THE HIGHWAY CODE
  • Read
  • Download PDF
  • Audiobook
  • Changes and answers
  • Categories

Highway Code for Roundabouts

26/9/2014

227 Comments

 
It is fair to say that roundabouts are one of the hardest sections of the Highway Code for beginners to master. Make sure you read through this page a few times until you completely understand it. If you are learning to drive and have any questions, be sure to note them down and ask your driving instructor next time you have a lesson.

​​DRIVING LESSONS ONLINE - that will save you £'s on learning to drive! Start here >>
Section 184
Section 184 of the Highway Code is all about what to do when approaching a roundabout. To ensure you approach roundabouts safely you should look out for traffic signs, traffic lights and lane markings, all of which will help you to prepare for manoeuvring around the roundabout and identifying the correct lane.

When approaching a roundabout you should:
  • Use the mirror-signal-manoeuvre process
  • Decide which exit you need to take as early as possible
  • Use the appropriate signal at the optimal time to inform other road users of your intentions
  • Get into the correct lane
  • Adjust your speed and position to the traffic conditions
  • Remain aware of the speed and position of the traffic around you

Section 185
Section 185 explains what you should do when you reach the roundabout. Again it is important to be aware of the traffic around you and look out for road users who may be signalling incorrectly or in some cases not signalling at all!

When reaching a roundabout you should:
  • Always give priority to the traffic coming from the right, unless you have been directed otherwise by signs, road markings or traffic lights
  • Check if the road markings allow you to proceed without giving way (always look right before joining just in case)
  • Watch out for other road users on the roundabout
  • Check the traffic has moved off in front of you before you proceed to enter the roundabout

Section 186
This section of the Highway Code explains the signals and positions required to exit a roundabout safely. Follow the rules and you will find maneuvering roundabouts to be much less stressful.

When taking the first exit (unless signs and markings indicate otherwise):
  • Signal left and approach the exit in the left hand lane
  • Keep to the left on the roundabout and signal left to leave

When taking an exit to the right or going full circle (unless signs or markings indicate otherwise):
  • Signal right and approach the exit in the right hand lane
  • Keep to the right on the roundabout until you need to change lanes to reach your exit
  • Signal left after you have passed the exit before the one you intend to take

When taking any intermediate exit (unless signs or markings indicate otherwise):
  • Select the appropriate lane on approach to the roundabout
  • Stay in the lane until you need to alter your lane to exit
  • Signal left after you have passed the exit before the one you want to take
highway code for roundabout
New drivers often find roundabouts tricky, but once you’ve grasped the basis of how they work, you will soon find it easy to approach and enter them safely.
Section 187
Section 187 explains the road users you should watch out for and give plenty of room to when approaching and entering a roundabout. This includes:
  • Pedestrians crossing the approach and exit roads
  • Traffic crossing in front of you on the roundabout (look for vehicles intending to leave at the next exit)
  • Traffic straddling lanes or positioned incorrectly (it happens more than you think!)
  • Motorcyclists
  • Cyclists and horse riders who may remain in the left hand lane and signal right if they intent to continue round the roundabout
  • Long vehicles (including those towing trailers) which might have to take a different course or straddle lanes because of their length
  • Keep an eye out for all road users’ signals

Section 188
This section of the Highway Code is all about mini-roundabouts. You should apply the same rules to approaching and entering mini-roundabouts as you would normal roundabouts. It is important to remember that all vehicles must pass round the central markings, unless they are too large to do so. You will find that when driving around mini-roundabouts there is less room to manoeuvre and less time to signal, so take extra care.

Section 189
If you are faced with a double mini-roundabout, make sure that you treat each roundabout separately (approaching and entering them in the same way you would any roundabout) and give way to traffic coming from your right.

Section 190
If you are approaching a set of mini-roundabouts (common at complex junctions) you need to treat each of them separately, following the rules stated above.

We hope this information has provided you with the knowledge and confidence to approach and enter roundabouts safely. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Image credits: MarkyBon and EthelRedThePetrolHead
highway code for roundabout
Use road signs to help you determine what lane you need to be and what exit you need to take.

Mock Theory Test Free

227 Comments
Tim Mason
3/3/2015 13:59:45

Is it illegal to deliberately use the incorrect lane on a roundabout in order to beat queuing traffic?

Reply
Helen Ings
7/11/2015 15:51:42

I saw a non-emergency police car do that once...

Reply
Stuart Dee
30/11/2016 08:28:19

Police drivers have to be an example to others so would rightly be leaving themselves open to getting a complaint.

Daz
26/1/2021 18:45:37

They have traffic exemptions if on an emergency call, using blue lights etc

JBT
7/1/2016 09:49:58

Reply
Valentine, Paul P
26/2/2016 12:01:56

Only if your actions cause a collision, then depends on the severity of damage to other vehicles/people, for eg if someone dies you will get done for causing death by dangerous driving a mandatory custodial sentence, if its only MINOR damage to other vehicles then the police won't want to know, exchange details after parking safe and leave insurance companies to fight it out.

Reply
John Grimley
13/5/2016 08:49:18

From one of my subscribed channels...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFCJADJQD3Y

According to the user, their insurance won the case - I'm guessing this is based on all the links at the end of the clip.

I cannot believe that the 'take any lane' stance is still being pushed, as we see here, it is just damned dangerous. I was taught the 12 o'clock rule way back in the 70s & if you look around the web, plenty of driving schools are still using it - because it works. we've had numerous changes/additions to the highway code & yet this one seems to have been avoided. How can the right lane be appropriate if you still have vehicles on your left & have to stop to avoid collision? by stopping, you are,in effect, brake-checking the vehicle behind you.

Marcin
6/4/2018 14:45:09

Just so you know there is no such thing at 12 o'clock rule. If there was then your driving licence wouldn't be valid in EU as no other country has it :)

Tony Connolly
20/7/2018 10:25:44

1970 was when I first started to drive since that date I have had HGV III, II and I tests motor cycle and PLC and I was always taught that anything after the second exit should be treated as turning right.

ALLAN LEE
4/4/2016 17:30:36

Don't know whether that is illegal Tim. Though the big problem you would have with that action. Is that it would more than likely give other drivers the wrong idea of what your intentions were. Plus it cold provoke some road rage if your actions "cut" another driver up as you unexpectedly changed lanes. Emergency vehicles do that from time to time. But they are distinctive and would most likely sound their sirens......which you don't have.

Reply
Soong
30/6/2018 01:20:00

"Marcin 6/4/2018 02:45:09 PM
Just so you know there is no such thing at 12 o'clock rule. If there was then your driving licence wouldn't be valid in EU as no other country has it "
There are different rules in different countries in the EU. I have driven in most of them in Western Europe.

Gunner
26/11/2018 19:23:53

Marvin. ... where in the HTC does it not say that the 12 o'clock dose not apply

John Grimley
20/6/2016 07:20:38

From one of the YT channels I subscribe to...
One commentator feels we can all ignore lane markings - they aren't compulsory. As the OP says, even if the markings are only advice, it's good advice & only an idiot ignores good advice - and the result of ignoring good advice is a crunched car at the end of the clip - ignoring this good advice might get you into hot water with plod - driving without due care & attention? It certainly means you will be paying the price for this in terms of increased insurance premiums.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFBuqsoSGBU

Reply
Paul Valentine
7/7/2016 14:18:20

Hello John,
Just watched the video you posted, frame by frame, as you come off the junction it is 2 lanes on the exit, teh car clearly expected you to take the left hand lane, as such expected the right lane to become empty, you kow its 2 lanes because its got keep clear written twice - 2nd clue is the zigzag lane dividers also showing 2 lanes, now its true there is only 1 line of traffic all of you making the same mistake and not using the left hand lane, the merge point is not off the roundabout, but after the traffic lights, 2nd he was coming off the roundabout and as such from your right, so he had right of way coming off teh roundabout, and because he was coming from your right.

Paul Valentine
7/7/2016 14:21:25

PS it is true he did not indicate, but maybe he gave you credit for common sense, defensive driving techniques should have told you to wait and see what he does when there is no indicater.

John Grimley
11/8/2016 00:32:58

Paul, that's not my video so I wasn't driving. However, I know the area well (hence why I subscribed to the channel - hoping to never appear in the clip!). Although there are 2 lanes after the keep clear, this is to aid drivers exiting the area on the left (as the bus is doing) there isn't actually two lanes on the entry. It's a very busy junction and since all drivers stay in the lane, the left lane opens to allow drivers to exit - especially whilst everyone is queueing at the lights. So none of the drivers going straight on made a mistake.
This guy had actually come up in the right hand lane - the one clearly marked all the way up as being right turn only, he didn't come off the roundabout from the right - you only have to look at all the cars entering (to the side of the white building on the right). Also, he said he had a witness who said that this guy overtook the queue in the wrong lane.
If you read his comments, he says this was settled, the other paty were 100% at fault. If any of your comments were true, the car driver's insurance would've fought the case rather than simply admit liability.

Tanya rogers
12/7/2017 02:00:07

Apparently insurance companies have a different highway Cade to the one we would fail our test will, or get pulled by a police officer. I think insurance companies should be questioned. As they make millions out of us each year.

Christine
5/7/2016 12:23:41

I suppose it's on intent. Did they intend to, or are they not familiar with the area. They would be liable even so I would think if it caused a crash.

Reply
Tony
7/7/2016 13:02:10

It's also illegals to queue on a trunk road so sometimes you have to use both lanes

Reply
Paul P Valentine Esq
13/9/2016 16:23:42

Since when ? it is illegal to stop without cause on a trunk road/motorway but if traffic stops for whatever reason then you have to stop on the trunk road/motorway, if you have no choice because of traffic coming to halt then no it is not illegal, where do you people get your ideas from ?

Richard
16/8/2019 02:17:44

To: PAUL P VALENTINE ESQ
Check your facts before mouthing, ie actually read the Highway Code. It is illegal to queue or stop without cause as the person states. As in for the junction or to have a picnic/sleep. Not that you’d care I would assume being all high and pompous. It is clear that the only opinion that is correct is the one that gets you to bypass the queue.

Jaclkkkkkie link
10/9/2016 06:14:46

Reply
daniel ferry
29/10/2016 20:59:20

Reply
Stuart Dee
30/11/2016 08:25:48

For the avoidance of doubt, yes it is illegal. It's driving without consideration for other road users and contrary to Section 3 of Road Traffic Act 1988.
Also socially unacceptable to everyone else that has been waiting patiently, of course.

Reply
paul
5/2/2017 12:46:50

Reply
Roy Smith
1/4/2017 08:21:01

It may not be illegal but it's typical of today's inconsiderate driver , however , it may be necessary for large articulated trucks to use this method to avoid the trailer wheels mounting the kerb of the roundabout .

Reply
Jude
19/8/2017 18:24:04

No, of coursr not, so long as you approach in the correct lane for the route you are taking and correctly signal your intentions e.g avoid a queue for the 1st exit by approaching as if to turn right and then going all the way round to gain priority becaise you are on the roundabout. Not illegal, but still very discourteous!

Reply
Stan Facey
3/4/2018 09:53:50

Of course it is illegal, but they always get away with it. Learning to drive used to be a privilege now it's regarded as a right.
Only done by selfish drivers.

Reply
Matt B
25/4/2018 18:58:53

If you're talking about cutting people up on a round about then absolutely not, but if you're talking about going around a round about to turn left then sure :D

Reply
Road User
21/5/2018 13:14:27

Define Incorrect lane? if its to exit on lanes 1 or 2 and you take the approach for exit 3+, as long as you follow the highway code and follow the road about all the way round for a full lap and then exit (e.g. exit one would then be exit 5 on a 4way round about) then that is fine. But you don't cut a cross and cut people up, that will get you in trouble/ cause an accident.

Reply
Nick
9/7/2018 10:40:59

No

Reply
geoff
20/7/2018 02:15:01

hi Tim.....it would be illegal to use the right hand lane at a roundabout and try to come off the roundabout at a 1st or second exit unless that 2nd exit had 2 lanes.........the right hand lane should only be used if there is a 2nd lane on a 2nd exit road or for turning the circle to come off at a 3rd or 4th exit.........i admit if traffic is at a standstill causing tailbacks in the left lane and the right lane is clear then i jump in the right lane and go fully around the circle coming off at the 2nd exit which i would have done had i stayed in left lane........this is perfectly legal and i use indicators so folk know im proceeding around the circle/roundabout...im in uk.......been driving 30 yrs and never had 1 crash or incident.

Reply
E macintosh
5/8/2018 16:44:17

I would say yes , to deliberately flout the rules leads to accidents

Reply
Simon hopwood
7/8/2018 20:46:11

What is the national speed limit on a roundabout

Reply
Brooksie
26/10/2018 17:53:46

Absolutely flat out sideways

Paul Fox
12/8/2018 11:57:05

You would need to give an example and describe what you mean by the wrong lane. Not everyone understands the rules about that, so the answer depends on the definition that you have in mind.

Reply
Alain Brumby
5/8/2020 19:18:32

Not necessarily.
If you are stuck in traffic and can double back using the inside lane at the roundabout for example when the left lane is chocca, then fair play to you and you might easily find an alternative route or at the very least return when queues have died down.

Reply
Dave
21/2/2021 09:46:41

It says: give ‘priority’ to vehicles approaching from the right.

Then continues: By adding watch out for road users already in the roundabout.

There’s an obvious conflict there... but logically... to your right is an infinite. What is already in the roundabout is limited by the size of the roundabout.

It would be much better if this was clear & simple. Most drivers (the vast majority) are incredibly poor drivers. Keep it simple... to match their ability.

Des Lafferty
19/11/2020 13:34:43

I read in the Highway Code that the first rule at a roundabout is, “Give way to what’s already on the roundabout”.
Now you’re saying I should give way to anything to my right. Even if the vehicle to my right is only approaching the roundabout ?

Reply
Dave Peddie
19/11/2020 16:28:14

Des - the Highway Code does not say “Give way to what’s already on the roundabout”. Rule 185 does say "watch out for all other road users already on the roundabout; "

Des Lafferty
19/11/2020 13:38:37

“Does traffic approaching from one direction have priority over traffic approaching from another direction? The only priority rule is that drivers inside the roundabout have the right-of-way over any driver entering the roundabout, regardless of approach direction. Every entrance has a yield sign for approach vehicles.”
This contradicts your other rule : that we should give way to the right.

Reply
Dave Peddie
19/11/2020 16:34:59

Des
what do you mean by - "Does traffic approaching from one direction have priority over traffic approaching from another direction?" What other direction? Approaching the R'bout, all traffic on the R'bout will be to your right. Traffic coming from another direction is going to be going the wrong way round the R'bout. Not common, but does happen! So no contradiction - when you approach the R'bout, you give way to traffic to already on the R'bout, and to your right

Arimas Fernandez link
28/6/2021 16:40:03

Could you explain the Corynton Roundabout please ? the mark on the road change in some areas

Reply
yo link
22/11/2021 14:47:53

yellow lines across motorway at roundabout approach What do the indicate??

Reply
Andrew Johnston
22/7/2015 11:48:40

If a roundabout has 4 exits, including the one you are entering on, with the other 3 to the left, straight across and right respectively, and you have 2 lanes entering into the roundabout, which lane do you use to take the second exit, i.e. the one straight across?

Reply
J2897
23/7/2015 17:00:52

Watch this...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Diu1k_5H45k

Reply
Lyndsay
26/9/2015 14:19:25

Hey Andrew, did u find out the answer to this as I was wondering the same thing and can't see any answer on this page to make it any clearer. We have a roundabout just near us that causes soooo much stress wen trying to pick the correct lane (I was told to stay in the right hand lane passing the left hand take off then to indicate right and go straight on into my junction but others stay in the left lane and try to race past me which is bloody annoying and scary-just wanna do it right so as if sum1 rams into me that I'll not be blamed) thanks if u can help ;)

Reply
Tim Mason
26/9/2015 23:24:17

Unless indicated otherwise (by road markings including lane arrows and/or signposts) the left hand approach lane should be used.
I.e. on a roundabout with no signs or road markings and the entry point divided into two approach lanes, the left lane should be used for turning right or straight on (1st and 2nd exits) and the right hand lane for all subsequent exits (3rd, 4th, 5th etc)
Hope this helps, I only learnt to drive in 2003 and can remember this but it appears the majority of other drivers will have no idea and will use any lane and not necessarily use any indicators but a lot of horn!

Tim Mason
26/9/2015 23:28:21

Sorry, where I said right I meant left,
Left lane for left and straight on and right for 'right'!!

Tasha
2/2/2016 22:22:55

I was told while learning to drive to use the left hand lane for first and second exit unless there are only two exits and two lanes or lane to suit the exit as shown with markings

Valentine, Paul P
26/2/2016 12:53:23

People are idiots, read reply I sent to Andrew. Be safe.

John Grimley
13/5/2016 08:57:53

There's many factors to consider. You stay in the right hand lane - so 2 lanes on, is there also 2 lanes off? in which case, exit in the right hand lane.
If there's only 1 lane off then use the 12 o'clock rule https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/appendix-roundabouts
If the exit is actually straight over then you should enter in the left lane. If there were an accident, you would be held liable (see my reply to Valentine).
The 12 o'clock rule has been taught for decades & if you search the web, plenty of schools still teach it.

Christine
5/7/2016 12:33:47

As long as you indicate and move to the left lane after you have passed your first exit, then you are OK.

Gabor Banfai
4/10/2015 16:18:00

This is really easy my son.
You use the right, inside lane as the left lane is for the fist exit.
And since you have the right of way once in a roundabout, you can switch lane as there should be no other car one in the left ( incoming) lane..
I hope you got me..:-)

Reply
Jimbo
16/11/2015 22:20:18

Sorry mate you are totally wrong. Always left hand lane unless paint says not to or you are going more that 180 degrees around the roundabout. What you suggest will quite likely result in the car behind you on approach, undertaking you on the roundabout.

Valentine, Paul P
26/2/2016 12:57:38

Left lane is for 1st and 2nd exits, only diff is on 1st exit you indicate on approach, 2nd exit you only indicate after 1st exit, 2nd lane is for exits 3rd or coming about indicating right on approach.

Paul Valentine
6/4/2016 22:01:42

Left lane is for first and 2nd exits, indicating on the approach for first and after 1st for 2nd, even if there is a car to your left making a pigs ear of it the safe route is to come about, under no circumstance can you drive into the side of another vehicle after you have seen them, and you ALWAYS HAVE TO CHECK YOUR MIRRORS, before committing to exiting the roundabout, Prof drivers glance over there left shoulder as well.

Ray Hughes
5/1/2021 13:08:19

I agree. What really angers me are the drivers who go around the roundabout in the left hand lane, round the edge, if you will, and then cause problems to drivers legitimately trying to change to the left hand lane to take their exit.

Lucy
4/11/2015 10:58:09

The left lane to go straight ahead. If you picture the roundabout as a clock face, any exit from 6 o'clock (where you're entering) to 12 o'clock, you use the left lane. Anything after 12 o'clock you use the right lane. Unless signposted otherwise, of course.

Reply
Neil
11/11/2015 09:35:21

couldn't have put it better myself!

People who use the right-hand lane to go straight on seem to be forgetting the general rule of always drive on the left. They're exiting the roundabout in the right hand lane which goes against that rule.

Christine
5/7/2016 12:40:05

If you take the right Lane, do not forget to indicate and move to the left hand lane immediately after you pass the last exit you do not wish to take, once in lefthand Lane then indicate left for your exit.

Neil
11/11/2015 09:27:18

you'd stay in the left hand lane for that

Reply
Paul Valentine
18/4/2016 17:19:39

Guys its all relative, but if you believe its an absolute rule, then answer me this, if you are approaching, and arrows on the first lane say left and straight ahead, arrows on the second lane say straight ahead and right, then which one ??? to take the 2nd exit.

The answer is simple ... it all depends on what other traffic is doing, for example if you are approaching and say 3 cars in front are indicating and have their wheels turned left ( always a good indication as to what the car in front is actually doing by looking at the wheels ), then using the 2nd lane ( even applies with no road markings providing there is room ) to take the 2nd exit is allowable, the clue for the other road users that if you are taking the 2nd exit then you should NOT be indicating on the approach, but must turn or drift into lane 1 as soon as you have cleared the cars in front, but not forgetting to look over your shoulder for the idiot factor who has either, changed their mind or the car behind you putting their foot down to prevent you from leaving at 2nd exit.

In all maneuvers you have to consider, the effect you actions will have on them and how they will react to you based upon studying them if you have the time.

I find that there are lots of differences between, non professional and professional drivers, and not all hgv are professional drivers, just like all car drivers are not non professional. For example how many of you hand on heart switch off on motorways on a perfectly easy part of it ????

I can tell you that professional drivers are looking at other road users for any sign of trouble, lane drifting .. sudden changes of speed - slow fast slow fast ... how often the brake lights come on - showing they are not controlling their speed, the list is endless, and for professional drivers there is never nothing to do when driving.

John Grimley
13/5/2016 09:03:53

Paul valentine, you answered your own question. the 12 o'clock rule applies unless signs/markings say otherwise. You say that arrows in left lane say left/straight, arrows in right lane say straight/right.
Therefore, to go straight ahead, you take whichever lane you are in on entry. this roundabout would also have two lanes on the exit so if you entered in the right hand lane, you must exit in the right hand lane.

anon
29/7/2018 14:58:11

There is of course an obvious exception to staying left hand lane for left and straight on at a roundabout, and that's specific lanes eg one we have locally where the left lane is essentially a slip road.

What annoys me most is people on said roundabout indicating right to go straight over. Yes it is very slightly more than 180 degrees, but even if technically correct so VERY FEW actually indicate left at their turn meaning the cars going across the other way have to guess or wait. Not helped by a left turn only hospital exit just before meaning some cars need to go round said roundabout to effectively turn right out of the hospital.

Bottom line is standards of driving and consideration have plummeted, the number one law most apply to the road is look out for #1

Kev
16/1/2016 00:01:10

1st lane

Reply
Paul Valentine
18/4/2016 17:29:37

ps .. It is interesting that people who think that there are absolute rules are more likely to have a collision simply because they are NOT planning for the unexpected, and ask any driver in any large city, leeds .. london .. manchester etc, you always plan for the unexpected and after a while come to expect it. driving standards for both instructors . pupils and others have def dropped, I think mostly because people believe there driving gets better the longer you do it, it does not, people will ultimately get to be there best at some point, but, after a while it starts to drop, and when it gets below an acceptable level then pride kicks in and they refuse to accept they just are not any good at driving any more, and you know the crazy thing is that we accept as we get older failing eyesight, unable to hop over that fence any more, cant quite run to the bus stop etc, but, we still think we are brilliant drivers despite driving being the only thing in your life that you will do, that requires the use of all your senses at the same time. Safe driving everyone.

Michael P
30/1/2016 14:50:35

If there are no lane markings on the roundabout, just at the entry point, then to go straight ahead you can take the shortest route across the roundabout, but be aware that you might make it easier for other drivers who want to take a later exit if you allow them space. It is perfectly correct to go straight over. If there are lane markings then you must obey those. If you are thinking about signals, then indicate left before the entry if you are taking the laft exit(s). If going straight ahead (considered to be anywhere between 11 and 1 on the clock) thendo not indicate until you are passing the exit prior to the one you want, If you are taking an exit after the 1 position then be in the right hand lane (if there is one) and stay to the right as you go round, indicating all the time. As you pass the exit prior to the wanted one, indicate laft and move to the left side having checked it is safe to do so.
I learnt to drivbe in 1963 and have been a professional driver for many years but now retired.

Reply
Valentine, Paul P
26/2/2016 13:16:41

Professional. Driver eh, all roundabouts should be treated as 2 lane entry regardless of road markings ( it must be idiots like you teaching new car drivers to use both lanes thereby increasing RTC rates ), the only exception is if you are coming from a single track road. No other apply.

Valentine, Paul P
26/2/2016 15:28:01

PS .. Please don't play the "I am a police expert card " and stick to debating the point, because I can tell you stories all day long about bad police driving/attitude, on top of the 10k complaints the PCA receive, for eg, a mate of mine who drives a truck was actually pulled over by one of your lot for doing 40 on a single carriageway, that was national speed limit, 2 weeks after it went up to 50

Valentine, Paul P
26/2/2016 12:51:42

You are describing a standard roundabout, any more then 4 exits is called a giratory and entry/on roundabout and exits are marked on the road itself.

1st exit, approach on left hand lane only, indicate left on the approach and throughout the turn, make sure to cancel indicator as you leave roundabout else people will think you are pulling over ( this applies on all roundabouts ).

2nd exit ( 2 options depending on cars in front )
If you are the front car, approach on left hand lane only, do not indicate, when clear stay left of roundabout ( do not cut into 2nd lane ), after 1st exit indicate left, cancel indicator only after you have exited the roundabout.

If you are not 1st car and all cars in front of you ( about 2-3 cars, its a judgement call ) are indicating left ( this is the more dangerous option, you MUST check your N/S mirror to make sure they have actually turned off ), then approach on lane 2, do not indicate, as soon as it is safe ( check mirrors and look over left hand/NS shoulder ) move to left hand lane, indicate left after the 1st exit and keep indicator on until you have actually left the roundabout.

3rd exit
Approach in lane 2 indicating right on the approach, stay in lane 2 until opposite 2nd exit or as car on left moves off the roundabout ( again check mirrors, make sure the cars on left have actually left/are leaving the roundabout, if they have changed their mind and there is a single lane on exit then indicate right and come about, do not get into a battle over right of way, if this happens make sure the car on next approach is stopping for you ), once you are satisfied and only then, the car to your left has/is leaving roundabout then indicate left and move to 1st lane, leave indicator on until you have exited the roundabout. If there are 2 lanes on the exit and the inside is not clear, keep in lane 2 throughout the turn but keep your left indicator on throughout, turn it off only if the car/s alongside you have gone ahead of you and lane 1 is clear ( don't forget to look over your left shoulder to cover blind spot ) or if you have got in front of the idiot who changed his mind.

On all roundabouts extreme caution must be 2nd nature, indicate at the right time and if you change your mind for whatever reason then exit anyway and find someplace safe to do a u-turn and come back onto the roundabout, do not stop on roundabout, do not change your mind, if you are not sure which exit then come about.

If not sure.
Approach 2nd lane ( you cannot exit 1st turn, come about and treat as 5th exit), indicate right, traffic turning before you will come alongside you so don't panic, keep calm and as before when you decide you exit always check cars on left have/are actually leaving roundabout BEFORE moving to first lane, on the previous turn indicate left and move to first lane when and only when it is safe to do so, keep left indicator on until you have left roundabout, do not forget to cancel after you have left and not before.

I hope this helps and keeps you and your loved ones safe on the road.

Reply
Michael Perry
26/2/2016 14:16:01

At not time did I say, and noether does the Highway Code, that all roundabout should be treated as having two lanes at entry. If there are, then it depends on the road markings whether you have to use the left, right or either if you are going straight ahead.
If there are no lanes marked on the roundabout itself then you should consider other drivers - if there are any in the vicinity.

The term 'gyratory' is mainly used in America for roundabout and in the UK it does not matter how many exits there are it is still a roundabout!

I have driven since 1963 and covered well over 1.5m miles. I was a police officer for a time and we were taught strictly about the 'rules of the road'. Please allow me to know what I am talking about, especially as I assisted in the redrafting of the Highway Code several times.

Valentine, Paul P
26/2/2016 14:44:20

Hello Michael Perry,
I am also a professional driver, HGV or LGV as it is now known, please don't take this personally but I don't rate police as driver experts, I recently got into a debate with a police officer who tried to tell me I had to give way to traffic on a slip road, another time I was on the motorway and had a car overtaking me on lane 2, a police car ( traffic division ), had to brake late because he/she expected me to disappear in a puff of smoke, or perhaps become invisible while the police car tried to join the carriageway from the slip road, and no he was not on a call showing blues and 2, so I say again all roundabouts should be treated as having 2 lanes, unless there are clear markings to the contrary, or, there is simply not the room.

Valentine
26/2/2016 15:41:41

pps, look again at the highway code the diagram shows 2 arrows side by side, first arrow taking 1st and 2nd exit, 2nd arrow on the inside ( right side of approach ), taking 3rd exit, and guess what no road markings on that picture either.

John Grimley
13/5/2016 09:05:37

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/appendix-roundabouts

ALLAN LEE
4/4/2016 17:44:25

Stay in in the left lane. No need to signal.

Reply
John Grimley
13/5/2016 08:52:24

Watch this...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFCJADJQD3Y
From one of my subscribed channels.
Also, read...https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/appendix-roundabouts where the 12 0'clock rule is explained.
The great thing about this rule is that it applies equally to all roundabouts, unless signs/markings say otherwise.

Reply
Paul Valentine
27/7/2016 15:37:00

OK, so the car in the red was in the wrong, wrong lane as you said but neither driver indicated their intent to leave the roundabout much like every other driver in that clip, I think the other camera guy is in something bigger then a car judging by the camera height ??? So it was interesting to note that despite damage to the truck ( you can see a bit or 2 fly off ) neither party stopeed to exchange insurance details, it is a condition of all insurance whatever the company that all collisions be reported to them, it is also clear from the video the car was slightly in front at the point of collision, thereby in clear view of the camera driver.

If I was to assess this for insurance purposes I would put it at 60 % car 40 % cam driver, if as I suspect cam driver is in something bigger then a car then I would put Cam driver at 60% and Car at 40%, 2 points.

2 WRONGS DO NOT MAKE A RIGHT and if the cam driver was in a commercial vehicle then defensive driving techniques teach us to avoid a collision whenever possible and this was avoidable.

Cam driver, you should have been checking your os mirror throughout the manouvere, if you had you would have seen that car coming alongside you, 2nd he was NOT indicating right and as such was not taking the 3rd exit as such the safe assumption would be that he was in fact taking the same exit as you, as you both enter the roundabout the car has half a car length in front of you so you can clearly see him and at this stage the idiot warning bells should be loud and clear in your head that the other driver is going to do something stupid, also he is going faster then you for a reason and you should have known that the reason was to jump you at the roundabout. As you come into the middle of the roundabout you are using 2 lanes where you should have stayed left throughout ( the width of the roundabout and 4 exits mean its a 2 lane roundabout ), as you come away from the roundabout just before you exit the direction of the car clearly shows he is leaving at the same exit as you so at this point I would start braking and give him the road esp as you can see the exit has a short run off area for traffic to merge, and there it is as you exit he is still slightly in front and well within your field of vision, I think teh cam driver saw red and refused to give up the road space because cam driver felt it was his road. This is a typical example of a collision occuring because of something a driver didnt do and something the other driver did, the cam driver didnt give up the road because of his pride/claim to that space, teh other driver was just an idiot throughout and should have simply followed the cam driver through rather then try to pass on the roundabout.

Paul Valentine
27/7/2016 15:49:29

Part 2

Also the approach tells you that there are 2 lanes into the roundabout so even before you get to the lane dividers ( broken white line ) you should have been checking that o/s mirror to assess what the other traffic was doing, I suspect the red car was already starting to go alongside you. Yes there it is even if you did not check your mirror then even beofre you get to the first bollard he is already just in front of you. My final assessment is 70% cam driver 30% other.

To other driver.. WTF

Paul Valentine
27/7/2016 16:00:43

ps It is not untypical of idiot car drivers to use roundabouts to try and pass slow moving vehicles, and something commercial vehicles with experience can usually deal with by either closing doors or simply giving up the space.considering you where negotiating a semi major roundabout how fast was you going I would have said to fast for the road conditions if you are in a bigger vehicle, you have to go use roundabouts slow enough to be able to stop in an instant. Anyway final analysis 70% cam 30% other,as a driver of a larger vehicle you have the greater responsibility.

John Grimley
11/8/2016 01:06:26

Paul. The cam guy is driving a bus. he is clearly following the rules of the road - as shown in the sections at the end of the clip. He obviously does stop and exchange details - note how he drives from lane 1 to turn right into the retail park, eventually pulling up at 1:31 - probably for 2 reasons. the red car carried on driving & showed no intent on pulling over, secondly, stopping would restrict a major route into town.
How do you know that the cam driver didn't signal to leave the roundabout?
Not sure what you are getting at regards the car being in front, it zoomed past, obviously accellerating to try to overtake. that exit isn't wide enough for two cars, never mind a bus (8'4" and a car 6'6" approx). Cam guy says he braked and sounded his horn - but buses don't stop on a sixpence, even moreso if he's got passengers on board, better to have a slight prang than throw everyone out of their seats.
As they enter the roundabout, he can see the car - but cannot know if it is indicating right - you would have to assume that as the exit isn't wide enough, the car driver wouldn't be stupid enough to take the exit alongside a bus!
You also have to realise that he would be concentrating on getting the bus around the lanes to avoid the car who is supposed to be turning right.
Coming to the middle of the roundabout, if he was using 2 lanes, that car would've been pushed onto the disk.
As for your insurance assessment, you obviously need to rethink, he says that his insurance found in his favour.
Insurers aren't interested in courtesy or what ifs, they look at facts. Cam guy in correct lane to go straight on (at the time this was taken), woman in audi using wrong lane to blast through. Woman in Audi claims she was in the correct lane for turning right - she was, but not the right turn she wanted to take.

BTW, the cam guy possibly did check his o/s mirror & see the audi. since the audi was so intent on overtaking a queue of traffic, it was most likely indicating right as if to say to everyone "it's ok, I'm not pushing in". I have seen this happen many times, people indicate, change lanes then much further along, they do what they want.

Zara
21/5/2016 00:29:51

You use The left lane, signalled T after the first exit.

Reply
Angela
10/6/2016 16:10:07

Interesting. I would take the left hand lane to allow those who want to turn right to do so. This is assuming that there are 2 lanes around the roundabout. You will need to check if a car is turning right there is enough room for both of you

Reply
Paul P Valentine esq
9/8/2016 17:43:21

Exactly right Angela.

Christine
5/7/2016 12:30:22

Stick to the left Lane until you exit

Reply
dave link
21/3/2017 16:40:00

have you not looked at the video above?

Reply
John Hodges
28/8/2015 12:54:24

The Highway code only states "traffic approaching from the left" and I have found that drivers on the left approach road, not on the roundabout, assume they have right of way. Do you not think the code should be more specific?

Reply
Valentine, Paul P
26/2/2016 13:19:57

You misread that mate, traffic on the left has to give way unless road signs or an official person ( police etc ), indicates otherwise.

Reply
J
3/10/2015 18:17:38

The video states that you should approach the roundabout at 'slow jogging speed' 10-15 miles per hour. Given that a slow jog is about 5 miles per hour, 10 miles per hour being a very fast run and 15 miles per hour being about what a fast individual can sprint, that seems rather misleading. I would say this needs correcting.

Reply
kristian
6/10/2015 09:08:48

Hi all,

Is it against the highway code section 188 to do a full circle on a painted mini roundabout?

Thanks for all your help

Reply
Valentine, Paul P
26/2/2016 13:21:39

No refer to answer I gave Andrew Johnston

Reply
george petty link
21/10/2015 10:28:08

A vehicle ( a ) is approaching a roundabout at 6 o'clock and a vehicle ( b ) approaching at 3 o'clock. give way to the vehicle coming from the right is the rule. if vehicle (a) is on the stop line before vehicle (b) stop line, vehicle (a) should proceed. Giving way to the right could be a long wait if there is a long line of traffic. My policy is first on the stop line goes. If one passes from the right in doubt surely you have priority over the next vehicle in line. A vehicle coming from 12 o'clock already in the roundabout from the right obviously has priority.G Petty

Reply
Valentine, Paul P
26/2/2016 13:27:22

Are you serious, volume of traffic makes no difference, unless directed by an official ( police etc ), traffic on the approach NEVER UNDER ANY OTHER CIRCUMSTANCE does approaching traffic have right of way over traffic on the roundabout, never, so you just have to wait.

If there is a jam and traffic is stationary they may chose to leave a gap for you, in this case, but that is there choice to give way and not your right.

Reply
Gianluca
3/8/2022 20:35:51

I guess mr. Petty didn't mean what you stated. "First on stop line goes" was intended between cars who didn't approach yet the roundabout, id est between cars still on each stop line. Of course who's on the roundabout has priority over all the other cars.

Anthony Paulus
8/11/2015 23:22:12

If you are already on a mini roundabout/entered it and a car from the right then enters the roundabout after your already on it who then has the right of way. This also goes for the car cutting in front of you and not using the roundabout in the correct way in other words treating it as a "T" junction rather than a mini roundabout at all.
So does the car already on the roundabout have priority over the car from the right who has not as yet entered?

Reply
Valentine, Paul P
26/2/2016 13:28:24

Yes always.

Reply
Anthony Paulus
16/12/2016 12:57:35

Did you live in Hildens Drive in the 70s

Reply
Anthony Paulus link
9/11/2015 00:29:19

Take a look at this and tell me who's in the wrong?

Reply
Anthony Paulus
9/11/2015 00:31:07

Take a look at this and tell me who's in the wrong?

https://youtu.be/mZC05vFrcfM

Reply
Anthony Paulus
10/11/2015 01:15:28

I've already ask this question but have got no answer to it as yet.
I well aware of the right side ruling with roundabouts but what I want to know is that if I've already entered the roundabout and a car from my right side has not then who has priority over who. I was always told during my driving lessons in 1977 that if you have already entered a roundabout before a car from your right side then I would have priority as already on the roundabout. As mini roundabouts were not around then I'm taking it that the very same applies on mini roundabouts also. So am I correct or not as it don't seem to say anything in the Highway Code in an event such as this.

Reply
David mcintyre
18/1/2016 12:19:27

If you are at a crossroads with a roundabout with cars at all 4 junctions ready to enter the roundabout and if you have to give way to the right " then nobody moves because everyone is on the right . The answer can only be the first person on the roundabout has the right of way

Reply
Charlie
18/1/2016 12:54:15

I agree, but unfortunately most other drivers coming from the right regardless, think they have the right of way.

Valentine, Paul P
26/2/2016 13:37:01

Correct, it is a funny situation lol, everyone waiting for everyone else.

Valentine, Paul P
26/2/2016 13:35:32

Providing you are both going at a sensible speed for the hazard, it should not be an issue, but, if you can clearly see a car approaching from the right and you cannot come onto the roundabout and off again ( regardless of size of said roundabout ) without causing the other vehicle to change speed or direction, then yes they have right of way. I would say 80 % of car drivers stop and then look, you must look on the approach unless there is a stop line.

Reply
Gianluca
3/8/2022 20:43:35

There is a fallacy in article 185 of your code. It states you have to give way to cars coming from right.
I think it's implicit it speaks about cars already on the roundabout, since you see them coming from your right side, but it can be interpreted as any other arm of the roundabout on your right side.
You know what? Many EU countries describe the priority rule as "give right to cars that are already on the roundabout".
I wouldn't be surprised if the article 185 will be amended sooner or later.

Reply
george petty link
10/11/2015 11:49:45

Anthony Paulus You are dead right. How do we " Road Users " get our interpretation acknowledged by the powers to be instead of "Word of Mouth " by driving instructors . The latest roundabout video in the beginning has the word " ON the roundabout " is used . I would prefer "IN " Loosely they mean the same . Are we there?!

Reply
Anthony Paulus
11/11/2015 01:20:06

George, many thanks for confirming for me as I put up a Video taken from my car cam on Youtube but have now taken down as I got so much stick telling me I was in the wrong and should give way to the right.
What happened was a Masda entered from the right at 12 o,clock and I gave way as I should and from 9 o'clock a VW Beetle then entered so no problem but as I then entered and before the Beetle had cleared a Lexus at 12 o'clock then started to enter when I already started to but rather than go round the roundabout in the correct manner he cut it out the roundabout altogether and cut across my front of me almost with me hitting him and I was so angry I put this up on the web.
Ever since then I've had flack postings saying I was in the wrong and should have given way to him but he was never to my right in the first place.
As I said, I was always told that once your on the roundabout regardless of the give way to the right side you then have priority of way because you have already started to cross.
I hope I've made that clear and not too long winded LOL.

Reply
Ilya
18/4/2016 16:09:34

Rule 188: "All vehicles MUST pass round the central markings except large vehicles which are physically incapable of doing so."
As far as I understand it, the Beetle has broken the law by cutting in front of you, and thus created this dangerous situation.

Phil
20/11/2015 08:12:01

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCXtcXD17qU

Reply
Sinead
3/12/2015 19:26:19

Can I just check that I'm right about this as the Highway Code doesn't specify this. I know a mini roundabout is to be treated the same as a normal roundabout but the smaller space changes drivers behaviour. If there are two cars facing each other, 12 and 6 o'clock, and no one on their right, they both want the same exit, and one car is turning left for it and the other car is turning right. Isn't it true that no one has priority because there is no one on the right? It's OK for the car turning left to go ahead (which is correct for a normal junction) and it doesn't have to wait for the other car to do the three quarter circle move?

Reply
Michael P
30/1/2016 14:54:16

The driver turning right has priority. They are coming from your right if you are turning left therefore the give way to the right rule applies.

Reply
Ilya
18/4/2016 16:15:20

"Give way" right means that you shouldn't cause the other vehicle to change the speed or direction. If the vehicle turning right can clear the roundbout before the other vehicle makes 3/4 turn, than it can go first, no problem with that. But then, of course, there are many morons around who just cut across without making full circle (and breaking rule 188, which clearly prohibits that).

Ilya
18/4/2016 16:18:09

Sorry I meant " If the vehicle turning LEFT can clear the roundbout before the other vehicle makes 3/4 turn, then it can go first,"

Valentine, Paul P
26/2/2016 13:40:25

Wrong my friend, as the highway code states it is a roundabout and as such all traffic coming about or from your right has right of way.

Reply
Paul Valentine
18/4/2016 17:01:39

You are right Ilya, the middle bit of the roundabout IS NOT part of the highway and may not be used to negotiate a roundabout, the charge faced is driving without due care and attention, and besides the only reason to use the middle bit is if a person carried to much speed onto the roundabout, which means they did not anticipate the obstruction correctly.

Paul P Valentine Esq
9/8/2016 17:54:52

If 2 vehicles are facing each and both leaving the same exit then how an earth would they be leaving at the same time, the vehicle would be leaving the roundabout at about the time the opposite one was approaching exit 2.

Reply
Charles Simms
2/1/2016 18:12:46

You are approaching a roundabout and enter the roundabout before a car approaching the roundabout to your right but who enters the round about after you. The rule say give way to cars on the right and cars on the roundabout have right of way to cars not on the roundabout.
Question
In this scenario described above who has right of way? the car entering the roundabout first or the car not yet on the roundabout but entering on the right to the other car user?

Reply
Niall Davies
13/1/2016 13:41:20

This is precisely what I came on here to check. Most comments here have supported my belief that until a car has actually entered the roundabout it has no right of way, therefore the car which entered the roundabout first would have right of way. I believe that if roundabouts were simply treated as a series of T junctions, most things would fall into place quite logically - ie until you enter the roundabout you are still on the 'minor' road and must give way to anyone on the 'main' road'.

Reply
Charles Simms
13/1/2016 14:44:30

I am hoping that somebody from the highway agency could help as this seems to be a common question.

Valentine, Paul P
26/2/2016 13:53:34

It is enough for a car to show intent to cross your path that justifies right of way, if they are approaching from previous entry and not indicating left then you MUST wait until you know what they are doing because if they are taking the 2nd exit and as such crossing your path they won't/should not indicate until after the first exit, should you chose to come out you must clear the exit to your left before they arrive so your actions do not cause them to change speed or direction.

Ilya
18/4/2016 16:28:07

But "give way" doesn't mean you have to wait for them to go 3/4 circle. If you can go first without causing them to slow down or change direction, you can do so. The problem is there are so many morons who just cut across the central blob, but that's them breaking the rules (rule 188).

Valentine, Paul P
26/2/2016 13:45:04

I don't understand your paragraph, if you enter the roundabout ahead of the car from your right, then you must do so without causing that car to change speed or direction.

Reply
Niall Davies
26/2/2016 16:23:44

Drivers should surely be approaching at such a speed so as to able to stop before a roundabout should it be required (the interpretation of "jogging speed' has been discussed elsewhere). Are you suggesting that I would be in the wrong to have ENTERED an otherwise empty roundabout just because someone else chooses to be APPROACHING at such a high speed that they cannot stop in time? I will re-state for clarification - I believe the correct interpretation of "approaching from the right" refers to traffic ACTUALLY ON THE ROUNDABOUT, not vehicles on the joining roads or in the general vicinity of a roundabout!

Ian
16/5/2016 10:47:30

Paul, what you are saying is you can drive your lorry onto the island ignore the give way lines or slow down then broadside somone who has already entered the island and its their fault !! no wonder lorry drivers have such a bad reputation.... a friend on a driver awareness course was told the vehicle already on the island had right of way, if that means I have moved onto the island while you are still behind the give way lines you should have slowed enough to stop. Havin to wait to anticipate vehicles speeding straight across an ilsand doesnt seems right to me.

Paul P Valentine Esq
9/8/2016 17:59:50

Nial, if you coming onto the roundabout causes them to change speed or direction, then yes you have to wait even if it is 3/4 of the way. The KEY TO ANY MANOUVERE is you have to do so without causing traffic to change speed or direction, as a result of your actions.

Kwin The Eskimo
8/1/2016 13:59:58

The spelling on this site is shocking.

Signalling. NOT signally.
Reaching. NOT reading.

Reply
Paul Valentine
16/4/2016 02:24:37

Nial, you are incorrect for 2 reasons, the speed of the car approaching but not actually on the roundabout still has right of way IF you pulling out is likely to cause a collision because the law will have deemed it that you pulled out onto his path, the 2nd reason is that if there is damage to the right hand side of your car the law will assume it to be your fault since you are supposed to give way to traffic from the same side ( right side ), so the weight of evidence is always going to be against you. So you have to clear his path if you do not intend to wait.

Reply
Niall Davies
10/6/2016 17:35:50

Paul, I think you are confusing a couple of things. Whilst it may be sensible to let a speeding idiot carry on through a roundabout rather than pulling out in front of them, that does NOT mean the speeding idiot has the right of way! Otherwise I could just forget slowing down at all, as that would give me right of way at every roundabout! I don't think so!!

Tom Stevenson
13/1/2017 18:18:20

There is a notorious roundabout In South Manchester at the junction of Moseley Road and Birchfields . There are three entry/exit roads on the roundabout. Two of them are diametrically opposite each other, but Birchfields enters at ninety degrees to these two. Here's the problem. As you arrive at the roundabout from Birchfields, and look to your right, your view is restricted to about twenty yards, due to a curving wall. The traffic arriving from that entrance can see straight through the roundabout , so they can see if anything is going to enter the roundabout. If there is no traffic entering from their right, many drivers don't bother to slow down and tear straight across the roundabout. The driver entering the roundabout from Birchfields may slow down or even stop, but at some point, has to emerge onto the roundabout. Obviously you do this when there is no traffic in view to your right. Once you have emerged however, you are 'on the roundabout ' so any traffic approaching the roundabout should give you right of way.

Paul P Valentine Esq
17/5/2016 20:13:10

Ian you Mupppet,
That is not what I said at all, clearly all traffic from the right has right of way both when they are on the roundabout and on the approach, I have also said if you do not intend to wait then you must clear their path else you are at fault.

I have also repeatedly said that in a collision, traffic on the left will have deemed to be at fault, as it is difficult to prove that you did not cross there path if the damage is on your offside ( right hand ).

As for hgv drivers, we are the best and certainly better then 99% of car drivers, in all aspects of driving, highway code, reading the road signs both on the road and on the side of the road, and in determining what you guys will do before even car drivers themselves know, even the police have had to be " corrected " by my colleagues, for eg

As for the reputation of hgv drivers it is still and will always remain better then that of car drivers, it is a fact that car drivers are more likely to be involved in a collision then any bus/hgv driver, and there are several reasons for this.

1 .. You fail to drive according to the road and simply follow the mistakes of the car in front of you rather then think for yourselves
2 .. Most car drivers do not know the highway code but insist they are still good drivers, if you don't know what the road signs are telling you how can you know what danger it is trying to warn you about.
3 .. Most car drivers do not know their speed limits or that of other road users, in most speed awareness courses only 15% of people in a class of 22 get this question right.
4 .. The concentration of most car drivers is poor, you think about your life rather then working on your observation behind the wheel and using easy roads to try and spot trouble before it becomes a problem.
5 .. Most drivers do know how to perform simple daily checks on their veh, and few don't even bother to do any weekly checks.

the list is endless, but dvla is partly at fault because they dont do retests which should be done every 10 years, and people who fail should have their licence removed until they pass.

When the speed limit went upto 50 on a single carriageway, one guy I knew through work got pulled over for doing 47, the police officer asked him why he was speeding, when the officer went back to check he said " I hate you hgv drivers " and hat to let him go on his way, another police officer swore blind to me that you have to give way to traffic on the slip road by stopping or moving over. ( you dont ) I had an instructor stop in a box junction once outside the approach/exit to an industrial estate.

But the sad fact is that all driving has gotten worse across the board, and there are more bad drivers in all categories then there ever was.

Reply
Michael P
3/2/2016 09:14:46

@Tasha

That advice omits the common situation where there are no lanes marked on the roundabout and is incomplete. It also depends on where the exits are in relation to your entry point.

If there are no lanes marked on the roundabout then take the left lane if using the first exit. If your exit is between the 11 and 1 positions then you can use either the shortest route across (but allow for other drivers taking a later exit) or take the longest route. If your exit is after the 1 position then indicate right before entry and take the right hand side at entry, stay to the right (closest to the central island) and then indicate left as you pass the exit prior to yours and carefully move across to the left side so you can exit safely.

It's not as simplistic as you were told!

Reply
Paul Valentine
18/4/2016 16:54:38

If you go across the roundabout without making any effort to use it as a roundabout ( ie as a T junction ), the police can and will nick you, it shows undue care and attention as you did not slow down enough to go around the middle bit, the central circle is not part of the road.

Reply
A Mac
4/2/2016 12:26:12

Do people on horse back have to go round a roundabout the right way and follow the one way system

Reply
Michael P
4/2/2016 18:11:30

Yes. It's in the Highway Code, Rule 55.

Reply
Valentine, Paul P
26/2/2016 13:56:34

Yes, all road users must go clockwise, unless, police/official person or roadworks indicate otherwise.

Reply
Jenny Challiss
7/3/2016 22:13:38

How close to or far away from a mini roundabout does a car have to be for you to give them priority as approaching from the right. i.e. If I'm at the give way lines to enter the roundabout and a car is 200 feet away do you wait and give them priority?

Reply
Paul Valentine
16/4/2016 02:54:30

Jenny, its a judgement call, distance is always relative to speed of approaching vehicle, in all manouveres you have to do so without causing other road users to change speed or direction, clearly exception is reverse parking and causing other road users to stop cannot be helped, anyway if you going on to the roundabout is going to cause the approaching vehicle into stop then you must give way, if you can clear their path and go on your way before they get to you then no, if it turns out you will be in their breaking space because of traffic then you must give way as your rear will become their crumple zone, and note also, if there is a collision because the damage will be on your offside the law will see it as mostly your fault.

Reply
jez stanley
9/3/2016 09:32:19

This debate about which lane you should use on roundabouts when going strait over seems to cause more debate then it should, the highway code is quite clear I thought. If not directed otherwise by signs or roads works then if your aproaching at 6 o'clock and your exit is 12 o'clock or before then stay in the left lane. After the 12 o'clock point take the right lane...
I do have a question which the highway code isn't clear on though, if I join the round about at 6 o'clock and I want to go to 3rd exit at 3 o'clock (in right lane) but at 9 o'clock another car joins the round about to exit the same exit as me but pulls out so she's almost next to me on the left lane in the round about still,who's fault would it be if I took my exit at the same time as the car who joined at 9 o'clock (even though I joined before her,me at 6 o'clock and her at 9)????

Reply
AndyRob
15/4/2016 17:09:52

Jez. The Highway code does not state that. Care to point out Where it does?
186 "When taking any intermediate exit, unless signs or markings indicate otherwise select the appropriate lane on approach to and on the roundabout"

Reply
Paul Valentine
16/4/2016 02:40:15

I wish people would use 1st 2nd and 3rd exit, ok, so ifnthe car pulled along side you at the 2nd exit, then I must assume you are still correctly in lane 2, I can only assume the other driver did not expect you to change lanes unless you had indicated your intent to do so, if you did not indicate then I can only assume the other driver thought you was going to exit after them, in which case they are correct to use the vacant lane, if you did indicate then they are wrong to have pulled out. Did you indicate ??? If you intended to take the 3rd exit then you should have been moving from lane 2 to 1after the 2nd exit so that upon exiting the roundabout you did not cut across 2 lanes.

Reply
chris keeley
10/6/2016 17:55:45

I go back a long way and them days it was simple,the highway code used to say,,approach with courtion,don't overtake on the roundabout and give way to traffic already on the roundabout ,,this has changed now,it simply says give way to traffic approaching from the right and now people tend to take this as they have the right to race into a roundabout from any distance away even if you can't even see them,the old system was best.I would point out those who don't agree the roundabout has a white line across to show it is a ''t'' junction and traffic going round are on a road that is a circle and you are joining it.

Reply
John Grimley
11/6/2016 12:21:26

The wording most likely changed because the inside lane is far shorter than the outside lane, therefore, a driver in the outermost lane of, say, a huge roundabout atop a motorway driving at 30mph would mean that any driver on the innermost lane would need to be travelling considerably slower in order to not overtake them - this would seriously inconvenience anyone behind & cause congestion.
And what about the witless, the confused, the strangers who are unsure? Why should their cautious driving slow everyone else down?

The premise of driving onto & around roundabouts is as it always was & SOME drivers will adjust their driving to take advantage of anything they can - not just roundabouts but light signals, queues etc.

Reply
Paul Valentine
5/7/2016 17:54:20

Chris you have me agreeing with John, hoe dare you lol, seriously jonh is correct roundabouts have not changed, its peoples driving that has changed and as I said driving standards have gone downhill, roundabouts are simple but cause more misunderstandings then anything, I am doing studies into why this is and my main understanding of why is simply they way people are taught, Chris you should continueto use roundabouts the way you have been doing as I say again you are correct.

I like to update myself and as a professional driver of some 30 years, I have gone beyond driving and try to understand why drivers " these days", do certain things, a lot of the answers can be found in the official dvla drivers book which seems to want to rewrite the highway code, just one example is this.

if you look up the old code books it said that you must join the carriageway without causing traffic on the carriageway to change speed or direction ( key word causing ), it also states that you must slow down and even STOP on the slip road if you cannot do so and wait for a safe gap.

The new book does not state anything about stopping or about not causing other road users to change speed or direction, and only said that traffic should move over, but the point is it does not state that you must stop on the slip road or indicate that traffic on the motorway has absolute right of way, so we are in a situation where new drivers with no common sense ( and some police drivers as well ) will come onto the motorway and have to slam their brakes on because the vehicle has cars behind and to the right of him, and therefore cannot move over. There are a mountain of examples in the new drivers dvla handbook.

John Grimley
5/7/2016 19:50:42

I'm wondering how the scenario would play out - the highway code is the officially recognised handbook for learner drivers. The dvla handbook is just something you might wish to buy for whatever reason.
The official handbook says nothing about moving over, the unofficial handbook says you should.
I'm guessing that in the eyes of an insurance company ruling (or even in court), the official handbook would trump anything else?

Tiger
20/6/2016 02:00:54

What happens if you are at the roundabout and you are wanting to enter the roundabout and you see a vehicle from the right heading the opposite direction of you without the right signal on and you think it is going straight ahead but you have moved off before it has came around and collided with each other. Who's fault is it? Is it the driver who didn't signal correctly or is it the driver who didn't gave way?

Reply
Paul Valentine
7/7/2016 14:30:40

It would be interesting would it not, lol highway code versus drivers handbook, both from same source giving diff information, as to why I would look at it, it is simply to try and understand ( a never ending task ) why car drivers behave the way they do, if a lot of them do it ( whatever it may be ) then they must be getting their teachings/info from somewhere.

Reply
Paul Valentine
7/7/2016 14:36:15

As I am sure you are aware if the other driver is leaving off their 2nd exit they dont and should not indicate until after the first exit, the responsibility is always on you to make sure teh vehicle on the roundabout is actually exiting and for this you use road position - where the driver is looking if possible - speed of other vehicle, if in any doubt Tiger always wait, but, in the event of a collision you would be deemed at fault even if they indicate and then change their mind.

Reply
Paul Valentine
20/6/2016 15:41:56

I dont understand what you mean by opposite direction, if the exit after your entry was the 2nd exit in relaton to the other vehicle then he should not have to indicate until after the first exit in relation to the other vehicle, 2nd if a vehicle is not indicating to come off the roundabout you should ALWAYS, ALWAYS AND ALWAYS assue they are staying on the roundabout until you are sure, in any collision the vehicle whose damage is on the offside would normally deemed to be at fault whch is why the onus is on you to make sure when pulling out into the path of other vehicles.

Reply
Tiger
21/6/2016 17:15:54

I mean when a vehicle is going around the roundabout over half circle past their second exit without or wrong signal on, then the driver offside accelerates into the roundabout then they collide with each other

Reply
Paul Valentine
27/6/2016 15:46:13

Hiya Tiger, hope all goes well with you, sorry had a blonde moment, traffic coming around the roundabout always has right of way, but, having said that if a witness said he drove into the side of you then you might have a small chance, either way a percentage of the collision will be down to you, dfensive driving techniques ( not taught by car instructors ) states, that you must always assume the vehicle is coming about unless their Indicators AND car position show otherwise, you must always be prepared for the fact that another driver may very well change their mind, th eproblem for you in this case is simply this, the police will not attend unless someone is injured or the road is being blocked, in the latter they are only there to keep the peace and control traffic, and ,will tell you to inform your relative insurance companies, which then will depend on who said what to whom, if for example he said he was coming around and you pulled out in front of him then his insurance company will pt the majority of the blame on you, you then tell your insurance company he didnt indicate correctly then the insurance company will say 50/50.

Paul Valentine
27/6/2016 15:52:00

the onus I am sorry to say is on you to make sure he leaves the roundabout before crossing the line.

My sisters hubbie got done by insurance and was blamed for 50% of the collision, he had gone over the line on a roundabout, anyway a car came tearing around the roundabout and drove into the side of him. Even though the other car was speeding they said he should not have crossed the line unless he could complete the manouvere, ie be parrallell to the roundabout itself.

Reply
Mandy
4/7/2016 08:30:35

Can anyone please tell me in case I am missing something. Is it ok to drive onto a mini roundabout if the car in front has not yet cleared the roundabout? Normally, if I am in a traffic jam I do not drive across and block exit and entry points. I will sit and wait as it annoys the hell out of me when people do it. On this occasion I was in a steady moving stream of traffic travelling straight over. When I reached my give way line, there was nothing coming from my right (there is no right hand exit, as it was a T junction style). I followed the car in front onto the roundabout and then somebody pulled out quickly in front of the car I was following and we had to brake causing a temporary stop start. When I started moving again a car came from the opposite direction to turn right, was coming fast, did not look at the traffic on the roundabout, did not slow down and went over the top of the painted circle into my path. I know for a fact she was smoking and had potentially just lit one. Unfortunately my passenger's witness statement didn't get recorded in writing at the scene for some unknown reason so this fact could not be proven. 6 months on the police have decided to take me to court for careless driving based on the driver's statement which says I drove out in front of her and apparently admitted it at the scene (which of course I didn't, as it was my right of way being on the roundabout already). I am seeking legal advice and have been told that any slight infringement of the highway code on my part is going to get me convicted of this. I could have a field day with the multiple things this driver did to cause this accident, but as the onus is on me to defend the standard of my driving on the day, a court clerk who I know personally has brought this up as a potential issue, that I should not have driven onto the roundabout until the car in front cleared it, regardless of the fact there was no car coming from my right. I am not seeing this in the highway code. I know for sure this is an absolute rule with box junctions. Many thanks.

Reply
John Grimley
4/7/2016 13:07:39

In reality, the rule regarding box junctions is applicable to all junctions. The HC tells us not to block turnings into side roads.
I had some idiot do this to me close to a light controlled junction, I had just turned left at the lights & within about 50 yards, had to make a left into a side road. Idiot in a council van clearly saw me indicating yet edged forwards so as to block me from turning. Of course, I had words about him doing this & he clearly said "there's no law saying I can't". i said "no law but rules of the road. Although there are laws about using a mobile phone whilst driving" - all caught on camera. I was driving a bus at the time & happened to have an inspector on board who took pictures of the carnage behind me - traffic had backed up right through the traffic lights!
The inspector used the video evidence plus his photos & sent a very strongly worded letter to the council, suggesting their employees should be tested before being allowed behind the wheel..
Rule 151, in slow moving traffic you should allow access into and from side roads, as blocking these will add to congestion

Reply
Paul Valentine
5/7/2016 18:34:25

Hello Mandy,
Can you please tell me which junction so I can look it up on google maps, the short answer is no, the center bit is not part of the highway and must never be used as if it was so that is a def conviction on its own, according to the law you drove off road, the car that blocked the road should have left the road clear for you to use but 2 wrongs do not make a right, the 2nd immediate point is that you must also never follow traffic at junctions but always " drive for yourself ", just because the car in front of you went does not mean they did so legally or safely, If the law is fair you should both get done for the same reason driving off road.

The speed of the other vehicle or what they was doing is of no consequence to your case but a separate preosecution all on its own, any collision on the centre painted bit of a roundabout will be deemed to be that persons fault simply because you had no excuse for being there ( my sisters hubbie got done for more or less the same thing through his insurance ), if the car did block your way as they do then you should have simply waited.

It is difficult to give you a definative answer because it really depends on what the other driver said, if they put there hands up to being partially responsible then as no one was injured its a simple he said/she said insurance thing, I rather suspect the other party was sticking the knife in and twisting it is the main reason for this prosecution.

Anyway as I said if you was on the painted bit of the roundabout in the middle, you was not " on the roundabout " but off road.

As for your witness I would suggest you put in a complaint with the police complaints authority for sloppy work on their part, make sure you mention this to the judge who may allow your witness to make a statement in court under oath, the trouble is with it being this long after the event it lacks credibility. wil have to post a separate conclusion wish the windowwas bigger.

Reply
Mandy
5/7/2016 20:45:32

Thanks Paul. To clarify, it was the driver who was turning right from the opposite direction who drove over the centre of the roundabout and into me as I was moving straight ahead. I only had to stop for a brief second whilst travelling straight over because a car had pulled out unexpectedly in front of the car in front of me. So I didn't decide to progress at my give way line the knowing I would be potentially blocking her exit, I only stopped a split second before moving again. I understand the fact when you go to turn right on a mini roundabout you check your right and for traffic already on the roundabout. The other driver was for sure distracted, and that was what my passenger's statement would have proved.

Paul Valentine
5/7/2016 18:43:00

Sorry mandy thats about it really, I would ask the police complaints as well as the judge, why the police did not interview everyone in the car with you, you might also want to see if there is any cctv that covered that junction, your lawyer can demand access to any evidence that the police are relying on for the prosecution, also get the names/numbers of th epolice officers who attended the incident. Get in touch with the CPU ( crown prosectuion service ) to find out if the other driver is being done for anything at all, they might not say but it wont hurt to ask. Just to add th this one last point, the pavement is not considered as part of the highway either and should you block pedestrian usage of any pavement, at any time, the police can also prosecute but as usual with the police these days dont bother. Good luck.

Reply
Mandy
5/7/2016 20:54:25

Paul, the mini roundabout is: 51°54'46.0"N 0°10'46.0"W - I was travelling towards the town centre. Thanks again for your input.

Paul Valentine
6/7/2016 15:41:44

...................................................................................................
Sorry Mandy my misunderstanding, in that case they are doing you for blocking the exit, the timing was unfortunate, but I dont understand why they are not doing him for driving off road and hitting you as well, please ask yor lawyer to check on that I would be interested to know what they say

Paul Valentine
5/7/2016 18:08:43

Blodey ell John agreeing with you twice in the same hour, lol, yes using a phone while the engine is running whilst sitting in the passenger seat is a slam dunk for the law, trouble is th epolice are just too lazy to prosecute sometimes even in cases where the evidence is overwhelming. But yes absolutly send pictures to any company who has drivers using the phone behind the wheel, the guy should have been sacked for it. But I would like to correct you slightly on 1 point mate, the rule about not blocking junctions is not because of congestion but so emergency services have access every minute of every day.

Reply
Paul Valentine
5/7/2016 18:10:06

Correction, whilst sitting in the drivers seat, not passenger seat. sorry

Reply
John Grimley
5/7/2016 19:33:48

Paul, I only C&Pd what the HC said...http://www.highwaycode.info/rule/151
Point 5 Rule 151

In slow-moving traffic. You should

reduce the distance between you and the vehicle ahead to maintain traffic flow
never get so close to the vehicle in front that you cannot stop safely
leave enough space to be able to manoeuvre if the vehicle in front breaks down or an emergency vehicle needs to get past
not change lanes to the left to overtake
allow access into and from side roads, as blocking these will add to congestion
be aware of cyclists and motorcyclists who may be passing on either side.

Reply
Alaa
13/7/2016 10:48:51

Hi all,
I have failed in the driving test. The reason was: when we was approaching a mini roundabout, the examiner told me to go to the right. Then I tried to pass around the circle marking. Suddenly, the examiner spun the steering wheel to the right. I told her I want to pass around the marking not over it as the Highway Code section 188 said. But she said "if I pass around it, the car behind me could hit me because it was trying to go straight. Am I right or wrong? Thanks in advance.

Reply
Paul Valentine
13/7/2016 13:55:58

Rule 188

Mini-roundabouts. Approach these in the same way as normal roundabouts. All vehicles MUST pass round the central markings except large vehicles which are physically incapable of doing so. Remember, there is less space to manoeuvre and less time to signal. Avoid making U-turns at mini-roundabouts. Beware of others doing this.
Laws RTA 1988 sect 36 & TSRGD regs 10(1) & 16(1) ......
Alaa copy the top bit and take it to the test centre, you are totally correct and the examiner is wrong, I would demand a retest or a pass if thats is all they wrongly failed you on, I would also pass the examiners name onto her employers.
Could you please post the name of the examiner and there place of work address and phone number, also the driving school they work for if not directly for dvla.

This adds fuel to the fire I started earlier, if the examiners and instructors cant even get it right, then how is the next generation supposed to.

Reply
Paul P Valentine
13/7/2016 14:07:52

ps 2nd the examiner must never grab the steering wheel unless to avoid a collision, the reason being 1 .. the driver might try to overcompensate when the wheel is released - 2 .. it might cause panic with the driver. I would report her with prejudice, her actions may very well have caused an accident, as for her excuse ( and that is what it is ), just to be sure other drivers dont try to come on the inside indicate right on the approach if you see that happening ( most important of all is to check your offside mirror for these idiots who might try it ) and change that to left after the first exit, but normally no inidcation is required until you are leaving the roundabout, and no indication if there are lanes or arrows telling you which lane to be in.

Reply
Alaa
14/7/2016 15:50:04

Hi Paul
Many thanks for your clarifying. I have made a complaint and attached a copy of Rule 188 to get a retest or pass.

Reply
Paul P Valentine Esq
27/7/2016 16:23:24

Alaa, did you make that complaint to the driving school and DVLA, please update me as to how you got on

Reply
Mark
6/8/2016 13:54:07

When giving way to people approaching from the right, does this mean just people already on the roundabout approaching from the right, or people on the right hand approach road to the roundabout as well ? One big problem with straight roads with one side junction is people approaching on the straight road (to the right of the side junction) may be able to see the road ahead is clear, so can seemingly just ignore the mini roundabout totally, as there won't be anyone approaching from their right (flooring the accelerator in the process). However, people on the side road may not be able to see this person if it's a blind corner.

If someone is on the roundabout, should the car approaching from the right and not yet on the roundabout (or even at the give way lines) give way to cars already entering the roundabout, because, perhaps, they couldn't see the driver on the approach road until they had already committed to entering the roundabout.

I think this is becoming more of an issue as cars seem to drive a lot faster approaching mini roundabouts today.

Reply
John
6/8/2016 19:38:05

There is a lot of this type of thing where a mini roundabout has been placed on a main road in order to facilitate traffic leaving, for example, a housing estate or industrial estate. without the roundabout, those wishing to enter, by turning right across oncoming, or leave wouldn't stand a chance. So, oncoming traffic wishing to floor it when a car is on & clearly indicating would be completely in the wrong if an impact occurred - same with anyone on the main road if someone is exiting the estate road and turning right.
If you wished to exit & turn left (putting you directly in front of traffic coming from your right), you, basically, give it your best guess as to whether you can make it. Of course, insurance would say - why didn't oncoming traffic slow for the roundabout, they could see vehicles waiting to emerge & there may also be a chance of someone turning across them. You then rely on any witnesses coming forward to say how far away those vehicles were when you emerged.
A good reason for having a dashcam specifically pointing out of your offside windows perhaps?

Not sure what the situation elsewhere is, but around here, it's becoming common for larger roundabouts to be built up a few feet then to have loads of greenery growing in the middle - really dangerous as it chronically limits your view - you can end up pulling out just as a car comes barrelling around with its indicator on!

Reply
Paul P Valentine
29/10/2016 22:06:32

Dear Mark,
Hope all goes well with you, 2 things I want to answer right away and this applies regardless of the situation, 1 .. Traffic from the right always has right of way in any circumstance - when damage to both veh is 1 on front and other on the right hand side, the front end damaged cart will always get the large parentage of the blame no matter what the other drives said, as its an absolute right of way.

The other thing is that because a corner is blind does not give a driver an excuse to not show due care and attention, neither does any blind corner, regardless of what is blinding you ( natural or otherwise, the key words are due care and due attention, if the corner is blind then you must assume it is not safe until you know otherwise and if that means going slow then you just have to go slow.

So on the approach or on the roundabout makes no difference, if the other driver is crossing your path and you cannot come onto the roundabout without causing them to change speed or direction then you must wait, the highway code does not say for example you have to give way only if they are on a roundabout, or only if they have crossed the junction line, it tells you to give way from traffic from the right. ( full stop ) and does not offer any exceptions except those of emergency vehicles or emergency personnel directing traffic etc As for committing to entering the roundabout, sorry but it will always be the major responsibility of the person entering the roundabout to make sure it is safe to do so, even if you are unlucky enough to be sharing the road with stupid schoolboy racers.

Reply
Jeanne
30/8/2016 18:43:09

Hi. I was wondering: if you don't know yet which exit you'll use and you choose the outer line to drive, then you see you have to take the 3th exit, you nearly passed the 2nd exit (and are not indicating), suddenly someone from the inner lane (behind you) is speeding up and want to overtake you now because he wanted to take the 2nd exit (which you halfway passed on the outer line), and then crashes into you. Whose fault is it then? Do you have to take the inner lane if you want to take the 3rd exit (even if you don't know it yet), or is it just something you should do? And don't you have a responsability to change the lines earlier if you want to take an exit instead of speeding up and overtake?
Thanks a lot for your answer! Best wishes, Jeanne

Reply
Paul
31/8/2016 18:51:06

PS, If you don't know the exit then you should treat it as a 5th exit ( standard roundabout ) and come about rather then cut across. on a non standard roundabout just come all the way around the roundabout passing your exit once.

Reply
Paul
31/8/2016 18:48:20

My answer is it really depends on road position for both of you, it should not have been an issue as there should have been plenty of room for him to pass on the left hand side and leave at the exit before you ( correct me if I am getting the exits wrong please ), had you drifted out or did he cut across ??, the trouble is drivers tend to not use lane discipline and as such when they do need to use it they have lost the ability to do so. The short answer is if you had NOT drifted left then it would be his, if you had drifted and he had stayed in lane then it would have been yours, had neither of you stayed in lane then you are both to blame, indicating is important, had you starting indicating after the 2nd exit to show you are moving to the outer lane then it would be down to him, had you not indicated but started drifting out to prepare for exiting the roundabout then you must shoulder some of the responsibility, BUT, he must also as it should have occurred to him that there was strong possibility you would start moving out, but it still does not let you off the hook for not indicating your intent. No indication may prove to be your downfall in this case, if, your road position did not correspond to your indicator or lack of.

Reply
Jeanne
31/8/2016 20:56:28

Hi Paul
Thanks a lot for your answer!
I know it's a little difficult and without drawing it's quite difficult to explain and understand ;-)
I think it was a 2line roundabout with 5 or more exits. We entered it in the left lane, and drove on the outer lane in the roundabout. We never changed lanes. We passed the 1st exit and still drove on the outer lane. Shortly before the 2nd exit came, we noticed it was the wrong one for us and we had to take the 3rd exit. We were still on the outer lane and just stayed in our lane to get to the 3rd exit. He was driving on the inner lane and was behind us. When we approached the 2nd exit, he speeded up (on the inner lane) & we were still driving on the outer lane (without indicating to exit). We were halfway passed the 2nd exit when he tried to overtake us to still catch the 2nd exit. He drove in the right front of our car. I'm sorry, I hope I was comprehensible ;)
Thanks for your time and your opinion!

Reply
Paul
1/9/2016 11:17:29

Dear Jeane,
It was not your description that was lacking but my understanding, ok so that makes it clearer, but just to be sure the way I understand it is ~ you was going around the roundabout on the outer lane, your original intent was to only do this for 2 exits, but, you changed your mind and decided to do this for 3 exits, the other car having come from behind decided to come across your path to exit at the 2nd exit, which was the one before your eventual intended exit. ~ is that an accurate picture ????

If not please correct me, but if it is then here is what I think, and some questions for you. I have always said that changing your mind on a roundabout is always a bad idea, it would have been better to come off at the 2nd exit as per original intent and find somewhere safe to do a u turn then come back onto the roundabout, there may very well have been a roundabout or a car park, or some area where it might have been possible to do that safely.

Q ; did you indicate right when you changed your mind ? Q ; did you check your mirror before attempting to pass your original exit and try for the 3rd one ? Q ~ did the road marking indicate if it was a dedicated lane for that exit or a duel purpose lane for that exit and the next one ?

If the answer is no to either the first 2 then you have to share the larger portion of the blame, on the plus side I don’t think the insurance company will blame you entirely. The other driver was clearly a boy racer and prob only tried it because of your gender, on your side is the fact the other driver was behind you at the start of the manoeuvre and as such should have simply followed you off the roundabout at the very least by virtue of the fact he was behind you, it was the other drivers responsibility to make sure of your intent before crossing your path, on the bad side if you did not indicate or road markings stated that you had to leave at that junction because of your road position then that makes the other drivers case a very strong one because in that case you would have come across lanes, esp if he saw you enter the roundabout and would have based his/her assessment on your entry lane onto the roundabout.

Q ~ was the inner lane marked for exit at that junction ? if yes then I can only assume the outer lane was a dedicated exit lane for that junction, if not and it was marked for the exit after/to stay on the roundabout then that strengthens your case as he crossed lanes to exit the roundabout, if both had been marked for exit then that makes your case weaker as the road markings would indicate both cars in both lanes need to stay in lane on the exit, and, once must assume there was a merge point further along of the 2nd exit, it also means you crossed 2 lanes if the outer was a dedicated lane.

I don’t think the insurers will apportion all of the blame to either of you, but a percentage will be attributed to both, my final analysis depends on several factors, so here it is in terms of blame.

If both indicated correctly, You 70 % Other 30 %
( dependant upon road markings, outer dedicated lane, inner not)

If both indicated correctly, You 50% Other 50%
( dependant upon neither being a dedicated lane )

If neither indicated correctly, You 80% Other 20 %
( lane discipline dictates, outer dedicated, inner not )

If neither indicated correctly, You 70% Other 30%
( Inner lane duel purpose, ( in this case outer lane would not be dedicated ))

Sorry Jeane, but if it was 2 lanes marked up to exit at that point the outer lane would not be a duel purpose lane as this would encourage drivers to cross over, the biggest problem you have is simply that the lanes would not have been marked up for you to stay in the same lane for 3 exits, in all likelihood the other might have seen your lane was a dedicated lane and just didn’t expect you to be there, it does not let him/her totally off the hook but most of it, certainly yes.

Reply
Paul
1/9/2016 11:25:21

Ps I do not see how you could not have crossed lanes if you intended to go past 2 exits at some point to get to the 3rd, because the roundabout would have you on the 2nd lane on the approach to get to the 3rd exit.

Reply
Paul
1/9/2016 11:27:33

PPS, where exactly was it I will try and look it up on the online maps, 2 roads to pinpoint the roundabout please, 3 would be better.

Reply
Jeanne
1/9/2016 13:54:10

Dear Paul
Now I understand a little more. Actually it wasn't me driving, it was a friend of mine but I was in the car when it happened and I saw your website, so I just thought I could ask you for your opinion.
I looked it up on Google maps myself, I think it was this roundabout: 56.144953, -3.140164. We came from Edinburgh and wanted to go to St. Monans. The roundabout had only4 exits. Yes your picture is accurate! I think it still is important to know that we never drove left into the 2nd exit and never indicated or gave any signs that we wanted to take the 2nd exit. I know now that it's not safe to change your mind on a roundabout, even though we once took the wrong exit somewhere near Edinburgh and had to drive for nearly half an hour before we had an opportunity to turn.
Q: No we didn't indicate, neighter to stay on the roundabout or to take the exit. I'm not from Scotland, here you just have to indicate if you want to exit...
Q: Yes, of course we checked our mirror and there was nobody next or near us, as I said, the other party must have been really fast or speeded up to reach us in such a short time
Q: The road seperated into the roundabout and the exit but there was no marking on the road. I think that's a duel purpose lane then? I'm sorry, I don't know it exactly...

I dont want to blame the other party for everything and I understand that if it was our fault that we have to pay. I was just wondering whose fault it was by your law and because it was him who hit us and not us...
Thanks again for helping me! Best wishes, Jeanne

Reply
Paul
3/9/2016 00:33:09

[email protected] is my email Jeane if you are single by chance would be nice to hear from you off here, you sound nice, you also sounded miffed so I apologise if offence was caused, it was not my intent.

To business, I think the other driver has to take some of the blame, as I said boy racers are called as such because they try the moves off racers but don't quite have the skill to pull it of safely.

The law is a funny thing it really depends on what he said, its unfortunate the law will not get involved unless someone is hospitalised, or major road closures, they pretty much leave 99% of it to the insurers who will apportion blame in terms of percentage, the real fine comes in lose of no claims and/or increased premiums,

they wont even get involved in a failing to stop unless someone is hurt, and do often blame it on lack of resources, it sucks but that is the system, often insurers will employ the services of people like me to assess percentage blame.

In terms of you giving no indication then as I said it depends on the point at which he saw you enter, if he did at all ? If he saw you enter he may have assumed you was leaving since you had already passed the first exit, he may have assumed you to leave since you did not indicate to stay on the roundabout, he may very well have not given a crap at all and just wanted to take the chance, as I said it really depends on what the parties said to their respective insurers,.

I don't believe you are entirely to blame I myself have come close to getting caught out, which is why I always assume there is some idiot going to hit me, thinking like that changes the way you drive, for example traffic lights, even when they are on green I assume someone is going to run a red light and always look. and when I forget I give myself a proper telling off, because I know better then to not look.

There is a phrase " when in doubt come about" and as I am sure you can figure it means to use the first exit as the 5th if you are not sure,in your defence ( not that one is needed as you are not under attack ) it is true a u turn can mean another hour on the road so I take your point on that, Anyway I am at work and have to offload my truck, then its the drive back to the depot, I am 50 Jeane and very single. If you email me I will send you a picture, or, use my email to find me on facebook.

The very best of regards, Paul P Valentine Esq

Reply
Paul
3/9/2016 00:36:11

Ps I have on a few occasions gone around twice just to make sure, if you do indicate right until you are sure and can plan your exit correctly.

Dave
18/11/2016 20:04:57

Hi, I would be interested in feedback on an incident I had on a roundabout.
Coming off a roundabout, around two car lengths off the exit there was a road island. A woman pushing a pram and holding the hands of two toddlers was at the island. As I approached one of the toddlers stepped into the road and was pulled back by the lady so I stopped as it concerned me.
They crossed but as they did so the car behind me honked and sped round to my right shouting out of the window that people are trying to get off the roundabout and I should have my hazards on which was clearly aggresive but my question is, if the child has been pulled back and the road is clear, should you let them pass to avoid any hazard of the child trying to cross or proceed to alleviate the build-up of cars on a busy roundabout. Plus the question of hazard lights. Would they have really added any safety. I had just assumed that people behind me would have also seen the children and been more patient.
Thanks.

Reply
Tim
18/11/2016 21:09:27

Paul having read a lot of your replies, that is pretty much how I drive. However to throw a spanner in the works! Basically a staggered junction converted to 2 roundabouts (should be used as 2 junctions) Both have 2 entry lanes without markings, both have exits to the left and straight on. Do i approach in the right lane to go straight on and then the left lane for the 2nd roundabout, or as HC states. Left lane for straight on. If this is the case what is the right lane for?

Reply
Omar
26/11/2016 16:46:33

I was in a roundabout where there were three sets of traffic light, once when approaching, in the middle of the roundabout and at the exit, when i entered the roundabout it was amber, then the second and third was red I was really confused and kept driving without stopping, it that a mistake.

Reply
+Mrs Pauline Mowbray/ Mr Ian Mowbray link
11/12/2016 11:54:01

Everyone is wrong. The Highway Code is not law. Only advisory. Just drive carefully whatever the case, defensively at all times.

Reply
John Grimley
11/12/2016 17:52:21

Highway CODE
Code - definition...3
A systematic collection of laws or statutes:
You might also note how your 'advisory' is broken down into sections for each road user. these sections are further broken down into "rules".
Some rules use the words "must" or "must not". Where these words are used (and they are used often), the rule refers to a specific law relating to road use or car construction.

I had someone recently run into the side of me, coming up a clearly marked (arrows) 'right turn only' lane in order to jump the queue. I was in the lane marked 'ahead only'.
they also tried that tactic of saying those arrows are only advisory.
NOT according to my insurer OR the police.

Reply
Catherine
7/2/2017 11:03:09

I was harassed and intimidated at the weekend by a driver who was in the wrong lane at a roundabout. He then tried to exit at the same time as I did although I had clearly signalled I was exiting the roundabout. He then proceeded to cut out in front of me every time I tried to overtake him on the dual carriageway, repeatedly braked hard reducing his speed to around 40 mph in the overtaking lane. This idiot even cut in front of me when I came off the dual carriageway in order to get away from him and at one point when stopped at traffic lights he came out his car and towards me. I prentended to take his picture on my phone and he hastily retreated. I was so shaken up by his behaviour I didn't think to get this maniac's reg no. I do wish I had and reported this as it's been bothering me ever since. And all because he was in the wrong lane at a roundabout!

Reply
JJ
20/2/2017 17:35:22

Hi not sure if this has been discussed already - sorry if it has. I have a busy roundabout nearby with 4 exits. The first exit is straight ahead (I would use left lane) but the second exit is to the right (at say 2 or 3 o'clock) i would assume you need to use the right lane for this as the exit is over to the right but my partner says you can use the left hand lane as it's only the 2nd exit. I'm confused.

Reply
JJ
20/2/2017 17:36:48

Just to add - I only passed my test a couple of months ago!

Reply
Teresa Davies link
23/2/2017 03:45:49

Last week an articulated lorry (A) ripped off my drivers side wing mirror on a roundabout by bending it forwards onto its self and I was stationary at the time, however the lorry driver is blaming me. The lorry (A) approached the roundabout at my 3 o’clock and I approached the roundabout at 6 o’clock, we were both exiting the roundabout at my 12 o’clock. A second lorry (B) approached the roundabout behind me at my six o’clock and took the first turning off the roundabout left, at my 9 o’clock.
I first entered the roundabout giving the lorry (A) right of way on it - the driver (A) stated he was as far right as he could possibly be against the inside kerb of the roundabout (and his diagram of the accident confirms this) and I entered the roundabout with plenty of room to the left of him in the left lane (although there were no road markings on the roundabout) (Am I allowed to tell you the postcode was LE67 1TE, I was entering from Interlink Way West going over the roundabout to Regs Way, Beverage Lane West was the left turn at my 9 o’clock and Beverage Lane East was the right turn at my 3 o’clock?) it was a very wide roundabout and I landed up behind a tipper truck (C), I did not enter lorry (A’s) lane, I did not overtake him in the left hand lane on the roundabout, I always maintained a safe distance behind him so that I could anticipate if he wanted to start to change lanes if and when necessary and I would be able to see him indicate. I did not cause him to slow down or alter his speed or direction.

Just prior to the accident an articulated lorry (B) entered the roundabout after me and was turning left, taking the first turning left on the roundabout and ended up stationary on the turn due to the traffic. I had already taken up position in the left hand lane of the roundabout by this stage and just inched forward a few inches slowly behind the tipper truck to allow the lorry (B) to continue around the corner safely until we both took up a stationary position - I was considering the driver (B) and tried to position my vehicle to allow her to take the corner safely - I positioned my vehicle safely behind the tipper truck, in line with it, until I could not move any further forward towards it - so then I remained stationary.

The lorry (B) remained stationary on the left turn and me stationary in the left lane on the roundabout - just before the bollard on the central reservation between the exit and entry turn for Beverage Lane West. My photographs show that there is plenty of space for my Fiesta and an articulated lorry at this place . Driver (A) stated in an email I had entered into a third lane - this would have been impossible because I was already on the roundabout when the lorry (B) entered the roundabout behind me - The lorry (B) would not have been able to enter the roundabout and begin to take the first left turn if I had not inched my car forwards towards the tipper truck before we both became stationary.

You can clearly see from google maps it would have been impossible for me to overtake and get onto the roundabout after the lorry (B). It would have been even more impossible for me to overtake the lorry (B) while it was turning left, then to would have been even more impossible still - for me to overtake then move between the lorry (B) and the lorry (A) to end up on that position on the roundabout behind the tipper truck. As the lorry (B) moved around the left corner its back end would have prevented me getting between the two lorries. Lorry (A) was on the right hand lane of the roundabout as tight as possible to the inside of the roundabout - both their backends would have come round to close the gap and a car would not have been able to get through that gap.

In fact I stopped on the roundabout behind the tipper truck and did not move on when the tipper truck moved forward, I did not take up the space behind the tipper truck, I gave lorry (A) right of way again, I anticipated him wanting to change lanes at this stage even though he did not indicate he wanted to move from the right hand lane into the left hand lane in order to take the next turning off the roundabout at Regs way. Driver (A) drew the tipper truck on his diagram with a large gap behind it which also confirms I did not move into the gap that the tipper truck left when he moved forward - giving further proof I did not move forward and I gave lorry (A) right of way on the roundabout.

Driver (A) saw the gap in the traffic when the tipper truck moved forward - Unfortunately driver (A) had been stuck in the traffic on the roundabout for a long time because the traffic in that area was unusually congested on that day, due to a local collision elsewhere. Driver (A) was probably feeling frustrated and as soon as a gap in the traffic appeared, he decided to move quickly to the left lane in front of me, without indicating or considering my stationary vehicle to his le

Reply
Teresa Davies link
24/2/2017 01:18:03

me again sorry - the last paragraph did not show up fully on my email and the last bit of my email did not send so here it is........sorry

Reply
Teresa davies link
24/2/2017 11:12:30

Driver (A) saw the gap in the traffic when the tipper truck moved forward - Unfortunately driver (A) had been stuck in the traffic on the roundabout for a long time because the traffic in that area was unusually congested on that day, due to a local collision elsewhere. Driver (A) was probably feeling frustrated and as soon as a gap in the traffic appeared, he decided to move quickly to the left lane in front of me, without indicating or considering my stationary vehicle to his left. Pushing my wing forward and ripping it off in the process.

The owner of the lorry (A) company emailed me "as are lorry had already entered the island he has the right of way over vehicles from the left ( I agree this is true), and also there are only two lanes on that roundabout, and at the point of impact you had entered into a third lane on the blindside of a articulated vehicle” (this was not true).

As I approached the roundabout I knew I was going straight over the roundabout, the traffic was particularly congested all over the roundabout and so I had to ensure I did not approach the roundabout in the wrong lane because it would have been a danger to other road users for me to try to change lanes, even more so because the traffic was so slow and congested. If the lorry (B) would have been in front of me (which it wasn’t - it was behind me) I would have needed to be in the right hand lane approaching the roundabout in order to (break the law by being a danger to others) and overtake the lorry (B) (it was impossible any way for me to have even have tried to get through the gap, which did not exist, between the back of the two articulated lorries) then I would have somehow impossibly have to try to switch lanes to the left hand lane on the roundabout in order to land up right behind the tipper truck - this would have been impossible with the volume of traffic on the roundabout that day. If I had approached the roundabout in the right hand lane I would have ended up behind the lorry (A) and not in the left lane on the roundabout beside it and straight behind the tipper truck. Google earth shows three lanes approaching the roundabout from Interlink Way West, when in fact I checked today and took photographs there are only two lanes now to approach the roundabout from that direction and I approached that roundabout in the left hand lane because I was travelling straight over it. I did not indicate because i was travelling straight over the roundabout at 12 o’clock. II approached it in the correct lane and never changed lanes.

My wing mirror was bent forwards on its self as the lorry (A) pushed it forwards, I remained stationary and I immediately sounded my horn to prevent him doing any further damage to my car. Thankfully the lorry (B) was stuck stationary on the left hand turn on my left, so she would have been immediately aware of what was happening to my vehicle . The lorry (B) must have been waiting for me to move forwards in order for her to have been able to take the corner safely, so she would have been watching my vehicle constantly.
Lorry (A) has now refused to accept responsibility for ripping off my wing mirror and is sending me a bill for damage allegedly caused to the articulated lorry (A) I know the accident did not result in any damage to lorry (A) as it was not even going at slow walking pace when it ripped off my wing mirror but I would like to know how I stand on this argument of fault and likelihood of blame if I am unable to provide a witness eventually although I am trying hard to locate lorry (B) driver..

Howard Renwick
11/5/2017 22:20:34

Have the priority rules for UK traffic circles changed? The Highway Code used to say "approach the circle with caution and watch out for traffic already on the circle" Or words to that effect. Now it says give way to traffic approaching from the right (which is not the same). I always thought traffic already on the circle had priority but that appears not to be the case.

Reply
Dean
26/7/2017 21:53:32

Can anyone tell me if you can simply stop on a dual carriage way roundabout on the circular portion of the roundabout and in the right lane and with no traffic in front.

Reply
Marianne
1/10/2017 09:21:59

Do you need to signal when you are going straight ahead at a roundabout? It is not really clear on the explanation above.

The intermediate turning is past 12 o'clock so that does not count as straight ahead as you would need to get into the right lane.

My driving instructor told me that I didn't need to but now I've been told but I do - confused.com. So I looked on here and it's not really clear. It mentions when you turn left and when you take a right turn but not straight ahead. Am I missing something?

Reply
Fred
28/11/2017 19:06:39

I have a question. If you are driving on a dual carriage way and you approach a round about that also has dual carriage way ends signs on them. When going straight ahead does the right lane also have the option to go straight across or is it in this case right turn only?

Reply
Simon Blandford
27/3/2018 13:21:46

The Staples Corner roundabout has traffic lights in each quadrant. There are three lanes on the roundabout and two lanes on each exit. The problem I have is that when I turn right from Edgeware Road towards the N.Circular East-bound I usually have to queue at the lights before I exit. On a normal roundabout, I would take the right lane and exit and there shouldn't be anyone to my left but in this case there is usually a line of traffic to my left when the lights change and so I attempt to merge-in-turn with the middle lane to the right lane of the exit. However not everyone wants to merge in turn. Yesterday I allowed a bus that was ahead of me exit and waited for my turn. As I attempted to exit another vehicle undertook me and sounded their horn since to them I appeared to be crossing their right of way. So my question is, who does have right of way in this situation? And if I don't how do I get off the roundabout without sitting patiently waiting for someone in the middle lane to let me in, if they ever do?

Reply
Adrian borton
28/4/2018 07:46:18

This roundabout rule is dangerous, you also dont tell people to check their blind spot switching lanes, well done on killing a motor cyclist. Shouldnt have to indicate going straight over and using either lane to exit on a right turn is just dangerous amd prevents traffic flowing as efficently as it could, rules need revision

Reply
PJ
4/6/2018 16:56:59

So this morning myself and another idiot nearly had a crash.
We got of our cars , exchanged expletives, each believing the other was wrong.

So the scenario was as thus.

A two lane in two lane out roundabout with no lane markings.

We are both entering at 6 O’clock and the 2 exits are Straight ahead (12 o’clock) and right (3 o’clock)

I was in the right lane and intending to go straight ahead (12 o’clock)
Other dude was in left lane intending to turn right.

So it was my view that dude in the left lane would only be going straight on (exiting in left lane) so I would be fine to also go straight on (exiting in the right lane).

sadly it was other dudes view that me in right lane would only be turning right. So he would be ok also turning right

Thus the depending on what way you look at it this dude ended up cutting me up. Or I ended up cutting him up.

Thus the near crash and subsequent road rage.

Now I was sure that :
1) Either lane should be able to go straight forward exiting in their respective lane.
2) Then left for left (not available in this case)
3) right for right.

If this behavior is observed there is little to no chance of there even being any accident.

However after the bulk of comments on here I am now no longer sure.

Reply
anon
29/7/2018 15:06:38

I think we are entering an era where changes and lack of proper application of road laws mean few of us do truly know what is best even if we know what is right.

Two scenarios I have experienced many a time are the left vs right hand lane for straight over, s*d's law if you pick one lane someone will see the queue is shorter in the other lane so two vehicles crossing the roundabout for the same junction are side by side (not disastrous if one concedes right of way), and the other is where idiots park on T-junctions so one car is waiting to come out of the T-junction whilst the other has to overtake a parked vehicle to continue. Many local roads are seen as car parks, it is crazy. Add to that where I work is now citing 'near misses' in the car park to state we should all reverse in to spots. Yup, make up for lack of driving skills by asking those same drivers to perform manoeuvres they are likely incapable of !!! Could be on for a few 'hits' and less 'near misses'.............. (although don't get Kevin M started on the semantics of 'near misses', although one online comment suggests it's like a small crowd)

Reply
Edgars
12/6/2018 21:52:29

How to deal with roundabout with no markings no signs which lane should take and in this case why should I use right hand lane to take 2nd exit?

Reply
Naresh NagireddyGari link
17/12/2018 08:42:09

Traffic Survey - Business Proposal

Reply
Theodor
13/4/2019 12:23:05

Is there such thing as a bus stop in a roundabout ? I'm talking about a double lane roundabout . Had an incident one morning when a bus stopped in a roundabout , I was driving towards the roundabout and when tried to enter the roundabout my visibility was 0 because of the bus . When I asked why he stopped there the driver became very verbally agresive . I asked a police man and he asked me if it was a bus stop there .

Reply
Dave Peddie
13/4/2019 12:29:52

A bus stop on a roundabout? Rather like having a Bus Stop on a Zebra Crossing. Surely highly unlikely. Having said that, you would be able to see a physical bus stop.

Reply
Mihai
21/5/2019 15:45:55

Travelling towards a roundabout with 3 lanes. i had to take the first exit so i went to the inside lane which was ONLY LEFT TURN. The car in front of me wanted to go forward - from a left only lane - went into the roundabout just few meters and stop to give way to another car. When i saw the car in front of me proceeding, i look to the right side and i accelerate, obviously i stopped into his rear bumper. why the f..k it is my fault when he shouldn't supposed to be there?

Reply
Joe
24/5/2019 22:21:09

Got a scenario that's been bugging me. Roundabout near where I live has a left turn and a straight on. No right turn at all. Two lanes coming onto the roundabout, one single lane exit to the left (9pm), and one single lane exit exactly straight on (12pm). No road markings. In this scenario, common sense would assume the left lane is for a left turn, and the right lane is to be used to go straight on? This ensures all parties approaching the roundabout are able to use it efficiently without getting in each other's way.

If, like some people have said, you have to use the left lane for all exits in this scenario (as they're all before or on 12pm on the roundabout), what is the right hand lane on the approach actually used for?

Reply
Dave P link
25/5/2019 08:58:07

Hi Joe, if there is a 2 lane exit at 12 o’clock then both lanes approaching are valid. Obviously the left lane on approach for the 9 o’clock exit. If there is only a single lane exit at 12 o’clock then the left hand lane on approach would be the right one to take. But dangerous if it is not obviously a single lane exit at 12 o’clock. This situation is sometimes due to bad road planning. We have a similar situation near us. Very confusing for non local drivers

Reply
dave
30/5/2019 16:05:51

Very confused by 2 things: 1) if you are approaching roundabout, and it has 2 broken lines in front of your lane, what are you meant to do? Eg if you are approaching at 6 o clock, and there is a car at 9 o clock, you presumably have right of way, but why the 2 broken lines then? and 2) if you're approaching and car pulls out from 9 o clock before you've arrived at roundabout, if you're about to hit that car who's fault is it? them for pulling out? or you for not slowing down?

Reply
Dave P
30/5/2019 20:26:07


Single or double broken white lines across your lane always indicate that you must give way to approaching traffic, whether at a Roundabout or other junction. If you are approaching at 6 o'clock and the vehicle at 9 o'clock has already entered the roundabout, it is now effectively 'in front of you' and you are behind that vehicle, just as if you were behind a vehicle on a road. If as you say, you are about to hit that vehicle you are driving too close and too recklessly and therefore in the wrong. hope that helps.

Reply
Larry
27/7/2019 18:02:18

I understand that it used to be in the Highway Code that you should give way to the right on roundabout AND to vehicles already on the roundabout. I drive a vintage Land Rover and often I get to a roundabout and look each way and if clear enter it, but then a car approaches at speed from my right and tries to shoot over the roundabout only to find my vehicle in the middle in the process of turning right. The drivers of such vehicles think they are in the right even though I was on the roundabout first well before they reached it. Where can I find the rule?

Reply
Dave P
27/7/2019 18:48:41

If you entered the R'bout while there was no vehicle approaching from your right you are OK. If your are driving slow, in a vintage LR or any other vehicle, are someone then enters the r'bout, you have right of way. Give the video at the top of the page a view.

Reply
Adlam
23/12/2019 21:21:01

I think this might have been discussed in some form but if you come to a 3 lane roundabout and you intend to join the first lane to take the 2nd exit, there is a car coming from the right in the inner lane not indicating to turn off, is it safe to join the roundabout at that point? Since he won’t be taking the next exit and hence crossing your path? Or have I misunderstood something here?

Reply
Dave
24/12/2019 13:08:55

Hi Adlam
I think that, in theory, it may be safe, but an increasing problem at roundabouts is that:
1 -people might be in entirely the wrong lane, and therefore could be going anywhere. And.....
2 - the failure of many drivers to indicate their intentions, as to which exit they might, or might not, be taking,.
If in doubt, wait!

Reply
Peter Black
4/6/2020 13:43:16

What are the rules around emergency stopping in the middle of a busy roundabout? say a police service vehicle enters at speed leaving little choice but to slam on the breaks. the car behind might be observing the standard think / break distance rules but only notices the emergency stop after he diverts attention away from the police service vehicle banking around the roundabout.

This is a technicality which is quite interesting to explore from a claims and fault perspective. it would be good understand what the highway code thinks of this scenario.

Occupation: Insurance

Reply
Dave Peddie
4/6/2020 14:48:42

I believe that Emergency Vehicle have to obey the rules of the road, so a Police car suddenly entering a roundabout without giving way, which might result in you having to do an emergency stop, which also results in the car behind you hitting the rear of your vehicle, is culpable as the cause of the accident, and the car behind is also culpable. What the Police car should have done was slow until either it was safe to enter, or you, perhaps slow down to allow the Police car to enter the roundabout. Nonetheless, the car behind you, should it hit you, is still culpable.

Reply
Dave Peddie
4/6/2020 14:51:26

PS - Rule 219 of the Highway Code states that drivers should “look and listen for ambulances, fire engines, police, doctors or other emergency vehicles using flashing blue, red or green lights and sirens or flashing headlights, or traffic officer and incident support vehicles using flashing amber lights.”

Kelly Olson link
26/12/2020 02:19:30

Thhanks for posting this

Reply
Dave Peddie
26/12/2020 08:44:23

glad it is useful

Reply
Emily
16/6/2021 10:09:31

And if a vehicle, even a long vehicle - oil tanker, pulls out in front of me coming from his right on a roundabout, and I send DashCam footage to police, they won’t ‘take action’ because I had ‘time to slow down.’🙄 So where’s the ‘give way to your right’ coming into the police’s logic?!😡. It’s basically do want you want, when you want 😡

Reply
Dave Peddie
16/6/2021 11:58:51

I suspect that, while it is annoying when this sort of thing happens, the Police might only be interested if an actual accident occurred.

Reply
Mark Streeten
22/8/2021 11:11:50

So who has priority if you go onto a roundabout with two narrow lanes then leave the roundabout via a one lane exit?!!!. Unfortunately there are 3 of these awful roundabouts that I have to use near where I live. I take the outside lane on the roundabout but then find cars on the inside lane on the roundabout cutting me up to get to the exit ahead of me!. Previously I took the inside lane but then found cars in the outside lane refusing to give way to me which is potentially dangerous so the outside lane is safer for me!. My question is who has priority on these type of roundabouts as the Highways Code says nothing about this?!!.

Charlie link
29/7/2021 08:14:16

I would definitely recommend this to others.
Problems with your Bank Statements or other documents? We can edit scanned documents like Bank Statements, Paystub, Pay slips, Credit Card Statements or any other document for you.
-- Any Statements from any US/Canadian Bank can be fixed.
-- Quick turnaround, most within 24 hours
-- Over 12 years experience helping individuals and businesses fix their papers!
---- Fast and discreet - email or call us for a discussion.
Contact us for further details. Offering a 15% discount on Bitcoin payment.
LiveChat: https://tawk.to/chat/5b056f7bd0f6723da57ecd06/default/?$_tawk_popout=true
Call / Message on WhatsApp : +1 914 274 8666
Contact: (+1) 914 202 3836
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://editscanneddocument.com

Reply
Ellie link
29/7/2021 08:23:39

This is a really wonderful post. I would definitely recommend it to others.
Problems with your Bank Statements or other documents? Do you want to change Bank Statements?
-- Any Statements from any US/Canadian Bank can be changed.
-- Quick turnaround, most within 24 hours
-- Over 12 years experience helping individuals and businesses fix their papers!
---- Fast and discreet - email or call us for a discussion.
Get professional help if you want to change something in your Bank statement, Pay stubs, t-4 slips . Offering a 15% discount on Bitcoin payment.
LiveChat: https://tawk.to/chat/5b056f7bd0f6723da57ecd06/default/?$_tawk_popout=true
Call / Message on WhatsApp : +1 914 274 8666
Contact: (+1) 914 202 3836
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://changingbankstatements.com

Reply
Lucy link
29/7/2021 08:41:36

Thank you so much for sharing this valuable information with us.
Are you stuck with PDF Bank Statements or PDF Credit Card Statements? If you need help with Bank Statement PDF Edit for proof of income or proof of address, we can help you with edits.
-- Any PDF edit for US or UK Bank Statements, Pay Stubs, Payslips, T4, W-200 or any other documents.
-- Quick turnaround, most within 24 hours
-- Over 12 years experience helping individuals and businesses fix their papers!
---- Fast and discreet - email or call for a discussion.
Quickly get PDF editing services for Bank Statements, Paystubs, Payslips, Form W-200 or T4 Slips. Offering a 15% discount on Bitcoin payment.
LiveChat: https://tawk.to/chat/5b056f7bd0f6723da57ecd06/default/?$_tawk_popout=true
Call / Message on WhatsApp : +1 914 274 8666
Contact: (+1) 914 202 3836
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://bankstatementpdfedit.com

Reply
Luna link
29/7/2021 08:45:21

Thank you so much for sharing this valuable information with us.
Are you stuck with Editing Bank Statements or Credit Card Statements? If you need help with Editing Bank Statements or any other documents, we can help you with it.
-- Any US or UK Bank Statements, Pay Stubs, Payslips, T4, W-200 or any other documents editing can be done.
-- Quick turnaround, most within 24 hours
-- Over 12 years experience helping individuals and businesses fix their papers!
---- Fast and discreet - email or call for a discussion.
Quickly get editing services for Bank Statements, Paystubs, Payslips, Form W-200 or T4 Slips. Offering a 15% discount on Bitcoin payment.
LiveChat: https://tawk.to/chat/5b056f7bd0f6723da57ecd06/default/?$_tawk_popout=true
Call / Message on WhatsApp : +1 914 274 8666
Contact: (+1) 914 202 3836
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://editingbankstatements.com

Reply
laura
12/10/2021 15:36:42

my instructor told me i would fail my test as i didn't indicate right at a small one lane roundabout. i cannot find this information in the highway code explicitly. I thought you always only need to indicate left just before your exit. Anyone got a solid explanation of which roundabouts I am supposed to indicate right on?

Reply
robert link
7/12/2021 06:09:07

Great Post! Thank you for sharing usefull information. We are also provider of <a href="https://www.highway1.co.nz/product-category/electronic-equipment/arrow/">vehicle mount arrow boards</a>. Visit our website for more info highway1.co.nz

Reply
fencingand resindrives link
12/1/2022 08:43:10

I found this article very informative about "". Looking forward for more informative articles like this related to <b><a href="https://advanceddrivewaysolutions.co.uk/" rel="dofollow">Fencing & Resin Drives Solutions Blackpool
</a></b>

Reply
Nick
12/3/2022 23:18:44

I think this applies more to small or mini roundabouts, but I need a more detailed definition of giving priority to the right. An example - I’m joining from a side road( speed limit on main road is 40mph) via a mini roundabout and turning right, indicator is on. There is no one waiting at the entrance to the roundabout to my immediate right, no other traffic and visibility up the road is a bit restricted but I can see a car in the distance approaching the roundabout (200m+). I pull out and navigate round the central bump as best I can (I drive a long wheelbase van). As I’m turning I see the car to my right entering the roundabout at full speed, 40mph. Emergency brake and just misses me. I get verbal abuse for not giving way to the right. Who’s right and who’s wrong? Do you only give priority to someone who is already at the roundabout or does it include vehicles approaching the roundabout? If so, how far away do they have to be before you don’t give priority? This is not covered in the Highway Code. Cheers.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Subscribe
    for Highway Code news

    Subscribe

    Changes And New Rules 
    Answers for drivers
    ​Road safety tips
    ​Driver’s Stories​



Choose:

Text to read
​PDF to download
Audiobook

Contacts
Feedback
Tips:

Updates and New Rules
Road safety tips
Answers for drivers
Driver’s Stories

Categories
Crown Copyright. The content have been sourced from the 2025 edition of The Official Highway Code, and reproduced under the terms of the Open Government Licence.
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy

  • Read
  • Download PDF
  • Audiobook
  • Changes and answers
  • Categories