Turning right in the left lane?

purpleparrotuk

I travel most mornings to work using the a4146 to Milton Keynes. Can someone please clarify why cars in the left lane always turn right in the left lane at the round about below?

Surely the left lane goes to the first and second exit only. Why would you go to the the third exit in the left lane. Cars do this every morning and I don't understand why????? Why do the roundabout signs not show all the exits anyway?

Road Sign 1

https://www.instantstreetview.com/@51.967829,-0.728802,318.95h,-0.74p,0.57z

Road sign 2

https://www.instantstreetview.com/@51.968704,-0.72908,338.84h,-5.28p,1z

Roundabout

https://www.instantstreetview.com/@51.9713,-0.729991,319.17h,-1.11p,0.35z

EssexExile

Because the queue in the right hand lane is longer?

The signs seem to show all the exits.

purpleparrotuk

EssexExile wrote: »

Because the queue in the right hand lane is longer?

The signs seem to show all the exits.

Sorry I mean the signs don't show where all the exits go.

The lanes are not busy at the time and some idiots even move across to the left lane to turn right!

Strider590

It's because they're staying on the A4146 and think that the LH lane is correct to go "straight on". They're wrong, but these idiots do exist.

If you street view around that roundabout there's even a hearse doing it.

In the absence of road markings or signs, the highway code general rule applies, where anything beyond 12 o'clock should be RH lane.


People do the same thing here:
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.2819649,-2.1649844,3a,75y,329.51h,82.14t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sz6EH12toLRlXh7F6k-RZ_g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

The road was designed to allow access to the industrial estate from the LH lane, but many people will happily go all the way around the roundabout from the LH lane. Even the damn Google street view car did it......

The stupid thing is, if the LH lane were for straight on then !!!!!! would the RH lane be for??????

iammumtoone

because there are no road markings on the approach to indicate which lane(s) are for which turnings.

You are right turning right you should approach on the right hand lane but with the absence of road markings people must be reading that as any approach lane is acceptable.

Regulars on that route who did use the right hand lane probably got fed up with having to merge with those on the left upon exit, they decided to join them!

purpleparrotuk

All the Milton Keynes roundabouts are stupid. This is Kelly's kitchen roundabout a bit further on from the other one

Who is supposed to be in what lane here? What the heck are those dashed lines supposed to be? Even though the lanes have roads marked on them when going around it's always a deathrap in rush hour.

https://www.instantstreetview.com/@51.99225,-0.700808,354.75h,-36.01p,0.35z

iammumtoone

correct lane is dictated by the arrows on the approach road,

Dashed lines are to direct traffic in the right hand lane into the relevant lane round the roundabout, presumably to keep them from drifting into cars which are in the left lane going in the same direction.

EssexExile

purpleparrotuk wrote: »

Sorry I mean the signs don't show where all the exits go.

Big green signs only show major destinations.

JP1978

When I was learning to drive and then subsequently passed and drove my dad everywhere for his work (for experience) he always had me using the left hand lane to turn right when it was 2 lanes to 2 lanes AND there was no road markings other wise. (when it was a simple 2 exit r/b - Left and right, no straight on exit)

I kinda agree with the reasoning why but thinking about it, if this was the correct way, what is stopping someone doing the exact opposite when turning left and then what happens if people wanted to do it at the same time?

So, I guess now, unless signed or marked as allowed, right lane for right, left lane for left.

forgotmyname

On my journey home from work a dual carriageway opened to 3 lanes for one roundabout.

1st exit a shopping complex, 2nd exit took you around the rear of the complex and to some industrial units and also a through route to a parallel road, 3rd exit the dual carriageway continues.

My brain read this layout as right hand lane straight on and take the 3rd exit onto the RHL, or double back on oneself.
Middle lane 2nd exit and also the 3rd exit onto the LHL.
Left hand lane to the shopping complex, or boy racers who wanted the 2nd exit.

Left 2 lanes fighting over the roadspace to take the 2nd exit was a daily thing. What always puzzled me though is the people who used the RHD to approach the roundabout then switch to the middle lane, but then they wanted the RHL on the roundabout itself. Usually too late i was there already and always made your i got ahead so they could see me.

One thing i watch for is the road name/number. If its a dual carriage way approaching and 2 lanes on the roundabout and 2 lanes exiting then no matter how many exits or how far around the exit was you use both lanes unless marked otherwise.
Even if you pass 3 other smaller exits and the continuation of the road is 270 degrees around.

deaston

purpleparrotuk wrote: »

I travel most mornings to work using the a4146 to Milton Keynes. Can someone please clarify why cars in the left lane always turn right in the left lane at the round about below?

Surely the left lane goes to the first and second exit only. Why would you go to the the third exit in the left lane. Cars do this every morning and I don't understand why????? Why do the roundabout signs not show all the exits anyway?

Road Sign 1

https://www.instantstreetview.com/@51.967829,-0.728802,318.95h,-0.74p,0.57z

I know that roundabout and you're right - it seems normal to turn right in the left lane.

The roads and driving etiquette in that whole area is odd. I've got a few clients in the MK and Leighton Buzzard area and drive there quite often. This is where I experience most of the speeding and general disregard for the highway code.

A lot of the A4146 and A505 is very wide and I routinely witness cars overtaking by just driving at speed down the middle of the road forcing oncoming traffic to move right to the edge of the road.

Like this: https://www.instantstreetview.com/@51.900739,-0.567194,76.83h,-2.96p,2z

I was overtaken recently in a 30 zone around Dunstable by a quad bike with no plates where the rider had no helmet.