Traffic - which way to turn?

[CampsieGlamper]

You are joining a main road at X and want to go to a or to the right. The road is busy in both directions, so you know you will have a long wait to get a gap on both directions at the same time. To the left, there is a roundabout, about quarter to half a mile - but it is to the left and you want to go to the right. However by safely turning left and going around the roundabout you can easily get on your way to the right a lot quicker.
But is it "cheating and being wrong"?

Yabu - cheating, unenglish and disgusting.
Yanbu - good thinking, common sense and aeareness

No, it’s fine

Sensible.

We have a road like that out of a supermarket car park in our town. I wish people would turn left as it causes huge traffic jams.

It’s how you safely cross the road.

We have a road like that by us and it surprises me how many people just sit waiting to turn instead of going to the island.

I’ve seen a few junctions that actually recommend turning left to go to the roundabout. It’s fine.

It’s fine and you’re actually keeping traffic flowing. This is often the way you’re directed to go if there’s a right turn on a busy road near a roundabout - I’ve seen a few “be right turn” signs as they would prefer you to go round the roundabout instead of backing traffic up waiting to turn for ages.

To me it’s the safest route. Just make sure you’re clearly indicating your intent at the roundabout because so many people don’t seem to see!

There's a similar junction near me and I tend to turn left and turn at the roundabout as you get to where you want to go much faster

It's the safest option.

A lot of places near me have now put up 'No right turn' signs because of this

I have a road like this on my drive to work and they've made it no right turn, although the roundabout is only 100 metres or so, so not much our of your way

Who’s told you it’s cheating? It’s perfectly fine.

Cheating 😂😂😂 whoever said that is a little bit odd.
It's fine and sensible and I have done it on multiple occasions. I hate busy right turns.

I would turn left. Who or what is it cheating?

It's more sensible to do that to keep the traffic moving

Cheating? A junction near me is set out like this and the right turn is banned - you have to turn left and use the roundabout to return (the roundabout is less than a quarter of a mile.

As long as it is a proper roundabout and not a mini roundabout then yeah it’s fine, I do it all the time

Why not at a mini roundabout? As long as clearly indicating there is no reason not too.

I’m pretty sure you are not supposed to do U turns on mini roundabouts, it’s in the Highway Code

Where I am right now they would stick a barrier down the main road to force you to turn left, no choice. Way to keep the traffic flowing.

Its not cheating, its safer and often faster.
Youll often see signs recommending you to do just that at junctions crossing busy roads that are close to roundabouts

Highway Code says no U-Turns on mini roundabouts

188
Mini-roundabouts. Approach these in the same way as normal roundabouts. All vehicles MUST pass round the central markings, except large vehicles which are physically incapable of doing so. Remember, there is less space to manoeuvre and less time to signal. Avoid making U-turns at mini-roundabouts. Beware of others doing this.
Laws RTA 1988 sect 36 & TSRGD regs 10(1) & 16(1)

This is the exact same scenario we have when leaving our estate.

It’s chaotic during rush hour, so I would never entertain trying to turn right, although there is always someone who wants to chance it, therefore blocking the view of those trying to turn left! They then block the road to oncoming vehicles while trying to squeeze into the queue of stationary traffic.

The word "Avoid" means, yes you can if the situation cannot be avoided safely. So in this instance going to the roundabout is the best and safest option.

Every situation has its own circumstances and nuances and that statemen takes that into account.

Cheating? At what exactly!! There’s a road like this near me and it’s quicker and safer to ‘slingshot’ round the roundabout to the left rather than queue to cross traffic to go right.