Adelaide drivers: Here’s the 10 things we hate about you

From the absolute chaos at the Britannia roundabout to the giant swoop to turn left, Jo Schulz ranks our pet peeves about Adelaide drivers. Take our poll and tell us what yours are.

Who knew Adelaide needed a group therapy session on the joint road rage we all were feeling about our fellow drivers? Well, I did.

Last week when I unleashed on everything making me angry about the city’s bad drivers, I opened a giant can of worms.

With 70 per cent agreeing Adelaide does have the worst drivers in Australia, the examples started piling up.

Buckle up, hold on to your seats and prepare for your second therapy session as I now compile the top 10 things we hate about Adelaide drivers.

Let the rage begin in three, two, one …

10. The Britannia roundabout spin cycle

Well this Google reviewer sums it up well with his one-star review: “Definitely not recommended to go there! Lots of people don’t know the rules to give way. Really dangerous place for all drivers.”

And as reader Robin points out: “It’s also required by law to indicate when leaving a roundabout. Usually with the left turn indicator. How much safer would the Britannia roundabout (as well as others) be if drivers calmly approached, entered and then correctly indicated their intention of leaving the roundabout. And, displaying just a little patience instead of barging through.”

MY ROAD RAGE LEVEL: 7/10

MY VERDICT: Reminds me of that time the Contiki bus driver launched our bus into the Arc de Triomphe roundabout in Paris. It was absolute chaos. Thank the driver gods I live south of the city and don’t go near Kent Town.

It’s not the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, but the Britannia roundabout is a “really dangerous place” for drivers. I’d recommend you avoid.

9. Caravans who don’t allow room to overtake

We don’t begrudge the grey nomads the life on the road towing their home away from home, frankly we are mostly jealous of your travels.

And we get sometimes towing that road beast means you can’t do the top speed limit.

But Toni-lee has nailed what riles us here:

“Caravans doing 70-80km/h on the highway that leave no room between them for overtaking. Oblivious to other road users … Needs to change”.

MY ROAD RAGE LEVEL: 7/10

MY VERDICT: I mostly find the older the driver, the more courteous. Don’t make me change my mind.

8. Not leaving space when it says keep clear

They couldn’t write the words bigger on the bitumen: KEEP CLEAR.

Generally it allows two-car distance, and it’s usually there to stop traffic from banking up at traffic lights to give clear passage to cars to turn into side roads.

Seems straightforward. Alas, Adelaide drivers find this a difficult concept to grasp and nine out of 10 think this does not apply to them. It does.

MY ROAD RAGE LEVEL: 7/10

MY VERDICT: I will literally do my block if you keep blocking these breaks in traffic out.

7. Inability to read the traffic ahead

How well do you “read” the traffic when driving?

Mario thinks a lot of you need a lot of work on people who cannot read the traffic lights ahead of them.

“(It’s been) green for some time so it will turn red soon but (they’re) driving slow. When they see it turning amber they speed up to get through but you get caught behind the traffic lights. If they did the speed limit, both of us would get through.”

MY ROAD RAGE LEVEL: 7/10

MY VERDICT: Mario sounds like a great driver. Be more like Mario.

6. Not moving for emergency vehicles

Failing to move out of the path of police or emergency vehicles is an actual offence, yet there seems to be much confusion about how to do this.

A courteous driver checks what’s needed to be done and moves out the way as well as leaves space to banked traffic to clear the way.

Do not be that guy (or gal) who continues through the green lights causing the ambulance to brake to avoid an accident with oncoming cars.

MY ROAD RAGE LEVEL: 8/10

MY VERDICT: Self awareness on the road. That is all.

TEST YOURSELF: ROAD RULES AUSSIES ARE BREAKING

5. Sudden speed up when trying to overtake

Reader Mario says this is one of his personal favourite road peeves – and I’d have to agree.

“It’s that moment when you change into the right lane to overtake because someone is driving 10km/h below the speed limit, and then they suddenly wake up and speed up to the limit.

“So now you are driving side-by-side – and you either have to speed to get ahead and return to the left lane or slow down to get back to the left behind them.”

MY ROAD RAGE LEVEL: 8/10

MY VERDICT: I call this tortoise and hare syndrome and there’s a plague of it among Adelaide drivers.

4. The giant swoop to turn left

I bet most of you can relate to reader Baz: “The big swoop to the opposite direction when turning drives me mad. It actually makes it harder to make a turn. Why do these people think they need two lanes to make a turn? Perhaps if they were trying to turn a semi-trailer into a very narrow road, it might be justified to help align the vehicle.”

But they aren’t in a truck, are they Baz? No, they are there to test our road rage’s patience.

MY ROAD RAGE LEVEL: 9/10

MY VERDICT: It sure seems like it’s magpie swooping season on Adelaide’s roads – year round. Stay in your lane, Adelaide.

3. Keep left unless overtaking

I’ll repeat this for those who missed the column – guess what Adelaide, those signs on freeways saying keep left unless overtaking are a road rule, not a suggestion.

“Those driving in the right lane when the speed zone is over 80km/h drives me bonkers!,” writes Leo.

Mrs C agrees: “Stuck behind a slow driver on a winding country road (think Yankalilla to Victor Harbor) then when you finally get a chance to overtake they SPEED UP!

MY ROAD RAGE LEVEL: 9/10

MY VERDICT: Again I say: Stay in your lane. The left one.

2. Highway rolling roadblock

Oh you know this one only too well.

Dan has encouraged me to maintain my rage and offered up this gem he calls the “rolling roadblock”. It’s when three drivers will cruise down the three-lane Anzac Highway all on 56km/h, side-by-side like a poor man’s Holden Precision Driving team at the Royal Show. “Except I’m sitting behind all three trying to travel at the legal 60km/h limit (yes I know it’s only a 4km/h difference but that’s three minutes of my life I can get back again not stuck in the car).”

MY ROAD RAGE LEVEL: 10/10

MY VERDICT: Leave it to those professional precision drivers – but get off our Highway.

1. The late or not at all indicator

This makes it to #1 because it makes my blood boil every single day on my commute into work as I enter West Tce from Anzac Hwy.

Drivers here think flicking on the indicator gives them the right to cross over three lanes in one fell swoop; not indicate at all and change lanes so recklessly they need to brake suddenly to prevent rear-ending the car in front, before casually moving on to tailgating.

MY ROAD RAGE LEVEL: 11/10

MY VERDICT: I bet these same drivers are also the people who stop suddenly with the trolley in the shopping aisle without “pulling over”. I’m going to need coffee, and lots of it.

Well, that top 10 is enough to enrage the best of us all over again.

So perhaps a final word from reader Michael:

“After a while you get used to the kinds of stupid things drivers in Adelaide do and can anticipate them. All good driving is about anticipation and reading the traffic and road ahead of you. I’d strongly advise not using the horn or the finger or anything like that. I used to do it a lot but after a scary encounter with a crazy driver one night I stopped. Just take a deep breath and drive on.”

Jo Schulz is digital editor at advertiser.com.au – you won’t spot her giving a courtesy wave in the rearview mirror until Adelaide drivers learn some better road manners.

Originally published as Adelaide drivers: Here’s the 10 things we hate about you