Roundabouts, routeboards and lane choice
Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2023 12:03 am
I had a little read through a prior thread from over a half a decade ago on the subject of roundabouts and lanes (https://www.advanceddrivinghub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=652), but I felt it made sense to make a new one to discuss a couple of roundabouts in the Shropshire/Powys area rather than try resurrect the old one.
I've been driving for around a decade now, but I still feel I struggle to understand what is the correct way to approach these roundabouts when going straight on. I've seen people commonly using either the right or left lane on both of these roundabouts. There are no lane arrow markings on either roundabout.
Battlefield roundabout in Shrewsbury - Approaching from the south, exiting A49
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.7464835,-2.7179888,19z
This one I approach in the left lane to go straight on as the routeboard pictured shows the exit as being at 12 o'clock. But when going around the roundabout it feels more like it's past 12 - it feels a long way around that roundabout! Every now and then I find that drivers entering the roundabout at the 2nd exit misjudge that I'm going straight on and believe I'm exiting at the 2nd exit and therefore they end up either cutting closely infront or are clearly surprised and they end up heavily braking.
A fairly new roundabout at Newtown Bypass - Approaching from the north east, exiting A483
https://www.google.com/maps/@52.5119364,-3.2940519,19.17z
I approach this one in the right lane as the routeboard shows my exit is at 1 o'clock. But when on the roundabout, this one feels more like it's at 12 o'clock.
I'd be curious as to if there's a general approach folks like to use with these sorts of roundabouts. While I've adopted an approach of making sure I'm never alongside other drivers on roundabouts (where possible), I'm still a bit indecisive as to whether I'm taking the correct lane on these two.
I've been driving for around a decade now, but I still feel I struggle to understand what is the correct way to approach these roundabouts when going straight on. I've seen people commonly using either the right or left lane on both of these roundabouts. There are no lane arrow markings on either roundabout.
Battlefield roundabout in Shrewsbury - Approaching from the south, exiting A49
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.7464835,-2.7179888,19z
This one I approach in the left lane to go straight on as the routeboard pictured shows the exit as being at 12 o'clock. But when going around the roundabout it feels more like it's past 12 - it feels a long way around that roundabout! Every now and then I find that drivers entering the roundabout at the 2nd exit misjudge that I'm going straight on and believe I'm exiting at the 2nd exit and therefore they end up either cutting closely infront or are clearly surprised and they end up heavily braking.
A fairly new roundabout at Newtown Bypass - Approaching from the north east, exiting A483
https://www.google.com/maps/@52.5119364,-3.2940519,19.17z
I approach this one in the right lane as the routeboard shows my exit is at 1 o'clock. But when on the roundabout, this one feels more like it's at 12 o'clock.
I'd be curious as to if there's a general approach folks like to use with these sorts of roundabouts. While I've adopted an approach of making sure I'm never alongside other drivers on roundabouts (where possible), I'm still a bit indecisive as to whether I'm taking the correct lane on these two.