On the roundabout....

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Borys

MB Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 16, 2011
Messages
1,812
Location
Nowe nad Wisla
Car
2005 cl500
I just don't get it.
Pulling up to a roundabout right lane to go right-a bit of a qeue.Entering the roundabout and there is a car on the left lane doing the same turn as me.....how on earth can you go around the roundabout using left lane!?!?!?
That's nothing- that ******* was doing a U turn!!!!! Should have driven into him!!!!
I was shown a middle finger like it was my fault in the end .....
 
Exactly the same scenario that wrote my daughters last car off. Turning right at a roundabout, lorry and drag in left hand lane to go straight on uses the roundabout to u turn in the left lane crushes my daughters car with the drag up against the roundabout, I was in the passenger seat A pillar came within 2 inches of my chest was just getting ready to jump onto my daughters lap and both of us bail when he must have seen what he did in his mirror and stopped.

Foreign lorry driver spoke no English, menace on British roads :mad: On a positive not Police were absolutely brilliant and commended my daughters driving and evasive action.:thumb:
 
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Ian, in the case of your daughter, and how you describe it, she could have done no more, thank goodness he stopped.

Even after all these years people still don't know how to use roundabouts. The good drivers do, but in the event of an accident there is no point being right but dead. So, I try to drive defensively, not believing other drivers know (or care) about road craft.

The bus lane opposite my house operates 4-30pm to 6pm Monday to Friday. But 100% of the time most (in excess of 80%) drivers avoid it. There is a fire station on the same side of the road...even the driver of a fire tender avoids the bus lane when he does not have to.

Most drivers do not care. People who join forums such as this tend to because they are keen about cars and driving, but we are a rare and dying breed.
 
Madnest and its not foregein drivers, mostly English do so they R always in rush and late somewhere.
For the lorry if it was 18 wheeler - long trailer he was entiled to do so_Obviously he should indicate,see for safety of other drivers.
Thanx got nothing happend to you guys.
 
Thanks, No offence intended by the way regarding foreign lorry drivers, just that my daughters last 2 cars have been written off by careless Eastern European drivers. The first one whilst we were in the bakers getting a sandwich. HGV Artic realised he could not get down the street, reversed back straight into the parking bay where my daughters car was, did not stop until he demolished her car pushed it into a ford focus and then crushed both of them up against a concrete bin. So third time lucky for her I hope :D
 
I find a distrust of other road users on roundabouts generally works.

Never assume what other ***** will do and avoid going next to another car already on the roundabout.

I've seen this 'left lane round the whole roundabout' before as well as someone in the right lane of a roundabout cut in front of that left-laner leading to a really bizarre crossover of cars who were both in the wrong lane.
 
In a word of defence sometimes in strange areas it is possible to be in the 'wrong' lane on the approach to a roundabout, and we do drive on the left in the UK or at least we are supposed to, so entering a roundabout on the left and travelling round it until the required exit is a legitimate manouvre.
 
In a word of defence sometimes in strange areas it is possible to be in the 'wrong' lane on the approach to a roundabout, and we do drive on the left in the UK or at least we are supposed to, so entering a roundabout on the left and travelling round it until the required exit is a legitimate manouvre.

Only if going left or going forward, but not if turning right. Or if the signs and road markings allow it:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_070338
 
Only if going left or going forward, but not if turning right. Or if the signs and road markings allow it:

Roundabouts (184-190) : Directgov - Travel and transport

Check out point 6 on #187: "long vehicles (including those towing trailers). These might have to take a different course or straddle lanes either approaching or on the roundabout because of their length. Watch out for their signals"

Of course, if they don't signal...

I will usually try to avoid getting on the inside of trucks and such - either waiting (heaven forbid that I waste a few seconds) or accelerate to be ahead of them. Not always possible though...
 
Check out point 6 on #187: "long vehicles (including those towing trailers). These might have to take a different course or straddle lanes either approaching or on the roundabout because of their length. Watch out for their signals"

Of course, if they don't signal...

I will usually try to avoid getting on the inside of trucks and such - either waiting (heaven forbid that I waste a few seconds) or accelerate to be ahead of them. Not always possible though...

Long vehicles are the exception that prove the rule.

A car will never approach a roundabout in the left lane if turning right, unless it is permitted to do so by signage. And in such a case the right hand lane is only permitted to turn right.
 
No problem with trucks using the roundabout to U turn in the left hand lane, the problem was we were on the roundabout when he came barrelling on from the left lane, undertook us, blocked our exit and then crushed us against the roundabout. At least the police threw the book at him so that was some justice:thumb:
 
There's a small roundabout near my home which effectively is a circular flower bed in the centre. There is an outer circle around it which is block paved and wide enough to be a car lane, and then there is a further outer circle of tarmac around that. You can either go straight on or turn off to the left or turn off to the right (hope I am explaining this ok!)
Now the locals are quite happy to drive over the neat block paving which effectively puts them in the right position for going straight on or turning right.
But strangers (or the plonkers) are unsure about driving on the block paving, so they stick to the outer tarmac - which puts them in totally the wrong lane when they are going right. Thank you Highway Engineer!
Believe me, with so many drivers swinging around on the outer Tarmac bit, you have no idea which exit they are planning to take - and with haphazard indicating it's a nightmare!
 
A car will never approach a roundabout in the left lane if turning right, unless it is permitted to do so by signage. And in such a case the right hand lane is only permitted to turn right.

Any road user can legally go right round a roundabout in the left hand lane.
 
The highway code is exactly that, a code to set standards not mandatory or enforceable. The statutory instruments for this are the road traffic acts for the countries that make up the UK which also differ between England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Simples :dk: I wish :rolleyes:
 
Any road user can legally go right round a roundabout in the left hand lane.

Also , you can legally go round a roundabout three times before you have to come off !
 
I have a roundabout near me on the A3 at Tolworth, 3 lane going round, sometimes it beggars belief as users are in the totally wrong lanes, across and the usual gestures etc
 
So the Highway Code is merely suggestion rather than rule. Or are you thinking about unusual circumstances?

It isn't law but if a prang is the result from a third party going right the way round a roundabout in the left lane, whilst you were in the right hand lane, the Highway Code would be used to apportion blame, and as this manouvre doesn't feature in the Highway Code, the third party will be at fault.
 
I saw this for real at one roundabout:

bly.jpg
 

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