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

Lum

On huge multi lane roundabouts the choice of indicating does get more interesting.

When it's the type where you get in the correct lane at the start and you are then carried directly to your exit, it may be appropriate not to indicate, in order to distinguish yourself from the person who has just realised they are in the wrong lane and needs to change lanes.

There comes a point where a roundabout stops being a roundabout and starts being a small one-way system, for example this monstrosity. People are regularly making lane changes on it, partly due to inconsistent signage and partly because you get through it 5-10 minutes faster at busy times if you know where all the choke points and slow sections are. If the car in front of you to one side is signalling you can reasonably expect them to be cutting in front of you soon, rather than just telling you which exit they actually intend to take.

jase1

All perfectly true, however these are the exception rather than the rule.

There is one roundabout on the A167 in the north of Durham city which is fast-moving and with lots of exits. There are two lanes all the way around, and every so often there is a blundering idiot going all the way around -- sometimes a complete circle to come back on themselves -- in the left hand lane.

I have personally seen four occasions where another vehicle has had to brake hard to avoid one of these numpties, one of which was a lorry. I've also seen at least two occasions where someone has pulled out in front of one of these drivers. I've very nearly done it myself, but had a last-second "she's not turning off -- ANCHORS!!!" moment.

It seems particularly common on this roundabout, despite very clear road markings and signposts everywhere telling folk to use the left lane for left turns only.

Lum

I don't know the roundabout in question, and it seems like yet another exception, but perhaps you could get into the left lane immediately after the exit before the one you plan on using, which would reduce the risk of such conflicts. At that point you are using it for a left turn.

So basically it's Coventry ring road rules.

jase1

I tend to do just that (on the exits that are single-lane anyway -- there are a mixture of dual and single carriageways) but some don't, and in fairness there isn't much of a gap between some of the exits either.

It's one of those systems where you really have to be quite pushy to get anywhere, so people not following the rules really don't help.

zagfles

reeac wrote: »

I'm having some difficulty in understanding your first para. but I think that you mean "going around a roundabout in the LH lane" but then you say that other drivers who are in the RH lane who want to exit will be faced with a problem as there is already a car in the LH lane. Surely thay will move into the LH lane either in front of or behind that car ..why the collision hazard?

Because some roundabouts have 2-lane exits! Why do you think roundabouts have 2-lane exits if everyone has to be in the left lane to exit??

You also seem to think roundabout lanes are always concentric rings. They aren't. Often the left lane goes off at the next exit. See the example Alexis posted. If you took the left lane there when you weren't sure where you were going, you'd be one of the numpties who'd have to follow the red line, changing lanes and cutting up traffic! Whereas if you took the right lane the worst that would happen is you'd have to go once round the roundabout.

skivenov

Lum wrote: »

On huge multi lane roundabouts the choice of indicating does get more interesting.

When it's the type where you get in the correct lane at the start and you are then carried directly to your exit, it may be appropriate not to indicate, in order to distinguish yourself from the person who has just realised they are in the wrong lane and needs to change lanes.

There comes a point where a roundabout stops being a roundabout and starts being a small one-way system, for example this monstrosity. People are regularly making lane changes on it, partly due to inconsistent signage and partly because you get through it 5-10 minutes faster at busy times if you know where all the choke points and slow sections are. If the car in front of you to one side is signalling you can reasonably expect them to be cutting in front of you soon, rather than just telling you which exit they actually intend to take.

I'll see you that and raise you this
http://goo.gl/maps/EOikc

zagfles

Lum wrote: »

Rank's complaint was about drivers not indicating when he is trying to cross as a pedestrian.

I personally count pedestrians as road users, and thus your statement is correct, but a lot of drivers only seem to apply your statement to road users with wheels*.

*They probably also apply it to road users with tracks, but still manage to ignore users of wheelchairs, mobility scooters, and probably bikes too half the time

Yes, I nearly got run over by some numpty turning left without indicating as I was crossing the road she was turning into. Her excuse was she was in a filter lane and cars had to turn left there (straight on was buses only), but HTF was I supposed to know that, I couldn't see the road markings/signs from where I was!

Lum

skivenov wrote: »

I'll see you that and raise you this
http://goo.gl/maps/EOikc

Ahh the Magic Roundabout. There's one in Hemel Hempstead made out of 6 rather than 5.

I actually quite like it, if you go anticlockwise around it it's less congested and you get priority when it comes to time to take your exit.

reeac

jase1 wrote: »

Wow.

So here it is, reeac doesn't think indication is correct when traversing a roundabout.

No wonder there are so many near-misses on UK roundabouts.

I think maybe that you're saying that drivers should indicate because they are going round a roundabout even when they're not changing lanes. Do you apply the same rules on the open road? e.g. indicate a RH turn when the road bends around to the right?

NBLondon

... about whether and when it is advice or law

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_070338

Paras 185 to 187.

To summarise, if reeac is a cyclist or a horse-rider, they are correct - para 187 point 5 says

cyclists and horse riders who may stay in the left-hand lane and signal right if they intend to continue round the roundabout. Allow them to do so

If they are not, they are ignoring para 187 Point 2

In all cases watch out for and give plenty of room to

• traffic crossing in front of you on the roundabout, especially vehicles intending to leave by the next exit

Para 184 Point 1 and 2 is also useful...

On approaching a roundabout take notice and act on all the information available to you, including traffic signs, traffic lights and lane markings which direct you into the correct lane. You should

• use Mirrors – Signal – Manoeuvre at all stages
• decide as early as possible which exit you need to take

So if you don't know which exit you want or which lane to be in; it's your responsibility to be extra careful!