Hibel Road Roundabout - Macclesfield

[OllieJolly]

This is the top of Hibel Road in Macclesfield, and it's a nightmare for people cutting over to lane 2 as they exit the roundabout without checking mirrors nor blind spots, rather than using lane 2 (as appears to be correct from the markings).

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.2622359,-2.12894...

I have often been honked at, berated, and gesticulated at for daring to enter the roundabout in lane 2, and exit left into lane 2, yet I'm sure it's the "correct" thing to do despite never having seen anyone else do it in almost 8 years of using it.

Forgive the crude drawing, but I hope it demonstrates my post.

Lane 1 (green) exiting into lane 1 to continue in that lane.
Lane 1 (red) exiting into lane 2, or exiting into lane 1 to change over to lane 2 immediately.
Lane 2 (blue) exiting into lane 2 to continue in that lane.
Lane 2 (yellow) taking the roundabout to the second exit.



I'm mainly curious as to whether I am, in fact, mistaken in my understanding of this roundabout, and if not what I should actually do?
Continue as I am, using lane 2 and annoying people, or follow along with everyone else and switch over to lane 2 after the roundabout?

[MikeInEssex]

Lane arrows suggest what you are doing is correct

[paradigital]

Yep, it happens all the time, yet I’m certain the same idiots that think you are in the wrong will be the same idiots coming UP Hibel Road in the left hand lane to skip the inevitable queue, only to turn right towards Sainsburys.

Whilst we are on the subject of Macclesfield roundabout etiquette, no-one seems able to cross the roundabout at the top of Priory lane/Victoria Road/Fallibroome road when heading from Broken Cross. They are always in the right hand side as if they were turning into the Villas estate.

[OllieJolly]

Thanks Mike.

paradigital said:

Yep, it happens all the time, yet I’m certain the same idiots that think you are in the wrong will be the same idiots coming UP Hibel Road in the left hand lane to skip the inevitable queue, only to turn right towards Sainsburys.

Whilst we are on the subject of Macclesfield roundabout etiquette, no-one seems able to cross the roundabout at the top of Priory lane/Victoria Road/Fallibroome road when heading from Broken Cross. They are always in the right hand side as if they were turning into the Villas estate.

I spent a lot of 2019 in that area of Macc driving a DPD Sprinter, and you've just reminded me about that roundabout too... that and making U-turns at Broken Cross roundabout, again with many toots of the horn, although that may well have been people expressing utter surprise that a van full of parcels wasn't being driven like a yobbo.

At least, not by me.

[Peter3442]

The problem may arise from the use of the straight on arrow, though, in this case, everything should be clear to anyone who can see the arrows in the two lanes.

Some local authorities (certainly in Oxfordshire) seem to use the straight on arrow to mean don't turn right on entry into the roundabout and go round in the wrong direction.

Some drivers will assume the straight on arrow means a second exit.

Until there's a major roundabout education programme for road designers, local authorities and road users, we all have to be patient and very careful.

[OllieJolly]

To be fair, we should be patient and careful anyway (which I try to be regardless of roundabouts or not) but I agree with your points.

Part of the issue stems from the fact that the left lane becomes left turn only further down the hill after it splits into 3 lanes, which for people wanting to go to Tesco Extra would be straight on, second exit, or the middle lane.

Therefore the mentality seems to be "I want to go left at this roundabout, so I will be in the left-hand lane and change lanes after the roundabout" which isn't really an issue, that comes when as I say they change lanes, often immediately or even mid roundabout, without expecting or looking for anyone to be in their blind spot.

Then they get annoyed at you for their mistake, which seems to be a common trait of many drivers.

The roundabout itself and this problem are a DCW's dream!

I found a video on my HDD that I made back in 2016 to better illustrate the problem!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGJBNwV9Q6s

Edited by OllieJolly on Friday 12th February 18:02

[popeyewhite]

paradigital said:

Whilst we are on the subject of Macclesfield roundabout etiquette, no-one seems able to cross the roundabout at the top of Priory lane/Victoria Road/Fallibroome road when heading from Broken Cross. They are always in the right hand side as if they were turning into the Villas estate.

I can forgive any of that if only Macclesfield's motorists would use their indicators. Incidentally I think either lane can be used for going straight over, but left seems the conventional choice at that roundabout.

[col711]

Peter3442 said:

The problem may arise from the use of the straight on arrow, though, in this case, everything should be clear to anyone who can see the arrows in the two lanes.

Some local authorities (certainly in Oxfordshire) seem to use the straight on arrow to mean don't turn right on entry into the roundabout and go round in the wrong direction.

Some drivers will assume the straight on arrow means a second exit.

Until there's a major roundabout education programme for road designers, local authorities and road users, we all have to be patient and very careful.

I wonder what you think is wrong with the design of the roundabout. As someone else has said, road marking arrows with a right turn head are not normally used to avoid a driver from inadvertently turning right onto the roundabout. The solution is erect an advance sign showing routes through the roundabout. This would make it clear to all drivers that using the left lane to take the first exit is accepted.

[Green1man]

To the OP

The problem is as you approach the roundabout coming up the hill the signage is not definitive and consistent.

https://showmystreet.com/#vplvj_-19l2r_6m.j_-3f14


Look at this street view picture. Look at this road marking in front of the white fiesta, look at the road sign. From this everything suggests it’s left lane for left, right lane for right. Straight on is in fact more right than left. Hence confusion. I personally would not go left from the right lane simply due to the likelyhood of the left lane user moving out.

[popeyewhite]

Green1man said:

To the OP

The problem is as you approach the roundabout coming up the hill the signage is not definitive and consistent.

https://showmystreet.com/#vplvj_-19l2r_6m.j_-3f14


Look at this street view picture. Look at this road marking in front of the white fiesta, look at the road sign. From this everything suggests it’s left lane for left, right lane for right. Straight on is in fact more right than left. Hence confusion. I personally would not go left from the right lane simply due to the likelyhood of the left lane user moving out.

Yep, problem is people going left off the left then moving across to the right going downhill, contrary to directions.

[OllieJolly]

Green1man said:

To the OP

The problem is as you approach the roundabout coming up the hill the signage is not definitive and consistent.

https://showmystreet.com/#vplvj_-19l2r_6m.j_-3f14


Look at this street view picture. Look at this road marking in front of the white fiesta, look at the road sign. From this everything suggests it’s left lane for left, right lane for right. Straight on is in fact more right than left. Hence confusion. I personally would not go left from the right lane simply due to the likelyhood of the left lane user moving out.

That's lovely and all, but I'm talking about approaching from the opposite direction.
The way you're talking about I've never had an issue. One lane goes left, one lane goes right, as is signposted.
Unless I've misunderstood your post, I'm not sure how the traffic/signage coming up the hill affects traffic coming from the other direction.

[Green1man]

OllieJolly said:

That's lovely and all, but I'm talking about approaching from the opposite direction.
The way you're talking about I've never had an issue. One lane goes left, one lane goes right, as is signposted.
Unless I've misunderstood your post, I'm not sure how the traffic/signage coming up the hill affects traffic coming from the other direction.

right, apologies. When you said it was the junction at the top of Hibel road I assumed (not I’d say unreasonably) that you meant your lines were ‘at the top of Hibel road’ when in fact you are on Cumberland street about to turn left onto Hibel Road?.

I’d still say the road arrows are confusing as there’s not really a straight on.

Edited by Green1man on Sunday 28th February 14:24

[OllieJolly]

Green1man said:

right, apologies. When you said it was the junction at the top of Hibel road I assumed (not I’d say unreasonably) that you meant your lines were ‘at the top of Hibel road’ when in fact you are on Cumberland street about to turn left onto Hibel Road?.

I’d still say the road arrows are confusing as there’s not really a straight on.

Edited by Green1man on Sunday 28th February 14:24

Yeah, sorry.
My usual situation being me coming along Cumberland Street, wanting to go up Hurdsfield Road, so I'd be in lane 2 at the roundabout, exiting in lane 2 on Hibel Road.

Green is my usual route, red is the usual route of, seemingly, everyone else:

[Peter3442]

col711 said:

I wonder what you think is wrong with the design of the roundabout. As someone else has said, road marking arrows with a right turn head are not normally used to avoid a driver from inadvertently turning right onto the roundabout. The solution is erect an advance sign showing routes through the roundabout. This would make it clear to all drivers that using the left lane to take the first exit is accepted.

I agree with you that a clear advance sign is the best solution. Apart from ambiguity in some situations, arrows on the road may be hidden by other vehicles. Most significantly, if arrows with right-turn heads can't be used at roundabouts to indicate right-turn lanes and straight-on arrows are used in their place, it would be safer and more logical either to have no arrows at all or only left turn heads for left-turn lanes and leave the others unmarked.