54
submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by lightswitchr@lemmy.world to c/nostupidquestions@lemmy.world

There's a roundabout I use semi-regularly which I feel has ambiguous lanes.

The roundabout is the junction between the A38 and the A610 in Ripley, Derbyshire, UK.

There's no signs or roadmarkings which tell you which lane to use, so which would you use when travelling in the A610 Ambergate direction from the A610 Ripley?

This is the roundabout in question, with the entry and exit marked: Roundabout overview

Here's the entry, with the lanes in question marked: Entry lanes

Between the entry and exits in question on this roundabout, there are two other exits - a minor B6441 to Ripley, and the A38 to Derby.

There's an added complication that the left lane on the roundabout is for the A610 only: A610 only

If I use the left lane, I frequently have people overtake in the right lane, then cut in to the left to exit. To me, it feels more natural to take the left lane and follow it round to exit in the correct lane.

This diagram possibly explains what I mean a bit clearer: Lane diagram

I've had disagreements with people over this - some say use the right lane as you're going past two other exits and the exit is "to the right of the entry". Some say they use the left lane as it feels more natural, which I agree with.

I have understood roundabout lane discipline to be as follows:

Left lane for turning left and straight on, right for turning right only, unless signposted or marked otherwise. This entry/exit combination to me seems like a "straight-on" situation, hence why I'd choose to use the left lane.

So I put it to you, what lane would you choose and why?

EDIT: I wasn't clear when asking, I apologise. I'm asking which lane on approach to the roundabout - not which lane on the roundabout.

top 26 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[-] ABCDE@lemmy.world 18 points 1 year ago

Right lane, then move to the left when it's your junction to turn off. In the first image your turn is right of the centre, so you stay right until it's left. :)

[-] jocanib@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago

There’s an added complication that the left lane on the roundabout is for the A610 only:

This is not an "added complication", it's literally the answer to your question. You use the right lane to allow the traffic taking the first or second lefts to peel off and you move over after they've gone.

[-] bleistift2@feddit.de 10 points 1 year ago

The right one, of course.

[-] Blamemeta@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago
[-] GreatBlueHeron@lemmy.ca 7 points 1 year ago

It's a bit hard to follow what you're asking, but it seems like the answer is in your question - if you're taking the A610 stay in the left lane, as marked. If you're exiting after the A610 use the right lane. What am I missing?

[-] Mr_Blott@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

To me it looks like it's marked "610 Only" just before the bridge, which would mean you stay on the right until after the last exit before the 610, then switch to the 610 Only lane

[-] adude007@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 year ago

Don’t think you’re missing anything left lane to get out of the interchange. Right lane to drive in circles.

[-] TonyTonyChopper@mander.xyz 6 points 1 year ago

I'd stay in the left lane, would be worried about changing lanes in that short stretch. There will always be knuckle heads trying to overtake no matter where you are.

[-] ABCDE@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

It's not so short, and you would be blocking people from two entrances.

[-] TonyTonyChopper@mander.xyz 1 points 1 year ago

Don't see how I would block people if they were in the exiting lane like they should be

[-] ABCDE@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Look at the first entrance on, people would be trying to come on and that would possibly cause a hold up if you stayed left.

[-] drekly@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

I have this issue on a roundabout local to me. Maybe I'll post a similar thing!

Unless clearly marked where you should be, I personally feel you should be in the right hand lane unless your turning is next.

That way, it's easy for the people on that entry to judge whether the lane is clear for them to pull out, because the only people in the closest lane are turning off before them.

On my local roundabout there are only three exits (and the one you're coming from, so four total) if you enter from the south and need to take the west, you should be in the left lane. Easy.

But if you need to go south to north? I go in the right, but it seems like everyone else goes left, and I hate it! Especially if I'm entering from the west, I have no idea if someone's turning off or carrying on, it makes entering from that direction a nightmare.

[-] LChitman@kbin.social 5 points 1 year ago

I reckon I'd go in the left lane approaching the roundabout. Your exit is maybe technically "to the right" of entry but it's marginal and that's only a rule of thumb. You have to move to the left lane to come off anyway and you're not going to be in anyone's way going round are you?

[-] ABCDE@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Yes, you would be in the way of those getting on.

[-] icky_mess@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

Definitely should be the left lane, as per the sign. There should be some cutting in from the right lane, however, as anyone coming off the A38 for the A610 will be in the right lane and they'll need to merge to the left as it's a single lane exit. I'm guessing you're specifically talking about people coming onto the roundabout from the same entry as you though. Nobs.

[-] Baconheatedradiator@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Doesn't the left lane in the roundabout state "ahead only" which would indicate you need to be in the left lane to take that exit.

It also looks like the exit only has one lane, which is another indicating factor. If the exit had two lanes, then either lane would be fine

[-] MothBookkeeper@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

There's an added complication that the left lane on the roundabout is for the A610 only:

The street you're trying to get to IS the A610, no? So yeah, take the left lane.

[-] SonyJunkie@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

It depends on how busy the roundabout is.

If it's really busy and there is a possibility of traffic backing up on either of the the two exits before the one you want to take then I'd be in the righthand lane on approach and move to the lefthand lane as soon as I'm past the second exit, getting in the lane marked A610 going under the bridge. This way you avoid possibly getting caught in slow moving traffic and adding to the back up.

If the roundabout isn't that busy then using the lefthand lane on approach would be fine and just staying in the lefthand lane all the way.

Roundabouts need to be as free flowing as possible, so use whichever lane is going to keep the traffic moving best.

I use a roundabout everyday that crosses a motorway and the traffic joining the motorway always backs up the slip road on to the roundabout at rush hour. Often people wanting to go "straight" over the roundabout get in the lefthand lane on approach and then get stuck in the backed up traffic which just adds to the congestion. I tend to approach in the righthand lane and move to the left once past the motorway exit. I've noticed that people tend to leave a gap for the traffic in the righthand lane to go through but will block the lefthand lane just in case someone sneaks in front of them!! LOL

[-] drekly@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

As well as my previous answer, I've drawn guidelines, illustrating 15 examples for each lane of each entry/exit. In an ideal world, you'd use it like this. hide and unhide the lines to see clearer/more

Whilst drawing, I could actually see why you think the left lane is viable, because most of the entries have an immediate exit with no need to use the lane of the roundabout. But it's still not correct.

[-] 0235@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

https://www.google.com/maps/@53.0578658,-1.4131223,3a,23.1y,242.95h,92.38t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s96-rtewRF225HiN3HaqNCg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

You are missing a key feature of that roundabout, the first sign leading up to it, and the "clock" theory.

Imagine an analogue clock. Anything between 12:00 and 6:00 you use the right hand lane, regardless of the shape of the roundabout in real life.

Anything between 6:00 and 12:00 you use the left hand lane. Again. Regardless of what the actual real world layout of the roundabout it.

The sign shows that the left lane is not to go "straight ahead", even though you are staying on the A610 and staying on the "same road"

Once you got past those first two exits, you would then switch from lane 2 to lane 1, as per the sign on the roundabout.

So normally left would be to continue, in this specific case, right is to continue on the A610, and the people "cutting in front of you" are correct. Well, they shouldn't cut, but they are not expecting you to still be in lane 1

[-] Eavolution@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

I passed my test less than a year ago, and I was always taught unless the road/signs says otherwise, its the left lane for anything roughly straight or left of straight, and right otherwise

[-] MrNesser@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

As a rule of thumb 1st and 2nd exit left lane 3rd and 4th right lane

You do need to switch lanes so your in position to exit after the 2nd exit

[-] 0235@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Except when a sign states otherwise. In this case left lane is exit 1 and 2, and right lane is the others. Even if you are "exiting at 12:00" / straight over.

load more comments
view more: next ›
this post was submitted on 11 Jul 2023
54 points (100.0% liked)

No Stupid Questions

34333 readers
1313 users here now

No such thing. Ask away!

!nostupidquestions is a community dedicated to being helpful and answering each others' questions on various topics.

The rules for posting and commenting, besides the rules defined here for lemmy.world, are as follows:

Rules (interactive)


Rule 1- All posts must be legitimate questions. All post titles must include a question.

All posts must be legitimate questions, and all post titles must include a question. Questions that are joke or trolling questions, memes, song lyrics as title, etc. are not allowed here. See Rule 6 for all exceptions.



Rule 2- Your question subject cannot be illegal or NSFW material.

Your question subject cannot be illegal or NSFW material. You will be warned first, banned second.



Rule 3- Do not seek mental, medical and professional help here.

Do not seek mental, medical and professional help here. Breaking this rule will not get you or your post removed, but it will put you at risk, and possibly in danger.



Rule 4- No self promotion or upvote-farming of any kind.

That's it.



Rule 5- No baiting or sealioning or promoting an agenda.

Questions which, instead of being of an innocuous nature, are specifically intended (based on reports and in the opinion of our crack moderation team) to bait users into ideological wars on charged political topics will be removed and the authors warned - or banned - depending on severity.



Rule 6- Regarding META posts and joke questions.

Provided it is about the community itself, you may post non-question posts using the [META] tag on your post title.

On fridays, you are allowed to post meme and troll questions, on the condition that it's in text format only, and conforms with our other rules. These posts MUST include the [NSQ Friday] tag in their title.

If you post a serious question on friday and are looking only for legitimate answers, then please include the [Serious] tag on your post. Irrelevant replies will then be removed by moderators.



Rule 7- You can't intentionally annoy, mock, or harass other members.

If you intentionally annoy, mock, harass, or discriminate against any individual member, you will be removed.

Likewise, if you are a member, sympathiser or a resemblant of a movement that is known to largely hate, mock, discriminate against, and/or want to take lives of a group of people, and you were provably vocal about your hate, then you will be banned on sight.



Rule 8- All comments should try to stay relevant to their parent content.



Rule 9- Reposts from other platforms are not allowed.

Let everyone have their own content.



Rule 10- Majority of bots aren't allowed to participate here.



Credits

Our breathtaking icon was bestowed upon us by @Cevilia!

The greatest banner of all time: by @TheOneWithTheHair!

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS