Roundabout layout question
Discussion
Just a quick question to the BiB here.
Scenario is, leaving a dual carriageway slip road, the road approaches a rounabout, with traffic lights.
The left hand lane is for left and straight ahead.
The right hand lane is for right turn (exits 3 or 4)
Once past exit number one, both lanes merge into one, before exit 2.
Now, there is always a long queue for the right hand lane, I want to take exit 3.
Is it ok for me to take the left hand lane, then take exit number 3, seeing as traffic for exit number 2 onwards merges into the same lane anyway?
There is often BiB parked between exits 1 and 2, hence the question.
Scenario is, leaving a dual carriageway slip road, the road approaches a rounabout, with traffic lights.
The left hand lane is for left and straight ahead.
The right hand lane is for right turn (exits 3 or 4)
Once past exit number one, both lanes merge into one, before exit 2.
Now, there is always a long queue for the right hand lane, I want to take exit 3.
Is it ok for me to take the left hand lane, then take exit number 3, seeing as traffic for exit number 2 onwards merges into the same lane anyway?
There is often BiB parked between exits 1 and 2, hence the question.
diagram 
I would say no - you need to be in the RH lane.
However, do a search of the fora and you'll find several examples of people who have (IMO) correctly used the RH lane and then had a coming-together with the prat who's orbiting the roundabout in the outermost lane.
In all these threads, the BiB tend to come back and say that the car on the left is in the right. How and why I have no idea.
Helpfully (not), the Highway Code fudges the issue and says something along the lines of "pick the most appropriate lane". Great.
However, do a search of the fora and you'll find several examples of people who have (IMO) correctly used the RH lane and then had a coming-together with the prat who's orbiting the roundabout in the outermost lane.
In all these threads, the BiB tend to come back and say that the car on the left is in the right. How and why I have no idea.
Helpfully (not), the Highway Code fudges the issue and says something along the lines of "pick the most appropriate lane". Great.
Exit 3 is a dual carriageway.
Round one half of the roundabout, there are 2 lanes, on the other side (the side I go round, there is only one lane)
As traffic goes past exit 2, all traffic is in one lane. So you could either turn off left to take exit 2, or carry on round towards exit 3.
Traffic in the left hand lane entering the roundabout can affectively go left, straight on or right, but un surprisingly it is only marked as "left and ahead"
Round one half of the roundabout, there are 2 lanes, on the other side (the side I go round, there is only one lane)
As traffic goes past exit 2, all traffic is in one lane. So you could either turn off left to take exit 2, or carry on round towards exit 3.
Traffic in the left hand lane entering the roundabout can affectively go left, straight on or right, but un surprisingly it is only marked as "left and ahead"
I would have no qualms about using the left lane if I was the first at the lights and felt confident I could out-accelerate the cars in the r/h lane to avoid cutting in or causing anyone to brake / swerve etc.
The lane markings on many roads round my way aren't obvious as they are covered with cars.
The lane markings on many roads round my way aren't obvious as they are covered with cars.
leosayer said:
I would have no qualms about using the left lane if I was the first at the lights and felt confident I could out-accelerate the cars in the r/h lane to avoid cutting in or causing anyone to brake / swerve etc.
The lane markings on many roads round my way aren't obvious as they are covered with cars.
You have to filter into the right hand lane anyway, even to go straight on!
Commonly known as 'doing a blag' around these parts, just keep lane discipline, and indicate your intentions, don't drive too quickly either, and you'll be ok.
If the copper says anything, just tell him you ended up in the wrong lane up to the roundabout, and didn't want to cause a tailback while you snuck in.
If the copper says anything, just tell him you ended up in the wrong lane up to the roundabout, and didn't want to cause a tailback while you snuck in.
Muncher said:
Is it ok for me to take the left hand lane, then take exit number 3, seeing as traffic for exit number 2 onwards merges into the same lane anyway?
There is often BiB parked between exits 1 and 2,
hence the question.
IMHO yes as legally you can use either lane, markers on the road (giving lane directions) are for information only and not enforceable.
Would I do it in front of the BiB maybe not as they always have DwDCA as a back stop
Actually, this thread got me thinking...
There are junctions and bits of road all over the place that just "work" at rush hour because the same people use them day in, day out and get used to the "best" way of making use of the available road space.
This might not be the "official" way a bit of road is designed to work, but its effective.
You can usually tell this kind of situation because it all goes to pot when one or two folk who don't know the road either try to do something in the "official" manner or else take the p155 and try to cut in.
Case in point would be a long straight bit of 4-laned road near me (very narrow with no central divide). Going in to town, the LH lane turns into a permanent bus lane about 1/2 way along. There's a junction on the left just before the bus lane.
Therefore, what happens at rush hour is all the folk going straight on just get straight into the RH lane and all the left turners skip past in the empty left lane. This isn't the "official" way to use the road (keep left unless overtaking) but it works so much better for all concerned. The whole thing snarls into gridlock the minute some git piles down the left lane and then tries to filter over into the RH lane at the start of the bus lane. Very few of the cars in the RH lane are willing to give way, seeing as they've just queued to get to this point and the blocked overtaker pervents the left-turning traffic from escaping. Chaos ensues very quickly.
I don't know what the right answer is (actually, I do in this case - its "remove the bus lane", but that's a separate issue!) but if your roundabout "works" in a certain way at rush hour, its probably best not to buck the system too far - do it a few days in a row and the other commuter traffic will get to know you and start to deliberately block you from merging I'd guess.
There are junctions and bits of road all over the place that just "work" at rush hour because the same people use them day in, day out and get used to the "best" way of making use of the available road space.
This might not be the "official" way a bit of road is designed to work, but its effective.
You can usually tell this kind of situation because it all goes to pot when one or two folk who don't know the road either try to do something in the "official" manner or else take the p155 and try to cut in.
Case in point would be a long straight bit of 4-laned road near me (very narrow with no central divide). Going in to town, the LH lane turns into a permanent bus lane about 1/2 way along. There's a junction on the left just before the bus lane.
Therefore, what happens at rush hour is all the folk going straight on just get straight into the RH lane and all the left turners skip past in the empty left lane. This isn't the "official" way to use the road (keep left unless overtaking) but it works so much better for all concerned. The whole thing snarls into gridlock the minute some git piles down the left lane and then tries to filter over into the RH lane at the start of the bus lane. Very few of the cars in the RH lane are willing to give way, seeing as they've just queued to get to this point and the blocked overtaker pervents the left-turning traffic from escaping. Chaos ensues very quickly.
I don't know what the right answer is (actually, I do in this case - its "remove the bus lane", but that's a separate issue!) but if your roundabout "works" in a certain way at rush hour, its probably best not to buck the system too far - do it a few days in a row and the other commuter traffic will get to know you and start to deliberately block you from merging I'd guess.
pdV6 said:
I don't know what the right answer is (actually, I do in this case - its "remove the bus lane", but that's a separate issue!) but if your roundabout "works" in a certain way at rush hour, its probably best not to buck the system too far - do it a few days in a row and the other commuter traffic will get to know you and start to deliberately block you from merging I'd guess.
The 'answer' is to review and enforce the HWC by making it law, They have got it right in Germany whereby, if there is an accident someone has broken the law, their traffic rules are clearcut and unambiguous unlike ours
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