Different types of roundabout with cambered surround

[markswebpages]

Hi all,

Just wondering if anyone can shed any light on this for me.

Local to me there are a few roundabout's with a small raised centre (With signs) and a painted slightly cambered section more or less doubling it's size, so my questions are.

Is is it OK to drive over the cambered section ? and on one of the roundabout's (The one in the second link) there are some road markings painted on the raised section, does this have any significance or meaning?

Roundabout 1

Roundabout 2

Everyone seems to drive over the ones with bricked cambered sections like this one

Roundabout 3

[reggie82]

I'm just guessing, but I'd say on the second one you shouldnt as the surround has a solid white line around it.

I'm not sure about the third one, I'd just see it as a traffic calming measure though and drive over it.

[herewego]

Maybe too tight for a large truck to negotiate so designed to give some flexibility for truckers while expecting smaller vehicles to use the road.

[Parrot of Doom]

I'd hesitate to cross the white line, but for the others its game on IMO.

[ridds]

Yep, I'd say white line is a no-no but the others are fair game. imho

[Swervin_Mervin]

herewego said:

Maybe too tight for a large truck to negotiate so designed to give some flexibility for truckers while expecting smaller vehicles to use the road.

This. It's an overrun area for the drag of artic trailers.

[mrmr96]

Swervin_Mervin said:

herewego said:

Maybe too tight for a large truck to negotiate so designed to give some flexibility for truckers while expecting smaller vehicles to use the road.

This. It's an overrun area for the drag of artic trailers.

So presumably if you're not an artic then you 'should' drive round?

[Swervin_Mervin]

Probably. However, if it's a low kerb I'll go over it. If it's a white line I won't.

It usually occurs where they've tried to squeeze a roundabout in where there isn't enough room from proper geometry, so more like a mini-roundabout. Roundabouts are supposed to be designed with a certain degree of entry deflection, reducing opportunity for driver's to straighline the junction. In these instances they've created that deflection with the larger island element, but then need to ensure an artic can get round which results in the designs highlighted.

[the_lone_wolf]

mrmr96 said:

Swervin_Mervin said:

herewego said:

Maybe too tight for a large truck to negotiate so designed to give some flexibility for truckers while expecting smaller vehicles to use the road.

This. It's an overrun area for the drag of artic trailers.

So presumably if you're not an artic then you 'should' drive round?

AFAIK there's no law that states you should, the overun areas are intended to be uncomfortable to drive over, to encourage traffic to travel around the perimeter of the roundabout, and hence slow down

You'll find similar things on the corners of smaller housing estate type roads, intended to keep traffic speeds lower whilst allowing larger vehicles like refuse trucks or fire tenders access that a small radius kerb would prevent