Left turns on roundabouts
Discussion
I have been 'honked at' twice at one particular roundabout of late, and so think I must be in the wrong:
On the aproach my exit is shown at 10 O'clock, other exits at 8 o clock, 2 o'clock and 4 o'clock. The approach has three lanes, one marked with a LEFT turn arrow, one with a Straightover and one with a RIGHT turn arrow.
I got in the nearside (Left turn lane) as my exit is before the 12 o'clock position ( which is what I was taught: it is a left turn). Once on the roundabout I held the nearside lane past the first exit and left by my exit, but I had to suffer the grief from people trying to exit the roundabout who obviously throught I should have been in the 'straightover' middle lane on the approach and possibly on the roundabout.
So, should I be in the straightover lane, or am I Ok in the 'left turn' lane. Is it they think that as there is no 12 o';clock exit that my exit is the 'straight over one?
On the aproach my exit is shown at 10 O'clock, other exits at 8 o clock, 2 o'clock and 4 o'clock. The approach has three lanes, one marked with a LEFT turn arrow, one with a Straightover and one with a RIGHT turn arrow.
I got in the nearside (Left turn lane) as my exit is before the 12 o'clock position ( which is what I was taught: it is a left turn). Once on the roundabout I held the nearside lane past the first exit and left by my exit, but I had to suffer the grief from people trying to exit the roundabout who obviously throught I should have been in the 'straightover' middle lane on the approach and possibly on the roundabout.
So, should I be in the straightover lane, or am I Ok in the 'left turn' lane. Is it they think that as there is no 12 o';clock exit that my exit is the 'straight over one?
Edited by Leftie on Monday 23 July 21:16
Edited by Leftie on Monday 23 July 21:17
If the arrows in the road indicate the left lane is for going left, I would imagine that means the first exit, and as such it sounds like (assuming I have it correct from what I read) that you ought to be in the middle lane.
Sadly the highway code doesn't seem to be borne in mind with planners and road painters these days..
Sadly the highway code doesn't seem to be borne in mind with planners and road painters these days..
Regardless of the highway code, you should be in the middle lane to enter the roundabout, the people in the next entry know this through local knowledge, which is why you are getting peeped at.
It really annoys me that there are roundabouts like this, but there you go. I think local planners these days are non vehicle licence holding greenies who have no idea the highway code even exists, and the reason for its existance.
I occasionally come across road markings which go against the rules and it really pisses me off. The locals have learnt the vagaries of the markings, but a stranger hasn't and has to depend on using the code, which puts him into conflict with the local traffic. Bloody stupid if you ask me.
Locally there is a large roundabout with what I can only describe as a corkscrew like lane pattern which defies all logic and some locals, not to mention strangers to it. I'm still trying to make the local council see sense, but I fear I will have to teach them sense in the first place.
It really annoys me that there are roundabouts like this, but there you go. I think local planners these days are non vehicle licence holding greenies who have no idea the highway code even exists, and the reason for its existance.
I occasionally come across road markings which go against the rules and it really pisses me off. The locals have learnt the vagaries of the markings, but a stranger hasn't and has to depend on using the code, which puts him into conflict with the local traffic. Bloody stupid if you ask me.
Locally there is a large roundabout with what I can only describe as a corkscrew like lane pattern which defies all logic and some locals, not to mention strangers to it. I'm still trying to make the local council see sense, but I fear I will have to teach them sense in the first place.
Maybe on Pete's roundabout the arrows painted on the road are not ideal. Perhaps they could have marked the left lane with a double arrow - one very sharp left, and an extension to the arrow showing a bear left type of path for his 10 o'clock exit.
I think it is helpful if the signs on the approach to roundabouts (and the road markings that go with them, so far as possible) are shown so that they are a fair representation of the actual road layout, rather than being purely diagrammatic.
Some road markings do not always seem to be logical at first glance, but presumably they are devised to suit the relative density of traffic on the various paths through the roundabout at busy times, which is something that a stranger to the area may not appreciate if he happens to be there at a quiet time.
Best wishes all,
Dave.
I think it is helpful if the signs on the approach to roundabouts (and the road markings that go with them, so far as possible) are shown so that they are a fair representation of the actual road layout, rather than being purely diagrammatic.
Some road markings do not always seem to be logical at first glance, but presumably they are devised to suit the relative density of traffic on the various paths through the roundabout at busy times, which is something that a stranger to the area may not appreciate if he happens to be there at a quiet time.
Best wishes all,
Dave.
Jasandjules said:
If the arrows in the road indicate the left lane is for going left, I would imagine that means the first exit, and as such it sounds like (assuming I have it correct from what I read) that you ought to be in the middle lane.
Sadly the highway code doesn't seem to be borne in mind with planners and road painters these days..
what he said.Sadly the highway code doesn't seem to be borne in mind with planners and road painters these days..
7db said:
Are all four exits the same size road, or are two or three of them major exits?
Two are dual carriageways, two single track. Having read this page I think the problem might be that although the info board on the approach shows my exit at 10 o'clock in fact it looks and feels more like 12 o'clock when you drive it, so the locals probably expect me to be in the middle lane and get racked off when I come up their inside when they are expecting mwe to have turned odff at the first exit.I don't drive theat road often but will havwe to try and remember to use the middle lane and ignore the pretty pictures.
Stuart G Gray said:
the people in the next entry know this through local knowledge, which is why you are getting peeped at.
On this point, how would this scenario pan out:http://seesu.notlong.com
The road coming from the zoom out minus is a slip road from the motorway going left to right. It swings to the left (no right turn allowed) then the majority of cars turn immediately right from both lanes, heading towards the center right of the map.
Where most people turn immediately right, the road ahead has 3 lanes, 2 of which match up with the 2 sliproad lanes. Local knowledge makes anyone wanting to go straight on there sit in the left lane, however occasionaly you get someone going straight ahead from the right lane (cutting across someone turning right from the left lane).
So if that happened and resulted in a crash, who would be held responsible?
one like this in Harlow, 3 lanes on, everyone queues in LHL, I go up in middle lane to go straight over & people don't like it. Why 3 lanes then? RHL = right or U-turn, LHL = left, so why the problem FFS ? quite funny in a serious way if you go onto it 3-abreast, and the left lane crew want to cross into the middle lane & can't !
Usually one of the exits is marked on the roundabout sign with a thicker white stripe than the others - usually it's the straight ahead one, but if it isn't, or on a sign like this one where there is no straight ahead, I usually assume the thick one should be treated as straight ahead.
But I don't understand the people honking you: can't they see you haven't exited at the previous exit and take action accordingly? If you're not signalling left they should have no reason to expect you to exit.
But I don't understand the people honking you: can't they see you haven't exited at the previous exit and take action accordingly? If you're not signalling left they should have no reason to expect you to exit.
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