To be annoyed by lack of road markings...

[BrightOrangeDahlias]

... caused by council / highways penny-pinching.

Drove into nearby Big City today, it was a nightmare. I was following the satnav as it's not somewhere I drive regularly, but was relying on painted road markings at roundabouts and junctions etc to know what lane I was supposed to be in. Except most of them were bloody missing! All worn away and not repainted. Think massive, 4- or 5-lane roundabouts where it's not as simple as left lane for left, middle lane for straight on and right lane for right. It's the same in my smaller city, but I have the advantage of driving here for donkeys years so I know generally which lane to be in.

Someone needs to get the tin of white paint out! Is it like this everywhere now?!?

Certainly like that in Bradford when I went last week!! Exactly as you describe. I got beeped as I had to make a last minute lane change on a roundabout because of it.

You are not being unreasonable OP. It can be terrifying if you are unfamiliar with the road.
There is an option to report faded road markings online (similar to reporting potholes) Many months ago I reported a major roundabout near me. They replied saying they are aware and it needs doing urgently but they do not have the funding (this was under a Tory government so hopefully things might improve now Labour are going to fund councils better).

Money is very thin on the ground for local councils so some leeway is necessary.

My local council has a reporting form re roads on their website. In my area we suffer a lot of weather extremes and the markings were fading in many places. However, there was one junction in particular where a faded give way sign was particularly dangerous if you weren't already familiar with the one way system in town. I reported it and explained why it was dangerous and it was fixed within the month. It could have just been coincidence but you never know!

Having said that, my council clearly has a programme of redoing road markings - they seem to be working through all the major roundabouts at the moment.

It is worth reporting to the council and/or your councillor if you feel a junction is dangerous. But if you are in a two tier authority be sure you are reporting to the right council.

Yanbu it's the same around here. It's a nightmare when it's dark and wet and you can't see the road markings on lanes too.

Basic skills go a long way. Left lane, turn left. Middle lane, straight on. Right lane - expect to go right. Follow others that are doing where you want to go. If you go wrong, go with the flow. Don’t change lanes at the last second. I’ve seen this quite a lot regarding road markings but you just have to try your best, safety.

It’s the same around here, it’s even worse on a wet day.
Same in Cambridge too. We were there a few weeks ago, late evening and raining. At the traffic lights there were two possible lanes and three possible directions. No way which lane was for which direction.

But that's not always the case is it. Hence why signage and lane markings need to be clear. Go with the flow sounds the perfect way to have an accident.

Yanbu. You've reminded me I need to report a roundabout for this.

Not always the case but it’s what you can do sensibly if you do not know. With only 2 lanes, assume left is left or straight on. My driving instructor said this to me decades ago. Mostly it works. If you go the wrong way, you can usually turn back and have another go. It’s better than carving someone up. Mostly you can change lanes by indicating. Although I’ve been around a few shockers in London where it’s a race track for bicycles. That’s ultra scary!

(Sort of) glad it's not just me, though it's depressing that it seems to be a widespread issue. The point about reporting is a good one, though I'm not sure I would be able to report any of the junctions from yesterday (there were so many and I'm not familiar enough with the roads to be able to quickly file a report). I guess the "good citizen" thing to do would be to log the ones in my own city with the council and hope that the locals in Big City also do the same! What with the lack of road markings and the car nearly disappearing into potholes on every journey, I'm beginning to think there's a conspiracy to keep everyone off the roads <tinfoil hat time >

I would like to respond to @TizerorFizz's comments about lane discipline though. My point was that it's the cases when it's not left for left / middle for straight on / right for right where it's a problem. The junctions I was passing over yesterday were more complicated than that and you really did need to see the markings to be sure which lane to be in. I agree though that you need to keep your wits about you and recognise the flow of traffic and, if it's not safe to move lanes, accept you might end up getting sucked into a different road than the one you need. Still frustrating though!

So many road marking at roundabouts where I live and travel to work are faded.
Obviously it is not to bad for yourself when you are familiar with the roads but it is others you have to watch out for changing lanes last minute and the majority of them just pulling out without indicating.
The councils may not have the money to repaint, but the cost to human life is greater. It should be a priority.

@BrightOrangeDahlias I do know not all will follow this lane protocol but most do. Right is often right only. Best to not use it if you are going straight on. I accept it’s confusing but not barging in or changing lanes at the last second is good thoughtful driving. I’m struggling to think of a single junction with three lanes where my advice is not decent. If you go wrong, turn back safely and have another go.