Roundabouts, does inside lane have priority onto it's left lane?

[Deleted User]

Usually school run mums in mumtrucks cut across from the left lane to the right lane then back again when they want to go straight ahead instead of staying in the left lane.

PasturesNew

If in doubt, keep going round until you've got a clear run at it.... or, boot it.

londonTiger

Foxy-Stoat wrote: »

Roundabouts = split liability

Best try to avoid hitting someone to be on the safe side. I see terrible driving on the 3 roundabouts every single day when I drive to work and back. I always assume no one has seen me, no one has the slightest idea how a roundabout works and ignore all signals.

Good luck !

thanks, bloody insurers, dont want to spend man hours investigating these things so they just go for split liability.

Lum

The most important rule is to never be alongside another car on the roundabout if you can possibly help it. Though it's difficult on very busy roundabouts.

Get that down and then exiting the roundabout becomes a lot easier.

If it's a multi-lane, non-spiral roundabout then you may also want to consider making a lane change once part way around rather than trying to exit directly from Lane 2. It's hard to be any more specific without a google maps link to the roundabout in question.

londonTiger

Lum wrote: »

The most important rule is to never be alongside another car on the roundabout if you can possibly help it. Though it's difficult on very busy roundabouts.

Get that down and then exiting the roundabout becomes a lot easier.

If it's a multi-lane, non-spiral roundabout then you may also want to consider making a lane change once part way around rather than trying to exit directly from Lane 2. It's hard to be any more specific without a google maps link to the roundabout in question.

yes that's what i do. the problem comes when some other drivers stick on the inside lane with no intnetion to turn left on the next exit. The other day I was at a roundabout turning right, i positioned myself in the right lane. the car on the left lane was also doing the same turn as me. He stayed in the left lane all throughout the roundabout. Those drivers are the ones who give me problems because they can be a real hazard, especially when exits only have one lane.

They create problems because you don;t get a chance to slip onto the outside lanes because they're always there beside you through the whole route around the roundabout. It would help a lot if by law the car on the inside lane had priority to shift out to the left lane, that way the cars on the outside lane would be more considerate

fivetide

NBLondon wrote: »

I see plenty - look at this one.

I approach in the right hand lane of the slip road because I am leaving by the 3rd exit at 3 o'clock position. At least once a fortnight I see someone approach in the left lane and then accelerate around the outside of the curve to take the same exit. There are 2 lanes at that exit so even though I want to exit in lane 1 ready to turn left, I can escape into lane 2.

Good practical example of why there isn't a definitive roundabout. No lanes marked but clearly room for more than one car.

These are the worst a lot of time as it's hard enough for some people to maintain lane discipline when they actually have white lines to drive in.

5t.

reeac

londonTiger wrote: »

Bit nervy sometimes on roundabouts, a lot of the times when im on the inside line or right(er) lane and I have to go on the left(er) lane to position myself for the exit, I'd indicate left and the car on the inside wont slow down or give me a large enough gap for me to feel confident about slipping onto the lane.

A lot of the times on very small roundabouts you can't actually see the car clearly from your wing mirror.

Just wondering what the DVLA/insurance rule are on this. If I need to drop to the left lane for my exit, and do so in as safe of a manner but the car on the inside lane does not slow down and collides into me whose at fault?

A "fail-safe" technique if, for example, you're unfamiliar with the area, the signs are written on the tarmac and obscured by dense traffic or the approach signs mention only local destinations rather than major ones is to keep in the left lane until you see a likely exit. This may annoy the local experts who use the roundabout every day and so know where they want to go but so what?

System

londonTiger wrote: »

They create problems because you don;t get a chance to slip onto the outside lanes because they're always there beside you through the whole route around the roundabout.

You therefore adjust your speed to drop in behind them

skivenov

zagfles wrote: »

If you can't see the car in your wing mirror then they're probably not adjusted properly. You shouldn't have a blind spot. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBj89kyTvWo (it's American but the same applies, just swap left & right!)

Perhaps right on the mirror adjustment. But, all vehicles have blind spots. If you don't believe me, sit in your car looking at your nearside mirror and get a friend to stand by your nsr bumper, and walk to a spot about 2/3 feet left of your mirror. Notice the amount of space they cover between leaving your mirror and appearing in a part of your passenger window that you'd maturally notice when looking at the mirror.

fred7777

londonTiger wrote: »

but the car on the inside lane does not slow down and collides into me whose at fault?

I would have thought that this would be similar to any other changing lanes situation. You only change lanes if there is space and it is safe to do so. In the event of an accident the car changing lanes is usually liable.