RB's give way to the right. Your understanding?

[Gad-Westy]

I know this will likely generate many sarcastic responses, but just wondering how others understand the highway code's give way to the right at roundabouts rule.

Highway code says something along the lines of

'Always give priority to the traffic coming from the right, unless you have been directed otherwise by signs, road markings or traffic lights'

I've been driving for 20+ years and always considered that to be absolutely anything approaching from the right, no matter where they are.

The only reason I even ask this question is because there is a mini roundabout near my house that has the very poor visibility to the right approaching it from one particular direction. So bad, that you really have to take something of a leap of faith at times as you cannot know that you won't impede progress of someone approaching from the right. And those approaching from your right have good line of sight to their own right so often do not slow down at all when approaching the roundabout. Consequently, there are regular bumps, near misses and angry exchanges.

I've read quite a few people argue that you're really only giving way to the right to traffic already on the roundabout which does make some practical sense but I've never seen that confirmed in any 'official' capacity. And of course the other aspect is that if 99% of road users don't think like that, you'll still get t-boned and an insurance claim!

[Gad-Westy]

vonhosen said:

Everybody should approach any potential conflict area with caution. More so with any type of roundabout as they are notorious for it (including people approaching with a clear view to the right but more obscured view left).

Edited by vonhosen on Tuesday 29th October 09:23

Cheers. Had not seen that wording before. As you say, still caution required.

[Gad-Westy]

swisstoni said:

If you cannot see what might be coming from the right you should slow/stop and check.

Not go on to the roundabout and hope there’s nothing coming.

Yes but that's really why I was careful to describe the specific roundabout that prompted the question. A bit like the example from the other posted above, in my case the view to the right is badly obscured by a high stone wall. If you stop at the give way line in a car with an average length bonnet, you have approximately 20m of visibility to the road approaching from the right. Cars approaching from that direction at 30mph will cover that distance in just over a second. Combined with a steep upward incline, that is simply not enough visibility to know that you will not impede someone. You will not move from stand still and clear the roundabout in anything like that time. So if you want to turn right, it's tough luck, you have to take a risk.

What maybe makes it slightly worse is that actually, although it's a 30 limit, many drivers will be approaching the roundabout at a higher speed than that and unfortunately, there are a few accidents. I'm still very much of the mindset to simply give way to anything approaching or on the roundabout from the right because there is little point being correct on a technicality but it is still a matter of curiosity for me.

In this particular case, it's just a pretty badly thought out junction but there is nothing unusual there!

[Gad-Westy]

Foss62 said:

I think another way of viewing it is to remember that roundabouts are not box junctions. Vehicles might well be stopped on the roundabout due to traffic flow and even the most committed misguided priority warrior would probably recognise that lack of traffic to their right did not give them any superiority over the traffic already there.

You’d think! This mini one is very awkward. If you’re approaching from the stem of the tee, Traffic coming from the left can obviously see cars approaching from the opposite direction which you’d need to give way to. But you can’t see them! So you go and they go and there’s often a 2 or 3 car stand off. The automotive equivalent of doing the old left-right dance to pass someone in a corridor. Most of the time, all friendly but there’s always one!