1y ago

Which lane would you use at this roundabout?

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:

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

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:

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:

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.

40 comments

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. :)

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.

The right one, of course.

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

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.

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.
- It's not so short, and you would be blocking people from two entrances.
  
  Don't see how I would block people if they were in the exiting lane like they should be

Right lane

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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
- 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.

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

40 comments