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Roundabouts and overtaking


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With most vehicles travelling at the speed limit or more you would have to make that decision on safety first, progress second, after all a roundabout is a junction and should be treated as such.

 

If the roundabout has two entry lanes and two marked exit lanes then it is possible to complete safely if the vehicle you are overtaking is knowingly going to enter the roundabout more slowly like a tractor.

 

Overtaking similar powered vehicles is a risk and HGV's require room to manoeuvre the trailer.

 

If you do not know the roundabout then stay left as sometimes dual lane roundabouts exit into single lanes. On these single lane exits look out for prats that are trying to overtake you.

 

https://www.gov.uk/using-the-road-159-to-203/roundabouts-184-to-190

http://www.rac.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?10717-When-to-use-the-right-hand-lane-on-a-roundabout

 

When you stay in the left hand lane on a roundabout, other drivers seem to assume that you intend to leave at the next exit. If you do not do so then someone who is in the right hand lane may cut across in front of you so as to exit there. For such reasons roundabouts should never have been introduced on our roads. They cause many accidents each year. The cover all phrase "proceed with caution" is quite inadequate to deal with all the many dangerous situations that occur on roundabouts. Your advice about staying in the nearside lane doesn't solve very much either.

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If it's a two lanes on/two lanes off then yes I would do this.

 

I definitely would not if it meant I'd be using the incorrect approach lane for my chosen exit though (e.g. getting in the right lane and swerving around someone to go left). Other people approaching the roundabout would expect that you were turning right by your position, it could be dangerous.

 

So long as you give way appropriately, use the correct lanes, signal etc etc then I think if you happen to go around a bit faster than someone else is neither here nor there.

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I would say yes I would over take on a dual carriageway roundabout but with extreme caution. On a few occasions I have been in the RH lane on a roundabout to go straight on and the driver in the LH lane has cut the corner and very nearly pushed me onto the roundabout. You can be the best driver in the world but you can't legislate for other people. The more time I spend on the road the more I think a lot of drivers are just constantly in auto pilot mode and not paying any due care or attention.

The worse ones are when someone in a lane to the left of you suddenly decides that they are going to turn right rather than go straight ahead and think the best way to do it is cut you up and hope for the best.

 

jb

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When you stay in the left hand lane on a roundabout, other drivers seem to assume that you intend to leave at the next exit. If you do not do so then someone who is in the right hand lane may cut across in front of you so as to exit there. For such reasons roundabouts should never have been introduced on our roads. They cause many accidents each year. The cover all phrase "proceed with caution" is quite inadequate to deal with all the many dangerous situations that occur on roundabouts. Your advice about staying in the nearside lane doesn't solve very much either.

 

Not sure why you have a problem with my post about staying left in the context of thread being about overtaking on a roundabout, not general road craft. Cutting across lanes is not a good idea. Maybe an idea to have an hour with an instructor if you have a problem with them.

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Too many people seem to take the "ing line" on roundabouts. Even if its wide there's for twa lors they'll stray over into the second lane, rather than actually go slower and turn their steering wheel.

 

Or you could even ignore all road traffic offences and let us all risk life and limb.

 

I didn't realise it was my job to police the roads.

 

Very very few drivers are convicted after being reported by members of public for good reason.

 

A crap driver will see alot of things as dangerous,yet a competent driver could well have a different view.

A good driver will take things in their stride while a limited driver will see it as a big issue.

 

I find theres few occasions there isn't smoke without fire.

 

Some of course want to make someone else pay for their short comings in life.

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I wouldn't do it - you should stay in your lane until it's time to leave.

 

Roundabouts work because they are fairly predictable - you start moving lanes and that breaks down.

 

There's also the problem of people being in the wrong lane in the first place - people going right in the left hand lane for example. You might think they are going ahead, try to pass them and they smash right into you.

 

The other question is why would you ever need to do it? Once you are on the round about it's going to be only a few seconds before you leave - not worth the risk in my opinion.

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I didn't realise it was my job to police the roads.

 

Very very few drivers are convicted after being reported by members of public for good reason.

 

A crap driver will see alot of things as dangerous,yet a competent driver could well have a different view.

A good driver will take things in their stride while a limited driver will see it as a big issue.

I find theres few occasions there isn't smoke without fire.

 

Some of course want to make someone else pay for their short comings in life.

 

Re bib.

 

They're not mutually exclusive. The better the driver, the more able he/she is to take someone else's bad driving into account, and not be flustered by it. It doesn't mean that the other's bad driving is suddenly OK. It can still be dangerous and shouldn't be tolerated on the roads. Unfortunately there is not enough policing to try to stamp it out.

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