Question about a roundabout

PasturesNew

I've never heard of any 180 degrees rule before this posting. If it's a 4-exit roundabout and it's a single carriageway the other side and there are no signs/painted markings on the road to indicate otherwise, then it's:
- left lane to go left
- left lane to go straight over
- right hand lane to go right.

The link above, to the Highway Code, seems to completely omit the instructions for a bog standard 4-part roundabout.

mark5

I have a similar roundabout near where I live at Junction 44 of the M4, I always take the right hand lane when leaving the m4 westbound as do most regular users of the road however you do see the occasional car cutting accross from the left, which is probably correct but doesnt work with the lay out of this roundabout.

Quiet_Life

neilmcl wrote: »

I'm sorry but you would in no way fail your driving test by entering the roundabout in the right-hand lane to take the 2nd exit, unless directed otherwise by roadsigns.

Well in the company that I work for [ a very large UK company], anyone driving for the company has to do an annual assessent and they are marked down for taking the right hand lane when going staight on.. the assessment is by external examiners.

Quiet_Life

At the end of the day,

"This is the story of Albert Jay
Who died maintaining the right of way
He was right, dead right
As he drove along,
But he's just as dead
As if he'd been wrong"
Anon

Mankysteve

Left hand lane for that one unless road marking indicate otherwise

Allthough the high way code doesn't state which but this is what i was taught and it should work, better for other road users.

VoucherMan

I don't normally join in but in this case -

For those who say the Highway Code link doesn't say what to do when going straight- you just need to read a bit further down



When taking any intermediate exit, unless signs or markings indicate otherwise

• select the appropriate lane on approach to the roundabout
• you should not normally need to signal on approach
• stay in this lane until you need to alter course to exit the roundabout
• signal left after you have passed the exit before the one you want

Hintza

Was this subject not flogged to death a couple of months ago?

Same arguments.

I think at the end of the day a bit of common sense is required. If everyone followed the stay in left lane theory (or the right lane) and it was a busy road then the traffic could get backed up very quickly. Whilst using both lanes would double the throughput of the roundabout.

DCFC79

scotsman4th wrote: »

In the absence of road markings/arrows telling you, I dont think any of the 2 are wrong BUT I would also use the left lane.
Just out of interest, do they indicate right then indicate left after the 1st exit? (something else thats been discussed before lol, I wouldnt).

other drivers dont indicate, i have on a few occaisons indicated right when on the roundabout then indicate left just before the red exit but clearly thats wrong, other drivers in front use the left lane to take the same exit as me

the182guy

Hintza wrote: »

Was this subject not flogged to death a couple of months ago?

Same arguments.

I think at the end of the day a bit of common sense is required. If everyone followed the stay in left lane theory (or the right lane) and it was a busy road then the traffic could get backed up very quickly. Whilst using both lanes would double the throughput of the roundabout.

And more than double the chances of an accident. Two streams of traffic entering the roundabout from the same entrance in two lanes trying to get into the same single lane exit.

This is exactly what causes the cutting up on the roundabout near me, some people can't be bothered to wait in the correct lane so they fly past the traffic by going in the right lane and cut someone up when they take the exit.

flyingscotno1

the182guy wrote: »

And more than double the chances of an accident. Two streams of traffic entering the roundabout from the same entrance in two lanes trying to get into the same single lane exit.

This is exactly what causes the cutting up on the roundabout near me, some people can't be bothered to wait in the correct lane so they fly past the traffic by going in the right lane and cut someone up when they take the exit.

Not really double the chance- increased accident risk but if it is not marked out- nobody is right nor wrong. That is why you check mirrors on exit and merge if necessary.

If it concerns the OP, the best course of action is to contact your council / roads authority and ask them to mark it properly- no argument then!

I did the above and contacted the council here over a roundabout that had the same layout- traffic in two lanes and it often queued which caused problems. Asked them to mark it, told them why and even how I felt it should be done- and it was done so (almost using my exact words) within a month.