Driving style in Portugal
#1
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 100
Driving style in Portugal
I've noticed from driving in Portugal that some drivers have a style that I haven't seen before.
Case in point - when approaching a roundabout and the car wants to go straight ahead (2nd exit), the driver would indicate left (as if they want to take the 3rd exit) and indicate right just before exiting. Is this style something they teach during driving school?
Of course most drivers don't indicate but this style really confuses me.
Case in point - when approaching a roundabout and the car wants to go straight ahead (2nd exit), the driver would indicate left (as if they want to take the 3rd exit) and indicate right just before exiting. Is this style something they teach during driving school?
Of course most drivers don't indicate but this style really confuses me.
#2
Re: Driving style in Portugal
I've noticed from driving in Portugal that some drivers have a style that I haven't seen before.
Case in point - when approaching a roundabout and the car wants to go straight ahead (2nd exit), the driver would indicate left (as if they want to take the 3rd exit) and indicate right just before exiting. Is this style something they teach during driving school?
Of course most drivers don't indicate but this style really confuses me.
Case in point - when approaching a roundabout and the car wants to go straight ahead (2nd exit), the driver would indicate left (as if they want to take the 3rd exit) and indicate right just before exiting. Is this style something they teach during driving school?
Of course most drivers don't indicate but this style really confuses me.
#3
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Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 866
Re: Driving style in Portugal
It is the officially GNR recognised way of "correctly" driving round a roundabout - exceptions being heavy lorries and exceptional loads (and very slow ones like tractors and such!!) who can go all the way round on the right hand lane, just to confuse matters. Not sure that most of the driving population actually knows this rule as there is often chaos when the "correct" method is used.
#4
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Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 666
Re: Driving style in Portugal
It is the officially GNR recognised way of "correctly" driving round a roundabout - exceptions being heavy lorries and exceptional loads (and very slow ones like tractors and such!!) who can go all the way round on the right hand lane, just to confuse matters. Not sure that most of the driving population actually knows this rule as there is often chaos when the "correct" method is used.
#6
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Joined: Apr 2008
Location: Hérault (34)
Posts: 8,883
Re: Driving style in Portugal
I've noticed from driving in Portugal that some drivers have a style that I haven't seen before.
Case in point - when approaching a roundabout and the car wants to go straight ahead (2nd exit), the driver would indicate left (as if they want to take the 3rd exit) and indicate right just before exiting. Is this style something they teach during driving school?
Of course most drivers don't indicate but this style really confuses me.
Case in point - when approaching a roundabout and the car wants to go straight ahead (2nd exit), the driver would indicate left (as if they want to take the 3rd exit) and indicate right just before exiting. Is this style something they teach during driving school?
Of course most drivers don't indicate but this style really confuses me.
Best to stay in the right lane and indicate "right" after you've passed the first/second exits, but many French drivers don't indicate at all and, worse, cut across you to exit. Also, a tad annoying if you're waiting to enter the roundabout, and the approaching driver doesn't indicate that he's turning into your road and you have to wait for the following cars to pass....
#7
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Joined: Dec 2015
Location: Porches, Algarve
Posts: 178
Re: Driving style in Portugal
I've that some drivers have a style that I haven't seen before.
Case in point - when approaching a roundabout and the car wants to go straight ahead (2nd exit), the driver would indicate left (as if they want to take the 3rd exit) and indicate right just before exiting. Is this style something they teach during driving school?
Of course most drivers don't indicate but this style really confuses me.
Case in point - when approaching a roundabout and the car wants to go straight ahead (2nd exit), the driver would indicate left (as if they want to take the 3rd exit) and indicate right just before exiting. Is this style something they teach during driving school?
Of course most drivers don't indicate but this style really confuses me.
I didn't know about this part, I stay on the inside lane and indicate right and move right just before exiting, if want to go straight ahead.
#8
Re: Driving style in Portugal
If there is more than one approach lane, you should only take the right hand lane if exiting at the first exit, everyone else must use the left lane and then indicate and move into the outside as you pass the exit before yours. This animation illustrates the rules in Portugal:
#10
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Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 100
Re: Driving style in Portugal
Thanks, Geronimal. I think what you've provided (especially the 2nd image) is pretty much standard stuff on how to position yourself when a roundabout is approaching.
The image provided however does not show how you should indicate. The light blue line (i.e. taking the second exit) is where I require some understanding on how Portuguese drivers have been taught to indicate.
The image provided however does not show how you should indicate. The light blue line (i.e. taking the second exit) is where I require some understanding on how Portuguese drivers have been taught to indicate.
#11
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Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 100
Re: Driving style in Portugal
And that image is for a simple roundabout. Imagine the driver must be flicking their indicators up and down non-stop when they navigate through the Plough (aka Magic) roundabout in Hemel Hempstead!
#12
Re: Driving style in Portugal
Thanks, Geronimal. I think what you've provided (especially the 2nd image) is pretty much standard stuff on how to position yourself when a roundabout is approaching.
The image provided however does not show how you should indicate. The light blue line (i.e. taking the second exit) is where I require some understanding on how Portuguese drivers have been taught to indicate.
The image provided however does not show how you should indicate. The light blue line (i.e. taking the second exit) is where I require some understanding on how Portuguese drivers have been taught to indicate.
#13
Re: Driving style in Portugal
Hemel Hempstead is still in the UK thankfully. I never really bothered with indicators there anyway, just followed the give way rules, always sailed through it.