Question about roundabouts

L

landlord

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If there are two lanes going into a roundabout I believe you should always take the left lane if you intend to go straight over (second exit).
Does this rule apply under the same circumstances if there are two lanes going into a roundabout and only one lane coming out of the second exit.
I only asked this question because there is a particular roundabout close to me in which I always take the left lane to go straight over however many people also take the right lane to go straight over and because it ends up going into one lane there always seems to be a fight as to who has right of way exiting the roundabout.
 
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Hi landlord
As far as I am aware you should always take the left lane unless there is a signpost to say otherwise.
Usually if it is causing that much confusion the local council will put up a sign .
No doubt if I am wrong I will be corrected.
 
It's a mess... there are no clear rules. you don't have to take the left lane unless there is a signpost saying that you have to, it is only a recommendation in the rules of the road. At many roundabouts there are signs on the road with a straight arrow for both lanes.

On your particular roundabout I would take the left lane as I think with one lane exiting I would have right of way, but I would keep an eye out for cars who don't realise that.
 
See page 2 of the PDF you attached:
"If taking any exit from the 6 o’clock to the 12 o’clockposition, motorists should generally approach in the left-hand lane."
"Where traffic conditions dictate otherwise for example a long line of traffic in left lane signalling left or roadworks in the left lane, you may follow the course shown by the broken red line." [shows a vehicle going straight from right hand lane]

Doesn't seem like a rule to me, just RSA advice.

Most roundabouts on approach you have no idea if you are exiting via one or two lanes.

It would be most helpful if councils could put up clearer road markings and if taking a single lane second exit make it clear which lane you must be in.
Or, just get rid of multi lane roundabouts.
 
Always perplexes me as to why some people are so aggressive at roundabouts. Particularly at large roundabouts, if there was more courtesy shown many more cars could use simultaneously and there would be a better traffic flow and shorter lines.

But some people seem to think that it's one car at a time only and accelerate if anyone else shows any intent to also enter the roundabout.A small speed reduction would allow more cars onto the roundabout at the same time and benefit all round.
 
Any vehicle on the roundabout has right of way whether the roundabout itself has one lane or two.This is explicitly a rule of the road. It makes sense as all traffic entering the roundabout must enter from that vehicle's left.
 
There is one roundabout in my town where the straight ahead lane is the right hand lane and the left lane is for turning left only. It's clearly signposted and written on the road and most locals know it now but you'll still get someone not paying attention getting in the wrong lane on occasions.
 
odyssey06 said:
Doesn't seem like a rule to me, just RSA advice.
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Correct, when the RSA use the term 'should', what follows is their advice and not an interpretation of legislation. When they are talking about something governed by legislation, they use the word 'must'.

The only reference in legislation states you must turn to the left on entering a roundabout. All other behaviour is covered by the laws that apply to all roads. So in the OP's case above:

landlord said:
I only asked this question because there is a particular roundabout close to me in which I always take the left lane to go straight over however many people also take the right lane to go straight over and because it ends up going into one lane there always seems to be a fight as to who has right of way exiting the roundabout.
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On a two lane roundabout, lane discipline operates much as it would on a dual-carriageway. Traffic in the inner lane may only change to the outer lane/exit if the way is clear. So drivers who enter the roundabout in the right hand lane and then cut across traffic to exit are breaking the law.
 
It would also be helpful if more motorists knew how to indicate when using roundabouts. I find this is a particular problem with older drivers who don't seem to know that they must indicate at all when entering and exiting roundabouts.
 
The more I read this thread, the more fear I have going out on the public roads in my car, on my bike or even on foot. Every driver, cyclist, pedestrian knows what to do if an Algerian turkey lands in front of you with a clutter of its young flapping whatever they flap walking backwards over a pedestrian crossing. It appears nobody knows how to drive, cycle, walk at roundabouts.

. . . and the official Rules of the Road booklet doesn't help much either. If we have uncaring participants at roundabouts, it is fair to say we have uncaring people at cross-roads and for that matter on every aspect of using the road. If we don't change our ways and soon we will still have unnecessary deaths etc and we only have ourselves to blame.
 
To the uncaring people, you should add the road engineers responsible for these road layouts.
I seriously doubt some of them have ever tried to drive properly through their own layouts.
They are primarily culpable here.
 
odyssey06 said:
To the uncaring people, you should add the road engineers responsible for these road layouts.
I seriously doubt some of them have ever tried to drive properly through their own layouts.
They are primarily culpable here.
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I disagree. Indicating before changing lanes, when using a roundabout, when entering or exiting a road; these are basic driving skills. Road engineers have nothing to do with that.
I was at a junction yesterday when a Garda Jeep with lights flashing and sirens blaring maneuvered its way through the traffic coming towards me. Everyone stopped and as the Jeep made its way through the junction a woman of about 60 drove straight across the Jeep, totally oblivious to its presence not 10 feet away. That's just good old fashioned incompetence.
 
Purple said:
I disagree. Indicating before changing lanes, when using a roundabout, when entering or exiting a road; these are basic driving skills. Road engineers have nothing to do with that.
I was at a junction yesterday when a Garda Jeep with lights flashing and sirens blaring maneuvered its way through the traffic coming towards me. Everyone stopped and as the Jeep made its way through the junction a woman of about 60 drove straight across the Jeep, totally oblivious to its presence not 10 feet away. That's just good old fashioned incompetence.
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Even in your example everyone stopped except one. It's clear the numbers confused by roundabouts due to signage, lanes etc suggest the number is a lot higher - I'm blaming that on road engineers.
Just because there are some awful drivers out there, it does not absolve road engineers of their responsibilities.

If you have to put pedestrian traffic lights surrounding the roundabout, take out the roundabout and put in a proper trafffic controlled junction.
If you there are two lanes on approach that can both legally take a single lane on exit, change the signage so only one approach lane can legally use that one exit.
If someone still takes the wrong lane, then I'll exonerate the road engineer and blame the driver.
The purpose of roundabouts rather than traffic lights is to assist traffic flow. In far too many locations they are jammed in places where to navigate them safely you have to crawl through as two lanes merge into one on exit, or you cannot exit because the pedestrian light just turned red for you.
 
odyssey06 said:
Even in your example everyone stopped except one. It's clear the numbers confused by roundabouts due to signage, lanes etc suggest the number is a lot higher - I'm blaming that on road engineers.
Just because there are some awful drivers out there, it does not absolve road engineers of their responsibilities.

If you have to put pedestrian traffic lights surrounding the roundabout, take out the roundabout and put in a proper trafffic controlled junction.
If you there are two lanes on approach that can both legally take a single lane on exit, change the signage so only one approach lane can legally use that one exit.
If someone still takes the wrong lane, then I'll exonerate the road engineer and blame the driver.
The purpose of roundabouts rather than traffic lights is to assist traffic flow. In far too many locations they are jammed in places where to navigate them safely you have to crawl through as two lanes merge into one on exit, or you cannot exit because the pedestrian light just turned red for you.
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It was a T-junction. She just didn't see the big white Jeep with the flashing lights and sirens which was in the junction before she entered it. That's bugger all to do with road design.
Using a roundabout is simple.
 
Purple said:
It was a T-junction. She just didn't see the big white Jeep with the flashing lights and sirens which was in the junction before she entered it. That's bugger all to do with road design.
Using a roundabout is simple.
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Who said that example had anything to do with road design? Please find me that strawman.

Using a roundabout should be simple, if it's a simple roundabout.
Most of the actual roundabouts we encounter on the roads unfortunately don't adhere to the neat example used by the Driving School of two lanes on, two lanes off and every exit meeting up neatly with the hands of the clock.
Approaching the roundabout you often have no idea where on the clock your exit is, or how many lanes there will be per exit.
 
odyssey06 said:
Approaching the roundabout you often have no idea where on the clock your exit is, or how many lanes there will be per exit.
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A sensible approach would be to assume there is only a single exit if you don't know. That approach will never see you caught out.

Most roundabouts have signage indicating the location of exits, but again, if in doubt whether your exit is slightly over 180 degrees, play it safe and stay left.
 
Purple said:
Everyone stopped and as the Jeep made its way through the junction a woman of about 60 drove straight across the Jeep, totally oblivious to its presence not 10 feet away.
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Would you reckon that was because the driver was a woman or that she was 'old'? or both maybe?:)

Surely roundabouts are fairly simple in general . . unless road markings dictate otherwise
1. if turning left (1st exit), be in the left lane, indicate left (continue to indicate left leaving the roundabout)
2. going straight (2nd exit), pick a lane, don't indicate (indicate left leaving the roundabout)
3. if turning right (other exits), be in the right lane, indicate right (indicate left leaving the roundabout)
 
michaelm said:
Would you reckon that was because the driver was a woman or that she was 'old'? or both maybe?:)
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I don't know her so I am not in a position to say why she did it.

michaelm said:
Surely roundabouts are fairly simple in general . . unless road markings dictate otherwise
1. if turning left (1st exit), be in the left lane, indicate left (continue to indicate left leaving the roundabout)
2. going straight (2nd exit), pick a lane, don't indicate (indicate left leaving the roundabout)
3. if turning right (other exits), be in the right lane, indicate right (indicate left leaving the roundabout)
Click to expand...
You should be in the left lane if taking the second exit. See here for details.
 
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