[Closed] Hazards light while using a roundabout?

Nope. Hazards are only for when stationary. e.g. you've broken down and causing an obstruction.

Edit - nick's point is true. also allowed on motorways to warn of a hazard up ahead.

Hazards while moving is only allowed on dual carriage-way or m-way to indicate stationary traffic ahead

It's a bloody stupid idea for exactly the reason described above. I reckon people doing u-turns at roundabouts show no indicators more often than right indicators, I don't know why they find it hard to understand that they're still turning right.

Hazards are rarely used well imo.

There is a convention for lorries putting them on when they are about to do a dodgy manoeuvre, usually a reverse with a turn. Not aware of a roundabout thing.

Putting them on because you are parked illegally seems to be a standard. When driving past it just looks like you about to pull out.

Someone will be along to point out that indicators on is only a sign that the bulb is working and you should ignore it until they actually turn but it'd take ages to get anywhere in a busy city. Best you can do is look for other clues imo

Of course it's the wrong thing to do on a roundabout. Offers zero information about what you're about to do to other road users. Unless the information is 'I'm about to do something dumb'.

they'd probably been on since the driver double parked outside a chippy or something

Unless the information is ‘I’m about to do something dumb’.

Haha, hazards are the usual giveaway for "I'm doing something stupid and possibly/probably illegal, but if I've got my hazards on, then it's somehow ok..."

Hazards on a roundabout! Sounds like he needs retraining like many drivers on the road. He should perform that manoeuvre very slowly to account for it not be usual that way he can stop in time. I wonder if you had been in a car what would have happened. T boned you no doubt.

To paraphrase and combine some posters STW users - nearly half of drivers are of below average intelligence so expect them to do something dangerous at any time.

I wouldn’t personally move on to a mini roundabout with another motorist at any time as I don’t trust them.

Edit:
@nickjb- I think often the problem is that these people offer no clues as use of indicators and other lights is random at best and their position in the road is also so variable you can anticipate anything they do.

Excellent. Though I may be missing something.

Obv they were driving a massive 4x4 to.

Just throwing a curve ball in here. Many modern cars will switch on the hazards on if the driver brakes at force and/or it detects a possible collision.

MCJnr has a driving test booked in January - taking him out for practice has reminded me how rubbish most of us are at correctly signalling on roundabouts, including me.

I find that the rules of roundabout discipline seem lost on mini-roundabouts i.e. drivers seem to forget who has priority.

just throwing a curve ball in here. Many modern cars will switch on the hazards on if the driver brakes at force and/or it detects a possible collision.

Out of interest Drac, have you experienced this in your VWs? I have tried very hard in both that we own with this function and cannot get them to activate.

I've triggered the auto hazard warning lights in my C-estate. You have to brake from a reasonable speed and have buried the pedal so that it also kicks in the brake-assist. It's a maneuver I wouldn't want to repeat, and certainly not with anything following me.

I find that the rules of roundabout discipline seem lost on mini-roundabouts i.e. drivers seem to forget who has priority.

The driver did have priority. Mistake was assuming they would turn left just because they where indicating (or not).

Hazards have their use around here. "I'm too entitled and superior to park in the HUGE car park above the supermarket so I'm just letting everybody know that I know that I'm on double yellows and there's **** all anybody can do about it"...

He should perform that manoeuvre very slowly to account for it not be usual that way he can stop in time

I can think if a fair few roundabouts where the U-turn is the most common maneouvre. Joining the edinburgh bypass being my nearest one. You give way to people on roundabouts you should be prepared to stop for someone on the roundabout not the other way round (beyond the standard requirement to be prepared to stop to avoid crashing obviously).

Hazards lights to do it is moronic though. You can do it safely with proper indication and road placement to advertise what you are up to pretty easily.

You're not supposed to do u turns on mini roundabouts but don't know how that would work if a collision occurred.

Ah i actually missed the mini roundabout bit. I'm pretty sure you still have to give way though.

Is the accepted standard not just to ignore min roundabouts and treat the like massive freeforalls?

I think the most likely explanation is the guy had been stationary with his hazards on and some point previously and has pulled away with them still on without realising. You wouldn’t deliberately  turn your hazards on to try and indicate any kind of manoeuvre other then slowing or stopping where it would be unexpected.

Is the accepted standard not just to ignore min roundabouts and treat the like massive freeforalls?

That's what I find - the "give way to the right" rule doesn't seem to apply to the mini version of roundabouts.

That’s what I find – the “give way to the right” rule doesn’t seem to apply to the mini version of roundabouts.

Folks treat them like US intersections (without the stopping bit). First on the roundabout has right of way.

I generally am very cautious of indicators. We have a very nasty junction from a country lane onto an A road near here with 60mph traffic nose to tail during rush hour. I never trust an indicator.

OP was the car approaching at speed? If so the 'hard braking/stability control = hazards' would be my guess, a paramedic friend who drives the fast response cars finds them a real pain as they over-ride the indicators.
I've had them come on once but I was having fun at the time in an Alfa so maybe it was just breaking down again.

You give way to people on roundabouts you should be prepared to stop for someone on the roundabout not the other way round (beyond the standard requirement to be prepared to stop to avoid crashing obviously).

I agree. However when performing the manouver I think it would be silly not to do it slowly incase another road user pulls out thinking you are turning off*. The same applies when crossing a one way street - look both ways just in case.

*You dont have to signal when exiting a mini roundabout only your origional intented direction - eg signal right at the junction not left when you are going to leave on a full RA which causes further problems.

As my driving instructor said years ago - a flashing indicator only shows the bulb is working correctly don't assume the operator of the vehicle is doing the same.

Out of interest Drac, have you experienced this in your VWs?

Only once when someone pulled out in front of me at the last minute, I didn’t have my hazards on and I wasn’t indicating either.

Yes mini roundabouts you’re supposed to wait until they’re clear, assuming someone is turning left should only be done if there’s room anyway.  It does sound like there may have been two drivers here making mistakes.

Yeah maybe the hazards came on as a result of hard braking/collision avoidance. Think it was a ranage rover so probably has the tech.

It was slow speed though and they were mid turn to accelerating into the centre.

You are dead right though should have waited until it was clear before I join the roundabout. They defo had a left indicator on though but turned right.

I have learned my lesson:)

We all make mistakes.

RNP’s driving instructors has it right I think.

As for the brake activated hazards it seems from the responses there is a big difference between trying to brake heavily and having to to brake heavily.

As a motorcyclist, I would always wait for the driver to commit - the indication gives me an idea and I can prepare but would never proceed until certain.

On the flip side, I accidentally failed to cancel my left indicator while riding through town recently (easily done on a motorbike) and approaching a junction the car waiting to pull out made a slight move to pull out but then held beck - it was only after I had passed the junction did I release my error. Fair play to the car driver - he/she obviously read my intentions correctly and didn't just trust the incorrect left signal.

As Drac says, we all make mistakes.