Stupid Canberra Drivers 1000001

The exit from Woden shops opposite the police station had a similar change made a little while ago, allowing people to turn right from the left lane where they’d been unable to do so previously. After witnessing a couple of near misses, I decided to stick to the right lane for a couple of months to give the regular users a chance to figure out what was going on (unless I was first in line in the left lane, in which case I just took off quickly enough to ensure that I stayed in clear view of the driver to my right).

So yeah, people don’t adjust to change well. A “Changed Traffic Conditions” sign would definitely help, though.

Mysteryman said :

JC said :

Keijidosha said :

As for the accidents caused by the new lane markings, I can sympathise with those involved as I have a habit of promptly moving into the left lane when turning right onto a dual carriageway to allow impatient drivers to pass.

Do you do this without looking? That’s the only way an accident can happen in this situation.

EXACTLY. Head check EVERY TIME. I don’t care how good a driver you think you are, you aren’t that good if you don’t observe your surroundings.

Fair call, and yes I do check before changing lanes. However there have been times where I have performed this manouver only to find that the impatient driver behind me has loaded up through the intersection and tried to round me up on the outside. To clarify, I am sympathetic to the innocent parties in these accidents. 😉

JC said :

Keijidosha said :

As for the accidents caused by the new lane markings, I can sympathise with those involved as I have a habit of promptly moving into the left lane when turning right onto a dual carriageway to allow impatient drivers to pass.

Do you do this without looking? That’s the only way an accident can happen in this situation.

EXACTLY. Head check EVERY TIME. I don’t care how good a driver you think you are, you aren’t that good if you don’t observe your surroundings.

I drove through that intersection a few weeks back and immediately noticed the changes. I guess I’m in the small minority of drivers who actually pay attention to what’s going on around me. I think being a motorcyclist has a lot to do with it.

Keijidosha said :

As for the accidents caused by the new lane markings, I can sympathise with those involved as I have a habit of promptly moving into the left lane when turning right onto a dual carriageway to allow impatient drivers to pass.

Fuggem! Take your time, indicate and shoulder check before you change (correctly) into the LH lane. I’d be surprised if anyone (from my observation) was behind you in that scenario anyway! Anyone would think the rule here was to simply charge into the LH lane.

tonkatuff82 said :

The actual problem isn’t the new road changes, it’s that most morons haven’t removed their heads from their bums before taking to the road. Bit hard to see the changes when you’re wearing your lower colon as a hat

One thing the olden (and golden) days of rallying (secret route . . . none of this recce and pace notes stuff the kids of today use) taught you was to always be alert and to drive the road as you see it. That means that, even if you travel the same road day in day out, you will immediately see any change (such as this) and respond accordingly. It’s an extension of the skill that enables you to arrive at a blind crest, at night, on gravel, at eleventy seventy million miles an hour and, no matter which way the road jinks over the top, you can always negotiate it safely (so at 60 km, on tarmac, in broad daylight, stuff like this change is a doddle).

Keijidosha said :

As for the accidents caused by the new lane markings, I can sympathise with those involved as I have a habit of promptly moving into the left lane when turning right onto a dual carriageway to allow impatient drivers to pass.

Do you do this without looking? That’s the only way an accident can happen in this situation.

thatsnotme said :

I may have just missed it, but is there any type of ‘new traffic arrangements’ sign before the intersection? I know that when I went through, there were other cars already at the intersection, parked on top of the new turn markers on the road. It wasn’t until I got into the intersection that I had a chance to see the new dashes on the road, and finally figured out that things had changed.

Quite stupidly there were no changed condition signs, not that people would take notice anyway. As for the turn markings they go back quite a way down Ginninderra drive, so to not see them would mean one hell of a queue of cars.

Inappropriate said :

To be fair, they just upped and changed the intersection without any signs or indications that it’s happen. Most people are just driving along in ‘auto-pilot’ and doing what they’ve always done (doesn’t make it right however).

It’s took my a few goes through that intersection to realise that it had changed because mostly, there are cars all around you, so you can’t see the new arrows and guidelines.

I suppose that’s a point- in WA they will always put up signs saying ‘Road Layout Changed Ahead’. Not exactly hard to do this and then people really have no excuse.

I agree that this happens frequently Jim Jones… and unfortunately, it happens in roundabouts all the time too (exiting from a non exit lane etc). Highly problematic given the number of roundabouts here. One would think that people would get experienced and learn how to use them. Apparently not.

Jim Jones said :

And yes, it is worth noting that it is illegal to wander across lanes when you’re turning (despite the fact that this is common practice in Canberra). I’ve seen any number of accidents caused by people doing this.

Agreed. Staying in your lane is actually kinda important.

To be fair, they just upped and changed the intersection without any signs or indications that it’s happen. Most people are just driving along in ‘auto-pilot’ and doing what they’ve always done (doesn’t make it right however).

It’s took my a few goes through that intersection to realise that it had changed because mostly, there are cars all around you, so you can’t see the new arrows and guidelines.

And yes, it is worth noting that it is illegal to wander across lanes when you’re turning (despite the fact that this is common practice in Canberra). I’ve seen any number of accidents caused by people doing this.

I agree that the westbound lanes of Ginninderra Drive should have been marked to match the eastbound lanes. Uniformity would only reduce confusion about the new signal and turning lane arrangments.

As for the accidents caused by the new lane markings, I can sympathise with those involved as I have a habit of promptly moving into the left lane when turning right onto a dual carriageway to allow impatient drivers to pass.

“are people really that stupid that they cannot see that the road layout has changed”

Yes

The changes at that intersection surprised me the first time I went through over the weekend, travelling straight through using the middle lane. At first I thought the car ahead of me had just forgotten to turn his indicator off, until he actually did turn right.

I may have just missed it, but is there any type of ‘new traffic arrangements’ sign before the intersection? I know that when I went through, there were other cars already at the intersection, parked on top of the new turn markers on the road. It wasn’t until I got into the intersection that I had a chance to see the new dashes on the road, and finally figured out that things had changed.

The actual problem isn’t the new road changes, it’s that most morons haven’t removed their heads from their bums before taking to the road. Bit hard to see the changes when you’re wearing your lower colon as a hat