Or is DP regarding driving and which lane to use?

[CrohnicallyExhausted]

Bit of background-
The road used to go straight on, with a left turn junction. A supermarket was built and they turned the junction into a roundabout, adding another left turn for the store entrance. So there is now a roundabout with 3 exits: exit 1 is store, exit 2 is old left turn, exit 3 is old straight on. We need to turn down exit 2 for home.

The problem is the lane markings. On the approach to the roundabout there is 2 lanes. Left lane is marked with a left arrow and 'store'. The right hand lane is marked with a straight arrow and the road number of exit 3. Neither lane directs you to exit 2 at all- so it's a bit of a free for all with people going down exit 2 from either lane, and some near misses resulting.

One of us uses the left lane for exit 2, saying that as it is unclear you should default to the left lane. In the event of an accident, it would be the right lane driver's fault for not checking their mirrors and indicating before pulling off.

One of us uses the right lane for exit 2, saying that left lane is clearly marked only for the store exit, and in the event of an accident it would be the left lane driver's fault for taking the 2nd exit in a left turn only lane.

Which is more correct?

The rule about using the left hand lane on a roundabout for all turns before and including straight on does not apply if the road markings indicate to use the left lane for store only. In this case I would use the right hand lane.

Lane markings are not like those brown tourist signs, helpfully pointing out places of interest.

if you imagine the road you're approaching on as 6 on a clock, where is the store turn? and left hand turn? I'm imagining them at 7 and 9 ish and would use left lane for both and right lane for straight on only. I also agree with the poster that the road markings showing LEFT ARROW & STORE, is actually 2 separate instructions left AND store, not LEFT FOR STORE ONLY

xpost about clock positions

if exit 3 is at 2 o'clock I would call that a right turn rather than straight on TBH

OK time to come clean- I am 'left lane'.

Further arguments for my position include- if it was for store only it would say 'store ONLY' and the lane markings on the roundabout would veer off to the left- the fact that there are no markings stopping you from going straight on suggests that it's OK to do so.

Also, there used to be a left turn/straight on double arrow in the left lane, but following resurfacing works the markings were changed slightly.

Finally, as the 3rd exit is the main road there is often stationary or slow moving traffic in that lane, which backs on to the roundabout. Using the left lane means that I don't have to queue when the exit I actually want is clear!

However, I always make sure that if there is a car to the right, I let them go round the roundabout slightly before me, so I can keep an eye on their wheels, signals and road position. If they were to turn in front of me, I am confident that I could take evasive action and avoid an accident- and indeed have in the past (though this is the ONLY driver other than my DH that I have seen using the right lane to go straight on).

You know what though, I might just change the way I go home to avoid the roundabout entirely (slightly difficult since it's at the end of my road).

Or maybe I'll move house. It's a valid reason, right?

Right hand lane because anyone still on your left shouldn't be there as they will have turned into the store

If you stay left, you will cause an accident if there is only one lane to drive in after the first turn

Last post should be 'using the right lane for exit 2'

Phantom- I was calling it 'straight on' because the road numbers indicate that it is the same road, and prior to the roundabout being installed it was straight on- the road was moved slightly for the roundabout else you would be approaching and having to turn 120 degrees instead of 90 to enter the roundabout.

anyfucker there are still 2 lanes on the roundabout after the first turn.

Hang on. I'm not sure I'm picturing this as well as I think. I would ring the highways department of your council. It may be that some of the other markings are missing.

Or ring a local driving instructor :-).

If you were meant to use the left to go past the store exit, there would be a double headed arrow, though.

I was going to link to the highway code that CrotchMaven did. I don't think it's entirely clear from that though. I'd only use the LHL for the Store and the RHL for either of the other exits, moving to the LHL after the store exit for the second exit. DH and I have similar arguments about a roundabout locally with 4 exits, there are markings for exits 1,2, and 4 so they are easy but we take exit 3 and disagree about how to take it.

Highways department you say? Good idea.

The really annoying thing is that his has only come about after they resurfaced and changed the lane markings because they were unclear coming from a different direction. They've sorted that out but screwed up a different approach!

I don't think there is a clear cut answer to this one. But I think the right hand lane would be more appropriate if the store turning is a busy one. Does traffic join from that exit too? If so that complicates it.

Gah. If it was store only it should say store only. Having a left arrow plus the word store is a poor choice by the road planner. They should name the road for exit 2.

What's absolutely clear though, is that the right lane is for exit 3, since that's what it says. If you take exit 2 from a lane exclusively labelled exit 3, I think you're on shaky ground.

Do the dotted lines not cut across the roundabout into exit 2?

Fundamentally though, if it's a poor junction I would approach it every single time expecting to be cut up. I do this on my commute and it serves me well.

beautifulplace that's essentially what I do, expect to be cut up.
The dotted lines don't cut across at all.

The store entrance/exit is not very busy. Exit 3 is the busiest by far, I would guess 70% use exit 3, 20% exit 1 (store) and 10% exit 2.

in the right hand lane is there a right only arrow? not a straight ahead/right turn double arrow?

I'm confused!

if the left hand lane has a left only arrow and the right hand lane has a right only arrow... I think I would combust if I seen that roundabout.

but I'm with you. you're going left.

I would also use the left lane as that's what I was taught learning to drive (left lane for left turns and straight in, right lane for right turns unless signs indicate otherwise). It would stress me though! I'm with you though, OP, I'd just avoid it! There's a slightly quicker way I could go to work but I don't as it's sooo confusing.

There is a roundabout where I live which has no arrows and four exits. It's absolute chaos and there are plenty of people who don't agree that it's the left lane for straight on. I have come to expect being cut up on it TBH.

A picture is worth 1000 words. Lane markings, road positions etc: (the S is for Store, couldn't fit it on!)

If you were approaching from the road marked 'a', you would be in the right hand lane until you were past the store exit and then signal off left into your road. So I think it is safest to be in the right hand lane, give way to the right and signal off left once past the store exit. But then you still have to allow for people who think they should go straight on in the left lane......

As I said, I failed my first driving test for going straight over in a lane marked left only (very similar to your pic actually). It was a major fault.

Left lane. But I'd expect people to try and overtake me on the right

I would use the left-hand lane, it sounds the safest and in the absence of a direct instruction that's what I'd do. I think the fact that it's maked 'store' is simply to inform those who want to go to the supermarket that they must use that lane, it's not telling those who want to take the 2nd left that they can't. Your exit is still on the left, just not the immediate left.

Left lane. Still.

I passed my test with a clean sheet btw :)

looking at your plan, I think this is totally straightforward, I'm surprised at all the overthinking going on here.

Littlepeas i don think she is coming from the road marked "A" is she? She is approaching fromt he road with the two lanes marked on it... Isn't she?