Roundabout signalling - turning right - close entry exits
Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2015 5:11 pm
Hello,
New to the forum and would like your advice on roundabout signalling.
Roundabout in question is dual lane, and has multiple dual carriage ways entering and exiting. I'm turning right. There are multiple right hand entry and exit lanes spaced close together.
The highway code instructs to signal right while approaching the roundabout then left *after* you've passed the penultimate exit and transition into lane 1 (left) before exiting the roundabout. This is my understanding:
The problem is, there's hardly any space between the right hand roundabout exits (only one RH exit in the above picture, but imagine two), and this leaves almost no time to signal left, so the benefit of the signal is lost to anyone on or wanting to enter the roundabout. To an onlooker, it seems like you're swerving from the inside lane across the outside lane to exit at the last possible moment.
Can't signal before the penultimate exit as people on that exit waiting to enter the roundabout think I'm coming off at their exit. They pre-empt the manoeuvre (incorrectly) and pull out, causing a near collision.
There's also the issue of transitioning from the inside lane to the outside lane to come off (remember I'm approaching the roundabout to turn right) in heavy *rush hour* traffic. If you leave the transition to the penultimate exit then there's no free lane space. Signal earlier to get a space in the outside lane and you've got the above problem where people think you're coming off at an earlier exit and pull out....
Nothing on the highway code for this situation. Obviously the best option is one that's least likely to result in a collision, so leaving the left signal to the last minute seems the best of all options.
Any better ideas?
Thanks.
New to the forum and would like your advice on roundabout signalling.
Roundabout in question is dual lane, and has multiple dual carriage ways entering and exiting. I'm turning right. There are multiple right hand entry and exit lanes spaced close together.
The highway code instructs to signal right while approaching the roundabout then left *after* you've passed the penultimate exit and transition into lane 1 (left) before exiting the roundabout. This is my understanding:
The problem is, there's hardly any space between the right hand roundabout exits (only one RH exit in the above picture, but imagine two), and this leaves almost no time to signal left, so the benefit of the signal is lost to anyone on or wanting to enter the roundabout. To an onlooker, it seems like you're swerving from the inside lane across the outside lane to exit at the last possible moment.
Can't signal before the penultimate exit as people on that exit waiting to enter the roundabout think I'm coming off at their exit. They pre-empt the manoeuvre (incorrectly) and pull out, causing a near collision.
There's also the issue of transitioning from the inside lane to the outside lane to come off (remember I'm approaching the roundabout to turn right) in heavy *rush hour* traffic. If you leave the transition to the penultimate exit then there's no free lane space. Signal earlier to get a space in the outside lane and you've got the above problem where people think you're coming off at an earlier exit and pull out....
Nothing on the highway code for this situation. Obviously the best option is one that's least likely to result in a collision, so leaving the left signal to the last minute seems the best of all options.
Any better ideas?
Thanks.