How do you typically indicate at a roundabout / traffic circle?

[MrGray]

In South Africa, the legal requirements for using turn signals (indicators) at traffic circles (also called roundabouts) come from the National Road Traffic Act and its regulations, along with the K53 driving test standards. The rules distinguish between mini-circles and larger roundabouts/traffic circles.

Mini-Circles​

For mini-circles (small painted islands in intersections):

• Signal left or right on approach, depending on your intended direction.
• No signal is necessary if proceeding straight.

Larger Traffic Circles / Roundabouts​

For standard traffic circles and roundabouts (where you yield to traffic from the right already in the circle and travel clockwise):

• Entering the circle: There is no strict legal requirement to signal your entry or intended exit when approaching and entering the circle. Many driving instructors, K53 materials, and discussions confirm that signalling on entry is not mandatory by law, regardless of which exit you plan to take.
• Exiting the circle: You must indicate left in good time before leaving the circle at your chosen exit. This applies to any exit (first, second, or further). The left signal warns other road users of your intention to leave.

 

[Pegging]

12. I have a bmw so I go first, no need to signal.

 

[Captain Slog]

1, 3, 7

 

[Mirai]

Indicate when entering, indicate when changing direction, eg going from inner to outer or exiting. Indicating while following the roundabout is too much.

And the issues noticed are this:
More affluent suburbs - formerly white - still get aholish and stupid when you enter correctly but they speed up and get aggro.
The industrial zones of Cape Town are more tolerant and drivers tend to be reasonable. They allow leeway and ask for leeway. No aholish thank for everything and super polite English behaviour which becomes road rage because how dare someone not give me 1000m of space on the roundabout when I'm already on it.

Driving is smoother in industrial zones, eg Maitland, Woodstock or Paarden Eiland than say Constantia or Sunningdale.

 

[Mirai]

K53 was generally ok as a framework, but specifying different rules for different roundabouts has led to a very nebulous understanding of what needs to happen.

Of course, most of the general public don't particularly care about road rules so there is no special treatment for roundabouts.

Most people seem to drive much the same way as taxi drivers these days as there is Zero deterrent for abhorrent behaviour. The so called traffic police are indolent extortion artists.

Policing should be incident based and not done for the sake of being done. We already have special, wide, straight and depopulated zones marked 60 or 70km/h so that the municipality can collect easy cash.

If a traffic circle is having stats of many accidents, that should be looked at. But if traffic flows smoothly without too many incidents despite some offense to those who see driving etiquette as an aspect of personal ethics and discipline, it should be left alone. There already are terrible situations on SA roads, and those should rather be attended to with limited resources.

People who want to discipline others for discipline's sake should discipline their offspring instead. Let them be their whipping boy.

Comment made in general terms, not aimed at anyone here.

 

[Mirai]

If you don't treat a mini circle effectively as a four way stop you should get the middle finger. Whether one agrees with it or not, SA road law/regulations stipulate that mini circles are treated similarly as four way stops.

SA has too many 4-way stops. They are ridiculous.

The other thing is this, you should tailor your driving to No 1, safety and defensive driving. That means that sometimes you must tailor to the way other people drive, as long as you don't make things unsafe, within reason. If everyone there is treating the mini circle as a large circle, treat it that way too, don't do sudden stops which could get your rear ended. Of course adjust behaviour if it will likely cause you to be hit by another car.

There are certain lanes and yellow markings which at rush hour get used as turn lanes and the yellow islands get occupied by vehicles making right turns ahead. This is strictly not legal but the locals do it. Don't be the ahole and now follow the 'law' and potentially cause accidents as you stick out. The cops know this happens in those areas and don't dare fine anyone. It would cause chaos. On the other hand at non-rush hour the same area is treated legalistically. Adapt and sometimes adopt based on the situation.

 

[Random-Hero]

People don't understand circles. End of point. The only rule is. Voorgee van regs. After that nothing else matter

 

[Jefferson D'Arcy]

Policing should be incident based and not done for the sake of being done. We already have special, wide, straight and depopulated zones marked 60 or 70km/h so that the municipality can collect easy cash.

If a traffic circle is having stats of many accidents, that should be looked at. But if traffic flows smoothly without too many incidents despite some offense to those who see driving etiquette as an aspect of personal ethics and discipline, it should be left alone. There already are terrible situations on SA roads, and those should rather be attended to with limited resources.

People who want to discipline others for discipline's sake should discipline their offspring instead. Let them be their whipping boy.

Comment made in general terms, not aimed at anyone here.

ANC-EFF thievery and murder should only be dealt with if a Madlanga arises.

 

[Lupus]

With this thing....

View attachment 1902712

Yup, sometimes it's on the right

 

[Neuk_]

SA has too many 4-way stops. They are ridiculous.

The other thing is this, you should tailor your driving to No 1, safety and defensive driving. That means that sometimes you must tailor to the way other people drive, as long as you don't make things unsafe, within reason. If everyone there is treating the mini circle as a large circle, treat it that way too, don't do sudden stops which could get your rear ended. Of course adjust behaviour if it will likely cause you to be hit by another car.

There are certain lanes and yellow markings which at rush hour get used as turn lanes and the yellow islands get occupied by vehicles making right turns ahead. This is strictly not legal but the locals do it. Don't be the ahole and now follow the 'law' and potentially cause accidents as you stick out. The cops know this happens in those areas and don't dare fine anyone. It would cause chaos. On the other hand at non-rush hour the same area is treated legalistically. Adapt and sometimes adopt based on the situation.

I have to agree and disagree, agree that one should drive safely and not endanger oneself or others but disagree in joining in on all the lawlessness on our roads, especially because the 'locals' are doing it. One reason that Africa is in the state it is in, is because of the 'locals' getting away with whatever they want to do...

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

traffic circles are tricky in SA, people dont yield anyway, or just drive through not checking who is indicating where or indeed observing anything.

 

[Jan van Riebeeckstad]

Full speed ahead

 

[HumanShield]

1, 4, 7

 

[naughty001]

........... The so called traffic police are indolent extortion artists.

there was a time when they only wanted R20 (around 30 to 40 years ago) - now its a big bucket of KFC and a 2 litre coke per person ..... and they always move in groups too

 

[Neuk_]

People don't understand circles. End of point. The only rule is. Voorgee van regs. After that nothing else matter

You are 100% correct, people don't understand circles, you inadvertently proved that yourself 'Voorgee van regs' is only applicable at traffic circles/roundabouts, it doesn't apply at mini circles, where the rule is whomever is first to the yield line has right of way.

 

[Mirai]

ANC-EFF thievery and murder should only be dealt with if a Madlanga arises.

You prove my point despite trying to be clever.

Because you claim, minor road infractions which result in no consequences are the same as thievery and murder.

But if you're policing minor BS, in a resource limited setting, you have to police more serious things less.

 

[Mirai]

I have to agree and disagree, agree that one should drive safely and not endanger oneself or others but disagree in joining in on all the lawlessness on our roads, especially because the 'locals' are doing it. One reason that Africa is in the state it is in, is because of the 'locals' getting away with whatever they want to do...

That's a category error.

You're saying lead by example.

But when your example endangers people, it's not leading by good example, but creating an example which increases hazard and impedes the smooth flow of traffic.

Being adult and having judgment means you adapt to the driving situation.

That does not mean drive recklessly or dangerously and not what I suggested, but if others are bending the rules, eg nudging in, or using a right shoulder to turn before it forms a lane, to help ease congestion, the risk to safety here is ZERO, but by being different one is potentially causing hazards where one stands out from the way other people drive in the given scenario.

SA roads are not always necessarily reckless. Sometimes people do drive more sensibly and sometimes it's the blue collar people who do that better than the small business SUV brigade who judge morality by road politeness.

Predictability > technical correctness. That's a key principle of defensive driving.

 

[Mirai]

People don't understand circles. End of point. The only rule is. Voorgee van regs. After that nothing else matter

OK, people don't understand circles. So now what...?

Drive defensively and carefully.

But some misunderstandings are minor issues. It's best to adapt one's style to each driving situation while still being extra careful, rather than say -- it's my right to go if I do this, so I will force my way through and have an accident and then I'm out the car in the middle of a round about and maybe I'll get driven over by another reckless driver.

Some people don't understand how the world works.

If the world was perfect, we wouldn't even be driving. We'd be using flying cars or all work from home or some such.
All disease and all problems would be fixed, if people all 'understood'. But the world is not perfect. Best is to be adult here and adapt. And not honk or flash either. It's not worth it to worsen any hot situation as the case of the recent road rage shooting shows.

 

[The_MAC]

When entering or exiting a roundabout (traffic circle), how do you typically indicate?
For argument's sake, assume a four-exit circle.

First exit (left turn):

1. Signal left only​

2. Don't indicate at all​

​

Second exit (straight):

3. Indicate right when entering, left when exiting​

4. Only indicate left when exiting​

5. Indicate right when entering, and keep it on until exit​

6. Don't indicate at all​

​

Third exit or beyond (right turn):

7. Signal right when entering, left when exiting​

8. Signal right when entering, keep it on until you exit (no left signal)​

9. Do not signal when entering, but signal left when exiting​

10. Signal left before entering​

11. Don’t signal at all​

1,4,7

 

[Neuk_]

That's a category error.

You're saying lead by example.

But when your example endangers people, it's not leading by good example, but creating an example which increases hazard and impedes the smooth flow of traffic.

Being adult and having judgment means you adapt to the driving situation.

That does not mean drive recklessly or dangerously and not what I suggested, but if others are bending the rules, eg nudging in, or using a right shoulder to turn before it forms a lane, to help ease congestion, the risk to safety here is ZERO, but by being different one is potentially causing hazards where one stands out from the way other people drive in the given scenario.

SA roads are not always necessarily reckless. Sometimes people do drive more sensibly and sometimes it's the blue collar people who do that better than the small business SUV brigade who judge morality by road politeness.

Predictability > technical correctness. That's a key principle of defensive driving.

We'll have to agree to disagree, following the rules of the road when others aren't does not inherently endanger anyone, nor does being 'different' potentially cause hazards. I and many others are perfectly capable of being predictable and safe while following the rules of the road while others aren't.