Lets learn about...Mini-Roundabouts
Discussion
Righty. I was giving an Observed drive with a senior observer in the back when the route cam across a mini-roundabout.
This one is terribly engineered...but that isn't the point. The associate asked me what best practice was and I replied.
"The Highway Code states you must go around the roundabout if it is physically possible for your vehicle to do it. We would advise straightening your line through it - if there is no traffic and it is safe to do so."
WRONG! S.O. Hauls me up on that one! Rightly as it turns out... mini-roundabouts - what a plethora of the little buggers and all different.
So, having pored over the HC again, I've come to the following conclusions.
Solid white line in central marker - do not cross solid white line.
Raised dome central marker - do not cross edge of dome.
Broken white line around central marker = could cross broken white line to straighten line if safe to do so...
I'd appreciate the views of our Class 1 colleagues.
This one is terribly engineered...but that isn't the point. The associate asked me what best practice was and I replied.
"The Highway Code states you must go around the roundabout if it is physically possible for your vehicle to do it. We would advise straightening your line through it - if there is no traffic and it is safe to do so."
WRONG! S.O. Hauls me up on that one! Rightly as it turns out... mini-roundabouts - what a plethora of the little buggers and all different.
So, having pored over the HC again, I've come to the following conclusions.
Solid white line in central marker - do not cross solid white line.
Raised dome central marker - do not cross edge of dome.
Broken white line around central marker = could cross broken white line to straighten line if safe to do so...
I'd appreciate the views of our Class 1 colleagues.
Given the turning circle of the Noble I'd have to do 4 point turns to get around most of them around here, and even then it would still be debateable that I could get around it without going over it.
Total cack therefore the rules - if a car that's passed the SVA test can't get around then then you have a classic conflict of regulations (the car is legal but can't conform to the rules about roundabouts
)
Don't you just love the UK legal system!
Total cack therefore the rules - if a car that's passed the SVA test can't get around then then you have a classic conflict of regulations (the car is legal but can't conform to the rules about roundabouts
) Don't you just love the UK legal system!
I'll add to this now...the particular mini-roundabout is very badly engineered. The central (raised) marker is off centre and, given the turning circle of my car, I cannot actually go around it.
In fact many drivers choose to straight line the roundabout by using the opposite side of the road
An offence. But quite understandable on that roundabout. I should post a picture up for people to see at some point...
In fact many drivers choose to straight line the roundabout by using the opposite side of the road
An offence. But quite understandable on that roundabout. I should post a picture up for people to see at some point... lucozade said:
That's interesting Don. I got told the same thing on my IAM lessons especially since my TVR could'nt navigate some mini-roundabouts "legally".
Are you perhaps in the North West?
No, mate. I'm in the sarf-eest. But our traffic engineers are as just as bad as they are everywhere else.
I don't want to get into the poor quality of the engineering though - other than how it affects the, hopefully, legal choice of line through such a thing.
Well I have to be honest and say that I tend to ignore the rules and use the best safe line (without going on the wrong side) as most of them are so badly designed that it's unbelievable.
There is a certain one near were I live (I'm sure you know it well Don) that I cannot go round without going over the central raised hump.
There is a certain one near were I live (I'm sure you know it well Don) that I cannot go round without going over the central raised hump.
icamm said:
Well I have to be honest and say that I tend to ignore the rules and use the best safe line (without going on the wrong side) as most of them are so badly designed that it's unbelievable.
There is a certain one near were I live (I'm sure you know it well Don) that I cannot go round without going over the central raised hump.
I do know it well - and many of its little friends. I too cannot get my car around many of them - and I intend to have a debate with my IAM group about the proper method of approaching such poorly designed road furniture.
Firstly, I'll start by saying that I'm sure Don's post is factually correct.
However, I clearly remember my driving instructor giving me the following advice when I asked about mini-roundabouts:
"They're just there to enforce right of way, so its fair game to drive over them"
Might be less confusing all round if a consistent set of rules were given by all instructors to all drivers.
However, I clearly remember my driving instructor giving me the following advice when I asked about mini-roundabouts:
"They're just there to enforce right of way, so its fair game to drive over them"
Might be less confusing all round if a consistent set of rules were given by all instructors to all drivers.
Regardless of whether you drive round or over mini-roundabouts, why oh why do people fail to give way to traffic approaching from the right?! There's a double mini-roundabout up the road from here, and people coming from the Uxbridge direction are notorious for failing to give way to traffic on their right - I've often seen cars shoot through the junction at speeds in excess of 50 mph (and this in a 30 limit!).
This morning Mrs Elderly Numpty in her tasteful green Micra stopped to give way to traffic from her left (!!) as I approached on her right, and then pulled straight out in front of me.
One incident of many, unfortunately.
This morning Mrs Elderly Numpty in her tasteful green Micra stopped to give way to traffic from her left (!!) as I approached on her right, and then pulled straight out in front of me.
One incident of many, unfortunately.SGirl said:
double mini-roundabout
There's one of those near me. The local numpties can't work out what to do, so you can almost always thread your way through by invoking the "priority to traffic already on the roundabout" rule (which gets interpreted as "give way to the right" on larger roundabouts)...
Don said:
Righty. I was giving an Observed drive with a senior observer in the back when the route cam across a mini-roundabout.
This one is terribly engineered...but that isn't the point. The associate asked me what best practice was and I replied.
"The Highway Code states you must go around the roundabout if it is physically possible for your vehicle to do it. We would advise straightening your line through it - if there is no traffic and it is safe to do so."
WRONG! S.O. Hauls me up on that one! Rightly as it turns out... mini-roundabouts - what a plethora of the little buggers and all different.
So, having pored over the HC again, I've come to the following conclusions.
Solid white line in central marker - do not cross solid white line.
Raised dome central marker - do not cross edge of dome.
Broken white line around central marker = could cross broken white line to straighten line if safe to do so...
I'd appreciate the views of our Class 1 colleagues.
I may not be class 1 but
you must avoid the white parts if possible.
Which is complete out and out pedantry.
I concur with the other postee whose instructor said that they are there to impose 'priority' (not right of way which is a path across a field) and therefore fair game for some clipping. The rules are there for our guidance and cannot be strictly enforced for the infinite variety of roadage that we suffer. An intelligent driver will apply best practise at all times; the rest should follow the rules slavishly.
Consider this rule breaking as an example.
On my driving instructor driving test (pt2) I exceeded the speed limit by 20 mph. The examiner knew this.
And passed me.
Why?
Because it was appropriate for the situation.
If the examiner was a pedant (as above) I would have failed. But he applied intelligence. This is allowed by the DSA so why not IAM?
They are getting more and more ridiculous near me.
this is part of the traffic calming practice along a very quiet local area. You can see there is a car actually blocking one way of the centre hump.
And here's the mini roundabout - WHY????? These are new houses and the removals vans can't go round the roundabout and often bigger vans ground out over it...madness. It's very tight for even a car going round.
We have a local Liberal in charge of the council
this is part of the traffic calming practice along a very quiet local area. You can see there is a car actually blocking one way of the centre hump.
And here's the mini roundabout - WHY????? These are new houses and the removals vans can't go round the roundabout and often bigger vans ground out over it...madness. It's very tight for even a car going round.
We have a local Liberal in charge of the council
2 points:
1) Mini-roundabouts: observe other traffic and your exit - choose shortest direct path to exit. Ignore stoopid markings and humps designed to accomodate the highway engineer's son's pedal car.
2) Traffic calming begets SUVs. If you don't believe me, have a drive round any town in Berkshire. Windsor is a prime example. If I lived there I'd buy a Jeep Cherokee in a thrice.
1) Mini-roundabouts: observe other traffic and your exit - choose shortest direct path to exit. Ignore stoopid markings and humps designed to accomodate the highway engineer's son's pedal car.
2) Traffic calming begets SUVs. If you don't believe me, have a drive round any town in Berkshire. Windsor is a prime example. If I lived there I'd buy a Jeep Cherokee in a thrice.
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