Using a turn signal in a roundabout is essential, but far too many motorists make the same mistake.
Arriving at a roundabout can be quite stressful for many motorists. The flow of vehicles in a roundabout direction, most of the time offering three or four different exits to road users, requires decisions to be made within a fairly short period of time to fit properly into the line of cars and then exit. . To help users anticipate the direction taken by other vehicles in a roundabout, the use of turn signals is essential. Unfortunately, a certain number of motorists neglect the use of this light signaling device. And among those who use it, many make a mistake.
It must be said that over time, we forget certain good practices learned when passing our driving license. This is undoubtedly why it is quite common to observe quite different behaviors around a roundabout. Among the mistakes made, one comes up particularly often. It concerns vehicles which wish to take the opposite exit, in other words those which wish to continue straight. For example, what do you do when you want to go straight into a roundabout? Do you take the right lane, the left lane, activate the right turn signal, the left one?
Too often drivers activate their left indicator when entering the roundabout and then activate the right indicator when they exit. However, this is not what the Highway Code stipulates. When a motorist decides to go straight, at no time should he put on his indicator when entering the roundabout. And it is once after having passed the first exit, or even the second if there are two on the right, that he must activate his right indicator to indicate that he is preparing to leave the roundabout. In the same vein, a car going straight in a roundabout must take the right lane, the left lane being reserved for vehicles going three-quarters of the way around the roundabout or making a U-turn (this are also the ones who must put on their left indicator when entering the roundabout).
The main purpose of turn signals is to warn other road users that the driver plans to turn left or right, change lanes or overtake. By using turn signals correctly, drivers can communicate effectively with others on the road, contributing to safety and smooth traffic flow. Failure to use a turn signal is also an offense punishable by the Highway Code. It is characterized by a 2nd class fine, i.e. a fine of 35 euros reduced to 22 euros in the event of payment within 15 or 30 days and up to 75 euros if payment exceeds 45 or 60 days. It is accompanied by a deduction of 3 points on the driving license.