Quick question about roundabouts

[Hagar]

Hi there


So guys what do you think about this one then:-




The red dots are traffic lights, they are there to control traffic coming of the A500 dual carriage way.

The problem area is where I have drawn the lines, those waiting at the traffic lights to continue along the A34 carriage way.

My view is anyone in the left hand lane (straight on) there *MUST* take the first exit as you get many who also go in the right hand lane who go straight on as well. This results in lots of close calls and the odd accident where people in the left hand lane have not exited onto the A34 or the services and carry on all the way round to either get back on A500 northbound or back towards Congleton.

So what happens is people also going straight onto the A34 in the right hand lane get side swiped.

Surely if your at those traffic lights and in the left hand lane you should either be taking the exit for the services or the first exit for the A34?

I am asking as I've even seen learner drivers with an instructor go all the way round, no indication etc.

For example green line is learner driver, blue line is car in right hand lane about to get a good smashing.

Whats the true score with this roundabout?

Obviously for those coming off the A500 they can go all the way round and anyone in the right hand lane is taking quite a risk if they want to take the first exit to the A34, basically expecting those in the left hand lane to also be heading towards to the A34.

Definitely use the left hand lane to go to OCUK (A34 bottom) or services. RH lane all other exits.

Coming from Nantwich on the A500 it is right hand lane at the slip road lights then change to left hand lane on the bridge over the A500 before the lights.

(It is a lot simpler though than the previous OCUK location. Pity you cannot turn right onto the A34 coming back. )

 

[Gibbo]

Definitely use the left hand lane to go to OCUK (A34 bottom) or services. RH lane all other exits.

Coming from Nantwich on the A500 it is right hand lane at the slip road lights then change to left hand lane on the bridge over the A500 before the lights.

(It is a lot simpler though than the previous OCUK location. Pity you cannot turn right onto the A34 coming back. )

Yep agreed, many also use the right hand lane too which would be fine if everyone in the left hand lane was going to the service or OcUK, but many go all way round and accidents happen.

So those in the left hand lane who don't take that first exit for services or A34 OcUK would be in the wrong then if they carried on around and someone in the right hand lane taking the A34 OcUK drove into the side of their car?

 

[Hagar]

Yep agreed, many also use the right hand lane too which would be fine if everyone in the left hand lane was going to the service or OcUK, but many go all way round and accidents happen.

So those in the left hand lane who don't take that first exit for services or A34 OcUK would be in the wrong then if they carried on around and someone in the right hand lane taking the A34 OcUK drove into the side of their car?

I think so but with the usual caveats of mirror signal manouvre, anticipation of vehicles trying to drive into you etc. and also heavy vehicles who often stay to the nearside. That shell service also exits onto that lower slip so that vehicles intending to carry onto the A500 are often in the left hand lane, not too clever.

 

[Phemo]

What about this one then?



It's not that bad really because there's plenty of lights around but even so, most people still don't seem to have a clue what's happening. It's basically a roundabout with the A30 running through it. I find it more of a pain to deal with (because of other people) than the Swindon magic roundabout really.

I had a bloke pull out in front of me when I was following the path of the blue car above (no indication from me as I was yet to pass the first exit). We both had to emergency stop (with about 1 inch spare!), I swerved to avoid and we ended up with our open windows next to each other. He gave me a full on torrent of abuse calling me an ****** 'stroker' before I calmly shrugged my shoulders, shook my head and drove off. Can't understand how anyone could think I was in the wrong there...! Was close to loseing my rag with that one..

Had similar happen to me only a couple of hours ago on a small bog-standard roundabout in Bracknell. I was in the left hand lane and pulled out to go straight ahead. A car was next to me in the right hand lane but decided he wanted to turn off to the left so pulled out and went across right in front of me; no indication either. Total idiot. Don't get why he couldn't go round the roundabout again but instead felt the need to **** me off.

 

[sagum]

This one is at the end of the A54 and used to cause so many accidents before they finally put the orange roadmarkings down.
The left lane coming in from the bottom is for LEFT turning only, no stright over/2nd exits
You have to take the rightside lane for stright over/2nd exit and right turns.

What normally would happen, is you'd have people in the left lane trying to take their 2nd exit, cutting up people in the right lane.
With the right lane drivers, who don't check their left side, because its a stright on by that point are getting a near miss.

There are lots like this, and for anyone who has done a lot of driving around the country, you'll notice that different areas seem to have different views on how a roundabout should be done. Even though we have it pretty clear in the highway code... new roads and roundabouts too continue to use what ever the designers feel like.

So happy I have my head stuck in PC land where everything is standardised... right? .. right guys?... guys ?