Roundabout who was in the wrong?

[UsernameA1B2]

I am new to driving but still think I was not in the wrong. If I am can someone explain why thanks. I have attached a diagram to explain. I am the blue car and the blue line shows the path I am taking. I was using my indicators. The orange car is the other car in questions and the orange line is the path they deciced to take. They did not indicate and I did not know they wanted to change lane on roundabout until I got on. When I got onto roundabout (the outer lane) the car decided to change to my lane (see the orange line going from inner lane to outer lane) then pip their horn and then speed past me after both exiting roundabout and give me the middle finger. I am wrong to have got into the lane indicated in diagram (the outer lane) on roundabout when that lane was clear and only the inner lane had a car in it. Thanks sorry if not clear.

Roundabouts are very easy. Give way to your right. Never assume anyone is going to stay in the same lane.

People make mistakes over the lane they are supposed to be in, especially if they haven't used the roundabout before. Again, never assume someone is in the correct lane and won't want to change. Drive defensively (ie. don't join a roundabout when someone to your right is in sight and going round it).

You were in the wrong but that is the best diagram I have ever seen on a driving thread.

Drat you, OP, for acknowledging you were wrong and will do better in future.

Don’t you know you’re supposed to dig your heels in and tell everyone else how wrong they are? You’re breaking AIBU etiquette by being sensible. 😉

If you're not comfortable on big roundabouts you can ask your driving instructor for refresher lessons or consider doing a Pass Plus course.

Yeah, the other driver did nothing wrong @UsernameA1B2 YABU. Maybe you need a drivers refresher course.

Crosspost with @girlmom21 ^

Presumably because if you're going straight on you can use either lane when entering the roundabout therefore there are 2 exits coming off. If there was a yellow car entering the roundabout from the same junction as the orange car and exiting the same way then both lanes would be used.

The orange car used the lanes incorrectly. If going straight on, they should have entered and exited in the left hand lanes, or entered and exited in the right hand lanes. Not switched lanes on the roundabout.

Having said that you would probably have been judged to be in the wrong if there had been an accident. But that doesn't mean the orange car was in the right!

You were in the wrong, the other car was already on the roundabout so has priority. You were approaching it, not on it. You give way to any vehicle to your right. She couldn’t indicate until she’d passed her first exit, ( the one to her left) she should then have indicated left as she approached her exit. Most people think if you’re going straight on then you don’t need to indicate but You should always indicate to let other drivers know your intentions.

You were in the wrong for not giving way to a vehicle from the right

I live right by a roundabout like this and people do nip in and turn left when it’s very obvious the car already on the roundabout is turning in to the right hand lane. It’s not right but people do it. I imagine OP might have seen people do the same and assumed it was ok.

i never do it, and I drive like a mad Londoner.

Is anyone other than @JenniferBarkley going to say the obvious here - the orange car was ALSO wrong??

Yes I'm sure it's fun for some people on here to give the OP a good kicking. Castigate them for daring to come on AIBU and admit a potential mistake. Asking where they got their driving licence, why they're on the road etc. Totally pointless and really unwelcome.

But let's also be honest. Who's looking in the mirror here too?

As in, the standard of roundabout driving on multi lane roundabouts is appalling, and is totally reinforced by dozens of the responses on this thread.

YES you should always give way to the right. This has been made painfully clear on this thread.

But the orange car proves you should also follow lane discipline when using a multi lane roundabout. Not cut across lanes and take the 'racing line' just because , well, you can and people don't complain much.

Yesterday morning I saw someone in the right hand lane of a roundabout, indicating right, going ostensibly around 270 degrees to exit right...oh no, they shoot across straight and nearly take out someone who is correctly in the left lane going straight. Cue lots of beeping from the person who is in the wrong.

I agree, if this was a roundabout on a two-lane road then there was no need for the orange car to change lanes to exit. At many of our roundabouts, the left lane is left clear for people that were in your position otherwise there are unnecessary bottlenecks. At one of my regular junctions, nobody would ever pull out if they had to wait for both lanes to be clear.

@picklemewalnuts yellow lane

Say two cars enter at the same time at 6oclock, they could both exit (left for first exit right for those staying on the road).

If I was going from Asda to my house, I'd approach at 9oclock on the inside lane, and switch over where the orange car did to take the left lane at 6oclock.
Because anyone who entered at 9oclock with me should have gone off at 12 or 3, and nobody at 12 or 3 should have entered (snuck in beside me) like op did as they should be respecting my right of way and right to change lanes.

They should not be entering and forcing me into the right lane at 6oclock because it's not the correct lane for me - I am not going straight on I am taking the next left, and they'd be forcing me to (possibly) disrupt the flow of traffic / speed up to overtake / slow down to undertake etc. You don't force other drivers who have right of way to do things just because they can.

I agree with you @Plantstrees but the problem is, some people think you can go straight in any lane on a roundabout, and then take the 'racing line' across the indicated lanes, ignoring the markings.

So starting from the right lane on approach, but then swooping across so you end up in the left lane by the time you've exited.

I've seen SO many near misses where folk in the right hand lane drive 'straight' in their line, while someone in the left lane, also trying to go to the same exit, nearly get side-swiped by these myopic clowns

Always give way to cars already on the roundabout to your right regardless of which lane you think they might want. It's their right of way and whilst annoying, it's not illegal to fail to indicate and if they are going straight on they won't indicate until they've passed the last exit before the one the need anyway.

Vehicle already on roundabout has right of way.
just because you were planning on taking the first exit doesn’t give you the right to pull out in front.

You should have given way

Roundabout exactly the same near me. Anyone going straight on, like the orange car, uses the right hand lane and then crosses over the lane coming from the left.to take the exit. (The second exit) No one uses the left hand lane unless turning left. (Taking the first exit.) Road markings support this.

Lots of roundabouts have markings indicating non standard usage, presumably for traffic management. But on a standard roundabout with two lanes in and two lanes out the orange car was in the wrong.

Yes because you don't know if they decide to suddenly switch lanes.

Who was in the wrong is frankly irrelevant - best diagram I’ve ever seen on mumsnet, excellent work!!!

Which is correct, but utterly depressing in how the irresponsible and incorrect driving in the 'suddenly switch lanes' lot is reinforced by folk on this thread.

People should approach roundabouts in the right lane, and drive around them to exit as per the Highway Code diagram. As per the above though, numerous folk do just 'switch lanes' on exit without a care in the world.

People should also keep left unless overtaking, and yet multi-lane roads are clogged with folk peering over their wheels in the middle lane, completely ignorant to what's happening around them.

Just because it's common practice doesn't make it right.

The OP was incorrect in her driving choice, but the other car was so poor.

The orange car driver was already on the roundabout, she had priority, op didn’t as she wasn’t on it, she was either approaching it or waiting to join it. She shouldn’t have second guessed the other drivers intentions.

Well that’s cleared that up 🤣