Dealing with pairs of mini roundabouts

[anonymous-user]

Just a quick question, infact more a poll, for the Piston Heads collective.

Normally, and as instructed in the highway code (IIRC), you deal with pairs of mini roundabouts as separate junctions. In-so-far-as, choosing the correct lane to be in to take your desired exit.

Now, there is a pair of mini roundabouts near me that causes a lot of confusion regarding selecting the correct lane. It is pair of roundabouts approached by two lanes. The first roundabout has a straight on exit and a right exit. The straight on exit also carries on the two lanes. The second roundabout has a left and straight on exit.

Now everyone (well almost everyone) gets the second roundabout correct, i.e. left hand lane for left and right hand lane for straight on. There are also arrows painted on the road indiciting that this is correct.

The problem comes with the first roundabout. Now, if it were in isolation, the correct choice would be left for straight on and right for right. However due to the presence and setup of the second roundabout, most people use both lanes for straight on and stay in the left lane for left at the second roundabout and the right lane for straight on at the second roundabout.

This defys normal convention.

Here is a link to a google map
https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ll=51.599...

Here is a link to a google streetview
https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ll=51.599...

Any thoughts about the correct way to approach this junction? I have my own take on the matter, but would like others.

[Somewhatfoolish]

Personally I would go with local convention, while being mindful of drivers who don't understand the layout. You can argue for either using the highway code. But since there are not signs to the contrary it's fine to go straight on from lane 2.

Which way makes sense if there were no local convention depends on the traffic flow tbh.

[Mandat]

Based on the particular road layout, going straight on from the right hand lane seem OK to me.

[Bacon Is Proof]

Mandat said:

Based on the particular road layout, going straight on from the right hand lane seem OK to me.

Until you get someone using the correct lanes, and then you have a chance of conflict.

[Somewhatfoolish]

Bacon Is Proof said:

Until you get someone using the correct lanes, and then you have a chance of conflict.

Except that if EITHER driver is driving properly while there may be "conflict" there won't be an accident. It's an obvious hazard.

This is why driving in accordance with local practice, whatever that is, is the best solution. Then the vast majority of movements will be trouble free.

[Bacon Is Proof]

Not everyone using the roundabout will have local knowledge.
Using the wrong lane will propagate the situation.

[Somewhatfoolish]

I know not everyone will have local knowledge. That's why everyone should be mindful of things going on around them.

But once almost everyone is treating the junction the same way there's no use in ignoring that just to be "right". A similar situation arises with fairly large single mini roundabouts where practice is to drive straight over; it can look very misleading if someone turns right in the "proper way" by going left first if no one else is doing that.

No excuse for accidents though!

[Somewhatfoolish]

Put another way: it's best for everyone that people conform. It doesn't really matter what method it is that they're conforming to.

Here's a world famous double mini roundabout where the practice described above is enshirned by signs.

[Bacon Is Proof]

Somewhatfoolish said:

Put another way: it's best for everyone that people conform. It doesn't really matter what method it is that they're conforming to.

That I agree with, however there is only one way to use the road correctly, but many ways to f it up, so everyone using the correct lanes would be the logical choice.

[Landshark]

Bacon Is Proof said:

Until you get someone using the correct lanes, and then you have a chance of conflict.

I'm confused by what the issue is?? First R/A lane one and two can be used to go ahead, lane two only for going right. Second R/A left lane left, right lane straight ahead as depicted by the road arrows...... Simples???

[anonymous-user]

^ There are no arrows on the road indicating how the first roundabout should be treated.

I personally have used the roundabouts in a number of different ways and I ALWAYS pay attention and give plenty of room. It makes sense and flows much better if you use both lanes for straight ahead, but perhaps technically that is wrong. The double lane between the two roundabouts makes it complicated, and I am not sure either way is right or wrong.

[Bacon Is Proof]

Whoops, thought there were arrows leading upto the first r'about.

Landshark: if both lanes are being used for straight ahead on the first r'about, then you run out of lanes for the second.

[Landshark]

Bacon Is Proof said:

Whoops, thought there were arrows leading upto the first r'about.

Landshark: if both lanes are being used for straight ahead on the first r'about, then you run out of lanes for the second.

True, that's where potential collisions could occur as people swap lanes after the first R/A.

[Bacon Is Proof]

Teaching my OH to drive in Milton Keynes, she asked my why there were three lanes for straight on as you enter a roundabout but only two exits.

Can anyone else answer?
My reply of "to help cause accidents" wasn't warmly accepted.

[Landshark]

Bit like one in Chertsey, three lanes on, three lanes around one part, three lanes on, then one and a half around the other side??? Causes major problems!!!

[R0G]

As a newby to that situation I would say that both lanes go road ahead from the first but if I chose the left lane and wanted to go road ahead again then I would do a safe lane change from the left to the right lane

[Quietlybonkers]

Try the Italian way - hand on horn and drive straight through the middle

[markiemark]

That junction is local to me and I was always told that right lane for right and left lane for straight over when learning to drive.

[ez64]

Skodasupercar said:

Just a quick question, infact more a poll, for the Piston Heads collective.

Normally, and as instructed in the highway code (IIRC), you deal with pairs of mini roundabouts as separate junctions. In-so-far-as, choosing the correct lane to be in to take your desired exit.

Now, there is a pair of mini roundabouts near me that causes a lot of confusion regarding selecting the correct lane. It is pair of roundabouts approached by two lanes. The first roundabout has a straight on exit and a right exit. The straight on exit also carries on the two lanes. The second roundabout has a left and straight on exit.

Now everyone (well almost everyone) gets the second roundabout correct, i.e. left hand lane for left and right hand lane for straight on. There are also arrows painted on the road indiciting that this is correct.

The problem comes with the first roundabout. Now, if it were in isolation, the correct choice would be left for straight on and right for right. However due to the presence and setup of the second roundabout, most people use both lanes for straight on and stay in the left lane for left at the second roundabout and the right lane for straight on at the second roundabout.

This defys normal convention.

Here is a link to a google map
https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ll=51.599...

Here is a link to a google streetview
https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ll=51.599...

Any thoughts about the correct way to approach this junction? I have my own take on the matter, but would like others.

Used to drive to wycombe most days

[Jobbo]

The Highway Code (rule 186) says when going straight on, select the appropriate lane on approach to the roundabout. In the absence of signage approaching the roundabouts, it's clearly appropriate to continue in the same lane going straight on, so the left lane is for people turning left at the second roundabout and the right hand lane is for straight on. However, what is appropriate may vary depending on traffic flows, so if many people turn right then perhaps it would be appropriate to take the left hand lane and (using due caution because you are changing lanes as you exit the roundabout), change to the right hand lane for the second roundabout to continue along the A40.

They aren't mini roundabouts, by the way.