To think that people don’t use this mini roundabout correctly? (Diagram and picture)

[AndiOliversGlasses]

This is on a regular route I drive and I am always approaching it from the angle seen in the photo, to turn right. My approach road is short so no time to build up any speed. As you can see, it is really a T junction of a smaller road in to a bigger one, but it has been configured with a mini roundabout.

Nine times out of 10 traffic coming from the right or the left doesn’t slow down, so even if a car coming from my right is not on the roundabout yet it will beep at me if I pull out and cause it to slow down. I know that the rule is give way to traffic coming from the right, but doesn’t that only apply to traffic already on the roundabout?

I can see that the problem with a mini one is that there is much less time that the car is actually “on” it, but surely everyone should be slowing down as they approach a roundabout?

At this one, usually the only way to get out is by waiting for a pedestrian to cross at the zebra and stop the traffic from the right that way.

AIBU to think that a mini roundabout is still a roundabout and the normal rules should apply? Or am I misunderstanding the rules?

I know that the rule is give way to traffic coming from the right, but doesn’t that only apply to traffic already on the roundabout?

No, it means slow down, see if anythings approaching the roundabout and if it is then give way!! No wonder you're always getting beeped.

There’s a few similar mini roundabouts near where I live.

If I can see a car approaching from the right - close enough that it’d have to slow down if I pulled out in front of it - then I’ll wait for a bigger gap.

I suppose technically the other car’s not on the roundabout yet and all that, but that’s wouldn’t be much comfort to me if there’s a collision because the car approaching from the right doesn’t react quickly enough to slow / stop in time on the (very very small) roundabout.

If a car is approaching from your right you have to give way to it, even if it’s not actually on the roundabout yet. In your diagram A should slow down and give way to B.

But why would it not slow down to a reasonable speed on approach so that I don’t need to give way, as we can both cross the roundabout at our own reasonable speeds?

What’s your authority for this?

I would expect that traffic from the right would only yield to traffic coming from straight ahead and turning right.

Because you are the one who has to give way! Car B in your diagram doesn’t have to slow down - Car A has to slow down and give way. That’s how driving works. As pp said, no wonder you’re always getting beeped!

https://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/roundabouts.html

It's your job to give way to traffic coming from the right. Mini roundabouts are the same as bigger roundabouts. The idea of accommodating people so you can both pass through with minimal fuss isn't necessarily a bad one, it's just not what it says on the highway code and would leave a lot of ambiguity around fault should something go wrong I would think!

OK So what about the cars coming from the left. Should they not be giving way to me? (They don’t).

When reaching the roundabout you should

• give priority to traffic approaching from your right, unless directed otherwise by signs, road markings or traffic lights

Yes, they should.

They should be, yes.

But on a full-size roundabout, which is what that guidance is written for, traffic “approaching” is already on the roundabout. If they were not already on the roundabout there would be enough space for you to pull out before they reached you, unless they were speeding.

I guess people approaching on your left see that you will have to stop for someone coming the other way, so they just breeze through. If you try to sneak in with so little space that you get beeped at by people coming from your right, you'll be in real danger of hitting someone coming from your left.

You need to give way to any traffic approaching from the right, whether it's already on the roundabout or not.

Hmm... yes they should. If someone's coming from your right at the same time though they'll be expecting you to stop. Which would mean both other cars if theyre staying on the 'main road' would both be able to go. You're throwing the whole thing off by not giving way to someone approaching from the right.

If nobody is coming from the right and its just you and the person on the left pulling out then yes, they're wrong.

Your way just doesn't work- it's essentially people arguing that they got there a split second before another person and pulling out, with no real priority in place at all.

I argue that the person approaching from the right should not treat the roundabout like a T junction and should approach with some degree of caution, allowing the traffic to flow as intended because there is no need to “give way” or yield as everyone has enough space if sensible speeds are observed.

The highway code link specifically says the same rules apply to mini roundabouts. Yes you have to make a judgement call based on speed and distance, and if you can join without slowing down the flow of traffic from the right that should be fine. It sounds like you are causing them to slow down though, and therefore you're not following the rules of roundabouts and causing cars from the right to give way to you.

They should approach with caution, but you still need to give way to them and stop if needed!

The rule of giving way to gje right is not just for traffic on the roundabout but traffic approaching the roundabout too. Your left should be giving way to you but in reality if they are going straight ahead and traffic to your right is going straight ahead they aren't going to wait for you to have space to move.

You need some more driving lessons! Traffic “approaching” does not mean traffic already on the roundabout. It also means traffic approaching the roundabout and just about to enter it.

A stops and give way to B

What's my authority? Literally everyone who is driving should know that you give way to the right. If you can see something approaching to the right you give way. You don't disrupt their flow. You are disrupting their flow by misunderstanding (and likely to cause an accident).

So can I just be clear- all of you drive straight into roundabouts at or above the top speed limit as long as there is no traffic visible to your right?

Are you remembering to indicate?

Traffic on your left should give way to you if they see you indicating right. However, if you're indicating left they don't need to slow down because you will have left the roundabout before them. If you're not indicating at all, they may think you don't know where you're going and may choose to zoom across whilst you're thinking about it.