Pakenham woman Eleanor Carr, with grandson Julius Hart, wants motorists to take more care at a busy Main Street roundabout. Picture: Mike Richards.By Paul Dunlop
MOTORISTS in a muddle at Pakenham’s busiest roundabout make Eleanor Carr see red.
The intersection of John and Main streets is the gateway to Pakenham’s central business district and a focal point for pedestrians crossing the road.
It is also a traffic hotspot.
Mrs Carr said she was sick of being either almost run down or forced to “hover” at the intersection because her fellow drivers did not seem to know what to do.
The Pakenham woman has appealed for motorists to be more considerate.
“Some people, usually in big fourwheeldrives, think it’s their Godgiven right to just drive through it as if they, and they only, have right of way,” Mrs Carr said.
“Others just sit there and sit there.
“If you’re up to playing daredevil you can fight your way through or, if you don’t want your car smashed, you sit and wait and risk copping abuse from somebody behind you.”
Describing herself as a “frustrated motorist”, Mrs Carr said the first car to the roundabout had right of way.
She said many motorists mistakenly believed they had to give way to the right.
Mrs Carr said one act of hesitation often snowballed into a chain of near misses or sudden stop starts.
“It’s not that hard,” she said. “With the landscaping recently done in Main Street, people should have a clear view of the area.
“I’m just fed up with risking an accident every time I go through that roundabout.”
Officer driving instructor Charlie Hicks agreed the intersection was a hotspot but said the best remedy for residents was to use common sense.
He said motorists should choose caution over aggression.
“The bottom line is never to put yourself in danger of a collision,” Mr Hicks said.
VicRoads’ road rules require motorists entering a roundabout to give way to all vehicles already in the roundabout, and they should enter only when there is a safe gap in traffic.
