The Tesco Roundabout - dream or nightmare?

In Gillingham, the Tesco roundabout is the biggest cause of grief for motorists, learners and experienced drivers alike.  It is actually not that difficult but to the novice driver, it can appear daunting at first approach and can cause mayhem.  This is not helped by drivers who don't know how to correctly navigate the roundabout (more of this later) and the poor way that the signs on the roundabout have been arranged.  For example, on approach from Gillingham, the roadside signs state that the only lane which can be used for the M2 is the right hand lane.  However, the roadsurface signs show that both the middle and right hand lanes can be used.   How can the simple motorist be expected to know which one is right? 

In addition, exit from the Tesco superstore shows the fourth exit to go to Sittingbourne; every other sign on the roundabout shows that exit to be for Rainham.  I know it is not actually wrong but wouldn't some consistency have been nice?  I cannot understand how signs like these can be messed up in this way.

Finally, the lane markings on approach to and round the roundabout have worn away, if they were ever there in the first place.  I appreciate that the inconvenience caused whilst they are repainted would be significant, the council seem sufficiently capable of causing inconvenience to the motorist currently - I'm sure this one wouldn't be beyond them.  I won't hold my breath though!


Emma
www.ashleyschoolofmotoring.co.uk

Reading the road...literally!

There are far too many road signs! We are inundated with them, sometimes having 3 or 4 signs indicating the same hazard, sometimes within 2 metres of each other. There is a real danger of information overload for drivers and important signs being missed because of unimportant ones.

It is an important ability in learnng to drive that we learn to read the road and that includes spotting hazards ourselves rather than relying on the authorities to tell us about them. For example, do I really need to know that the road on the left contains humps for 3/4 mile? If I am clever enough to use it as a short cut, then surely I can see the humps for myself? A silly example I know but there are many, many more. 

Emma

(www.ashleyschoolofmotoring.co.uk)

Welcome to my blog...

So this is a new venture for me and  for the driving school.  I shall be posting quirky things that happen whilst driving, not only to me but to my pupils as well (anonymously of course) and also opinions that I hold.  We all see examples of driving which beggar belief and I probably see more than most - I hope I don't commit too many myself.  I suspect this blog may contain the odd rant here and there about the way people drive as well.  As one of my ex-pupils said to me the other day "...there are some muppets on the road...".  How right he is!

So I hope you enjoy my blog :)

Emma
www.ashleyschoolofmotoring.co.uk