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AIBU?

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Original poster

Please help me with driving round this roundabout every day. It's all going wrong!!

62 replies

InternationalFlight · 20/05/2009 13:31

There is a rubbish roundabout near us and I have to negotiate it regularly.

I'm an experienced driver but it's started to be a real problem lately, and I don't know how to get it right. I've been beeped at several times, cut up nearly every time recently. It must be me I think.

Ok bear with me.

This is a fairly hefty roundabout. It has four exits...the one I approach from, has three lanes.

You can either turn left, by going into the left hand lane/bus lane at the last few metres. This is popular.

You can go straight ahead, which is what I usually want to do.

Or you can go right, which isn't popular as it doesn't go anywhere much.

So people going straight ahead tend to use both the central and right hand lanes on approach.
With me so far? Good

Ok, so I am approaching the roundabout in the right hand lane. The way is clear, there is a gap in the traffic coming from my right.
I start to enter the roundabout, remaining in the inside lane (closest to the middle island). However the person on my left also wishes to go straight across, and cuts in front of me as I go forward - so I have to wait for them to go before I can, thus missing the gap or getting hooted from the now-present car coming from my right.

It is also fairly difficult to get into this lane from the previous roundabout so I tend to use the central lane, which is even worse:

I'm now approaching in the central lane. Some cars in my lane are turning off into the bus lane to take a left turn - fine. Others are behind me wanting to go straight across. There are plenty of cars on my right, also wishing to go straight ahead.

I wait for a gap, and start to drive into the roundabout. At this point I am now given to total panic. This is because the car on my right wishes to take the inner lane (next to the central island) and the car on my left, which is going left, is taking the outer part of the roundabout. So I am stuck, being cut up on both sides by other cars. I just generally STOP now and wait for them to move, whilst getting hooted at by all of them plus the cars behind me.

I seemingly cannot win. I think the problem is that there are three lanes of traffic going into a two lane roundabout.

What can I do? It's making me want to give up driving completely as I feel so unsafe, it's kind of dog eat dog especially at rush hour.
I must be doing something wrong.

I stop at the roundabout, and wait

OP posts:
Original poster
InternationalFlight · 20/05/2009 13:55

Stripey, no but Paula does!!!!! see below!

The moon, thankyou, yes this is fine but I can't get into the left hand roundabout lane at all becase some geezer from my left wants it. I think next time I am just going to bRAKE and put on the handbrake and sit there till someone actually moves my car for me.

BCNS. I have an answer to this, you have inspired me. I am now patenting the CENTRAL INDICATOR. ie I am going STRAIGHT ACROSS.

why has nobody thought of this???

OP posts:
BCNS · 20/05/2009 13:57

LOl for straight across you use your hazards

Original poster
InternationalFlight · 20/05/2009 13:58

Skramble I want your van

have got my mum's fiesta with blacked out windows and alloy wheels. They all think I am a boy racer from thanet.

I think in the past I have tried to change lane ON the roundabout, ie taken the outer lane as suggested, then tried to go into the RH lane of the exit. This is obviously crap and I have decided not to try it again

But other times I have had the finger from the people on my right, and on my left, and those who appear to drop from the sky out of nowhere, just to beep at me.

OP posts:
oldspotraver · 20/05/2009 13:59

It doesnt sound as though you are actually doing anything wrong.... middle lane entering your roundabout, would be the correct one for the inside lane on your intended turn off ... and right hand lane entering roundabout, is correct one for turning right at roundabout or going into right hand lane on your intended turn off

I just think its unfortunate you have come across twats. You just need to go confidently and I know once you have been put off it can be hard. Always signal and DONT stop unless you fear you are about to hit someone. Try not to bother about being cut up or pipped at. I tend to go with the attitiude of these things happen, sometimes it cant be helped and so long as you dont hit someone then dont worry about it. Obviously drive as safe as possible

skramble · 20/05/2009 13:59

Animated pic of roundabout. Its quite mesmorising really.

themoon66 · 20/05/2009 13:59

I would be tempted to just put my foot down and go like shit off a shovel.... leave the other bastards standing

[lewis hamilton emoticon]

Original poster
InternationalFlight · 20/05/2009 14:00

arf at BCNS

Hazzards it is

here we come

ZOOOMMMMM

OP posts:
Original poster
InternationalFlight · 20/05/2009 14:00

Themoon, that's what all the others are doing and they somehow resent that I get in their way. I am just not HARD enough obv.

OP posts:
skramble · 20/05/2009 14:01

Must be the blacked out windows and alloys

Come to thinkof it maybe the cars are appearing from nowhere as you can't see out your blacked out windows

southeastastra · 20/05/2009 14:01

people always cut me up on roundabouts (or try to)

alfiesmadmother · 20/05/2009 14:02

well I would use the left lane to go straight ahead, but if it's a bus lane use the middle lane then straight to the left lane to go straight forward into the left lane.

Original poster
InternationalFlight · 20/05/2009 14:03

Oh Skramble that's me! In the little green car!!

See that would be great if it had three trillion cars on it and nothing was moving much (except the ones behind me)

OP posts:
Original poster
InternationalFlight · 20/05/2009 14:04

I do feel marginally less scared now. I will try it tomorrow and let you all know.

Oldraver I do have lots of near misses just there. I have to stop most days.

OP posts:
skramble · 20/05/2009 14:04

LOL try this one thing is in my van can't make a 270 turn on a mini roundabout, very silly as I have to make two cuts at it in the middle of the roundabout at least I know now.

Original poster
InternationalFlight · 20/05/2009 14:05

whare the hell is that? No wonder nobody wants to live in swindon!

OP posts:
skramble · 20/05/2009 14:08

is actually called the magic roundabout for real Looks like a fun day out .

oldspotraver · 20/05/2009 14:11

IF....I love taking strangers to this roundabout

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPANKRHL9HU

Original poster
InternationalFlight · 20/05/2009 14:12

Nooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OP posts:
PinkTulips · 20/05/2009 14:14

3 words;

Kinsale Roundabout, Cork

i shall never fear a roundabout again after living 1/4 mile from that gateway to hell

i do think the absolute worst thing you can be doing is to stop and panic, slow down by all means and let the flow adjust around you but never ever stop on a roundabout.

i'm also liking themoon66's approach.... you have the car to suit the action and if thhere's no on going faster than you there's no-one to cut you off

CandleQueen · 20/05/2009 14:16

If you look at Skambles animated link, you should be taking the roundabout like the blue car coming from the left of the picture.

skramble · 20/05/2009 14:17

LOL do you notice the cars making mad manouvers and driving over the pavement to have another shot at it, the red one is having a nervous breakdown.

stripeypineapple · 20/05/2009 14:19

The magic roundabout is in Hemel Hempstead. I traversed it for the first time not so long ago. I approached normally, was turning right so was in the right lane but then, horror of horrors, you don't go around the roundabout and take the last turning you just turn right with other traffic going in the other direction on both sides!

It's sheer madness thought up crazed fools high on car battery acid.

skramble · 20/05/2009 14:25

Oh there isone in High Wycombe, driven there loads of times and I have never evennoticed I was on a magic roundabout, did thinkthere was a few mad junctions though.

igivein · 20/05/2009 14:26

The problem is not what you're doing, it's what you're thinking. You assume everyone else on the roundabout is right and you are somehow wrong, it's a confidence thing.
Don't take this the wrong way, but it would probably help you to have a couple of driving lessons, concentrating on roundabouts, to build your confidence up. Once you're happy you know you're doing it right, you'll be able to dive in there with the best of them.

oldspotraver · 20/05/2009 14:35

IF.. there are lots of OMG's in the car when they first come across Magic Roundabout (and yes that is the official name on all the signposts)... I occasionally go round a few time in different directions ... only fun to be had in Swindon if I'm honest