Annoying roundabout habit

facade

jase1 wrote: »

The fact that the road signage explicitly prohibits joining the roundabout in the left lane (which is for left-turn only), which coupled with the fact that the right turn is only second exit, mandates the use of the inside/right lane up to the point where you pass the first exit.

Your 'solution' would involve ignoring the road signage.

How so?

The people from the first exit are turning left onto the DC, so they turn left (correctly) using the left lane of the roundabout to the left lane of the DC, you are in the right lane of the roundabout (correctly), so you enter the DC from the right lane of the roundabout, to the right lane of the DC.


So both of you can use the roundabout at the same time and traffic flows better.

jase1

facade wrote: »

How so?

The people from the first exit are turning left onto the DC, so they turn left (correctly) using the left lane of the roundabout to the left lane of the DC, you are in the right lane of the roundabout (correctly), so you enter the DC from the right lane of the roundabout, to the right lane of the DC.


So both of you can use the roundabout at the same time and traffic flows better.

That is fine, except that depending on where you need to go, you might have to be in the left lane as there is a left turn ahead.

I don't disagree that the person turning right staying in the right lane might make the traffic run more smoothly, but that doesn't give the person sat at the first exit the mandate to assume priority over the left hand lane... especially when there is no-one behind me and no-one behind them!

facade

I see what you mean now, you want the left DC lane to turn immediately.

Without seeing the actual roundabout I don't know, but likely I'd be cutting outwards into the outside lane whilst indicating left as I passed the first exit, so as to exit the roundabout from left lane to left lane, but it is an "unusual" manoeuvre on a small roundabout and would need a bit of care.

Round here "The council" write the destination on the road, so you can't tell which lane to be in in traffic, but if you actually get to see the lane markings you find that you are supposed to shift instantly sideways as you go round the island. (Which you can't do, because people entering from "in front" drive straight into it). This is basically the problem you are describing.

The locals of course simply ignore the labels and plough round in the lane that will bring them directly to their exit, forcing the tourists to give way.

Retrogamer

I was told when judging what turn off to take on a roundabout to use the signs to determine what lane to be in.
I.e if on the sign the lane was after 12 o'clock then you went into the right lane.
Obviously road markings with arrows / instructions on them supersede this.

stator

Did you signal left before you left the roundabout?

jase1

stator wrote: »

Did you signal left before you left the roundabout?

Yes. I always do.

Although in the cases I'm thinking of the other driver pulled out before I reached the bridge of the first exit, therefore not actually giving me time to either indicate or pull into the left-lane.

To be fair, if this had happened once, I would put it down to an honest mistake (and did the first time). It's when it started happening a few times afterwards that it started to annoy, and start to wonder if this is a deliberate act, and if so, what the thinking was behind it.

To be clear, at no point was anyone in danger of colliding (apart from the one who then tried to plant themselves into the side of my car a few yards later -- God only knows what she was thinking) -- but this was no thanks to the other driver.

jase1

Retrogamer wrote: »

I was told when judging what turn off to take on a roundabout to use the signs to determine what lane to be in.
I.e if on the sign the lane was after 12 o'clock then you went into the right lane.
Obviously road markings with arrows / instructions on them supersede this.

That is my understanding as well.

dannyrst

If there are no road markings and you have to be in the right lane to go straight, it would make sense for you to stay right until you have exited the roundabout and the move over safely if you need the left lane.

Traffic flow will be much better that way.

jase1

dannyrst wrote: »

If there are no road markings and you have to be in the right lane to go straight, it would make sense for you to stay right until you have exited the roundabout and the move over safely if you need the left lane.

Traffic flow will be much better that way.

To reiterate: yes, I accept the point (and I often do remain in the right-hand lane if the traffic is heavy for just this reason).

What I am objecting to is, on a relatively quiet road, someone just pushing in and assuming I'll stay out of their way.

This really is no different to someone pulling out in front of you at any roundabout, and frankly is careless driving. The one and only difference is that I have a get-out to avoid having to slam on the brakes.