Cheeky or Illegal

[wendyg]

Seems almost a rediculous question to ask, but here goes.

On my journey home, daily, there is a roundabout junction. The roundabout has three entrances, which are all two lane, and three exits, which are all one lane. Effectively left, straight-on and right.

Because of the traffic flow, the left lane, for left and straight on, gets very busy. The right-hand lane, for turning right, tends to be empty.

I've gotten into the habit of whizzing up the clear RH lane, going right round the roundabout (it's just about do-able) and taking my left turn exit.

Any comments?

[vonhosen]

If you wish to take the first exit you should be in the left hand lane, unless lane markings dictate otherwise.

[wendyg]

But surely once having entered the roundabout, I am allowed to circle it, maintaining lane discipline, until I can exit it at any point. I could compare the situation with a person unfamiliar with the particular layout, who would reasonbly think that both lanes would be appropriate for straight on.

[andmole]

Cheeky.

[NAH]

Do it all the time in a car, on a bike, no need! Keep it quiet!!

[vonhosen]

wendyg said:

But surely once having entered the roundabout, I am allowed to circle it, maintaining lane discipline, until I can exit it at any point. I could compare the situation with a person unfamiliar with the particular layout, who would reasonbly think that both lanes would be appropriate for straight on.

Sorry I misread your initial post.
Cheeky but that's all IMHO.
Others may say inconsiderate driving, jumping a queue is one of the examples the CPS will give for the offence.

Edited by vonhosen on Thursday 7th December 00:04

[shuvitupya]

wendyg said:

I've gotten into the habit of whizzing up the clear RH lane, going right round the roundabout (it's just about do-able) and taking my left turn exit.

Any comments?

Cheeky Yes.

Pishes off everyone in the correct lane yes.

Will anyone that remembers your car have an accident with a screwdriver? Quite possibly

[slowly slowly]

I have been known to do this in an Artic, where's the problem?.

[711]

slowly slowly said:

I have been known to do this in an Artic, where's the problem?.

I'm not claiming to be perfect, 'cause I've played this little game myself.

However, could the problem be that the increased congestion in the right lane will impede progress of people who are legitately turning right? Where one person does it, others tend to follow...

[Parrot of Doom]

Theres nothing cheeky about it. Good on ya.

[The Hitman]

I have done that on occasion and people don't like it, but thats all, I can't really see that you would be charged for anything for doing it as there isn't anything saying you can't.

[deeps]

Perfectly legitimate manoeuvre, well done! Both saving time and easing congestion.

If they all want to queue in the left lane when the right is empty that's up to them!

[Flat in Fifth]

vonhosen said:

wendyg said:

But surely once having entered the roundabout, I am allowed to circle it, maintaining lane discipline, until I can exit it at any point. I could compare the situation with a person unfamiliar with the particular layout, who would reasonbly think that both lanes would be appropriate for straight on.

Sorry I misread your initial post.
Cheeky but that's all IMHO.
Others may say inconsiderate driving, jumping a queue is one of the examples the CPS will give for the offence.

In principle I would agree with VH , note following real situation.

Queue in lane 1 from 6 o'clock is because exit 1 at 9 o clock is blocked / very slow with queuing traffic.
Drivers then do as described by OP, approach in lane 2 from 6 o'clock, make the 1.25 circuit, fully knowing they they will also be unable to exit because of queuing traffic and they themselves will then end up blocking the entire island.

That to me is inconsiderate driving.

[black-k1]

While it may or may not be against the law (I did think there was something the prohibited going right around a roundabout past the entrance that you entered from) I do think the cheeky question depends on why there is a queue to get onto the roundabout. If the exit you want is clear and the queue is only to get onto the roundabout or is there because another exit is congested then I don’t see a problem. If the exit you want is congested and effectively a continuation of the queue that leads up to the roundabout then I think it’s a bad move. All it will do is delay those in the queue even more, causing shortened tempers and possibly some over reaction.

[k50 del]

That would depend whether there are lane markings on the road, if the RH lane is marked to go right only then going straight on from that lane is downright ignorant and causes even longer tailbacks as everyone has to brake for you to squeeze in on the roundabout exit.
If however there are no markings, or straight on markings on both lanes then fair play.

[LongQ]

There is at least one similar roundabout near to me, though I don;t use it regularly. It has Right turm marking in the right lane, mainly beacuse when they built a new road through an Industrial development area they wanted people to head for the city centre that way rather than along the old route.

At rush hour the left turn is usually busy. So many people rush up the rh lane, go around and then block the roundabout to save a few car lengths. They impede left turners and those wishing to go straight ahead. And, of course, right turners as well, though less so.

The straight ahead route is 2 lanes off (v. short section leading to light controlled pedestrian crossing followed by a very wide 2 lane road. So plenty of space for 2 vehicles off the roundabout. However, at peak times the peds are busy as well so the lights often require traffic to stop. If more than one vehicle that also blocks the roundabout.

So in my view the road markings from the City Centre bound direction should show the rh lane as ahead or right turn. That would ease the lh lane congestion. However the risk of aggro on exit as people think of the 2 lane wide road as being a single lane with people 'barging in' at the ped lights is quite high. So it is a bit of a gamble for that and other reasons - like people coming FROM the left assuming you are turning right and encroaching ...

However, since the left laners who are indeed going straight on are often blocked by the left exit congestion AND tend to be people who are not exactly quick off the mark when an opportunity to move arises, using the rh lane is a pragmatic way to relieve the congestion introduced by the road planners. I have noted that taxis seem to do it all the time. However as it is a route I travel very infrequently at the problem time of day I have tended to observe from the left lane queue so far. I observe that the number of rh lane users turning left is quite high and adds to the congestion more often than not. If they did not circumnavigate the roundabout and IF the markings suggested use of the rh lane for straight ahead I don't think the left turners would normally have a problem with using the lh lane to turn left. The road planners presumably think otherwise.

Expect cctv cameras and fixed penalties to be introduced soon.

[telecat]

I have done it on occasion, but I also slow past the previous exit allowing traffic from my entry point ingress on to the roundabout clearing some of the queue. I have seen Police do a similar thing where on the old M1 M62 junction.

[Don]

I thought all PHers did this?

Opposite lock the whole way round!!!


Cheeky IMO. But we've all done it from time to time I'll bet.

[wendyg]

black-k1 said:

While it may or may not be against the law (I did think there was something the prohibited going right around a roundabout past the entrance that you entered from) I do think the cheeky question depends on why there is a queue to get onto the roundabout. If the exit you want is clear and the queue is only to get onto the roundabout or is there because another exit is congested then I don’t see a problem. If the exit you want is congested and effectively a continuation of the queue that leads up to the roundabout then I think it’s a bad move. All it will do is delay those in the queue even more, causing shortened tempers and possibly some over reaction.

I take your point, and that made by FiF, but in the situation I described in my OP, the queue is just SWOT waiting to get on to the roundabout, and my left hand exit route is always clear. At no time am I ever blocking the roundabout. I don't believe any other driver is inconvenienced by my action. I suppose the size of the roundabout must be an issue. Clearly if it was a great big 100 foot diameter, 3-lane one, it would be a completely different issue to trying to do the same on one of those 10 foot 'painted spot' creations.

[Shifty Scott]

I do every day on the way home from work. Never even considered it cheeky.