Well done girls for highlighting the problems on the bypass. For the record all driving instructors do teach roundabout procedure and safe driving for life. Unfortunately, we have no control over what drivers do after passing. Sadly, too many people either forget, don't keep up to date, or simply don't care!

Everyone in the workplace has to to regular training and refresher training, but when it comes to driving a killing machine there is one test and nothing else for the rest of your life. There is nothing wrong in taking some driving skills refresher training.

It is because the roundabouts were built for lorry drivers - not car drivers.

They are okay from a lorry driver's view point - they can see the layout better -
how much curvature there is etc.

But from the car driver's point of view it is very difficult.

The direction boards before each roundabout give very poor indication as to some of the roads coming off - especially in the dark e.g. the Orton Road going east into the city/ the Peter Lane turning on the Moorhouse Road.

And if there is an accident - where is the alternative route..........

Come on people it ain't rocket science!! I've been cut off myself by people going all the way round the outside of the roundabout.
You can look it up if you're unsure:- http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_070338

Only in Carlisle could people be confused by Roundabouts.....damn the new fangled roads!!!!!

So, if driving standards are bad, who has taught these bad habits? Might be that Carlisle driving instructors need to have a look at themselves first before considering setting up advanced courses on anything.
The other point would be that the signage and road markings at jct 44 don't make sense, very much an accident waiting to happen until it's fixed.

@ Regular Driver / Hate Bunnyhoppers:

FYI Rule 168 of Highway code states "if being overtaken you must maintain a steady course and speed, slowing down if necessary to let the vehicle pass. Never obstruct drivers who wish to pass. Speeding up or driving unpredictably while someone is overtaking you is dangerous. Drop back to maintain a two-second gap if someone overtakes and pulls into the gap in front of you".

Hate Bunnyhoppers: if you are speeding up when being overtaken (one of my pet hates) then YOU could end up facing charges for dangerous driving, or death by dangerous driving - so be warned.

@Stellar at 01.36: I do leave a gap - for my own safety. Not for someone to force their way in, thereby making me execute what amounts to an emergency stop.

The reasons I have no intention of overtaking are 1) I can see the line of traffic ahead of me stretching away into the distance (all moving at the same constant speed) 2) I can see the oncoming traffic.

A large part of the problem seems to be that many believe the ability to drive fast and carry out a risky overtaking manoeuvre while not getting killed means they are good drivers.

While I would not agree with Hate Bunny Hoppers (09.34) I have been sorely tempted to do as they suggest. Instead, I merely grit my teeth and utter a few expletives as my car decelerates from 50-60 to 20 in the space of a few yards in order that someone can squeeze in ahead of me, narrowly avoiding the oncoming car (that's flashing its headlamps as a warning) before they go and do exactly the same again. Why risk your life and that of others for the sake of a few seconds? Just one good reason, please.

the 12oclock rule is generally the right thing to do but people need to be sure that they look at the signs and road markings. The roundabouts at Asda and Jct 43 work a bit differently if you read the signs and it's only a matter of time before someone has a major accident. I drive carefully because I assume I'm going to be cut up.

I agree about the "bunny-hoppers" The A595 is particularly notorious for drivers trying to edge their way down traffice queues by putting other drivers at risk. I think more people should do what i do and speed up to prevent them from getting in. Dangerous I know, but it might make people think twice about doing it if they are nearly caught out by it. I will continue to do it in the hope people learn

Where are the official accident rates to support this. Is their a regional graph to show driving in Cumbria is worse than anywhere else drivers? Yes, I agree with Regular driver that driving standards are seemingly bad but how about some figures from those enforcing standards or policing. If fatalities is included then the north-east seem to be frequently reporting more serious accidents than Cumbria.

I'm a driver, pedestrian, cyclist and frequent dog walker and see on occasion bad response to "other road users" almost daily with my fellow (non-car) neighbors commenting about cars jumping pelican lights. I see mostly young to middle age drivers driving cars ( brand new and old) going down our one-way street the wrongway that obviously was'nt taught by any trained driving instructor, which have been highly trained. Many other factors already mentioned but many good drivers are able to 'read road and conditions.' My eldest son added once about Italian driving as I suggested he drove to work in Firenze to Treviso. Dad, " Do you want me dead in the way they drive." He kept to trains. I recall once I seeing a goods wagon being driven overtaking on Sicilian roads coming towards me as I braked fast to give a margin of safety. It was far worse than standards on the A66! Then how about German drivers on their autobahn as I recall they had traffic police with lollypops to slow speeders down. Ups!

In regard CNDR (please say 'Bypass' as police control room didn't know where I was talking about when reporting....) I think they should have dizzy signs with all those roundabouts but then I'll get used to them soon ......