Roundabouts Halloween....

[tdubya211]

Hi

My daughter is due to take her test in a couple of weeks time. In every sense, she is ready with the instructors agreement for the test. However, she does have a particular problem with one roundabout which fills her with fear resulting in missing several opportunities to move out. I

Are there any tips in terms of breaking down the fears of roundabouts that anyone can offer please that might help.

If it helps, this is the roundabout in question. It can get quite fearce with traffic streaming down from the dual carriageways and the nearby shopping area.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=maypole ... m&t=h&z=18

[martine]

Make sure she's ready to go by having the car set-up (clutch just below the biting point) and hand on handbrake. Look further up the stream of traffic to her right for potential gaps...sometimes a view across the roundabout is useful. Get her to look for cars coming off at the previous exit which will in affect block other vehicles from entering for a few secs...this should create a gap for her.

But most importantly be patient...if it's a truly busy roundabout then the examiner will not mark her down for waiting and waiting. It's only of a large gap is not taken would she be deemed 'hesitant'. Remember the examiner is looking above all else, for a safe drive.

[ROG]

Sometimes the opportunity will appear and THEN the learner has to do the mirror and blind spot checks .... TOO LATE .... opportunity missed !!

SOLUTION - Whilst waiting keep checking mirrors and blind spot

Many keep looking at the traffic which is blocking them from getting out - it seems to be fascinating for some unknown reason

[Horse]

Avoiding 'creeping' forwards.

Get a position just back from the give way line, and stay there until there really is a decent gap - creeping will reduce view and remove acceleration space.

Timing: When there is a gap, identify it, then start to roll ready to merge into the gap as it 'passes' IYSWIM. Keeping back and not creeping gives more time for this roll-merge.

[IVORTHE DRIVER]

Following on from "horse" above, it can be difficult for a learner to "hang back" as most of their training has probably had them stopping on the line, then looking, when in reality they need to give themselves more time if it is a busy r/bout.

Easy for us to say, harder for the leaner to get their head round without panicking.

Even long time drivers still seem unable to watch the traffic flow on r/bouts in any logical order, watching only those closest to them and not anticipating other exits to assist them, you see a truck entering from 2 or 3 exits prior to yours and you can reasobnably expect a gap to appear in traffic from your immediate right.

Don't fancy the job of explaining that to a nervous learner!

Hang back, be patient seems good to me, but "roll and merge" is a little bit advanced don't you think?

[zadocbrown]

Are there any tips in terms of breaking down the fears of roundabouts that anyone can offer please that might help.

There are 2 main skills to work on:

a) being able to move off, consistantly, smartly but under control
b) judgement of speed and distance, and anticipating the movements of traffic*

Each can be practiced seperately - the first on an empty stretch of road, the second with you driving but your daughter making the decisions (subject to your veto!). Then put it back together and repeat until it gets easier.

The fear will be due to lack of confidence in one or both of these aspects - polish up on these and the fear will usually go away.

* Try to make the decision at least a couple of seconds before the gap arrives - obvious, but sometimes people forget!

[fungus]

it can be difficult for a learner to "hang back" as most of their training has probably had them stopping on the line, then looking,

I hope not. They should be ecouraged to get the speed down and start looking early, taking information across the roundabout, assessing traffic flow if possible, ie. will any of those on the roundabout close the gate to my right, which may allow them to see the gap before they can see fully to the right.

The advice to hang back is good advice as it also allows them to position for view, especially if lane two has traffic right up to the line. They can then position so as to get a view between two vehicles.

[daz6215]

You could also try sitting somewhere close to a roundabout and simply observing the traffic, get her to identify gaps and to try and predict what others might do with the pressure off!

[hanse cronje]

take her down there and just spend whatever time is needed to get it right using all exits,
if she is at test standard then any time of day will do.