Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Roundabout with diagram , was I wrong?

263 replies

Ridelikethewindypops · 28/02/2023 19:20

I'm the red line, white van is blue line, he was behind me in my blind spot, yellow x is where I indicated to leave the roundabout. He blew me out of it.
This is the town I live in ( hopefully unrecognisable from the air 😀) But if I was wrong ( and I'm prepared to admit it if voting is unanimous ) Then I have been going around this roundabout incorrectly my whole adult life!

Roundabout with diagram , was I wrong?
OP posts:
Thread gallery
13
Fancysauce · 01/03/2023 18:25

Scary how many people have told you you were in the wrong as should have been in the left hand lane. If you're going from dual carriageway to dual carriageway it's fine to be in the right hand lane but you need to be aware of traffic to your left when exiting the roundabout and not cut across them. If there had been a crash it would have been 50/50 as he should be aware of other vehicles on the roundabout and that other cars may wish to exit the roundabout too.

I assess liability on motor claims for a living.

Fancysauce · 01/03/2023 18:26

Fancysauce · 01/03/2023 18:25

Scary how many people have told you you were in the wrong as should have been in the left hand lane. If you're going from dual carriageway to dual carriageway it's fine to be in the right hand lane but you need to be aware of traffic to your left when exiting the roundabout and not cut across them. If there had been a crash it would have been 50/50 as he should be aware of other vehicles on the roundabout and that other cars may wish to exit the roundabout too.

I assess liability on motor claims for a living.

I just saw that there's only one lane to exit the roundabout. In which case yep, you're in the wrong lane.

Maze76 · 01/03/2023 20:04

Second pic- left hand lane

IloveJudgeJudy · 01/03/2023 20:42

I haven’t rtft but just copied this from the Highway Code. You were in the right. He should have been aware of you:

“watch out for all other road users already on the roundabout; be aware they may not be signalling correctly or at all”

We’ve had a big discussion amongst the drivers in our house. You were in the correct lane as there were no lane markings. Please read Rule 186 in particular 🙂.

I hope this makes you feel better.

DashboardConfessional · 01/03/2023 20:50

IloveJudgeJudy · 01/03/2023 20:42

I haven’t rtft but just copied this from the Highway Code. You were in the right. He should have been aware of you:

“watch out for all other road users already on the roundabout; be aware they may not be signalling correctly or at all”

We’ve had a big discussion amongst the drivers in our house. You were in the correct lane as there were no lane markings. Please read Rule 186 in particular 🙂.

I hope this makes you feel better.

No!! If there are no lane markings, left lane to go straight on! He's only in the wrong in the sense of not being aware that a numpty in the right lane was about to cut him off and adjusting his speed.

PriamFarrl · 01/03/2023 22:02

IloveJudgeJudy · 01/03/2023 20:42

I haven’t rtft but just copied this from the Highway Code. You were in the right. He should have been aware of you:

“watch out for all other road users already on the roundabout; be aware they may not be signalling correctly or at all”

We’ve had a big discussion amongst the drivers in our house. You were in the correct lane as there were no lane markings. Please read Rule 186 in particular 🙂.

I hope this makes you feel better.

What? That’s not what it means at all.

IloveJudgeJudy · 01/03/2023 22:39

What does it mean?

IloveJudgeJudy · 01/03/2023 22:43

DashboardConfessional · 01/03/2023 20:50

No!! If there are no lane markings, left lane to go straight on! He's only in the wrong in the sense of not being aware that a numpty in the right lane was about to cut him off and adjusting his speed.

Show quote history

No, not left lane only to go straight on. There are no markings in the lanes, therefore, either lane may be used to go straight on. We have the same kind of roundabout as the OP near us and if everyone used only the left hand lane to go straight ahead there would be and has been traffic backing up pretty quickly to the motorway exit nearby. Drivers have to use both lanes

knittingaddict · 01/03/2023 22:55

NO NO NO.

Honestly can't believe this thread.

IloveJudgeJudy you are wrong. Have you eat any of the links to the highway code on this thread? Obviously not.

knittingaddict · 01/03/2023 23:01

No idea where eat came from.

Have you clicked any of the links, I meant.

PriamFarrl · 01/03/2023 23:08

IloveJudgeJudy · 01/03/2023 22:39

What does it mean?

It means that other road users are generally distracted idiots and you should be wary of them.

WishingMyLifeAway · 01/03/2023 23:15

It doesn't really matter what lane you are in as such. It does vary roundabout to roundabout depending on road markings.

The key thing to remember is you can never cut across a lane on a roundabout without checking what's in that lane (same as you wouldn't on a road). You need to check your blind spot in exactly the same way. If you think about it like that it makes it obvious that you shouldn't have cut across the left hand lane to exit when there was a van there. You wouldn't do that on any other road I'm sure.

knittingaddict · 01/03/2023 23:22

PriamFarrl · 01/03/2023 23:08

It means that other road users are generally distracted idiots and you should be wary of them.

Show quote history

Yes. It basically means that you need to drive defensively at all times, but especially at roundabouts. Assume other drivers are idiots who don't know what they are doing and you won't go far wrong.

A reasonable assumption if this thread is anything to go by.

Woopzies · 01/03/2023 23:25

And this is why men have the impression we're all useless drivers!

I'm shocked at the number of people seemingly unaware that if it is 2 lanes on, and 2 lanes off you use left to go left, either to go straight, or right to go right or U-turn.

knittingaddict · 01/03/2023 23:32

Woopzies · 01/03/2023 23:25

And this is why men have the impression we're all useless drivers!

I'm shocked at the number of people seemingly unaware that if it is 2 lanes on, and 2 lanes off you use left to go left, either to go straight, or right to go right or U-turn.

I'm shocked that you haven't read tge post where op confirms that it was a single lane exit. 🤗

Skodacool · 01/03/2023 23:35

Fancysauce · 01/03/2023 18:25

Scary how many people have told you you were in the wrong as should have been in the left hand lane. If you're going from dual carriageway to dual carriageway it's fine to be in the right hand lane but you need to be aware of traffic to your left when exiting the roundabout and not cut across them. If there had been a crash it would have been 50/50 as he should be aware of other vehicles on the roundabout and that other cars may wish to exit the roundabout too.

I assess liability on motor claims for a living.

At last, a sensible answer

NumberTheory · 01/03/2023 23:58

If there were no signs indicating otherwise, it is perfectly legal and totally in keeping with the highway code to take the first or second lane for the second exit of a roundabout. BUT in taking the second lane you will need to change lane as you exit (just as you do when you take the third exit from the second lane) and when you do that you must make sure the lane is clear to move into. Generally, if there is no one else there, it's better to take the leftmost lane.

It is your responsibility to ensure you don't cut anyone off when you have to change lane to exit and complaints that someone was in your blindspot don't relieve you of that responsibility. If it's not safe to move over you need to slow to let them pass or go all the way round the roundabout again. To me it looks like you started to indicate a little late - I would have been indicating as soon as my vehicle was fully on the roundabout as it's clear you aren't taking the first exit at that point, and moving over into the first lane for the exit (since the exit looks like just one lane). But it also sounds like the van driver may have been racing through and not driving with consideration for other users (like you).

Kirstylvsya · 01/03/2023 23:59

I was always taught left lane for first 2 exits, anything after that right hand lane.

knittingaddict · 02/03/2023 08:26

Skodacool · 01/03/2023 23:35

At last, a sensible answer

Show quote history

Which the writer admitted she/he was wrong about after not reading the posts by op.

(Where's the head and brick wall emogi when you need it?)

knittingaddict · 02/03/2023 08:27

Kirstylvsya · 01/03/2023 23:59

I was always taught left lane for first 2 exits, anything after that right hand lane.

At last, a sensible answer.

(Couldn't resist)

OneTC · 02/03/2023 12:08

Skodacool · 01/03/2023 23:35

At last, a sensible answer

Show quote history

That they immediately retracted 😅

KimberleyClark · 02/03/2023 12:13

Another one who thinks you were in the wrong lane! At least you know now!

DashboardConfessional · 02/03/2023 12:58

IloveJudgeJudy · 01/03/2023 22:43

No, not left lane only to go straight on. There are no markings in the lanes, therefore, either lane may be used to go straight on. We have the same kind of roundabout as the OP near us and if everyone used only the left hand lane to go straight ahead there would be and has been traffic backing up pretty quickly to the motorway exit nearby. Drivers have to use both lanes

Show quote history

But it's a single lane exit. If you could use both lanes they'd have to merge anyway!

IloveJudgeJudy · 02/03/2023 13:15

But if you don’t move into the right hand lane early on, before the roundabout it causes problems back down the line. Some traffic turns off left at the roundabout but not all

knittingaddict · 02/03/2023 13:26

IloveJudgeJudy · 02/03/2023 13:15

But if you don’t move into the right hand lane early on, before the roundabout it causes problems back down the line. Some traffic turns off left at the roundabout but not all

Why would op need to move into the right lane at all?

Answer - they don't.

If they are in the left lane then they stay in the left lane and exit at the straight on exit.