Wagga is known for many things.
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The city has a reputation for breeding great athletes, budding thespians and producing delicious food and wine.
We are also getting a reputation for having some of the state’s worst drivers.
Don’t act like you haven’t noticed.
There would be few motorists in Wagga who haven’t honked their horn, thrown their hands up in frustration or swerved to miss idiotic driving.
As residents, we are used to it.
Driving to work or to do the shopping often turns into a game of Mario Kart with the expert ducking and weaving required to avoid other vehicles.
And the worst offenders hover at roundabouts.
It’s like all we have ever learned about road rules or common decency go out the window and take the game from Mario Kart to Grand Theft Auto.
Even as long-term residents, it’s still astounding at just how many people either disregard the rules or are unaware on how to approach a roundabout.
And for a city with so many of them, it’s a dangerous game.
You don’t need two lanes to go through a roundabout, please just turn the steering wheel more.
Blinkers are operated by the sticks jutting out from near your steering wheel – use them.
And those who do attempt to flick on a blinker in the hopes of proving they know what they are doing often undo that hard work by using blinkers incorrectly.
There is no shame in brushing up on road rules.
In fact, we actively encourage it.
The changes to roundabout turning lanes hasn’t helped either.
In some cases, it’s not until you’re metres away from the roundabout that signs marked on the road alert you to the fact you’re unable to continue straight ahead.
Or that you’re in a left turn only lane.
But rather than make a last-minute dash to the other lane with no warning to other motorists, wouldn’t it be easier to continue on the path marked in the lane you’re already in?
Turn left if that’s what the signs indicate and then find an alternate way.
There’s more than one way to skin a cat and there’s certainly more than one way to your destination.