Roundabouts - Staying in lane

[russy01]

Just feel like a rant really, Its not much use to anyone, i just now feel better its in the public domain.

I am getting really hacked off with people not staying in their lanes, Each day i tend to go around 5-10 roundabouts. Most of them i have to take the last exit, which means i approach in the RH lane indicating right.

The problem is drivers going straight across, not staying in the LH lane and following the circular shape, they literally steam straight across, reducing the inside lane to about 1m wide (Much less than my car!) Meaning i quite often have to almost stop on the roundabout. (If i dont stop they would just plough straight into me as they obviously dont check their mirrors.)

STAY IN LANE, DRIVE AROUND, NOT ACROSS.

I have got so fed up with this and holding my horn down i am even considering letting someone hit me, just so i can have a fat go at them and get a new wing on my car.

This may sound silly but i really think people need a highway code refresher, some of the moves i see on the road nowadays are ridiculous. (Just yesterday some old rover took the 1st/ H lane on a m'way roundabout (So 4 lanes coming up to the roundabout), and took the 3rd exit, only god knows how there wasnt a 50mph pile up!)

On a two lane entrance & 3 exit roundabout, LH lane for 1st and 2nd exit, RH lane for 3rd exit. Anything else follow the road signs.

And another thing whilst im at it, if you make a mistake on a roundabout, i.e miss your turning, tough st. Its not my problem, go down the wrong exit and turn around (Quietly admit to yourself you have made a mistake), or go around the roundabout again. Dont cut me up or just stop on the roundabout.

Rant over.

[busta]

I utterly and wholeheartedly agree. Good rant, 9/10.

I have often considered inadvertently putting myself in a position where the other driver may veer into me. What would the repurcussions be? Would it always be deemed their fault if they aren't in lane or signalling?

[phil_cardiff]

busta said:

I utterly and wholeheartedly agree. Good rant, 9/10.

I have often considered inadvertently putting myself in a position where the other driver may veer into me. What would the repurcussions be? Would it always be deemed their fault if they aren't in lane or signalling?

Is it worth the inflated insurance for the next 3-5 years? We've all felt the urge though...

[GTiR Al]

Sounds fair to me chap

[tab165]

Absolutely agree, happens to me daily.

The second worst part (after people not staying in lane) is people's inability to admit they're wrong. When I use the horn on them on the roundabout its to alert them of my presence so they don't hit my car, usually its returned with a look or gesture that implies that somehow i'm in the wrong?!?

I can be somewhat sympathetic if someone has the decency to put their hand up as an apology.

[anonymous-user]

I pretty much have to lean on my horn the entire time when I cross this one roundabout near me. Every single fking day there is someone in the left of the two straight on lanes that comes across on to the right. The mind boggles as to what their brain is doing. I really want someone to stop one day so I can have a bloody good rant at how st they are at doing the most simple of things. It boils my blood that their insurance is probably dirt cheap as well as they are usually middle aged.

Edited by MSTRBKR on Tuesday 8th June 13:58

[hooperpride]

This is one of the few things that really pisses me off on the roads, I occasionally let people get close to my car then a short tap of the horn to remind them there is someone in the correct lane, most of the time they look around completely bewildered, oblivious to what they have done.

[V8 GMS]

I feel your pain...

There's a lot of dual carriageway roundabouts near me - so you're allowed to go straight on from the right lane...
But, even when it's really busy, people in the left lane still cut to the roundabout apex :shock:

What's even worse is I swear I get a sixth-sense (way before the junction), as to whether I'm about to be forced into evasive measures...

P.S... I know it;s childish, but when I just get a gentle squeezed I enjoy returning the favour on the exit

[russy01]

tab165 said:

Absolutely agree, happens to me daily.

The second worst part (after people not staying in lane) is people's inability to admit they're wrong. When I use the horn on them on the roundabout its to alert them of my presence so they don't hit my car, usually its returned with a look or gesture that implies that somehow i'm in the wrong?!?

I can be somewhat sympathetic if someone has the decency to put their hand up as an apology.

This is the bit I forgot to add, this makes me more angry. Especially when it’s a woman driver and you have the male partner in the passenger seat waving his V’s at you!!

I have a couple roundabouts around here where I am sure it happens 90% of the time, I actually pull up to the roundabout with my finger hovering over the horn. I don’t let go till I can no longer see the car. (Yup I am one of those!)

[LukeBird]

Completely agree!
Last year I had someone do this to me whilst I was alongside them!! I lost my wing mirror.
Worst thing being there was no point in claiming on insurance...
It was an old woman with her husband as a passenger and she accused me of speeding (young guy in early 20s, I wonder why she said that...) I said "at least I stayed in the right bloody lane on the roundabout!".

Arses, the lot of them.

[Mansell90]

LukeBird said:

Completely agree!
Last year I had someone do this to me whilst I was alongside them!! I lost my wing mirror.
Worst thing being there was no point in claiming on insurance...
It was an old woman with her husband as a passenger and she accused me of speeding (young guy in early 20s, I wonder why she said that...) I said "at least I stayed in the right bloody lane on the roundabout!".

Arses, the lot of them.

This just because your young in a slightly sporty looking car, you must be speeding and in the wrong attitude really really bugs me! I get far too often, the other day on a dual carriageway going into one, i was in the righthand lane and whilst alongside some guy in an escort van, so gave a little squirt of the loud pedal just to get in front before the single carriage way... ( I didnt even break the speed limit in doing this as we had just pulled away from traffic lights ) and got a flash, beep and waved fist for my efforts, he then proceeded to get right on my bumper looking rather irate, and then when I slowed for the upcoming roundabout, looking to safely get into the right lane, he gave me another beep and flash... for pulling out of his lane? I was in mild disbelief at this point. It really annoys me as I would like to think im not just another chav, screeching around everywhere, i take my driving seriously, have never had any incidents or points on my licence and generally try and drive correctly. However since getting my current car, the level of abuse from other drivers is bordering on ridiculous, it can be a real downside to driving sometimes, I end up questioning myself as to whether I am actually doing anything wrong, and yet in trawling these forums, asking others (including pursuit car driver friends) and looking to the highway code, 99% of the time I have done nothing wrong... it would seem as though many middle aged and older drivers, generally in very boring cars, have some kind of chip on their shoulder and look to criticize everything even if I find a lot of the time they make up some of the worst drivers on the roads!

[mat205125]

I try to keep the front wheels tracking around the inner lane, and the rear wheels using the outer lane of the roundabout ..... I've gotta be half right, therefore.

[russy01]

mat205125 said:

I try to keep the front wheels tracking around the inner lane, and the rear wheels using the outer lane of the roundabout ..... I've gotta be half right, therefore.

Nice, i like your style.

Providing you are not a rep in a 320d trying to look cool on a wet day, i'll hand you some respect.

(However apologise if you do have a 320d, not looked at your prof!) (Nothing against the car, just the irate reps who drive them at 110 everywhere!)

[russy01]

LukeBird said:

(young guy in early 20s, I wonder why she said that...)

I feel your pain, 22yr old here. (I have done 5yrs of 20k PA, so 100k miles overall. Lets take joe smith who beeped at me the other day, could have done 10k per year over 10years, so still 100k miles driving experience.)

However if i had a a prang or a disagreement on the road , the first thing he would say, "Bloody younguns, racing around like they own the place, unexperienced drivers!"

ps off Joe. Just because you are older means jack st.

I know this doesnt apply with everyone, and there are a lot of clowns out there who dont help us more experienced 'younguns who take our driving seriously. (However i'll stop here, thats another rant another day.)

[Muzzer]

This happened to me.

I was in L2 on a dual carriageway and headed straight on on a roundabout, staying in L2, 4 weeks ago.

Just coming off the roundabout, some stupid bint came out of L1 and hit me in the NSR quarter. Her excuse?

"I thought you were turning right"

I was incredulous. Even if I was indicating (which I wasn't) I was still fvcking there so she shouldn't have fvcking driven into me.

I think she just went to overtake the person in front of her and either mis-judged it or didn't even see me.

To answer your question about should you do this on purpose and let people hit you - unequivocally No.

There were no witnesses to my accident. Stupid Bint didn't admit liability at the scene, despite her comments about her thinking I was turning right. Insurance are currently arguing but there a likelihood of 50/50 as it's my word against hers.....

If I have to pay half my excess for a moron woman who can't use a roundabout, I shall be paying her a visit.....

[gazzajones]

Believe me, I feel your pain! I live in Milton Keynes (home of the roundabout) so have to put up with this daily. I go over 9 roundabouts each way to work (it's only 4miles away) and I'd say 50% of the time I have to take some sort of evasive action!

[anonymous-user]

The problem was so bad on one near where I used to live the council have stepped in-they've made it ONE LANE! One lane FFS because retards can't use that fking round thing in front of them. I also feel tempted to one day stand my ground and let one of these dopey s plough into me.....one day.......

[MartinQ]

This happened to me last year.

2 lanes onto roundabout, left lane for left and right lane for straight on. There isn't a right turn. The lanes are clearly marked.

A white van in the left lane went straight across, cutting it as he went into my nearside front.

The insurance company were doubtful as to the outcome as any coming together on a roundabout generally goes 50/50. However, the other party failed to respond to any letters or phonecalls, so it was decided as 100% his fault.

[SGirl]

Interesting thread. I've just had an insurance claim whereby a coach driver switched lanes on a roundabout and drove into me as I was going round the roundabout in the left lane (going straight on). Apparently the insurers are unable to agree on whose fault it was even though I was established in my lane and the other driver admitted he'd changed lanes and hit me from behind.

The other driver's excuse? I "should" have been going left from the left-hand lane. Well, not in my copy of the Highway Code I shouldn't! Especially since I wasn't indicating to go left.

The salvage company are picking up what's left on Thursday.

In the meantime, I really think some driver education would be handy in this country. The driving standards over here are absolutely abysmal these days.

[Marty G]

gazzajones said:

Believe me, I feel your pain! I live in Milton Keynes (home of the roundabout) so have to put up with this daily. I go over 9 roundabouts each way to work (it's only 4miles away) and I'd say 50% of the time I have to take some sort of evasive action!

Living in MK as well i can whole heartedly agree! A definite +1 to this.