All the way round roundabouts ???

Car_54

lister wrote: »

Being slightly pendantic for accurancy, a mini-roundabout may have a painted centre, indeed will usually have a painted centre, but doesn't have to have one.

I know of plenty with low built up centres, but are clearly marked as mini-roundabouts by their nice blue mini-roundabout sign (the defining characteristic of whether it is a mini or not).

The sign is NOT the defining characteristic - that is here https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/561491/mini-roundabouts-report.pdf


In particular:
"The central road marking is either flush orslightly raised as a dome3(no more than125mm), in order that it can be driven over bylarger vehicles that are physically incapableof manoeuvring around it. The dome is alsoraised to discourage vehicles from drivingover the central island4.Three white arrowsare painted on the carriageway, within thegyratory area, around the central roadmarking, showing the direction of circulation."


Incorrect signage is very common, there are several examples around here.

Herzlos

If you can make it round in a single swing then no issue.
If you need to reverse to get round a roundabout you're going to cause all sorts of problems.

I do similar, turn left out of school a d then U-turn on a small proper roundabout to point the way I want, because turning right can take forever.

ic

I think the problem here is that people waiting to join the roundabout are not anticipating the possibility that people indicating right could be doing a 180o turn (and likewise those people turning are intollerant of somebody not realising they're doing a "rare" manoeuvre), or people doing that turn aren't actually indicating.

To answer the question, yes they can do 180o. I'm not aware of anything specified you can't do a full 360o, though I expect insurers would take a dim view of somebody doing that if there was an accident.

I recognise the location in the picture - its on a huge retail park, just outside the country's biggest Ikea in Warrington (here). I imagine there are lots of people either lost, or as described above making easier left turns on to the road then doubling back on themselves when the estate is busy.

prowla

So long as people indicate correctly there shouldn't be any confusion.

facade

ic wrote: »

I recognise the location in the picture - its on a huge retail park, just outside the country's biggest Ikea in Warrington (here). I imagine there are lots of people either lost, or as described above making easier left turns on to the road then doubling back on themselves when the estate is busy.

If you come out of Boots, you cannot turn right it is a "left turn only" so you would have to do a U turn at the island, but you can see how everyone coming from M&S would expect you to be turning right, because of the shape of the junction.


Contrary to what I said in post #11, a mini roundabout outside Boots would help you turn right at Boots if most of the traffic is coming from M&S, but it would cause a tailback into M&S.

Ergates

Mgman1965 wrote: »

I've seen this cause several near misses and seems a risky manoeuvre.

Sounds like the near misses are caused by people not properly paying attention, rather than people doing 180s on the roundabout.

DaveF327

prowla wrote: »

So long as people indicate correctly there shouldn't be any confusion.

That, and as long as people go all the way around the circle, instead of cutting across it, or even worse, turning early before even reaching the circle.


The picture showing the bent railings seem to suggest that folk are making swift and unexpected u-turns before even reaching the circle!