Theory Test Novel: Lorries, Roundabouts & Indicators

Looks like there is a hazard ahead, just as I predicted (aaahh, not really) when you know how to read the road and its multitude of signs the only real hazards are the less predictable human ones. But even these become easier to predict as your experience grows and you begin to recognise repeat patterns of behaviour in the body language of your fellow road users. Take this stationary hazard up ahead for instance (it’s a roundabout, didn’t you see the sign?) although the road is opening up into two lanes as we approach it the lorry in front of us is keeping to the left hand lane yet he has begun signalling to turn right. Well that’s a bit of a contradiction right? And you’re thinking that if he’s staying in the left hand lane then he probably intends going straight ahead at the roundabout, just like us, which gives you a small window of opportunity to take advantage of these two lanes and overtake him before we resume our single lane crawl behind him on the other side? If you were thinking that I wouldn’t blame you, once upon a time I would have been thinking the same, but then, I didn’t have an older and wiser me riding shotgun.
Let’s stay in this left hand lane behind him, I think, despite his lane positioning, his indicators are no mistake and that he fully intends taking the last exit off the roundabout which, if I am right, will solve our problem and leave the way clear for us to go straight ahead without the need for any risky overtaking. He’s slowing, Ok, hold back and see what he does... There, he IS going around to the right, but because he needs to manoeuvre a long vehicle he is using the full width of the roundabout to swing his trailer around which is why he kept to the left hand lane. Whenever in doubt about somebody elses intentions always hold back and wait to see what they do.

There’s one important thing to remember about using indicators as we come to the roundabout now, and this only applies when you intend going straight ahead, do not indicate until you are already going around, only then begin to indicate for your exit once you have passed the prior exit. That’s it, you got it, finally it looks like we have a clear run ahead of us...
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