I was asked by a learner driver a few days ago whether they needed to signal to leave a roundabout we were on. The answer was, of course, YES, but it got me thinking...
Although the pupil knows they should always attempt to signal when leaving a roundabout, they perhaps hadn't considered who would benefit from the information?
So, I'll attempt to explain why signals are so important, and who will benefit from them.
Junctions
When approaching a junction, you should always use the MSPSL routine (Mirrors, Signal, Position, Speed, Look).
A common error with learner drivers is to leave the signal too late, and get caught up in planning the speed and gear change first. The danger of signalling late is that people around you won't have time to react to what you intend to do.
Ask yourself this question. If the car in front of you started signalling, what would you expect them to do next with their speed? That's right - they're probably about to start braking, to achieve a good speed for their turn, or to pull over at the side of the road.
By showing you their signal in good time, you should already be anticipating that they're going to slow down, which allows you time to check your mirrors and cover your break, so you're ready for when they do.
But is it just the following cars who will benefit? NO. As drivers we also need to consider oncoming vehicles who are trying to plan their actions, vehicles waiting to emerge from a junction, pedestrians who may be trying to cross the road, and - of course - cyclists.
When you are preparing to take a turning, you are advised to check your mirrors before signalling. Here's an example of what can happen if you don't.
A car is travelling at 20mph, in reasonably congested traffic, and decides to take the next turning on the left. Slightly behind him, to the left, is a cyclist who is making good progress, passing the cars on the nearside. The driver of the car doesn't check their left mirror, and therefore doesn't see the cyclist gaining ground. By the time the driver signals, the cyclist is already in the vehicle's blind spot, and the cyclist therefore doesn't see the late signal the driver gives. As the driver begins their left turn - completely unexpectedly for the cyclist - they collide, and the cyclist is thrown over the front of the vehicle and into the road.
This scenario is completely avoidable. The cyclist has done nothing wrong in passing the cars on the left hand side, but if the driver of the car had given a signal earlier, the cyclist would have had time to see it, and therefore slow down in anticipation of the turn.
Signals save lives! It's that simple.
Roundabouts
Roundabouts can be a difficult skill to master when you start learning to drive, but they are an important part of our road system.
With increasing volumes of traffic on the road, roundabouts are designed to assist in the flow of the vehicles, thus helping to reduce congestion.
If you can master roundabouts well (again using the MSPSL routine to approach), then you'll increase your chances of nipping into those gaps which present themselves.
But how do people know where the other road users are going? It's simple. As they approach the roundabout they'll be looking at the signals given by the other vehicles (including yours), so they can understand where they intend to go.
If we don't signal our intent on the approach to a roundabout, the people at the other entrances won't be able to plan ahead, and may therefore stop unnecessarily.
Here's a great example of how this can affect congestion.
Let's say that, In peak-time traffic, a single entrance onto a roundabout carries 1,800 vehicles across a 1½ hour period (an average of three seconds per vehicle to join the roundabout). If nobody on the roundabout signalled their intent, and it took each car an additional one second to enter the roundabout - because they had to pause before joining - then it will take an extra 30 minutes to get the same number of cars through the roundabout.
How frustrated do you think you'd be if it took you an extra 30 minutes to get home from work each day?
So, by planning the timing of your signal, you can have a huge effect on the flow of traffic and help to reduce congestion AND accidents.
Whenever you're approaching a situation where a signal might help another road user, make sure you check your mirrors early so that you can give the signal in good time.
For more help with Effective Mirror Checks click here.
If you're looking for driving lessons in #cannock #penkridge or #stafford then drop me a message via the contact us page for a chat.
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