Despite roundabouts proving to be a safer alternative to traffic intersections, a resident is calling for more "explicit" rules because too many motorists are using them on their own terms.
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Wagga has a total of 53 roundabouts and only seven are the responsibility of the NSW Roads and Maritime Services.
Resident Janice Lowing said roundabouts are "fantastic", but drivers have not been fully instructed about how to use them.
"I think they're fantastic, if they are used correctly, but the biggest problem here is that everyone has their own ideas about how to use them," she said.
"My understanding is that the give way to the right rule doesn't exist and that roundabouts act as a give way.
"It's not really clear and the rule states that whoever is on the roundabout gives right of way to avoid a collision; but that's very broad."
Ms Lowing said the rules are too broad and called for straight forward instructions.
"There's all these different rules, but it still doesn't tell you who has right of way and so people think they have right of way," she said.
"I think the RMS needs to give explicit instructions that aren't just there to avoid an accident.
"There needs to be more signs, like slow down and stop if necessary and I'm of the opinion that all Australian states and territories should have the same road rules."
The resident labelled the double roundabouts at Dobney Avenue and Pearson Street, which involves four exits including Bunnings, as a "total hair raiser" and condemned the decision by a former Wagga councillor.
"Apart from being confusing, it's outright dangerous; it's a shocker," Ms Lowing said.
Wagga City Council said the 'double roundabout' is being investigated for alternative treatments as part of the upgrading of the Glenfield Road and Pearson Street corridor.
"This $17.5 million major corridor project will occur over many years and involves individual projects that will progressively improve the movement of traffic along this section of road, such as road duplication, bridge duplication and intersection treatments," said manager technical and strategy Peter Ross.
"Projects which have the greatest impact on traffic movement improvement will be undertaken first.
"More detailed traffic modelling will be undertaken in the future to assess the best options for the Dobney Avenue/Pearson Street intersection in consultation with the RMS."
Crash data from the Centre for Road Safety between 2013 and 2018, showed three reported accidents at the roundabouts and another four within 20 metres of that intersection.
Mr Ross said of the three at the roundabouts, one was at the northern intersection near Bunnings and the other two were at the southern intersection.
"There are more than 20,000 traffic movements through this section of road each day, the accident rate is relatively low," he said.
Local driving instructor Paul Dawson said people should not be confused at roundabouts and treat them as give way signs.
"It's a give way situation and if there's a vehicle already on the roundabout, you must give way to it whatever direction they are going in," Mr Dawson said.
"The biggest thing that I find, if that if you set up early and get good vision and observe other vehicles before they enter, you can time your entry so can cause the least amount of confliction with other vehicles.
"You can plan better and look for entry and exits to the roundabouts, if you prepare a lot earlier."
Mr Dawson noticed that many drivers fail to indicate when they exit the roundabout.
"If you're going straight ahead and whatever lane you're in, you much indicate left when exiting the roundabout," he said.
"Drivers need to be more careful with their signalling to completely inform other drivers."
Mr Dawson said Wagga motorists need to be mindful of other cars when using smaller roundabouts and a reminder that strip outlining the roundabout, is still part of the roundabout.
Why roundabouts and not traffic intersections?
Mr Dawson said roundabouts act as a calming device that directs traffic and are a much cheaper option.
"Roundabouts are sustainable and require zero maintenance," he said.
"At traffic lights, people are very robotic, but when they fail people get confused and a lot of people don't understand and instead panic.
"Roundabouts allow the population traffic to continue unabated."
Although Mr Dawson thought roundabouts were a good option, he disapproved council owned roundabouts.
"What I find a bit annoying is the council trying to beautify the roundabouts with plants; they're not nanna's gardens, and it can block some vision," he said.
According to the NSW Centre for Road Safety, roundabouts have a better safety performance than intersections for several reasons:
- The shape of a roundabout creates fewer conflict points for traffic.
- The slower speed of vehicles approaching and circulating reduces the risk of a crash and the severity of a crash if one occurs.
- Drivers slow down to give way to other vehicles on the roundabout when entering, meaning they will stop in necessary to avoid a collision.
- Roundabouts simplify decision-making for drivers as they only need to be concerned with traffic already on the roundabout.
Centre for Road Safety executive director Bernard Carlton said motorists are required to slow down or stop to give way to any vehicle already on the roundabout.
"Roundabouts are shown to have a very high safety performance, and as such are often installed at intersections," Mr Carlton said.
"They remove the risk of oncoming traffic striking a vehicle attempting to make a turn across lanes of traffic."
This week, April 8-14, is Road Rules Awareness Week.
Here are the consequences for failing to correctly roundabout:
Drivers failing to comply with road rules on roundabouts can incur a $337 fine and three demerit points.
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