Safe Speed Forums

Forgive me if my question seems a bit dumb but I am from down under after all...

Why not use the left lane as you already do, but indicate right to show you are not turning left and then indicate left as soon as you pass the first exit?

Vehicles behind would also realise that you were not turning left and therefore may not cut you up.

Of course this may be a big no-no but it seems logical.

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Ross

Yes I'm a hoon, but only on the track!!!!

The Highway Code recommends that the right indicator is used to signal an intention to take an exit past 12 o' clock. Unfortunately the diagram does not agree with the text (and hasn't for about 10 years) and the situation is quite confused.

In particular the diagram in rule 160: http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/17.shtml#160 shows a red car indicating right to take an intermediate exit while the text in rule 162 (same page) suggests that the right indicator should be reserved for 'last exit' or a U turn.

Great eh?

The previous Highway Code recommended a right indicator for "exits past 12 o'clock" and the diagram was not changed to reflect the change in text. I reckon the text shouldn't have been changed, and the diagram remains correct.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

FWIW, assuming there is anything to indicate to, I always do the right indicator if taking anything other than the first turning and then swapping it to left as soon as I'm past the point (to any observer) of commitment to miss the turning before the one before. Typically this will be when level with the ome beofre my "off".

On the roundabout I mentioned I find that signalling right causes confusion. Other drivers seem to expect you to go into the Marks and Sparks car park. Multimap picture here. Approaching from the east your first exit is a left at about 10 o'clock, the second is a right at about 2 o'clock which some treat as a straight on and others as a right, and the the third is a right into the car park at about 4 o'clock. I've found fairly consistently that the best way through this roundabout when taking the 2nd exit is to use the right hand lane with no signals and pay attention to what the car on the left is doing if there is one, and signal left once I'm level with the 1st exit. As I said before, if the car on my left is going for the 2nd exit as well I have the same options of brake or cane it (rather not) as they have, but also the third option of go around. So far so good, and still not had to do a go around yet, though I've had a couple of V signs and angry looks from drivers who haven't realised a crap layout has put both of us into a confusing situation.

The whole thing could be easily and cheaply solved with a few tins of paint. I use this roundabout occasionally, which presents a similar situation for drivers approaching from the south. Sometime last year it got an arrow in the left hand lane indicating that it's for going left and 'right a bit' , and another indicating the right hand lane was only for traffic going 'even more right', and some nice new matching road signs so drivers know the score in advance. Personally I think it would be more intuituve to have done it the other way round, but it really doesn't matter as long as they make it clear where to go for which exits.

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Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler - Einstein

I have to agree with you there Gatso, if there is likely to be any lane confusion whatsoever on a roundabout, some form of instruction needs to be applied whether that is signs at the side of the carriageway or arrows painted on the road surface.

I had this exact same conversation at college many moons ago with a friend of mine who insisted on using the right hand lane to go straight on at a fairly conventional roundabout. After about two years, our snail-like local council painted some arrows on the road indicating the right hand lane was for turning right only. Result? Zero confusion.

It's not rocket science is it?

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If nothing else works, then a total pig-headed unwillingness to look facts in the face will see us through.

Because they have so many roundabouts in Britain, British cars should have a special indicator. They need one to show that the car is going left, one to show it is going right and another, special indicator that shows when it is not going right or left! Perhaps it should be in the middle of the back bumper!

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I stole this .sig

I would argue that lane markings are unnecessary and create confusion if they're not actually followed by all vehicles. Painting lane markings will not stop people who presently use lane 1 for 3rd exit etc.

I've never experienced any problem on roundabouts except where another vehicle (or me, occasionally) has failed to indicate its intentions clearly either by signals and/or by road positioning.

I also disagree with signalling right for exit 2 on a conventional 4 exits roundabout. Left for exit 1, no signal for exit 2, right signal for exit 3 or 4 gives an unmistakable indication of intent. If you enter roundabout in lane 1 signalling right, a car behind and in lane 2 may believe you're heading for exit 3 and won't see your left signal if he draws alongside (as is quite likely).

There's a roundabout near my work where virtually all the traffic in the left lane takes the first exit onto the ring road. I go straight on, so normally take the (normally empty) right lane. But, occasionally, someone from the left lane decides to go all the way around to the third exit - and this, as you can imagine, causes problems.

Regards
Peter