As much as it is taught in driving schools and that the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) strives to remind drivers how to drive correctly through them, roundabouts are the weak point of a large part of the users behind the wheel. Entering wrong, not respecting the signs once inside and, as if that were not enough, getting out of them in any way. These are just some of the most common roundabout mistakes. A pending issue for drivers that can have serious consequences.
More than 7,000 accidents with victims, which include 61 deaths and 433 seriously injured, in roundabouts, according to the data handled by the DGT for 2020. A good part of them, one in three drivers, due to the fact that they committed some of the main offenses that usually occur within these spaces on the road.
Many drivers commit traffic violations at roundabouts, which puts both their own safety and that of other road users at risk. One of the most common has to do with driving on them with excessive speed. Specifically, 8% of those involved in traffic accidents in roundabouts had committed this offence. The DGT recalls that these kinds of sections are not designed to be traveled at high speeds. The circulation of the rest of the vehicles is interrupted, preventing incorporations or lane changes, and may force them to invade other lanes to control the vehicle that is going too fast. All this is a breeding ground for accidents to occur.
Another mistake in roundabouts has to do with not respecting the minimum safety distance that must be maintained between vehicles. This is essential, especially on a road as concentrated as a roundabout, from which cars continually enter, change lanes and exit. At any time there can be a failure or an oversight, so it is essential to have room for maneuver to be able to respond adequately and safely. And for that a minimum safety distance is needed.
And the most classic and frequent offense, often due to ignorance, consists in not respecting priority. Many drivers are not clear on this matter: vehicles that circulate within the roundabout have priority over those that enter, unless a sign specifies otherwise. The incorporation will be made when no other vehicles pass and the right lane is free. Once there, drive in the lane that is most convenient, but if the exit will be one of the first, the outside lane is preferable. Something fundamental is that the transition from an inside lane to the outside must be done progressively and always signaling with turn signals. Once there, you can leave the roundabout, never directly from an inside lane.
