Roundabout Question

Which lane usually has the shorter traffic queue?

My guess is the right lane hence numpties using it to take the second exit.
 
I would be in the left hand lane too. Really though, that exit needs two lanes that go into one a couple of hundred metres down the road, so you'd totally avoid this situation.
 
I'd probably just drive in the right hand lane for your exit to avoid the problems, it's all very well being 'in the right' until someone smacks into your car and you end up with a 50/50 on your insurance because neither party will admit fault and the insurance cant be bothered to fight it as it's a roundabout.

People are coming from two lanes of the A26 and exiting onto 2 lanes of the A26, it's easy to see why people will assume both lanes can turn off.
 
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Drift it. Front wheels in the right lane, back wheels in the left lane.

Serious answer to your question. I think it's one of those islands where it isn't vital which lane you choose compared to smaller islands. As long as you use your mirrors and are quick enough, you can swap lanes as you go around. Just make sure you indicate left straight after the 2nd exit. Always indicate on islands. Not enough people do, and it ****** me off no end.
 
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I'd stay in the left. A virtually identical roundabout in north Bristol is exactly the same and most people use the left too but if some chump appears to be drooling/on their phone in the right I tend to be pretty cautious
 
I'd say left lane personally. This got me thinking about a couple of roundabouts near me actually (how sad!), where there are two lanes but the left is marked to turn left only, and the right lane is marked for straight over/turning right. Just goes against what you've learnt, plus naturally the road markings are very late - you don't realise you can't go straight over in the left lane until it's too late to change.
 
I'd be in the right-hand lane. Saves getting in the way of people in the 1st and 2nd exits.
As long as you're indicating left to turn off at the 3rd exit (so when you're at the 2nd, still in the right-hand lane), I don't see what the problem is.

Staying in the left lane that far is just annoying.
 
Looks like a fairly ambiguous junction but you are definitely not in the wrong for using the left lane and looking at that streetview screenshot there is no way they should be using the outer lane to get to the second exit!
 
The sign on approach shows that your 3rd exit is considered to be 180* from your entrance exactly: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&s...=WsKZuGBBqazd6ml4FvfwJg&cbp=12,354.35,,1,3.23

You should approach the roundabout in the left lane not indicating. You should indicate left as you pass the 2nd exit. You should then check your left mirror and take the 3rd exit. As per rule 185 of the highway code: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_070338

Exits past 180* on the sign (not the physical roundabout) are when you use the right hand lane.

Be aware of drivers in the right hand lane from earlier entrances going for the same exit, they have right of way.
 
the problem with this roundabout is the turnoff before archy leaves has a short 400yd length of 2 lanes, so folk use this to overtake. in order to get a decent speed up they usually go round the inner lane of the roundabout then turn off directly onto the outer lane of that short stretch. if archy stays in the outer (left) roundabout lane until the exit after this one he will get clobbered sooner or later. the turn off before archys takes much much more traffic than the one he uses. the markings on this roundabout are crap too which doesn't help
 
alx said:
I believe I am right in saying you should use the left hand lane to go straight ahead unless it's marked otherwise - so what you are doing is correct. However, it's amazing how many people don't know this.....
Click to expand...

No... it's amazing how many people don't know the meaning of "straight ahead" on a roundabout... it's not as simple as it sounds.

"Straight ahead" on a roundabout = 2nd exit

Technically... even if that second exit has you nearly doubling back on yourself.

However, this roundabout should be signposted to make it clear... the left lane should only be used for the first 2 exits in your situation.

As you're taking the 3rd exit, you should also be indicating right until you pass/are on top of the 2nd exit...
 
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No that's not his exit, that's the one before.

That's the A26 exit, he takes the one after.

If you look at the streetview on that exit you can see the markings for two lanes, very worn though, barely visible.
 
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