Is it legal to go all the way round a Mini- roundabout ?

[Magog]

Is it legal to go all the way round a Mini-roundabout and head of back in the direction you came from? Seen this done a few times, and might have done it myself once or twice, but is it actually legal? Certainly when I've seen it done, especially with lots of traffic around it generally seems to cause confusion and be a little dangerous, particularly when theres not enough room to do it successfully.

[KaraK]

Magog said:

Is it legal to go all the way round a Mini-roundabout and head of back in the direction you came from? Seen this done a few times, and might have done it myself once or twice, but is it actually legal? Certainly when I've seen it done, especially with lots of traffic around it generally seems to cause confusion and be a little dangerous, particularly when theres not enough room to do it successfully.

while I can see it being awkward at some I can't think of any reason it would be illeagal unless there was signage forbidding it.

[citizen_smith]

Highway code rule 188 said:

Mini roundabouts......... Avoid making U-turns at mini roundabouts, beware of others doing this.

so it's not illegal, as there is no "MUST NOT", but obviously not recommended.

[14-7]

Magog said:

Is it legal to go all the way round a Mini-roundabout and head of back in the direction you came from?

Yes it is legal.

[cml]

Interesting - I did wonder.

Did Us a few times to avoid a bit of a detour on my drive to work a while back but stopped as nobody appeared to expect it and got evil looks and one near miss - there wasn't really enough room in this case and I had to keep right over to the left, which made it look like I was turning left so the chap behind would plough straight on, into where I was about to turn.

[NoVetec]

cml said:

Interesting - I did wonder.

Did Us a few times to avoid a bit of a detour on my drive to work a while back but stopped as nobody appeared to expect it and got evil looks and one near miss - there wasn't really enough room in this case and I had to keep right over to the left, which made it look like I was turning left so the chap behind would plough straight on, into where I was about to turn.

Quite.

I witnessed someone in a Jeep attempt to go all the way round a mini roundabout and fail rather badly. Mounted the kerb by the 2nd exit, again when he turned off.

Then as I was coming back I passed said Jeep a bit futher down the road changing a wheel.

[superlightr]

cml said:

Interesting - I did wonder.

Did Us a few times to avoid a bit of a detour on my drive to work a while back but stopped as nobody appeared to expect it and got evil looks and one near miss - there wasn't really enough room in this case and I had to keep right over to the left, which made it look like I was turning left so the chap behind would plough straight on, into where I was about to turn.

thats when arm signals are a good idea - not used much on the road today but when you do, others notice and think about more.

[Simbu]

Saw someone in a classic mini go one better than a u turn on a mini roundabout. Roundabout had two lanes on approach (it was basically a glorified T junction). Anyway, there was a huge queue of traffic wanting to turn left, so mini flies up the right lane which was empty, does a 270 degree turn to go left! Perfectly legal manuveure but i imagine it left alot of drivers peeved! Only in Swindon

[zollburgers]

Simbu said:

Saw someone in a classic mini go one better than a u turn on a mini roundabout. Roundabout had two lanes on approach (it was basically a glorified T junction). Anyway, there was a huge queue of traffic wanting to turn left, so mini flies up the right lane which was empty, does a 270 degree turn to go left! Perfectly legal manuveure but i imagine it left alot of drivers peeved! Only in Swindon

Not just in Swindon, I do that a lot. I see it as far better than the wkers that go in the right hand lane and then try and cut people off to jump ahead. I can't see why people would be peeved as they have the option to do the same if they wanted to.

Oh, just seen it was on a mini roundabout...I woulnd't do it there! Oops.

Edited by zollburgers on Thursday 26th November 12:15

[jazzyjeff]

Simbu said:

Saw someone in a classic mini go one better than a u turn on a mini roundabout. Roundabout had two lanes on approach (it was basically a glorified T junction). Anyway, there was a huge queue of traffic wanting to turn left, so mini flies up the right lane which was empty, does a 270 degree turn to go left! Perfectly legal manuveure but i imagine it left alot of drivers peeved! Only in Swindon

How very Italian Job

JJ

[andygo]

Good to do if you can handbrake it round the roundabout. Much neater and faster too, especially in a RWD car!

[Funk]

Simbu said:

Saw someone in a classic mini go one better than a u turn on a mini roundabout. Roundabout had two lanes on approach (it was basically a glorified T junction). Anyway, there was a huge queue of traffic wanting to turn left, so mini flies up the right lane which was empty, does a 270 degree turn to go left! Perfectly legal manuveure but i imagine it left alot of drivers peeved! Only in Swindon

I quite often do this. Nothing illegal about it and it's saved me loads of time. Kudos to others who have the nous to do this as well.

[jazzyjeff]

Funk said:

Simbu said:

Saw someone in a classic mini go one better than a u turn on a mini roundabout. Roundabout had two lanes on approach (it was basically a glorified T junction). Anyway, there was a huge queue of traffic wanting to turn left, so mini flies up the right lane which was empty, does a 270 degree turn to go left! Perfectly legal manuveure but i imagine it left alot of drivers peeved! Only in Swindon

I quite often do this. Nothing illegal about it and it's saved me loads of time. Kudos to others who have the nous to do this as well.

Why thank you

JJ

[Funk]

I do it on normal-sized roundabouts too!

[Simbu]

Funk said:

Simbu said:

Saw someone in a classic mini go one better than a u turn on a mini roundabout. Roundabout had two lanes on approach (it was basically a glorified T junction). Anyway, there was a huge queue of traffic wanting to turn left, so mini flies up the right lane which was empty, does a 270 degree turn to go left! Perfectly legal manuveure but i imagine it left alot of drivers peeved! Only in Swindon

I quite often do this. Nothing illegal about it and it's saved me loads of time. Kudos to others who have the nous to do this as well.

I consider it fairly common practice on larger roundabouts but the picture of this huge queue of rep-mobiles and luxury barges sat waiting and having to watch the cheeky sod in his tiny mini turn on a penny to get round this roundabout was hilarious

I was in my Pug 106 heap at the time but having recently passed my test didn't quite have the gall to try it! No way my Focus would get round something like that now though

[Funk]

Simbu said:

Funk said:

Simbu said:

Saw someone in a classic mini go one better than a u turn on a mini roundabout. Roundabout had two lanes on approach (it was basically a glorified T junction). Anyway, there was a huge queue of traffic wanting to turn left, so mini flies up the right lane which was empty, does a 270 degree turn to go left! Perfectly legal manuveure but i imagine it left alot of drivers peeved! Only in Swindon

I quite often do this. Nothing illegal about it and it's saved me loads of time. Kudos to others who have the nous to do this as well.

I consider it fairly common practice on larger roundabouts but the picture of this huge queue of rep-mobiles and luxury barges sat waiting and having to watch the cheeky sod in his tiny mini turn on a penny to get round this roundabout was hilarious

I was in my Pug 106 heap at the time but having recently passed my test didn't quite have the gall to try it! No way my Focus would get round something like that now though

Mini-roundabouts were a little more of a struggle in my Focus too - 225/40/18s on the front meant the turning circle was less-than-brilliant. However, the new 1er will spin around on a sixpence (narrower wheels at the front, means more turning lock ) so the mini-roundabout trick is back on the books. I never do it too quickly though, as most people aren't expecting it.

On bigger roundabouts, I have some fun though!

[AB]

Dya know what really pisses me off... those that indicate right when they are going straight on.

It is their fault that people pull out onto a roundabout in front of me when I am either turning right or going right around it and back in the direction I came from.

[iamed]

A recent change to the HC relevant to mini-roundabouts: "All vehicles MUST pass round the central markings except large vehicles which are physically incapable of doing so."

Obviously this is ridiculous. Slowing down to pick your way around a mini-roundabout when you're going straight on is only going to serve to confuse other road users of your true intention. (i.e. you're going straight on, but to follow the HC you have to slow right down to laboriously go around the road marking. A driver waiting to enter the mini-roundabout from the left is likely to think you're planning to turn left and pull out in front of you).

I'd guess that a huge majority of drivers 'unnecessarily' touch the road marking. This change in the HC opens all these drivers up to being reported for driving without due care and attention, surely? How is it going to be proved that your vehicle is physically capable of going around the road marking? Actually, more accurate in today's version of motoring justice it will be left down to the motorist to prove that their vehicle is incapable (guilty until proved innocent and all that).

Who writes the HC these days? Monkeys?

edit: this rule only used to apply if the roundabout markings were physically raised, now it includes the markings that are simply painted.

Edited by iamed on Thursday 26th November 16:14

[Funk]

..and can be safely ignored. It would have to be a very bored or vonhosen copper who'd pull you over for putting a wheel on the paint.

[stuart-b]

So in theory then if you had a london Taxi, you could go around and around and around... and just stop all the traffic, legally?