''Taking the racing line''
Discussion
Yep - its IAM/Rospa approved to straight-line roundabouts if they are completely clear...if there's any traffic about then use lane discipline.
The logic I use is that even if there is traffic that will not be inconvenienced but may see me I use lane discipline. If its clear - straight line.
Why? I don't want the numpties copying me, without bothering to look in their mirrors, and sideswiping someone.
I (now) never, ever overtake (pass on the right) any vehicle on a roundabout. I'm afraid the numpties, particularly in Basingstoke, are quite capable of straight lining right into the bright red loud Sports Car next to them! Prior to adopting my (now) absolutely hard and fast rule I've had to emergency stop to avoid the odd silly bint doing it.
So, in summary: Straight Line, chaps. But with care.
The logic I use is that even if there is traffic that will not be inconvenienced but may see me I use lane discipline. If its clear - straight line.
Why? I don't want the numpties copying me, without bothering to look in their mirrors, and sideswiping someone.
I (now) never, ever overtake (pass on the right) any vehicle on a roundabout. I'm afraid the numpties, particularly in Basingstoke, are quite capable of straight lining right into the bright red loud Sports Car next to them! Prior to adopting my (now) absolutely hard and fast rule I've had to emergency stop to avoid the odd silly bint doing it.
So, in summary: Straight Line, chaps. But with care.
streaky said:
I didn't know roundabouts were a 50-limit.
Eh? Roundabouts bear the same limit as the major road they are situate in. The Shepherd and Flock Roundabout (actually a circulatory system) is 70 ... and before the traffic signals were installed, I regularly took it at such a speed - Streaky
Which was my understanding...from the first post I didn't see how a M-way roundabout was a 50-limit.
markmullen said:
Interesting as on my advanced course we were taught to straighten the road out. But that was last century and I gather that it's frowned on now adays --- lane discipline at all costs.
FiF what did your Instructor dictate?.
DVD
My IAM Observer had me straightening out roundabouts where there weren't lanes indicated through the roundabout, the correct indicated lane on the way in and then straight across.
I took my test like that a couple of weeks ago and it was commented on by my examiner that this was the correct method.
I was taught that passed test two years ago
The AA book of driving used to say that if a motorway was deserted one should straighten the road to shorten the distance driven, improve journey time and save fuel. (this was a early 70's edition)
Flat in Fifth said:Three. And I wince every time I see some numpty try to overtake an articulated lorry on a roundabout! Still, it might remove them from the gene-pool (Darwin Awards).
I (now) never, ever overtake (pass on the right) any vehicle on a roundabout.
That's two of us with that rule then.
My epiphany occured many years ago, I got squeezed by a idiot who failed to see the red saloon I was driving [re another thread, sometimes 'stand out' cars make good surveillance vehicles, no-one expects you to use them for that purpose]. We didn't collide, but it was damned near thing. Then the buffoon tried to force me to stop further down the road. When I did stop (at a set of traffic signals) he pulled diagonally in front (very Z cars
), got out of his car and strode back. He then flashed a card at me (very quickly) and muttered something about being an off-duty plain-clothes police officer. I remained in my car and asked him to show me the warrant card again. He refused, so I showed him my ID (not a warrant card, but it carried an imposing crest and empowerment from Her Britannic Majesty to do lots of interesting things). He returned to his vehicle rather quickly and drove away 
. Streaky
Ooops, forgot all about this thread! Seems there has been a bit of a crackdown in Bolton and Horwich recently, for two days after getting pulled for the roundabout incident i was pulled again on a 30 limit road, for overtaking a car turning left very slowly. I must have been doing the grand speed of 25 mph at 1 a.m when the police car hidden down the alleyway opposite went a bit mad with the blues....Is it wise to carry photocopies of insurance stuff, so you dont have to go through the producer rigmarole?
RickApple said:
Ooops, forgot all about this thread! Seems there has been a bit of a crackdown in Bolton and Horwich recently, for two days after getting pulled for the roundabout incident i was pulled again on a 30 limit road, for overtaking a car turning left very slowly. I must have been doing the grand speed of 25 mph at 1 a.m when the police car hidden down the alleyway opposite went a bit mad with the blues....Is it wise to carry photocopies of insurance stuff, so you dont have to go through the producer rigmarole?
I've wondered about carrying copies of the relevant documents, but some people have suggested that photocopies might not be acceptable, and you may need to produce the originals.
Best wishes all,
Dave.
Dwight VanDriver said:
Interesting as on my advanced course we were taught to straighten the road out. But that was last century and I gather that it's frowned on now adays --- lane discipline at all costs.
FiF what did your Instructor dictate?.
DVD
Its ok as long as you don't inconvenience/endanger anyone else!
Plotloss said:
Thats IAM/RoSPA rather than standard test just to avoid any confusion about mad driving instructors!
IAM state you should stick to your lane (roundabouts included). They do not advocate straightening the bends out and only use the other side when making an overtake.
I teach my students to pass the IAM then they are taught about real driving
! havoc said:
[quote=I teach my students to pass the IAM then they are taught about real driving
Bloody hell gone, you having a good weekend?!? That's the sort of post we want to see more of!!!
Quite right. Let's lighten up a bit here and have more support for the enthusiasts. You know the sort of thing - a bit of light and shade in the driving, a bit of sparkle now and again.
Enjoy your driving and keep it safe. It can be done.
Best wishes all,
Dave.
Roundabouts are very handy places for passing slower traffic, and like any hazard which slows the flow of traffic, safe overtaking oppotunities present themselves.
It seems to me the trick is in finding the safe place:-
1. Later baking on entry is obvious and effective, although one I'm giving up for Lent in my "slower-approach-to-hazards" resolution.
2. More efficient entry onto the roundabout is a second place -- where there is more than one entry lane to the roundabout and good visibility, you can often time your entry to coincide with a gap.
3. On the roundabout itself. Nasty. You have to be very very clear what is going on to make this safe as the previous posts have made clear.
4. On exit. A neatly executed q-turn will have you passing the target just after the roundabout, at a low speed and when they are still yet to get onto the power. Quite misleading for anyone else on the roundabout behind you, however...
It seems to me the trick is in finding the safe place:-
1. Later baking on entry is obvious and effective, although one I'm giving up for Lent in my "slower-approach-to-hazards" resolution.
2. More efficient entry onto the roundabout is a second place -- where there is more than one entry lane to the roundabout and good visibility, you can often time your entry to coincide with a gap.
3. On the roundabout itself. Nasty. You have to be very very clear what is going on to make this safe as the previous posts have made clear.
4. On exit. A neatly executed q-turn will have you passing the target just after the roundabout, at a low speed and when they are still yet to get onto the power. Quite misleading for anyone else on the roundabout behind you, however...
7db said:
Roundabouts are very handy places for passing slower traffic, and like any hazard which slows the flow of traffic, safe overtaking oppotunities present themselves.
It seems to me the trick is in finding the safe place:-
1. Later baking on entry is obvious and effective, although one I'm giving up for Lent in my "slower-approach-to-hazards" resolution.
2. More efficient entry onto the roundabout is a second place -- where there is more than one entry lane to the roundabout and good visibility, you can often time your entry to coincide with a gap.
3. On the roundabout itself. Nasty. You have to be very very clear what is going on to make this safe as the previous posts have made clear.
4. On exit. A neatly executed q-turn will have you passing the target just after the roundabout, at a low speed and when they are still yet to get onto the power. Quite misleading for anyone else on the roundabout behind you, however...
Ah yes, your item 2 reminds me of something from last Friday morning.
I was just arriving at one of the roundabouts on the York ring road, and intending to go straight on. There are two lanes on the approach, lane 1 is marked (with arrows on the road) for L and SO, and lane 2 is marked for R, so I was in lane 1 behind another car, and moving slowly as there was a car already on the roundabout and not far away from reaching our position.
A dark blue Mondeo whizzed past my right ear and straight past the nose of the car already on the roundabout. By rights he ought to have been in lane 1 as he went SO, but he gained a couple of places in the queue with that trick. It worked out OK for him but it was close, and he was pressing on at a cracking pace in the circumstances. I thought it looked a bit pushy, but there you go, nothing ventured nothing gained!
Best wishes all,
Dave.
7db said:
Doesn't sound like polite and discreet progress to me... more like a bit of queue jumping. I'm thinking more of crawling the last ten yards at ten mph to fine tune your entry and entry-speed, rather than using a lane marked for a different purpose...
Yes I agree, and I thought it looked a bit cheeky at the time. It was neatly done, and fortunately the timing was right, but it could so easily have gone badly wrong.
Best wishes all,
Dave.
7db said:q-turn?!? enlighten this philistine...have to confess I've not heard of that, and can't even picture what you're up to...my mind is filled with horrible images of cutting across your own path!!!
4. On exit. A neatly executed q-turn will have you passing the target just after the roundabout, at a low speed and when they are still yet to get onto the power. Quite misleading for anyone else on the roundabout behind you, however...
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