Well, I just scraped my car against a post by accident.

[Ross PK]

But they do Ross. When Wuggle first went out on his own at night (a few days after passing his test), he was only supposed to be going to get a takeaway and should have been back in 15/20 minutes. An hour and a half later he finally got home - because he could not see somewhere he felt he could park he just kept driving round in circles (probably looking like a startled rabbit ).

 

That seems perfectly understandable though.

 

Remember - when moving lanes, don't forget your blind spot so don't just rely on your wing mirror. Take a quick look over your shoulder too.

 

Thanks for the tip. Is it really safe to move lanes when the road is really busy and packed full of traffic?

 

I know if you don't bother moving lanes, then you're goign to end up on a route that you don't want to go on, and for someone like me that will just make things way more complicated.

 

I know that when looking in the wing mirror and seeing the car to the left of me behind me, it was quite hard to judge just how far away he was, and also there's the fact that he could be accelerating anyway, so even if there was enough space, by the time you pull over he could end up being halfway at the side of you and you end up crashing into him.

[carhill]

Hey Ross, rounders scared the heck outta me when I was in Australia and I wasn't even driving

[anne1707]

A therapist that I used to talk too, said that a lot or most people usually just stick to the left hand lane on a roundabout whatever way they're turning, and he wasn't sure if it was leagal or not.

 

Is this true? If it is then maybe I could do it to? I know I'd find that a lot easier and it feels like it'd be a lot less likely for me to crash. Maybe this means a lot of people find roundabouts too hard to cope with?

 

 

No this is definitely not right.

 

If you are turning left, appoach the roundabout in the left lane and take the exit when you reach it.

 

If turning right, approach in the right lane and keep towards the centre of the roundabout once on it - though larger roundabouts may have lane markings indicating that you may need to move out to the left.

 

If you are going straight on, unless there are instructions to the contrary, you can approach the roundabout from either lane.

 

Getting your indicating correct on the roundabout is crucial though so others know what you are planning to do.

[Ross PK]

You know when I went onto the right lane on the roundabout I'm sure I had approached in the left lane and had totally forgot that I should've approached in the right one, I could've hit someone to the right of me.

[Ross PK]

Btw I'm sorry if me posting like this is bothering anyone, but I really don't have anyone to talk to about this in real life.

[whichwayisup]

I knew something stupid like this would end up happening even befroe I passed my test. It's the kind of thing that happens to me.

 

So you haven't actually got your drivers license yet? Here, atleast in Canada it's this way, you cannot drive alone when you have a learners Permit.

 

Maybe until you're feeling more confident ask a friend or a family member to go driving with you, show you the ropes about the round-about's..

[anne1707]

He has passed his test but is only just starting to drive on his own - always a tough thing to do but needs must.

[Storyrider]

Ross, after you drive for a while, much of this will become second nature. The only way you can achieve this is not by taking more lessons, but by getting lots and lots of experience, and making some inevitable mistakes.

 

I still make mistakes (occasionally bad ones) but I haven't had an accident of any kind in years and years.

 

When I took my driving course at 15, my instructor told the entire class that the student he'd driven with that afternoon was one of the worst he'd ever had (it had been me.)

 

(As an aside, that same day when we were alone in the car, he told me I looked like a girl who would some day be very good in bed. He was 36. I was stupid enough to be not scared, but flattered. I think it was my evident innocence and gullibility, and perhaps my horrible driving, that prevented him from making a move on me.

 

A week after I got my licence, I totalled my parents' car. The light turned green and I turned left directly in front of traffic, forgetting that I had to yield to them even though the light was green for me. (I guess in England this would be the equivalent of turning right in front of oncoming traffic.)

 

For years after that I was very frightened of driving. I felt very awkward and unnatural behind the wheel, and very timid. As I've said above, the only thing that cures that hesitation and fear is driving as frequently as you can, until the car becomes so familiar that it feels like an extension of your body and yourself.

[O'bama]

driving as frequently as you can, until the car becomes so familiar that it feels like an extension of your body

Fabulous advice. I know that The Beast feels like an extension of my body, but only in the sense that it enhances something that's already pretty darn impressive. Embarrassingly, I had to reverse my Beast out last week, because Her Majesty's driveway just couldn't take it.

 

Like Story says, there is no substitute for experience. No matter how uncomfortable an experience can be the first time, it will eventually get easier.

[Ross PK]

How long did it take you guys to be able to do complicated stuff like roundabouts?

[Ariadne]

down a main road with about 3 lanes, I was in the middle and wanted to get into the left, now I'm not sure if you can just signal and go into the left lane, I was quite sure you could, but something didn't quite feel right

 

Well, you have to make sure there is room for you to get there, not just signal.

 

But changing lanes in fast traffic I'd say is one of the most challenging things and it takes the most practice.

 

So don't sweat this one, in the mean time just go slower in the slower lanes as much as you can.

 

And the scratching and denting the car sucks at first with a new car. Wait till someone opens the door and dents it pretty badly.

 

Good luck with the driving Ross, doing great going on your own already.

[Ross PK]

Thanks Ariadne.

 

Thanks to everyone else for helping too.

[Storyrider]

How long did it take you guys to be able to do complicated stuff like roundabouts?

 

We don't have so many roundabouts in the US.

[jerbear]

We don't have so many roundabouts in the US.

 

Unless you live in older cities or New Jersey!:lmao:

[Ariadne]

Hahaha...

 

Good thing they don't have those things in LA:

 

[Sibyl Vane]

We don't have so many roundabouts in the US.

 

Really? How interesting.

[O'bama]

We don't have so many roundabouts in the US.

Yes, we have carousels.

[Art_Critic]

Unless you live in older cities or New Jersey!:lmao:

 

They are fairly popular in the large neighborhoods here.. the Walmart down the street has one that connects the highway to them and their gas station .. but all in all they aren't on any busy public streets

[Storyrider]

The biggest one I've driven on was near the Medical Center in Houston and I was told it was backwards to "normal" roundabouts in terms of how you were expected to yield to traffic. Confusing.

[O'bama]

They are fairly popular in the large neighborhoods here.. the Walmart down the street has one

You can pick up almost anything at your local Walmart - although some things do come in kit form. A roundabout makes for an impressive driveway, if you just don't like reversing.

[O'bama]

The biggest one I've driven on was near the Medical Center in Houston and I was told it was backwards to "normal" roundabouts in terms of how you were expected to yield to traffic. Confusing.

It's probably no coincidence that it's located so close to a medical facility. Convenient, that.

[Ross PK]

Hahaha...

 

Good thing they don't have those things in LA:

 

 

They're not so bad if it's just one on it's own. It's the big multilane ones with loads of roads coming off them which I have a real difficulty with.

[The Collector]

When I went to town yesterday I encountered a roundabout and really didn't know how to deal with it, I tried to do what I thought was right by going into the right lane, not really sure if I signalled correctly, and as I was turning off onto the road I wanted there seemed to be a car to left of me just behind me, it seemed as though I almost could've hit him.

 

I was then driving down a main road with about 3 lanes, I was in the middle and wanted to get into the left, now I'm not sure if you can just signal and go into the left lane, I was quite sure you could, but something didn't quite feel right about it, and it was really busy, I was trying to find a gap in the traffic, panicing, looking in my wing miirrors to see if it was clear, I was hoping people would slow down and make a bit of way for me, but they didn't, then there ended up being a car behind me to the left (again), it sort of seemed like maybe I coudl pull over to the left lane and I did, I'm not sure if it was a close call or if I did the right thing or what.

 

Then, when getting home, I couldn't work out how to get onto the right road, I tried too, but I just ended up getting lost for ages and was paniking, not knowing what to do, then somehow, by pure luck, I found the right road again.

 

Ross, I passed my test about the same time as you (on the fourth attempt), but have had a bit more experience driving in the meantime it seems.

 

First, roundabouts remain my biggest headache. There's a lot to process, but you have to remember that as long as you are doing things right the car behind will see your signal and you have the right of way to exit the inner lane - the other car shouldn't even be in the outside lane unless he is planning to take the next exit.

 

Changing lanes - some drivers are selfish or preoccupied, and won't let you change. Ideally you should never cause another car to slow down when you change, but sometimes you are trapped and have to make a move. I failed one test by changing lanes when there was plenty of room (maybe forty feet) but the tester still said I caused the other driver to slow down. Impossible situation when all lanes are full. I'd rather take a wrong turn than cause a crash, but also remember that these following cars are aware of your signal and will let you in once you start changing, as you would to others. (experienced drivers let me know if this advice is wrong)

 

Getting lost - I've got a sat-nav and still manage to miss loads of turnings and exits. I'd still recommend getting one though.

 

You just need time and practice. Remember you have been licensed to drive. It gets easier, but it never gets hassle-free.

[Storyrider]

Wow, testers in the UK seem to really care about their jobs. The ones here don't really give a sh*t. I've never heard of anyone taking a driver's test more than twice. In Texas, you get tested by a state trooper, and even they didn't care enough to do it more than twice.

[burning 4 revenge]

Wow, testers in the UK seem to really care about their jobs. The ones here don't really give a sh*t. I've never heard of anyone taking a driver's test more than twice. In Texas, you get tested by a state trooper, and even they didn't care enough to do it more than twice.

this and the gun thread makes me realize just how great we still got it

 

U S A! U S A! U S A!