With reference to Adele’s Antics (Wimmera Mail-Times, July 27, 2012).
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I must agree with Adele that ‘Horsham drivers fail to understand how to use a roundabout’.
From that point on she couldn’t be more wrong and drivers who drive the way she says she does create appalling traffic snarls in our fair city.
The Wilson and Darlot streets roundabout is an absolute disaster and it shouldn’t be.
If drivers used roundabouts properly, traffic would flow freely at all times.
An excerpt from VicRoads website on giving way at roundabouts: ‘Giving way when entering a roundabout, you must give way to any vehicle in the roundabout and any tram entering or approaching the roundabout. There is no requirement for vehicles to give way to pedestrians at roundabouts unless there are specific crossings provided’.
No mention of ‘Giving way to the right’.
We don’t have trams in Horsham, so the important phrase is ‘Give way to any vehicle in the roundabout’.
If a vehicle enters the roundabout on Adele’s left and is safely in the roundabout before she gets to it, she must give way to that vehicle.
So many people in Horsham drive up to roundabouts, stop, sit and wait for a vehicle to arrive on their right.
This leads to gridlock for whole blocks at a time, as no one enters the roundabout.
The rule is quite clear, if you can safely enter a roundabout, you should do so and keep the traffic flowing.
Sighting a vehicle some way back on your right is not a reason to stop as they do not have right of way as incorrectly stated by Adele.
I agree with Adele that Horsham drivers could use roundabouts much better and maintain traffic flow better, but let’s get the facts and rules right.
?Neil Smith
?Horsham