Roundabouts again !

[ledfoot]

Can someone tell me if it is legal to overtake another vehicle on a roundabout on the outside lane.
Example:-
I am turning right at a roundabout and there are 2 lanes on the 4 lane roundabout marked with a right turn sign painted on the road. I am in lane 3 and another vehicle is in lane 4. I overtake the vehicle in lane 4 as we both want the same right exit to a dual carriageway, and I arrive at the exit ahead of the other vehicle.

The reason I ask is become some idiot didn't look in his mirrors,and nearly collided with my vehicle, and I wondered if I had done anything wrong ?

[nonegreen]

It is illegal to overtake on the left.

[mechsympathy]

nonegreen said:

It is illegal to overtake on the left.

Unless you're in a queue.

Ledfoot: who nearly collided with you? If you had 2 right turn lanes at the RB, you should have 2 exit lanes. If you kept lane discipline and exited in the left hand lane you are in the right (as in correct). But driving standards being what they are, you should probably have anticipated allsorts of numptyism, and therefore the numpty was in the right.

[DanL]

nonegreen said:

It is illegal to overtake on the left.

Nope - as has been covered in another thread recently, IIRC the highway code says you shouldn't pass on the left (meaning it's frowned upon), but not that you MUST NOT (meaning it's illegal). The offence would be dangerous driving, or something similar...

Dan

[GreenV8S]

Living in MK I spend far too much time on and around roundabouts, I would say the majority of people I see are more interested in reading road signs than in lane discipline and signalling. Nowadays I assume the worst. I go out of my way to avoid being alongside anyone on a roundabout, if possible I try to stay level with the gap in the adjacent lane. Also assume that cars on either side are about to move into my lane, even if they are signalling the other way (e.g. move from the inside lane on a two-lane roundabout to lane 1 on the exit, while signalling right).

[manek]

Yup. Always assume the other guy i about to do the most stupid thing you can imagine, my grand-dad said. The AA calls it defensive driving.

Whatever you call it, an iota of experience teaches you that this helps keep your car's paintwork where it belongs -- only on your car.

[streaky]

The HC says, "139 ... stay in your lane if traffic is moving slowly in queues. If the queue on your right is moving more slowly than you are, you may pass on the left"

The OED defines a 'queue' as "a line of vehicles waiting to proceed".

This suggests that you can only overtake on the left if you you are in and the queue on the right are both waiting to proceed - ie. stationary! How does that work then?

If memory serves, the HC used to say something along the lines of, "you may only overtake on the left if the traffic in the lane on the right is moving more slowly" - much more sensible.

Now when the road bears left, traffic on the left travelling at the same speed as traffic on the right will make more ground than the outer traffic - tighter radius, less circumference to the arc ... simple geometry & physics. So, does that mean one has to slow down to avoid 'overtaking' (passing)?

Streaky

[XM5ER]

Right or wrong it was pss poor anticipation on your part not expect everyone else on the road to be a complete numpty.