Roundabout lanes

[Dollypartings]

Can everyone confirm if you are in the left lane at a roundabout it is for turning left and for driving straight ahead, and that right lanes are for turning right and to go back on yourself.
It seems where I live nobody knows the rules of the road. I had awful abuse from a driver who was in the right lane and wanted to go straight ahead at the same time as me, which is just one lane. He accused me of lying that to go ahead you need to be in the left lane. Am I incorrect or are some drivers too dangerous for the roads these days?

You can be in the right hand lane and go straight across as well as turn right.

Unless there are painted arrows on the road stating differently

That’s my understanding of the rules too

You're incorrect. Unless the signage says otherwise, both - or all - lanes can be used to go straight over.

It depends. Left lane for left and right lane for right, most of the time. In my home town, both lanes go straight ahead as well.

Only if there are two lanes straight across or a merge lane

Also if the left land has a left turn arrow, you would use the right lane for straight on

www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/roundabouts.html

When taking the first exit to the left, unless signs or markings indicate otherwise
signal left and approach in the left-hand lane
keep to the left on the roundabout and continue signalling left to leave.
When taking an exit to the right or going full circle, unless signs or markings indicate otherwise
signal right and approach in the right-hand lane
keep to the right on the roundabout until you need to change lanes to exit the roundabout
signal left after you have passed the exit before the one you want.
When taking any intermediate exit, unless signs or markings indicate otherwise
select the appropriate lane on approach to the roundabout
you should not normally need to signal on approach
stay in this lane until you need to alter course to exit the roundabout
signal left after you have passed the exit before the one you want.

Highway Code agrees with you, OP

There are no markings, it’s a small village roundabout not a large main one. The lane directly ahead is one narrow lane.

If there's two lanes onto the roundabout, and the exit lane opposite only has one lane, then you need to be in the left lane to exit there. If you are in the right lane, you should not exit there but instead exit right, or go round and reposition yourself.

Agree with you OP! This is what I was taught, unless it’s marked on the floor or with signs a standard roundabout is left lane for left and straight over, right for right turn only

@LordEmsworth happy to stand corrected but I don’t think the Highway Code states this.

That cannot be true, because as you approach the roundabout - you will not know how many lanes there are leading away on the other side, surely? (I mean a local might but roundabouts aren't designed only for local people).

The Highway Code says, use the appropriate lane for anything that is between left and right. If that's before halfway, it will usually be the left lane, more than halfway it'll usually be the right. "Usually" is not the same as "always". "Always use the left lane to go straight over" is a made-up rule...

I'm with you op, and I was taught to drive by an advanced police driver, DH is with you and he's a police driver. If there's only one lane on the exit you should be in the left hand lane to go straight ahead, unless signs or road markings say otherwise.

Could be either lane if there are two on the exit.

I've copied what the Highway Code says - use the appropriate lane. I agree that usually the left lane will be more appropriate, but saying it's a rule that you must always use it is simply not what the Code says...

Same as you OP. I was taught that left and straight over is from left lane, right or around was from right lane, unless otherwise marked.

Perhaps he was just an entitled twat who thought he could shout you down.

Thank you everyone I feel better knowing it wasn’t my mistake! Also good to hear from a police officer that I wasn’t wrong. I’m guessing he wanted to race ahead and couldn’t because I was already on the roundabout and had right of way.

If you don’t know how many lanes there are to exit, and there is no signage or road markings to show you, then the left hand lane is the appropriate lane. Precisely because you don’t know if there’s a two lane exit.

Ah. So people who have used this roundabout before and know there are 2 lanes exiting are allowed to use the right hand lane, whereas those approaching for the first time must not? That's an interesting rule, at least.

Anyway, I have copied the wording of the Highway Code. Which does not specify to always use the left hand lane when going straight over. Regardless of "I was taught", it is not a written rule.

No, think of it this way.
If two cars want to go straight across the roundabout, how hard is it for them to both go when there is a gap and for them to merge (if the other side only has 1 lane), not very. The car on the right side will usually let the left side go first, and merge in behind them, in my experience.
Thus, the traffic will move twice as fast.

You can see directly ahead that it’s one lane so there wasn’t any confusion that this person may have assumed there was a second lane for him, unless of course he wasn’t paying attention to the road at all.

Highway Code has a useful diagram.

www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/roundabouts.html

Could be either lane if there are two on the exit.

The Highway Code diagram doesn’t show this though?

Yes you're right op. I've known people fail their driving tests for thinking right hand lane could be used to go straight in.

It's scary how many drivers do not know how to correctly use a simple roundabout. Fair enough if you're new to the area and there's multiple exits etc, it might be a bit confusing (especially if the road paint is faded) but a normal roundabout is easy.

Unless otherwise stated, left lane for left and straight on. Right for right and 360.

If 2 lanes then the right lane can be used for straight ahead too.

Sometimes you get them where left is left turn only, but these are usually signposted. And right would be straight on and right.

You are correct OP but the number of people that don't understand this simple concept is unbelievable......there are some terrible drivers out there.

There's a roundabout on the school run and the amount of idiots in the right hand lane (so they should be turning right) that go straight over (single lane on exit) is frankly dangerous...often they're signalling right as well. I've had to tell DD to assume everyone doesn't know how to drive and wait until it's completely clear before she crosses.

You're correct.