Roundabouts

messes

While there are no compulsory road markings on the OP's roundabout. The left lane appears to naturally angle to exit C, while the right lane naturally lines up with the single lane towards D.


Personally if traffic permitted on that example I would have taken lane 2 to exit D. Then if clear moved across to the left after C to take D. The highway code now says to take the appropriate lane if no road markings.


As there are no markings Car 2 could take exit C, but it's reasonable to expect them to ensure they weren't in conflict when doing so. Waiting until Car 1 had committed to the exit before committing themselves.

IamNotAllowedToUseMyName

Actually, going back to the original post, the mistake people are making is in viewing it as if the road alignment make it a sort of straight on, and that as it is two lanes to two lanes it isn't a left turn really.

However, when you look at the road wear, you can see that really our protagonists are entering from a side road and the dual exit is not provided for the benefit of those entering at A but for those entering on the previous dual carriageway before A.

The road alignment is poor, and it seems people are assuming that the left turn from the right lane is acceptable because the alignment make it look like a straight on. If the roundabout angles were changed so that all the roads were at right angles, I don't anyone would suggest that can left turn from a right lane was acceptable. Is not acceptable because of the conflict, not because of the angle.

I would suggest that because of the alignment, the roundabout should have lane markings, as approaching drivers may genuinely assess the junction as being a straight on with a missing left turn and some bonus right turns.

It looks like there is construction work.

If there were no lane markings then it might be worth a complaint to the Highways Agency or local Council that the layout requires them due to the non-standard alignment.

forgotmyname

I wonder how many people that said exit D is not straight on indicate right when actually going straight on?

IamNotAllowedToUseMyName

forgotmyname wrote: »

I wonder how many people that said exit D is not straight on indicate right when actually going straight on?

Again, the principle of counting exits is a better guide to a clear signal than physical position, though I think it requires thought rather than strict rules to signal correctly.

I suspect if I was a regular user of that roundabout that I'd start adopting the right hand lane for straight on, just because it is to tempting for drivers in heavy traffic to assume that everyone in the left lane is turning left so aggressive and thoughtless drivers are likely to try something like the original scenario. Defensive driving, being in the left lane to go to the second exit perfectly proper but you are exposed. I suspect that people who know the junction would learn what usually happens.

RumRat

There seems to be a few on here that drive around my local roundabout (with M6 Access)!!
You soon learn that there is a very large minority of drivers who have no idea how to negotiate a roundabout. I approach all roundabouts defensively now, expecting some idiot to suddenly turn across several lanes because they had positioned themselves totally wrong or they were using the lane with least traffic in to steal a few yards.:eek:

robatwork

There's lots of opinion in here making a simple situation complicated.

Exit D is straight ahead as opposed to L or R. There are 2 lanes coming into the roundabout. D has 2 lanes to exit. Hence both lanes are correct for taking exit D. L lane is for taking exit C or D. R lane is for taking exit D or "E".

Easy.

AdrianC

robatwork wrote: »

D has 2 lanes to exit.

Umm, no, it doesn't.

arcon5

In terms of liability in the even of a collision I don't see how car 2 would be able to turn the tables by pushing for joint liability. Yet insurance companies never amaze me!

Nodding_Donkey

If both cars are with the same insurance company then a 50/50 decision is almost inevitable. This allows them to clobber both NCB's.

Iceweasel

There's a whole load of wrong assumptions being made in this thread as well as bad habits coming out.


First off, I don't get this 'straight on' concept at all as that implies that for some God given reason you have priority to somehow 'continue' on the road you approached the roundabout on.


The whole point of a roundabout is that all exits have equal priority as per the recommendations / advice in the Highway Code.


The UK is pretty poor in that not every approach road has lane arrows and is backed up with a vertical sign on a post at the roadside.


If there are only lane marking painted on the road surface, in heavy traffic you haven't a clue as to which lane is correct.


Driving according to the Highway Code is no guarantee that you will get it right as in many towns the Highway 'Engineers' just do what they think is correct - for no obvious reason.


This means that the locals know exactly which lane they should be in from experience and local knowledge.


However all hell is let loose when along comes a visitor who hasn't a clue how many lanes are going to be on the unseen far side of a roundabout and certainly doesn't know what the local roundabout procedure is.


Without clear lane instructions it's just a recipe for disaster!


My attitude now is to approach all roundabouts very defensively.