the “do not overtake turning vehicle” sign. OMG people, that includes roundabouts. The amount of times I have had to slam my brakes on with the horse float in Tamworth is not cool.
Dave Ormsby: My peeve is people who can’t stay in their lane on a dual lane roundabout.
Vanessa Carey: People who don’t know how to merge into traffic, lack of or incorrect use of indicators at roundabout, people who do 60 in 100km/h zones.
Milly White: People who sit right on my tail even though I’m doing the speed limit.
