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...

Whoever is in the right lane, intending to cut across the left lane to exit needs to check there's no one there before they change lanes to exit. That's regardless of road markings etc. You need to be aware of other vehicles around you. Even more so when there are no lane markings on the roundabout itself as arguably when there are no lane markings around the roundabout, it means there is only one active lane.

Assuming no road markings otherwise, you would be in the left lane to go straight over.

However one of the key rules of the road is that no-one has right of way over another driver and that you must give way in order to avoid a collision. If you are in the right lane and someone else is in the wrong lane, it does not absolve you of liability if you drive into them and the excuse "but I was positioned correctly" won't wash.

This is the relevant rule in the Highway Code. Left lane for left, right lane for right, "appropriate" for straight on. So, it's not "definitely left lane" at all.

I thought officially left though with several 4 way roundabouts near me many people seem to use or expect right.

What does the sign on the road near the red arrow look like?

Even this bird's eye view suggests that the road 'straight across' the roundabout is angled somewhere slightly after 12 o'clock, so I wonder if the road sign suggests that the exit is straight over or whether it suggests it is at 2 o'clock or something.

Not having the advantage of this bird's eye view when approaching a roundabout, I'd probably take the sign describing the layout of the roundabout into account when deciding which lane to be in.

Left unless there are arrows painted on the road indicating otherwise

Either lane for straight ahead.

The diagram given for Rule 185 in the Highway Code is an example but doesn't necessarily fit with the text for Rule 186. If you look at the diagram you'd think it would have to be the left-hand lane. But reading the text it says that turning left use the lefthand lane, turning right (or coming back on yourself) use the righthand lane, and for all intermediate exits "the appropriate lane". See Rule 186 (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/using-the-road-159-to-203).

The Highway code does not specify, it simply says get in the appropriate lane so I would say either lane is the correct lane to be in.

I would go left given there's only one lane on exit. If there were two lanes on exit, I'd go with whichever was more convenient for me after the roundabout (so, left to left and right to right).

But just because a driver was in the correct lane, doesn't mean they weren't at fault in an accident. We don't really have enough info here to judge.

Personally I’d use left unless loads of cars queuing and then I’d use the right 😁

Left lane unless otherwise indicated on the road markings.

Left lane

I was taught left unless signage says otherwise.

If it is either (as it seems it is), then if there is a car in both lanes and they enter the roundabout at the same time, if they are both intending to leave at the second exit, how does that work? Does the car in the right lane give way to the left?

And the problem with that particular roundabout is it looks like on exit the left lane merges into the right. Normally it’s other way round. So I’d suspect a lot of locals use the right lane.

edited to say actually maybe there’s only one lane on exit, I thought there was a white line but maybe it’s tyre marks.

Either, but if you choose the righthand lane be hyper vigilant about what's happening on your lefthand side. Indicate left, check your wing mirror and check again over your shoulder before you start crossing the outside lane.

Either lane. But you would need to then keep to that lane on the roundabout and the exit rather than drifting centrally. A mirror check as you leave the roundabout to make sure there is nothing to the side of you as the road narrows after the roundabout.

Left lane for exit 1 & 2 right lane for exit 3 & 4

I'm guessing OP was in the right hand lane...

left lane

See these images show left lane. Good luck

Left lane

I'm surprised it's going to court, insurance companies almost always settle up between themselves - they hate going to court. Unless either you or the other driver are being particularly arsey about accepting a degree of blame.

From the look of it, and unless there's road signage we can't see saying contrary, which lane you were each in can't be the issue. It's how you both took the roundabout, when you each gave indication, your road positioning on the exit, and giving way to the vehicle that was ahead. Either lane could be at fault.

Left lane.

Left, unless there are markings to instruct otherwise

Either lane, inner lane definitely to go left, outer lane to go right. If you are going straight on either unless it's sign posted, but often there is a 'convention' on many roundabouts because of the traffic flow, if a lot goes left use the outer, if a lot go right use the inner.

I would probably use inner on that roundabout if there was no other indication.