Grayling

What is it with Australians and roundabouts?

I actually had to stop on one in Glenelg a few days ago as someone was coming round the wrong way

Most people (in South Australia anyway) don't seem to have a clue what to do.
My son's girlfriend is a police Officer in Adelaide and told me that it is actually quite a problem.

Just as well there are not many of them.

G

samnrob2

What is it with Australians and roads - full stop.

Our back bedoom looks over the story bridge in Brissie and it never fails to amaze me how many crashes there are on there. The best one was this Saturday - someone driving on the wrong side of the road collides with a lorry!

R

Siren & Brian

Its all the immigrants.

Perthforme

LOL

BadgeIsBack

You obviously live in a part of the world where there are not many and alot of people have little or no experience of them. South Australia - sounds about right. When I lived in Melbourne there were quite a few and there were no problems there! If the UK introduced bizarre Californian features like exits off freeways both sides I'm sure that would confuse people.

I've seen British people driving on the wrong side of the road on the Continent. I had no problems; I used to drive my British car through the tunnel in to France and Germany and my German car (LHD) the other way in to England.

scrubbedexpat020

If there's a car in front approaching an empty roundabout I assume he is going to stop.

Also, I don't assume someone will sneak into the traffic when I think it is safe to do so.

Horses for courses, we are used to roundabouts but new to Aussies.

The problem is too many lights and not enough roundabouts.

I used to live in Milton Keynes and loved the system there: all roundabouts and I think a few lights in the centre.

Ian

Grayling

I will not comment on the traffic lights in Adelaide

G

stokesy43

Aah Milton Keynes, apparently there are somewhere in the region of 450 roundabouts. I used to drive a school bus route when I was a traffic manager and the route must have gone round every single one twice. Try doing that in a 20 year old rust bucket with a gearbox that's like stirring soup. Wonder what the Aussies would make of the magic roundabout in High Wycombe.

Anyway, back to the point of the thread. What makes anyone think we are any better in the UK. Majority of people in the UK haven't got a clue how to drive they just point the car and go. I've seen people indicating left on roundabouts and going right and vice/versa. As a nation we have to be the worst drivers period.

Grayling

Have you ever driven in Australia?

G

68MEVY

And why do they think it's OK to travel the whole way round the roundabout in the left lane? I've been cut up so many times coming off a roundabout it's unreal. Then there's the driving in the rain- it's hilarious. Watching cars leave our local shopping centre, one by one all wheel spinning round the corner cos they think putting their foot to the floor will get them round a tight bend easily

Banksia

It's a southern hemisphere thing.

Hels

Thats because EVERYTHING/ONE is so much better in the UK! Didnt you know?

BadgeIsBack

My dad is bigger than your Dad. Children children please.

The worst drivers are in Belgium where apparently, a road test wasn't introduced until the last 30 or 40 years.(!)

I find the standard of driving in Australia is broadly comparitive to the UK. The hoons in Australia match the idiots who are impatient on the m25 only the speeds are higher in the UK.

Take in to account that undertaking is allowed outside Europe, and that powerful reardrive cars are becoming extinct in Europe, also that Australia is a more dispersed country where 'country rules' are more likely to apply. BMW drivers on the continent put bags of rocks/sand/gravel in their boots even though BMWs since 1992 have had great weight distribution.

Wave the Sails

Roundabouts are a fairly new concept in Adelaide I believe. When my parents lived there 20 years ago they hardly came across one!!

MrsDagboy