How to use a crossroads

Sugar Free · 23 Apr 2010 at 15:22

A fairly inane question this but still, I'd like to know.

Several times a week I have an issue with this crossroads. Both the left and right roads go green at the same time and if there's enough traffic exiting from the left road they get a green filter to turn right whilst the road on the right gets a red light.

Now I had some woman turn right from the road on the left in to my path (I was exiting the right hand side road going to turn left). Now we both had a green light but since I was turning left and she was turning right I have priority? Correct?

Fr0dders · 23 Apr 2010 at 15:25

not sure i understand the scenario you describe.

got a google map links ?

BinnsY · 23 Apr 2010 at 15:32

Assuming I understand you right then yes I believe you would have priority.

Dave M · 23 Apr 2010 at 15:32

Crossroads

She turned right, he turned left from opposite direction.

She is crossing traffic, you are not - you have right of way.

If you were both turning right you should pass behind each other so you can both see oncoming hazards but it rarely happens because the other car cuts in front of you or nobody leaves a gap behind.

DiG · 23 Apr 2010 at 15:32

Its my understanding that if I'm turning left onto a main road, and a car opposite me is turning right onto the same road I have priority over them

Sugar Free · 23 Apr 2010 at 15:40

That's what I thought but it happens so often that I thought I might be going crazy. :confused:

agw_01 · 23 Apr 2010 at 16:33

Here's one for you...

A mate of mine was involved in an accident a few months ago, similar road layout to the above.

He was at the right hand junction indicating to turn right, other car was at the left hand side not indicating and wanted to head straight across.

My mate pulls out and while quite a way through the turn, the other car sets off hitting his bumper on the NS corner. Other party is claiming he set off before my mate, but surely this would put the damage on the OS of the bumper.

Who has right of way, ignoring that my mate has already committed.

markweatherill · 23 Apr 2010 at 16:50

It sounds like either the lady didn't have the green filter light allowing her to turn right, or she did have the green filter light and you went through the red light.

Or very bad traffic planning on the light sequence, allowing both of you to see a green light.

edit: just spotted 'we both had a green light'. That disagrees with 'if there's enough traffic exiting from the left road they get a green filter to turn right whilst the road on the right gets a red light'

Sin_Chase · 23 Apr 2010 at 20:51

We have a similar cross road. Very simply anyone wanting to cross a line of traffic has no right of way and must wait for a gap or to be let over.

There are no filter lights at all, both directions get green lights.

PeterNem · 23 Apr 2010 at 20:55

agw_01 said:
Here's one for you...

A mate of mine was involved in an accident a few months ago, similar road layout to the above.

He was at the right hand junction indicating to turn right, other car was at the left hand side not indicating and wanted to head straight across.

My mate pulls out and while quite a way through the turn, the other car sets off hitting his bumper on the NS corner. Other party is claiming he set off before my mate, but surely this would put the damage on the OS of the bumper.

Who has right of way, ignoring that my mate has already committed.

In this scenario the car going straight across has right of way, your mate was turning across them therefore should give way to them. Bit tricky though if the car opposite hesitates or doesn't know what they're doing!

4T5 · 23 Apr 2010 at 20:56

Telescopi said:
If you were both turning right you should pass behind each other so you can both see oncoming hazards but it rarely happens because the other car cuts in front of you or nobody leaves a gap behind.

I hate it when the person stays in front & then flashes me to go, As if I can see through his car & go. :mad:

Get behind me Dumb ****. :mad:

That is all.

mufc802 · 23 Apr 2010 at 21:01

Yes you have priority, although sometimes someone thinks because they were at the crossroads first they have the right to go first, no matter who has the right of way.

Sugar Free · 23 Apr 2010 at 23:14

markweatherill said:
It sounds like either the lady didn't have the green filter light allowing her to turn right, or she did have the green filter light and you went through the red light.

Or very bad traffic planning on the light sequence, allowing both of you to see a green light.

edit: just spotted 'we both had a green light'. That disagrees with 'if there's enough traffic exiting from the left road they get a green filter to turn right whilst the road on the right gets a red light'

Both roads get green for a certain time. If there's still cars exiting from the left road they also get an exclusive green filter for x seconds.

Maybe it's because the roads are staggered everyone thinks the roads are controlled independently...

Vonhelmet · 24 Apr 2010 at 00:39

You can figure out who has priority by who inconveniences the most "streams" of traffic on their way through a junction. At a crossroads, in order of priority:

1) Straight through on main road - no streams of traffic impeded
2) Turning left onto crossroads - one stream of traffic impeded, being the stream you are joining
3) Straight through on secondary roads - two streams of traffic imepded, being the two on the main road that you are crossing
4) Turning right - three streams of traffic impeded, being the two on whichever road you are joining, plus the one you cross that is coming the other way on the road you're leaving
5) Parking in the middle of the crossroads - four streams of traffic impeded

Hyper · 24 Apr 2010 at 01:03

Heres one for you guys, I come to this roundabout everyday on the way to work and have had some close encounters,

Iv taken this image from google images although it is old:

I approach the roundabout in the left hand lane (notice it has a arrow with turn left & straight over, and the right hand lane has a arrow with straight over or turn right).

Now would you class the exit I leave on as straight over because I certainly would, recently they have changed the arrow in the right hand lane to just a right hand turn arrow so clearly they think the exit classed as straight over is the one I am leaving at.

So I approach this daily and still get idiots going over in the right hand lane then trying to leave in the same exit as me which merges into one lane and we nearly collide, had some very close calls.

So who would be in the wrong in this situation?

Thanks, Sam

BigglesPiP · 24 Apr 2010 at 01:45

Hyper said:
Heres one for you guys, I come to this roundabout everyday on the way to work and have had some close encounters,

Iv taken this image from google images although it is old:

I approach the roundabout in the left hand lane (notice it has a arrow with turn left & straight over, and the right hand lane has a arrow with straight over or turn right).

Now would you class the exit I leave on as straight over because I certainly would, recently they have changed the arrow in the right hand lane to just a right hand turn arrow so clearly they think the exit classed as straight over is the one I am leaving at.

So I approach this daily and still get idiots going over in the right hand lane then trying to leave in the same exit as me which merges into one lane and we nearly collide, had some very close calls.

So who would be in the wrong in this situation?

Thanks, Sam

The lane you choose is based on how the roundabout is shown in the sign, not the physical layout of the roundabout. What's the location so we can check google street-view.

If the sign is as per the actual layout, you are wrong.

Rroff · 24 Apr 2010 at 02:05

Tricky one... but the conventional way to take a round-a-bout is to take the right hand lane for right hand exits and left hand lane for left hand or intermediate exits. The exceptions being if the roadmarks indicate otherwise.

Sugar Free · 24 Apr 2010 at 02:21

Looks like that first exit is wide enough for two lanes... a bit odd having a single lane dual carriageway.

d.chatten · 24 Apr 2010 at 04:00

Hyper said:
Heres one for you guys, I come to this roundabout everyday on the way to work and have had some close encounters,

Iv taken this image from google images although it is old:

I approach the roundabout in the left hand lane (notice it has a arrow with turn left & straight over, and the right hand lane has a arrow with straight over or turn right).

Now would you class the exit I leave on as straight over because I certainly would, recently they have changed the arrow in the right hand lane to just a right hand turn arrow so clearly they think the exit classed as straight over is the one I am leaving at.

So I approach this daily and still get idiots going over in the right hand lane then trying to leave in the same exit as me which merges into one lane and we nearly collide, had some very close calls.

So who would be in the wrong in this situation?

Thanks, Sam

I think the car in the right hand lane may have right of way on that exit, aren't you are suppose to give way to traffic on the right?

PeterNem · 24 Apr 2010 at 09:41

In that case I'd use the left lane for exits 1 and 2, and the right lane for exits 3 and 4.

For your exit I'd start in the right lane, and start moving to the left after exit 2.

Looking at it from a pure logic point of view (I appreciate roads aren't always logical!) given the right lane has a right and straight on arrow, it has to be valid to use on two exits, given there are 4 exits on the roundabout this has to mean working backwards, exits 4 and 3.