Which lane should you be in? Diagram!

[CactusUmbrella]

If you were driving from where the red arrow is towards the roundabout, and going straight ahead to where the green arrow is, which lane should you be in?

Context is that I had a collision on this roundabout over 2 years ago, still hasn't been resolved and is now likely to go to court! Other driver claiming they were in correct lane, I believe I was...

I’ve skimmed the rest of the posts after this one.

The specific lane is less relevant as it is not a hard rule when driving ahead, though expectations may generally be the left lane unless there are two lanes - but this could result in a 50:50

The lack of indication is a key element.
They weren’t indicating right (from my scan of the rest) which means you don’t know where they are going. This doesn’t absolve you of paying attention

Rule 186 - indicate left and keep left if taking the first exit (does not apply here)
indicate right if turning right or all of the way around
anywhere else, indicate left when passing the previous exit

You ought to be aware that they may have gone ahead, but they ought to have indicated before exiting (they were not required to indicate on approach)

As you appear to have passed to their left (due to your side being clear) and they have caught up then they were not giving due care and attention, we’re not indicating on exit (but you may not have seen by then, (and they should not have relied on you to make any other manouvre (such as getting out of their way)

Providing they went into you then they are at fault
They are also a ‘professional’ and should have a standard to their driving and care for other road users and their passengers

Failing to stop and exchange details is an issue, ensure that the court are aware of your efforts to get this

It sounds like they have been given the chance to come up with a better defence, and ideally it will end in your favour

Ideally I'd be in the left lane approaching the roundabout, but if that wasn't possible (say I had just turned right from a previous roundabout and couldn't get to the left lane safely before approaching this one) I would stay in the right lane, exit into the right lane, then move to the left lane once past the roundabout and all was clear to do so.

Always give way to traffic on the right of the roundabout

Either as looks like a two lane merge other side, even if it wasn’t either would still be correct unless lanes marked. However if you’re in the right hand lane going straight you should indicate and give way to car on left…

Left lane 100%

I once had a similar, but worse, accident at a roundabout (actually very close to you OP - I used to live there).
I was also in left hand lane to go straight on. Guy was in right hand lane. I assumed he was going right/third exit but was also aware he could be going straight on so was watching him. But no.... He decided to take first exit(!) from the right hand lane! And basically drove into me as I was going straight on. Absolutely nuts and he didn't have a leg to stand on.

@Jennyathemall Of course posting on Mumsnet isn't a reason to believe someone. But as this situation has no bearing on anyone else's real life, and is my issue, I don't suppose it matters very much? Obviously the damage has proven that it happened the way I have stated. I also have emails from the taxi company confirming my version of events (but blaming me for being in the "wrong" lane) before insurance got involved.

The fact it has gone to solicitors and may end up at a hearing has led me to try and figure out what elements of this the third party may try to argue. As far as I am concerned, and based on what everyone here has said, he should be at fault. But obviously the third party believes they have a case or we wouldn't be here. Or maybe as they've already missed one deadline to defend, they don't think they have a case after all and are wasting my time.

I will update this thread when I finally have a resolution to the matter - I'm not hopeful this will be soon though as it has already been 2 years!

There is no right/left lane once past the roundabout. Two cars cannot exit this roundabout at the same time, it isn't wide enough.

He's probably using stalling tactics as he knows he's in the wrong.

Hang in there. I woul imagine they'll let it go as far as a court date then agree to settle.

Keep us updated

Yeah I saw that afterwards. Regardless I'd be watching cars either side, so OP was in the right here going by what she has updated since her original question.

Just realised you are the OP! That's what comes of making dinner while reading Mumsnet 😁 I hope you win your case. So many older drivers think you don't have to indicate if going straight. When I learned, it was indicate left while approaching if taking the first exit, don't indicate on approach but indicate before exit if taking the second, and for subsequent exits indicate right on approach and left before exit. In all cases I learned that I am to indicate left before exit, and I always start indicating left after passing the exit before the one I am taking.

Honestly either lane is correct. It is badly designed roundabout as they should be clear about it. That said as you were to the left, when exiting, they would have turned into you and not the other way around. In this instance I would argue that the person on the right should have deferred to the person on the left as the alternative is that they cut you up by going around you which isn’t possible the other way.

I’ve almost had an accident in almost the opposite situation when I have been going straight ahead from the right hand lane (dual carriage way to right hand lane into right hand lane) and the person in the left hand lane has decided to go right at the roundabout!

I'm curious as to what the other driver is arguing though- that your should slammed on your breaks in the middle of the roundabout for them to cut in front of you? The other driver should have just slowed down to let you go first and then proceed behind you

As an advanced motorcyclist, if I was "not" familiar with the roundabout I would approach in the left lane and keep left all the way round until my exit.

If I'm familiar with the roundabout and I wanted to cross it straight on, I would sit in the right lane.

Why? The roundabout does not have lanes, so entry and exit is at the privilege of the driver.

As mentioned roundabouts are a nightmare for litigation, get dashcam and be prepared for a tit-for-tat result.

I'd say either lane but be very aware of traffic either side of you when exiting the roundabout

"Keep left all the way round until my exit"??? And you're an advanced rider?

That's just insanity. You'd be crossing traffic correctly exiting off the right hand lane.

Unless road markings tell you otherwise, you should be in the left lane in this example. One way to think about it is, for most roundbouts, if you're exit is anywhere from 0-180 degrees from where you enter the roundabout, you should be in the left lane. Past 180 degrees, you need to be in a/the right hand lane. If there's more than 2 lanes, they would usually be marked anyway.

Having read many of the posts I'm shocked at the number who think it's "100%" left lane only. If only more people thought this way on motorways!

If traffic conditions dictate you can legitimately be in the right hand lane and go straight on.

The key thing is this. If the other driver was in the right hand lane they could be either turning right or going straight on, so it is imperative that they indicate left after passing the first exit to let others know which it is.

The reason for this is that you cannot see their right indicators from the other side, so the only way you'd know what they were doing is if they indicate left.

If he's already stated he thought there was no requirement to indicate then he's a fool who has already convicted himself. There is no situation where not indicating is correct, not least when making any manoeuvre such as exiting from the RH lane of a roundabout.

I hope you win.

You were in the correct lane. he will say you should have given way. I assume that’s what his stance is.

I’ve found that the person in the correct position at this point is always in the wrong.

You should have given way when a lunatic, made a ridiculous manoeuvre.

I don’t agree with this, but I suspect, that will be the finding.

With no offence meant from my choice of words.

I was taught left lane to go left or straight ahead unless signed otherwise.

I really hate insurance. I had an accident years ago on a car park where a guy pulled out and drove into the side of my car…it went 50/50 and they paid him out for whiplash because there were no road markings to prove it wasn’t his right of way?! I had a phone recording saying he didn’t see me when he pulled out which they wouldn’t use because I didn’t tell him I was recording.
Had another accident where a guy went through a red light and that was likely to go against me but very luckily had a witness come forward.
Lesson here is to ALWAYS drive with a dash cam - insurance have their hands tied unless there’s evidence, and would prefer to pay out than to risk going to court which is expensive for them (they told me that when they paid the fraudsters whiplash)

I was taught either lane to go straight on if a roundabout has four exits. That's probably not want you want to hear. However, if you're in the right side lane you need to keep an eye in your left mirror for people coming from the left lane or the first exit going left.

They probably won’t go to court. They must know they are in the wrong and won’t win. They will try to get your insurance to pay to avoid going to court but will settle at the last minute. Similar happened to me. I was stationary and hit by a council lorry from behind. My car was written off. There was no way it was anything other than their fault. Also, a lorry that size shouldn’t have been on that particular road. Their insurance strung the whole thing out for 2 years. I had to provide bank statements, credit card statements etc and was stressed out. They settled the week before it went to court.

You were definitely in the correct lane. Right Lane is for Barkham R at that roundabout. Windsor R is not a traffic route/not a B road, why would it have its own lane whilst the other -main road- exits share? Shocking it’s being disputed and common sense not prevailing!

Literally never heard about this 12 o’clock thing ! Where has this come from ?

Left lane for straight ahead, unless it’s 2 lanes in which case it’s either so long as you stay in your lane, or unless there’s specific road signs instructing something else.

You were in the right. But either way the taxi must have seen you there? Whatever made him try to leave the roundabout when you were between him and the road? Most peculiar.......

Left lane - left lane is to be used for left turnings and for going straight ahead, unless the floor markings say otherwise