Who has right of way in this mini-roundabout situation?

Zbornak · 18 Oct 2012 at 00:22

Ignore the existence of orange car and pretend it's just the yellow and green car. Doesn't the yellow car have right of way? Yes, you give way to the right at a roundabout but the green car isn't to the right, it's simply on the opposite junction.

Or do both cars have the right to go? Because if they both went at the same time and at a reasonable speed, they wouldn't actually hit each other, since the distance the yellow car is travelling is shorter than the green car.

I've lost count of the number of times I've been at a mini-roundabout where there's been some kind of stalemate because no-one knows what to do, myself included.

Oh great Lords of motoring etiquette, enlighten me.

Rotty · 18 Oct 2012 at 00:25

I have been in this situation many times and the correct etiquette is that it is me that has the right of way

in a 3 way stalemate evaluate your opponents and decide who is the alpha male

seriusly though if you are ignoring the orange one then green has right of way

Woden · 18 Oct 2012 at 00:25

Green car, he/she/it is turning right.

Vonhelmet · 18 Oct 2012 at 00:27

I don't believe anyone has right of way, so it would fall to whoever takes the initiative. In that instance, it's likely to be the yellow car, because he can make it out of the green car's path quickest.

Dabbles · 18 Oct 2012 at 00:28

Rotty said:
if you are ignoring the orange one then green has right of way

Minxy · 18 Oct 2012 at 00:28

The green car is still to your right as far as I see it. The positioning of the junction onto the roundabout is irrelevant I would think.

Clarkey · 18 Oct 2012 at 00:29

Same as any roundabout, give way to the right. I would not stop for them unless I was on a collision course though.

Zbornak · 18 Oct 2012 at 00:37

Minxy said:
The green car is still to your right as far as I see it. The positioning of the junction onto the roundabout is irrelevant I would think.

That logic would suggest that the yellow car is on the green car's right, so it too should give way....

Minxy · 18 Oct 2012 at 00:40

Zbornak said:
That logic would suggest that the yellow car is on the green car's right, so it too should give way....

Not really since there is a junction inbetween and neither car has yet entered the roundabout.

Raymond Lin · 18 Oct 2012 at 01:00

Zbornak said:
That logic would suggest that the yellow car is on the green car's right, so it too should give way....

Have you got your left and right mixed up? :confused:

Frozennova · 18 Oct 2012 at 01:02

There's a roundabout exactly like this about half a mile from my house. When I was learning to drive I was taught the green car has the right of way.

Zbornak · 18 Oct 2012 at 01:08

Minxy said:
Not really since there is a junction inbetween and neither car has yet entered the roundabout.

Raymond Lin said:
Have you got your left and right mixed up?

Look at this way. Imagine you're the driver of the green car. The yellow car is on your right. Both yellow and green cars have each other on their right.

Raymond Lin · 18 Oct 2012 at 01:10

Lol, is that how you look at it?

it's the LANE on your right, not the CAR on your right.

Overlag · 18 Oct 2012 at 01:11

Zbornak said:
Look at this way. Imagine you're the driver of the green car. The yellow car is on your right. Both yellow and green cars have each other on their right.

No it doesn't. :confused:

the orange car is to the greens right.

Raymond Lin · 18 Oct 2012 at 01:13

Zbornak said:
Look at this way. Imagine you're the driver of the green car. The yellow car is on your right. Both yellow and green cars have each other on their right.

If you think like that you are going to get into an accident in a roundabout sooner or later because that is totally 100% wrong.

The only time the yellow car has the right of way is if he is already on the roundabout when green approaches and past the junction where the orange car is, then the green car should wait until the yellow car has started to manoeuvre out of the roundabout.

deko · 18 Oct 2012 at 01:26

It scares me that people believe this is how roundabouts work. They really aren't hard to work out.

Raymond Lin · 18 Oct 2012 at 01:41

deko said:
It scares me that people believe this is how roundabouts work. They really aren't hard to work out.

This is why sometimes I find a car just sits there at a roundabout waiting for me to go (when I am the yellow car).

Or worst still, I am the green car and starts going and turn right at the roundabout and the yellow car comes in! Happened one time and this woman in a people carrier almost T-boned me on the side. I was already on the roundabout (it is one of those painted on the road ones) and saw her move off so I just floored it and she missed me by a whisker.

Then she had the cheek to honk me !

This junction below. I would be coming down on Grimmer Road and turn right at roundabout. It's the entrance to Sainsbury's The building at the bottom (cut off) of the photo is the petrol station so she came out of there and then up.

If I was the grey car, I would have right of way.

Zbornak · 18 Oct 2012 at 02:10

Overlag said:
No it doesn't. the orange car is to the greens right.

I said ignore the ruddy orange car!

Raymond Lin said:
Lol, is that how you look at it?

it's the LANE on your right, not the CAR on your right.

What on earth do you mean it's the lane on your right?! It's the traffic to your right! Look at the Highway Code. "Give way to the traffic approaching from the right."

The orange car is not there. The green car doesn't need to worry about that junction, it's clear. As per the image, both green car and yellow car have arrived at the roundabout at the same time and are equidistant from the centre. Why do either of them have to give way? "Give way to the traffic approaching from the right."

Ask the driver of the green car on what the yellow car is to them. "They are not on the roundabout. They are not on a junction to the right, they are
straight ahead."

Now ask the driver of the yellow car what the green car is to them: "They are not on the roundabout. They are not on a junction to the right, they are straight ahead."

Raymond Lin · 18 Oct 2012 at 06:45

Whether I call it lane or traffic or aliens, you are wrong!

Janesy B · 18 Oct 2012 at 07:20

Threads like the often make me wonder about people's ability to drive.