which lane...
Author
Discussion

newdriver

Original Poster:

422 posts

174 months

Friday 26th August 2011
quotequote all
would you be in at this junction when continuing in a straight line? I don't mean at that exact moment but in general usage. Would you alter choice depending on other traffic, traffic lights etc?

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=george+street+aber...

Meoricin

2,880 posts

191 months

Friday 26th August 2011
quotequote all
Right lane - Those don't really look like proper lanes though. I'd only use the 'left lane' if I were turning left, as the parked cars up ahead will cause issues if two cars are next to one another. I'd expect there to be a left arrow in the left lane, tbh - looks very badly marked.

newdriver

Original Poster:

422 posts

174 months

Friday 26th August 2011
quotequote all
Lane markings would definitely help. I use this junction 4 or 5 times a day on average, and everyone seems to have their own way of doing it.

If the lanes are clear and the light has gone green shortly before reaching the junction I tend to stay in the right lane and continue straight on to avoid getting cut off or having to change lanes on the other side, but if there's traffic turning right (there very often is) then I use the left. If it's a red light or a green about to change I use the left. This seems wrong to me though, surely I should be using the same lane each time if i'm taking the same route?

It's the most inconsistent junction I use regularly, there's no way of telling where other drivers are planning on going and can be quite frustrating.

newdriver

Original Poster:

422 posts

174 months

Friday 26th August 2011
quotequote all
The google image is probably a bit misleading tbh, both lanes are actually the same width and two cars fit comfortably alongside eachother.

NHK244V

3,358 posts

194 months

Friday 26th August 2011
quotequote all
Depends what's painted on the road under that car, if the right hand lane had a turning right arrow i'd use the left hand lane, there's often the same issue at offset cross roads where to go straight over you use the left hand lane but turn right at first then left to continue straight on.

Caulkhead

4,938 posts

179 months

Friday 26th August 2011
quotequote all
In the absense of any markings to the contrary, left lane for left and straight on, right lane to turn right.

R0G

5,028 posts

177 months

Saturday 27th August 2011
quotequote all
newdriver said:
would you be in at this junction when continuing in a straight line? I don't mean at that exact moment but in general usage. Would you alter choice depending on other traffic, traffic lights etc?

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=george+street+aber...
Either is legal to use for the road ahead
I would be reluctant to use the right lane if another was already in it and stopped at the lights as they might decide to turn right when the lights change and leave me stranded

With those parked cars a little further up the road then using the right lane would set me up nicely to pass them

If it was busy then I would use the lane of least resistance and merge after the lights

There is no hard and fast answer to this

MNBrennan

118 posts

179 months

Saturday 27th August 2011
quotequote all
I would go with the convention of being in the left hand lane to go left and straight and the right hand lane to go right. Although there are cars on the road ahead, there is plenty of room to go around them past the junction. The right hand lane should be used to go right because you might be left waiting for them if you want to go straight ahead