to ask you who has right of way?

[allswellthatends]

Please settle a family argument, especially since our eldest has finally nabbed a driving test date and this could come up.

Near our house is a mini roundabout we pass almost every day. If car A and car C arrive at the roundabout at the same time, and car A is signalling a right turn, who has right of way? Who has to yield?

I have drawn a diagram under MN rules, but cannot see how to link it??

Yes, of course I have my own view (which doesn’t correspond to my husband’s view). I would like to hear what others think, so I am putting this out here and will come back to it in 24 hours to tell you what I think and why. It’s clear that not everyone agrees with me because this location gets a lot of near-collisions and angry hooting!

I don't think the fact that car A is indicating to turn right head any relevance here. The cars are directly opposite each other, and arrived at roundabout at same time, so there is no need for either car to give way on this situation. If car C was on road B, then A would have priority, and if it was on road D then it would. I'm totally confused by all the posters saying car A had right of way because of priority to cars approaching to the right.

Car C should give way to car A.

The fact that so many on this thread don't get this is terrifying.

Car A goes first, I've never had a problem with this, I had no idea it was so complicated 🙃

If car A would have priority if C was on road B then why does A not have priority now? A is still approaching from Cs right. (Again I'm not taking into account the whole not on the roundabout yet thing). You don't have to just give priority to cars in the road directly to your right. It's cars approaching from the right. A will always be coming from Cs right whether he's on road B or the one he's on originally. So C needs to give way still.

This surely.

For all the people of who say its A, because 'they are on the right', have you tried turning the screen upside down?

But that’s not correct unless A is already on the roundabout or very close and approaching it at a speed that would make it unsafe to stop. In OP’s scenario both cars arrive at their respective lines at exactly the same time.

@VintageTuppence that's why I said theoretically
In practice if you genuinely arrive at the same time, you sort it out with politeness and common sense, one of you gesturing to the other to indicate they can go ahead

So you regularly give way to other cars that are not yet on the roundabout?

Car A. 100%

Exactly the same time? No one has to give way to anyone. Both would be entering the roundabout at exactly the same time. By the time A got to the point where it would require being given way to, C would be past the point of it being an issue

But OP said they arrive at the same time? Car A has priority.

I had a similar scenario on my driving test, arrived at a mini roundabout at the same time as a car that was directly opposite. I waited for them and was given a minor as I didn’t need to wait, although the examiner said ‘I understood why you did’.

I've been driving 25 years and in my experience people normally do do this at mini roundabouts yes. If I'm approaching one and intend to go straight on or left, and I see another car approaching opposite at similar speed and distance to me and they are indicating right which will cut across my direction of travel then yes I give way to them. If they are miles away or dithering about then I will go first. I've also had plenty of drivers slow and stop if they see me coming and indicating right etc. If a car is not indicating I will also slow/stop as even if I technically can go I don't really want an accident and some people are idiot drivers who don't know what indicators are.
The whole priority/ not yet on the roundabout thing in real life doesn't really seem to be an issue most of the time in my experience. Most people seem to just give way to someone turning right approaching from their right.

But by the same logic, why does C not have priority now? My point about the cars being in different positions was simply that it changes the symmetry of the situation and makes it more likely that both cars couldn't go together, in which case the car to the others right does have priority. In the situation given both cars probably could go at the same time without issue, but if a lack of space etc meant that this wasn't possible the rules about priority to the car on the right would be no help and the drivers would have to work out out between themselves.

Yes if its a mini roundabout, its not big enough to both go at the same time so if someone is coming from the right of me, they go first (assuming we get there at the same time)

I have to turn right on a mini roundabout on a busy road to get into my own street and the other cars always give way. It's not that complicated, I think some people are over thinking it

If car C was in road D turning left into road A technically no one has to give way to anyone as no one is cutting across anyone path. If car C was in road D going straight on into road B then it changes to C having priority as he is now cutting across As path from the right.

This made me chuckle. 😂

There really is a lot of over-thinking this 😄

If cars stop opposite each other on any type of roundabout - neither has priority!

You gain priority if you are onto the roundabout first and even then priority only means that other cars without priority give way which means don't go if it affects you - they are still absolutely allowed to go if not affecting you (bigger roundabouts / they are faster / etc.)

the Highway code is very clear - and equally clear that roundabouts are not the simplest road junctions so never make an assumption that you are in the right - always allow for others who are positioned badly etc.

So:

• if in doubt pause and let them go first
• otherwise just go and get on with life
• if they 'cut you up' don't get on your high horse / establish your rights / report them to the Daily Mail - just be tolerant and patient and back off and let them go

Accidents happen when drivers are unaware of other road users / believe themselves to be in the right and assume that everyone else will bow down to them and let them proceed up their red carpet unhindered 😄

patience, tolerance and be aware of everyone else and you will be fine.
priority is not a static / fixed thing - it is fluid and continually changing... they might technically have priority over you, but if they sit there checking the highway code before making a decision and you go first - you will acquire priority - so drive confidently but with courtesy

This. In real life everyone just gives way to those indicating right even if you arrive at the same time.

This answer is on the nail. Mini roundabouts are buggers because drivers don't have the luxury of time and space as you would at a normal roundabout. They are generally too small for the 'give way to your right' rule to work. As an ex driving examiner (but many moons ago, so if things have changed now I stand corrected), we would always expect an instructor to have taught extreme caution and common sense at a mini roundabout. If common sense is in short supply at the time, the rule of thumb of "who has to cross whose path" would apply. Car A needs to cross the intended path of car B, so they should give way. Car B won't be crossing the route or path of car A, so technically they have right of way.

So the answer to the question is the majority of people think the car indicating right gets priority, which is entirely wrong as per this post from Salty. The indicator is only an indication that the driver may make a certain manoeuvre.

🤣 what relevance is that. Op drew it the way it happened. Reverse the cars. Reverse who has priority.

Caveat: this isn't about "right of way" as such, and there is no "has to", necessarily.

A should never need to give way to C, because there is nothing to actually give way to - C is not turning right so never drives across A's path onto the roundabout. So this should not present a problem for A at all.

It is C who needs to judge when to enter the roundabout based on what A is actually doing. If C judges they can complete the manoeuvre safely without getting in the way of A, then they should go first, otherwise they should wait and give way to A.

Both cars should drive around the painted circle, of course. What you commonly see in road rage YouTube vids is A driving straight across the circle angrily beeping at C. Whereas if A had driven around the circle as they should have done, they would have been fine and both drivers could just have got on with their day.

You can’t say “assuming we get there at the same time” to answer the question “do you give way to cars that are not yet on the roundabout?”. The question was about when you get to the roundabout first, and they are not at it yet.

Yes, this.

We have two of those mini roundabouts near our house and it drives me crazy. Theoretically, even at a small roundabout, you should be able to have at least two cars on the roundabout at any given time - in this case, Car A will be driving relatively slowly around the painted circle while Car C would be going a bit quicker to go straight. Instead, too many people treat it like a fairway crossing and take turns.