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Original poster

Roundabout question!

94 replies

NotMyCat · 02/10/2021 00:58

Because it's caused a lot of bickering and i drive over it twice a day and regularly have near misses. And it makes a change from parking

You're approaching this roundabout. There are 4 exits, and you're taking exit 2 which is at 11 on a clock (I marked the exit with a red arrow)
Which lane would you use?

There is a sign for the roundabout as you approach which just shows the exits and doesn't state left turn only or anything vaguely relating to exits

OP posts:

ErrolTheDragon · 02/10/2021 12:24

When you say '4 exits', is that including or in addition to the one you're coming in from?

Original poster

NotMyCat · 02/10/2021 12:25

@Ifailed

What does the road sign preceding the roundabout show?

I can't screen shot it as it has all the road info on and it's too much to blur out but it's literally a circle showing the exits and names of the roads No other info, and it's on a bend so you see the road sign, then a bend and then the roundabout

OP posts:

NoSquirrels · 02/10/2021 12:30

@DynastyBarry

If I knew the roundabout and the road markings , the right lane. If I was a visitor to the area and traffic was obscuring the road markings, I'd choose left.

There's one like it here where visitors don't realise until nearly on the roundabout. At rush hour they have to turn left as the traffic doesn't allow movement across lanes.

This.

Left lane for first exit and straight on (which 11 o’clock pretty much is), right for ‘right round’ is standard roundabout stuff.

But if you can see the markings then obviously you follow them and this indicates the left lane is left-turn only.

Not sure why they’ve bothered marking the lanes at all if not?

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Driving & parking

Original poster

NotMyCat · 02/10/2021 12:30

@ErrolTheDragon 5 exits in total

I've screenshot it, will NC later and it's not near where I live anyway! I drive over it on my way to work as it's the quickest commute

OP posts:

Original poster

NotMyCat · 02/10/2021 12:32

@NoSquirrels the road markings are newer than the sign. It only ever had the sign which seemed to leave people panicking snd blindly picking a random lane
I've been driving over it for 15 years and would say the road markings came in maybe 7 years ago

OP posts:

NoSquirrels · 02/10/2021 12:34

That’s a pretty standard roundabout- I can’t think why anyone needs to be told which lane to be in. Seems pretty obvious to me!

HunterHearstHelmsley · 02/10/2021 12:40

@NotMyCat

My conversation with the council went

Oh yes, I can see the roundabout sign on google maps
Ok. So could it have left turn only somewhere except on the road markings
No. Because it's not left turn only in the left lane
Me but but the road markings?
Council - but we could put straight on arrows in both lanes?
Me - noooooooo please don't do that

There's a roundabout near me, you can go left and straight on from both the left and middle lanes. It's been that way for years. I've had an accident on there, several other people I know have also and there's constant near misses! Lord knows why they haven't changed it.

My accident went 50/50. It was so frustrating as I hadn't done anything wrong but neither had the other driver.

ErrolTheDragon · 02/10/2021 12:44

Oddly enough, it is near where I'd live. And based on the amount of traffic using each exit and the size and orientation of the roads, I'd definitely use the left lane for the two lanes to the left of centre (exits 1&2) and the right lane for the two exits to the left of centre (exits 3&4).

I suspect the people confidently answering 'right hand lane' misunderstood your initial description and thought there were 4 roads in total so they wrongly assumed yours was the 'straight ahead' - its not, the straight arrow is for Tom Benson Way.

ErrolTheDragon · 02/10/2021 12:48

I agree the arrows are unhelpful, they don't make sense on a roundabout which have more than one left, one straight and one right turn.

NoSquirrels · 02/10/2021 12:49

If there were no road markings, though, then people would choose the correct lane. The reason people shout abuse at you, OP, is because by following the road markings you’re acting against the usual roundabout practice. It’s not your fault, obviously- but I can’t see any need on that roundabout for lane markings.

First and second exits take left lane, third and fourth exits take right lane.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 02/10/2021 12:52

I've long thought that roundabouts would be better if cars had straight ahead indicators... although many struggle to use the indicators they already have so it might not improve the issue!

ErrolTheDragon · 02/10/2021 12:54

I think the road markings are supposed to encourage people taking the 3rd exit to use the right hand lane rather than it only getting used for the Woodplumpton exit.

ErrolTheDragon · 02/10/2021 12:55

I've long thought that roundabouts would be better if cars had straight ahead indicators...

There isn't a 'straight ahead' in this case - the nearest to straight is 3 not 2.

NoSquirrels · 02/10/2021 12:57

[quote NotMyCat]@NoSquirrels the road markings are newer than the sign. It only ever had the sign which seemed to leave people panicking snd blindly picking a random lane
I've been driving over it for 15 years and would say the road markings came in maybe 7 years ago [/quote]
Before the road markings, which lane would you have chosen?

Original poster

NotMyCat · 02/10/2021 13:05

@NoSquirrels before the road markings I would have used the left lane for the second exit, but I presumed when they put the road markings in that they sort of overruled the usual roundabout practice and they had done it for a reason
It's a shitty roundabout anyway, you get people using the left lane for exit 3 which doesn't help!!

OP posts:

Neonplant · 02/10/2021 13:10

So if I could see the lane markings or had ever seen them in the past I'd use the right lane. As the road markings show the left lane is for left/1st exit traffic only.

But if I couldn't see the road markings or there were none. If say most of the time the left lane if for straight on and left. Unless otherwise marked. Which it is so... Its a moot point

user1495884211 · 02/10/2021 13:12

There is a four exit roundabout local-ish to me that looks very similar to this with two local exits to the left, main road straight on and industrial area to the right. In this case, the council has marked the road with text rather than arrows. "Name of local area" on the left hand lane which is the two local exits and "town centre B123" on the right hand lane. The industrial area isn't marked but you would have to be particularly stupid not to take the right lane for that one.

NeilTheBaby · 02/10/2021 13:12

Looking just at the first image I would have agreed with people so far saying right lane for your exit (from the arrows), but you'd assume left if you couldn't see the arrows. With the second image of the whole roundabout layout however, it seems that the 'straight' is the larger main road indicated with the thick line and the first 2 exits (including yours) are smaller exits which are 'left' turns. On that basis you should be in the left lane.

NeilTheBaby · 02/10/2021 13:13

Safest option would probably be to get in right lane and go all the way round and then across at your exit

Jojo19834 · 02/10/2021 13:15

Around us, as the traffic is so heavy now, the left hand lane very very frequently goes right, even though it is not marked, simply because it is quicker to get out on the left (I’m not one of these people FYI, I am just surprised accidents haven’t happened daily)

HeyJackKerouac · 02/10/2021 13:16

I thought that anything before 12 o'clock on the sign is left lane, and anything after 12 o'clock is right lane. So the sign and the road markings are contradictory. It's no wonder it's causing issues. In your shoes OP I'd stick to the left lane from now on.

Outbutnotoutout · 02/10/2021 13:18

If I couldn't see the road markings I would go in the left lane

But it's the right lane as it says so on the road

Original poster

NotMyCat · 02/10/2021 13:21

@HeyJackKerouac

I thought that, but then if I do have an accident (honestly I'm amazed there hasn't been one yet) because someone is in the other lane using the same exit, are my insurance going to go off the road markings and say well you're in the wrong lane

Side note - my dad doesn't know the area well but came to my work, used the roundabout and picked the left lane as he said "the road markings show it" and had someone nearly crash into him

OP posts:

StormyCornishSeas · 02/10/2021 13:22

Op so looking at the road sign your aiming for the Village Centre?

If I was unfamiliar with the area and it was rush hour so couldn't see road markings I would go in the Left lane. Or even if it was quieter I would assume it was left lane then see road markings then have to quickly change lanes which is even more dangerous.

ErrolTheDragon · 02/10/2021 13:22

I've driven round the blessed thousands of times and tbh I don't think I've ever noticed anyone interpreting it like the OP.

IMO the most misleading thing about that signage is the exit being marked Village Centre....

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