Infuriating. Drivers who do a U-turn on mini-roundabout.
Picture the scene. I’m driving home from work through a busy village which neighbours my own. It’s around 4:45pm on a freezing cold January winter’s evening - it’s very dark and gloomy, with snow & ice still on the road.
I approach a mini-roundabout and give way to traffic on my right, as as most of us tend to do. After a few cars have gone the coast is clear to my right and I begin to pull away, all okay, no problems here.
But then I hit the brakes!
A driver to the left of me has totally ignored me and pulled out to turn right… or so I think. Nope. This driver, completes a U-turn and effectively cuts across me. I’m not happy, sound my horn, as you do, spurt out some expletives, as you do, shake my head, as you do and go on my way.
A really terrible mock-up to help picture the scene (not the real roundabout, actually a lot smaller)
Though before I properly get going, the ‘offending’ lady gives me a real dirty look, spurts out some expletives, as you do – and even finds time to give me an impressive hand gesture (that’s twice in so many days! Check this here, do you think someone’s trying to tell me something?!)
Seconds later I hear a huffy noise from the passenger seat. Yes, it’s the noise only a wife could make when travelling as a passenger in her husband’s car. “Darling, I don’t think there was any need for that do you?” she mutters in a condescending tone, as only a wife can do.
“Well, it’s f****ing illegal, that’s what!” I reply, kinda taking my frustrations out on her, almost like she had metamorphosised into the driver of the other vehicle!
“Actually Darling, I don’t know if it is actually illegal.”
So, not knowing whether who was in the right/wrong – it got me thinking. Is it actually illegal to do a 360 degrees U-turn at a mini-roundabout? So, when I got home, I did a little research and, to my complete dismay, it isn’t actually illegal!! Para 188 of The Highway Code states:
Mini-roundabouts. Approach these in the same way as normal roundabouts. All vehicles MUST pass round the central markings except large vehicles which are physically incapable of doing so. Remember, there is less space to manoeuvre and less time to signal. Avoid making U-turns at mini-roundabouts. Beware of others doing this.
Avoid? Avoid? You gotta be joking, right?! I think I’d prefer this text to be replaced with:
Mini-roundabouts etc etc – You’d have to be f***ing mad to make a U-turn at a mini-roundabout. And if you see some stupid idiot doing this, report them to the police for driving without due care and attention!
Seriously though, the mini-roundabout where the ‘near miss’ happened, is as small as they come. There’s not enough room to use it normally let alone 360-it! And, although this woman was indicating (congrats for that), she was going at a fair speed, way too fast to take the roundabout safely, especially in the icy conditions.
You see, one good thing has come out of today’s near miss. I will be on the look out for more MRUTTs (Mini-Roundabout U-Turn Tossers) in the future.
Though this next statements sounds a bit ridiculous, now I know it’s not illegal, I’m going to be more prepared for it. And having read this article, hopefully you will too. Drive safely folks!
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