Look here, signage almost completely obscured by a leaf-less tree, doesn’t advise what lane to be in and you’d be lucky to see it at all in spring-autumn time, you’re just supposed to know, which is fine if this roundabout style was standardized, right lane to take 2nd,3rd and 4th exit and left lane to take 1st and 2nd exit but I would say not even the majority of smaller two lane roundabouts are uniformly like this.
Most smaller roundabouts don’t have lane specific sign, you’re just supposed to rely on the road markings which aren’t always there.
You see the roundabout diagram alright, but there’s no lane markings or diagram about what lane you should be in to take what turn.
And as I said, it wouldn’t be so bad if this was the defined standard roundabout, both lanes can go straight on, etc, but you’ll encounter a roundabout just like these ones, only with a 1st exit only left lane with the exact same lack of signage and road markings.
One roundabout in my hometown got so bad for people being in the wrong lane that they turned it into a T-junction with lights…
Pete S:
A tip that sometimes helps: follow the dotted line on your left. On a gyroscopic roundabout (which many of the big ones are) that will feed you into the road you’re aiming for. That assumes, of course, that you’ve picked the correct lane on the approach.
My experience with trainee drivers is that it all starts going wrong because the advance signs (both directional and lane marking) have not been observed and understood correctly. In some cases, just not seen at all.
It’s a really good idea to be aware that there is a big junction coming and that you’ll only succeed if you see, read and understand all the advance signs. Road markings can be covered by other vehicles and should be treated only as a back up.
Pete S
Yes to all of the above! I saw the advance signs, was in the correct lane approaching the roundabout, but then got thrown a curve-ball.
The worst part is the day this happened was not my first time on this roundabout. I think there must have been a difference with traffic or something, and I did follow the line on the left (which in so doing causes you to end up from right-lane on approach, to the middle lane on the roundabout, ending in lane 2 straight ahead if you do NOT change lanes).
I can’t actually nail down what was different, but it certainly made me look at the layout more closely when I started heading in an unexpected direction by simply following the lane markings.
I think subconsciously I was expecting a gap in markings to the right for the left lane on the roundabout to continue to the right, but instead these markings continued, the magical 3rd lane appeared, and THAT is the lane that became the left lane on the roundabout.
I think the problem is, a helical/spiral roundabout system should sort of look like a British Leyland logo all the way around but in this roundabout, it only follows that rule in the southern part and not in the northern half.
flammen:
I think the problem is, a helical/spiral roundabout system should sort of look like a British Leyland logo all the way around but in this roundabout, it only follows that rule in the southern part and not in the northern half.
Sorry, but I don’t agree. There is no problem with this roundabout. It caters for the number of entry and exit lanes in all scenarios perfectly.
These virtue-signalling pedestrian crossings need to go!
Aren’t the arrows illegal? I thought there were regulations around what kind of signage can be visible from the road?
I’ve noticed an increase in these small wooden road-side signs that people stick in the verge advertising a local business or cafe at the next exit. Fun if you should ever run over one or two of them…
I saw the advance signs, was in the correct lane approaching the roundabout, but then got thrown a curve-ball.
