What would you have done - a driving one

[fancytea]

I'm interested to know what others would have done in this situation I was in today. Pic attached - I hope it loads properly!

I'm coming out of my street and intending to turn right onto a main road (red arrow). There are roadworks across one half of the road (the hashed area), so temporary traffic lights holding back both lanes of traffic (yellow dots are the lights). The drawn circle is a roundabout, and I found out later that there was another traffic light holding back traffic joining from that road (blue arrow) - however, I could not see that light or the roundabout from where I was, when waiting to turn out of my street.

I had no traffic light and no sign saying it was a three-way control. When I got to the junction, both lanes of traffic were stopped. I therefore waited as I didn't know which one was about to go. The traffic then started to move from my left (i e. the flow I would have joined if normal traffic), so I waited for the end of that and then joined and drove along. However, when I got to just shy of the end of the roadworks, the traffic from the roundabout (blue arrow) came towards me. I was stuck, so I thought I would need to reverse, but then traffic came up behind me too.

One of the workers had to move some barriers so I could manoeuvre to the side and let all the other traffic past, and then go afterwards. He shouted at me that it was a three way control, what was I doing, etc. I tried to explain that there was no light for me and I did what I thought was sensible, but either a light is missing or the timings seem to be off. But I don't think he understood what I was saying and I didn't want to cause another hold up, so I left.

I have asked neighbours who have all agreed that there is something wrong with the setup i.e. our street has seemingly not been accounted for. I also feel like if it was my mistake and I shouldn't have gone when I did, there wouldn't have been traffic behind me? I'm just curious though whether there's anything I could have done better here?

I would've done exactly the same as you, tbh. The fact that the traffic was coming towards you as you neared the end of the roadworks could only have been due to two things: 1- too many cars from your left tried to get through the lights or 2- not enough time had been left between the change between the sets of lights. Neither of these were your fault.

Your road should have been included in the configurations- this isn't your fault either.

The only possible thing I can think might have been better is if you could see the line of traffic on your left starting to move off and you could nip in in front, if there was time.

One thing I'm confused about though- where did the traffic come from, that was coming up behind you at the end of your manoeuvre?

It would be normal for the blue arrow people to wait until all the traffic had gone past before they drive past the obstruction. The timing on those lights isn't always great and everyone pushes their luck to slip through just as it turns red. You should probably have been much closer to the car in front of you so that blue people didn't start moving.

Either way. We all make mistakes. Don't worry about it.

It means too many cars are coming through on a red light, so by the time you join at the end of them and go along the road, the other lot of lights have turned green and those cars have started to go before they can see you/because they don’t want to wait for the traffic to finish passing.

I’d be going down and having a word with the workers, especially about being shouted at when they’ve messed up the controls by not including your street or leaving long enough between one going red and one going green.

You did nothing wrong op. It was the street and temporary layout at fault.

It means too many cars are coming through on a red light, so by the time you join at the end of them and go along the road, the other lot of lights have turned green and those cars have started to go before they can see you/because they don’t want to wait for the traffic to finish passing.

Yes, I would assume this. Not your fault that too many people coming from your left are going through the red light that you can't see. But it must have either been really loads of them or you ended up with a big gap between you and the car in front, i.e. the last one to come through the lights to your left. If you're going to pull put and join those cars you have to be pretty nippy.

I'd have done exactly the same. You waited and joined the end of the line of traffic that was in the lane you wanted to join. Unfortunately it sounds like the cars were coming through on the red. This is very common now. It's so annoying you took the blame when it wasn't your fault, it happens to us all at some point! Frustrating.

Thank you. No I don't know where the traffic came from either - there was no one behind me in my own street, but there is another side street further along so possibly from there.

Yes it's true there was a bit of a gap, I didn't dawdle but the road narrowed quite a lot and there's a big pothole on that side so I did have to slow down to move past the roadworks. There was no time for me to get across the roundabout.