In Switzerland the pedestrains have right of way on the roads. Full stop. (Which oddly enough is what you have to do if you are not being observant).
In Spain they have sets of 'redundant' traffic lights. No junction. Just lights. If you are speeding a little way before them, they turn to red and hold you there - to make it faster to go through the town at the correct speed than it is to break the limit.
As a cyclist, I am horrified by the way that a signifcant number of the cycling contingent behave on the roads. I hope that this doesn't mean that they can do exactly as they want at road junctions. But they probably will. "You should have anticipated that they would do something stupid sir." It applies to kids on the pavement, why not cyclists.
I have cycled nearly all of my life and always felt confident in traffic, but I have recently become quite frightened of going out on the roads on a push bike. There's a lot of aggressive behaviour towards cyclists out there. So at the moment I am a covid-free garage 'Zwift' cyclist. Everyone has right of way everywhere in Zwift world. If another cyclist gets in the way you just ride through them. I worried that that may become the norm when they all return from their garages onto the open roads !
The rule about roundabouts is an odd one to justify, I think. I follow the correct motor vehicle line if turning right at a roundabout. I'm in left-hand-side-of-the-road UK, so we go round that is 3/4 of the way round, clockwise) . Signal early, keep right arm out, move out, occupy the centre of my right hand lane until I know the car coming from behind has slowed and I know has seen me, and then follow the centre lane round until I need to get across to the outside, and put left arm out in good time, and look behind at the driver behind to make sure he is not going to pass on my left. Eye contact with the traffic approaching the roundabout on my left. (It is amazing what a difference the eye contact stare makes as to whether or not they ignore you - it works on the motorbike too).
The new rule allows them to go around the outside of the roundabout, which is a very vulnerable position - especially on a two lane roundabout. If you stay on the outside lane on approach, you then have to worry about the vehicles taking an earlier exit from the outside / right hand lane who will drive straight into your right hand side.
But for a vehicle wanting to enter a roundabout as you are about to go across the front of them, they simply cannot see you. They look and will pull out. From their perspective there is nothing there, because you are hidden behind the wide quarter-light strut in that position. And as you continue forward and they continue forward, you remain hidden by the widscreen post - until you are almost on their bonnet.
If I ever dare get back on the road again, I will not be following that suggestion.
If I ever dare get back on the road again I'm going to have to learn how to corner, 'cos at present I can do the downhill alpine pass hairpins at 50mph without leaning over ! It felt really weird the first few days that I did it.
