Low mileage car insurance and roundabout safety

Low mileage car insurance holders are likely to come across a roundabout on their journey, even if they only drive a short distance, because the UK road system includes a large number of these aids to traffic flow.

In 2010, figures for the Buckinghamshire town of Milton Keynes revealed that it had around 130 roundabouts, so, even on relatively short motoring trip, drivers will probably have to cross at the very least a mini roundabout.

There are two main issues when approaching a roundabout – these are indicating and observation.

If a driver does not signal correctly, or forgets to signal altogether, this could send the wrong message to other traffic.

If surrounding motorists do not realise that the driver intends to leave the roundabout at a certain exit, then this could cause confusion amongst those already on the roundabout and those trying to get on to it.

Misunderstandings on roundabouts can lead to car crashes. Making sure to signal appropriately and at the correct time could mean the difference between reaching a destination safely and suffering an injury.

Similarly, the position a driver takes on approach to a roundabout should also tell other motorists where they intend to go – lane mistakes do have the potential to cause an accident as drivers try to swerve into an appropriate lane once negotiating the roundabout.

If it is not safe to change lanes while on a roundabout, drivers should keep going around until there is a safe gap and they can signal their intention to move into it.

Observation is another key to staying safe on a roundabout. Low mileage drivers should not forget that they must give way to the right, that other motorists might be signalling incorrectly or be in the wrong lane and that mini roundabouts can also be hazardous despite their unthreatening appearance.

However on large, busy roundabouts there is usually a greater risk of collision due to their being so many other motorists to look out for.

A driver should, similarly to a pedestrian crossing the road, look both ways before entering a roundabout. They should be certain that there is enough of a gap in the traffic to join a lane safely. Not only should there be a gap to the right, there should be a space to the left to move into.

Importantly, when a driver thinks that there is a gap both ways, just before they enter the roundabout they should give the right side another look. They could be surprised to find that a speeding motorist has appeared, or a road user has moved into the free lane while indicating that they were about to do differently.

Finding low mileage car insurance
If you are a low mileage driver, then our cover could be well suited to your needs. To contact us regarding any questions, or to begin a low mileage car insurance policy, phone 0333 123 1308. Alternatively, to get a quote just click on the get a quote button on any page of the site.