There's a roundabout near us in Southampton that consists of a small (6ft diameter?) roundabout surrounded by a large block paved area (25-30ft?), surrounded by normal tarmac. The joint between the block paved and tarmac area is made up of a circle of concrete (not a painted white line). The surface of the block paving is level with the tarmac.
I follow a route direct over the block paving - it straightens the roundabout completely - but plenty of people go round. Am I likely to be committing an offence? If there were a white line I could see I might be, but I'm by no means certain.
If it helps they (for there are two) are visible at: h ttp://tinyurl.com/fsqgg .
V
|
There is a similar roundabout outside Surbiton station.
Now I look on Google Earth it even has just two big arrows on the black stuff to indicate clockwise round it.
I always drive over the blocks. It is a major bus route so I will note what they do next time.
I suspect, as in your area some do and some do not take the shorter line.
|
There's a really nasty one like that near Hamble - fine to drive on the blocks on a dry day but a nightmare when it's raining as the surface is very slippery.
|
|
I agree - they are really stupid and seemingly deliberately confusing. There is a new one in the centre of Aberystwyth. Most people go round the outside, larger lane. A proportion though think the inner circle is a designated lane for traffic going straight on, and then find they have to fight to rejoin the main traffic, even though they are now "on the right" so technically have priority.
|
think the inner circle is a designated lane for traffic going straight on, and then find they have to fight to rejoin the main traffic, even though they are now "on the right" so technically have priority.
I'm sorry, what's this rule that says if you're on the inside of a roundabout you have priority when moving outwards to leave?
|
>> think the inner circle is a designated lane for traffic going >> straight on, and then find they have to fight to rejoin >> the main traffic, even though they are now "on the right" >> so technically have priority. >> I'm sorry, what's this rule that says if you're on the inside of a roundabout you have priority when moving outwards to leave?
Surely the rule at most 'normal' roundabouts, UNLESS marked otherwise, is left hand lane for Left Turn and Straight on and Right hand lane for those turning Right. I know that this is a simplistic representation of what can be rather more complex manoeuvres at these road obstacles where almost each roundabout needs to be assessed on its own merit, so to speak.
|
|
|
I'm sorry, what's this rule that says if you're on the inside of a roundabout you have priority when moving outwards to leave?
Presumably some people (not me, I have to say) infer from the diagram for rule 160 of the highway code, which appears to show a car leaving the third exit of a roundabout directly from the inside lane
--
Go on, get out of the car...
www.mikes-walks.co.uk
|
|
Besides the point which lane you use - the point is that no one has priority to cut across a lane or expect to be let in in order to leave the roundabout, and if this is how you drive (original poster, not you borasport), then I hope to never be on a roundabout with you!
|
|
|
|
I'm sorry, what's this rule that says if you're on the inside of a roundabout you have priority when moving outwards to leave?
"On a roundabout, give way to traffic on the right". Many people interpret that to mean exactly what it says- ie the inner (more central) lane has priority when exiting. I know it doesn't mean that, but it is just another example of the confusing and ambiguous rules they dream up for roundabouts.
If there is no actual white line, just different kinds of road texture or colour, some people take that to indicate different lanes..
|
|
|
|
|
|
I use that road quite alot and always go round, just a subconcious thing. I think those ones are like that to make it easier for the busses that use that route as putting a full size proper one would mean them kerbing the wheels all the time and a normal mini one is easy to miss due to the road layout (when going straight on you may not see them).
|
|
I have not seen these round abouts but can point out that the solid white line placed arounfda mini, or almost flat ,roundabout come under the road traffic act and it is an offence to drive over the line. We have one of these locally and one guy was stopped and charges with "Careless Driving" and an accident was caused by a lady straight lining the island completed and she was charged with "Dangerous Driving" . There was a topic on 'Pepipoo' on island problem a few weeks ago and will try and find it. Regards Peter
|
|
|
|
I suspect m'learned friends might argue as to if these are 'mini' roundabouts, but as far as mini roundabouts go, the highway code is quite clear :-
164: 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. Beware of vehicles making U-turns.
Laws RTA 1988 sect 36 & TSRGD reg 10(1), 16(1)
So if you are in a car, what the driver of a bus or lorry does is not relevant
--
Go on, get out of the car...
www.mikes-walks.co.uk
|
But in this case, there is a roundabout within a roundabout, which is the real roundabout?
I'd say the raised part with the signs on it, not the block paving.
I think the intention is that you drive on the tarmac and only on the block paving if you are a large vehicle, however, in quiet periods, I'd drive over the block paving, but at busy times where it would alarm or catch out another roundabout user, I wouldn't.
We have one in Daybrook, Nottingham near sainsbury's. If you go straight on over the block paving, you tend to get people pulling out in front of you as they anticipate that you will go around on the tarmac and they will be gone by the time you get to them. It's OK when quiet though.
|
|
|
Borasport.
This was my concern. Equally, with no white line to show the extent of the roundabout, I think you could easily argue that the roundabout is the raised lump. The rest is just differing road surfaces.
V
|
Personally, and I may be wrong that it's subliminal traffic calming to slow cars down but keeping it easy for heavies to negotiate.
"when it's raining as the surface is very slippery"
Valid, since becoming a born again biker and even going out when it's wet I have developed an "appreciation" of these new fangled surfaces and trhe risks they pose when wet !
|
|
|
|
164: 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.
That's clear up to a point, but the question concerned those roundabouts that have concentric rings of different road surface round a central spot of white paint. Can you use all the road apart from the white? Or just the outer ring, not the inner?
|
There are two of these within 50 yards near Cannock and both have (a very well worn) ring of white paint aound the blocked area!
Never thought about it before but will not cut across the white line again unless I am foced to!
|
Surely the block-paved area is to be considered as part central part of the roundabout and just paved so as to be harder wearing when trailer wheels on artics cross it.
This type of roundabout originated in Australia where road-trains cut across the roundabouts.
|
|
|
|
|
