Roundabout driving habits hard to break

The new roundabout laws have been in for two months - but it seems many drivers still don't know what they are. Kristin Edge explains.
Many Bay drivers are not so crash hot at signalling their intentions at roundabouts.
That's according to Land Transport New Zealand, which has spoken out on the issue because it says new signalling requirements introduced under road user rules in February are still not clear to many people.
TNZ Bay of Plenty and Waikato manager Glenn Bunting said while the rules were straightforward, there was some concern over drivers not indicating where they were travelling on roundabouts.
Nationally, about three people are killed each year and 265 are injured in roundabout accidents.
Between 2000 and 2004 there have been 537 injury and non-injury crashes at roundabouts in the Western Bay of Plenty.
"The rules are simple and aimed at reducing the number of accidents on roundabouts," Mr Bunting said.
The rules say before entering a roundabout, drivers should signal left, if leaving the roundabout at the first exit.
If drivers are going more than half way around, they should indicate right.
A driver intending to go straight ahead should not signal at all on entry.
But in all cases when leaving a roundabout, drivers should signal left as they pass the exit before the one they intend to take.
Drivers had expressed some concern that signalling for three seconds when leaving a roundabout was impossible due to the small size of most roundabouts.
Mr Bunting clarified the situation by saying drivers must signal as the pass the exit before the one they intended to take.
"There is no requirement to indicate for three seconds when exiting ," he said.
The Road User Rule stated drivers must signal on exit - "if practicable". Police enforcing the roundabout rule would generally make an exception for drivers who found they were unable to indicate at all if the roundabout was too small.
Police are also warning motorists travelling on the Tauranga side of the Kaimai Range to heed the temporary speed signs - or be fined.
Strategic Traffic Unit Senior Sergeant Ian Campion said sections of the highway had been placed under temporary 70kmh speed restrictions due to the road's dangerous surface, especially in wet weather.
Mr Campion said the temporary speeds signs had been up for about a month but some motorists were ignoring them. "The temporary speed restrictions are in place for safety and police will enforce them," Mr Campion said.