Roundabout Lane Poll - take 2

[RobM77]

I posted this yesterday but got the link wrong - sorry! Here we go again:

If you were driving from NNW to SSE over this roundabout, which lane would you choose?

https://goo.gl/maps/wGpYA92ALQk

Edited to add: If the link takes you to a big roundabout with 'Hoad Way' on it, that's wrong, but just scroll to the south west and the roundabout I'm talking about is the one nearest to Theale railway station.

Just to be clear, it's the roundabout between Daly International and Sungard and you're travelling roughly in a southerly direction staying on Station Rd.

Edited by RobM77 on Thursday 14th September 10:21

Edited by RobM77 on Thursday 14th September 10:21

[DaveH23]

You might be better off screen grabbing google maps as Station Road is not the link you have said.

You have linked Bath Road passing through Hoad Way and Waterside Drive.

[RobM77]

DaveH23 said:

You might be better off screen grabbing google maps as Station Road is not the link you have said.

You have linked Bath Road passing through Hoad Way and Waterside Drive.

Really? Jees, sorry. The image upload doesn't work from work, so I'll have to re-post tonight - sorry again. This is worth pursing as this has been bugging me for years. The actual roundabout is due SW of the one you mentioned; just north of Theale station.

[giantdefy]

DaveH23 said:

You might be better off screen grabbing google maps as Station Road is not the link you have said.

You have linked Bath Road passing through Hoad Way and Waterside Drive.

Worked for me

[giantdefy]

No option for my vote of Either

[RobM77]

giantdefy said:

No option for my vote of Either

There is now. Thanks for reminding me.

[RobM77]

giantdefy said:

DaveH23 said:

You might be better off screen grabbing google maps as Station Road is not the link you have said.

You have linked Bath Road passing through Hoad Way and Waterside Drive.

Worked for me

I've had a play and it seems that the link works on a PC, but not on an iPhone. The roundabout we're looking for is the one closest to Theale station, as described in the first post. Thanks!

[Adamxck]

Assuming I'm supposed to be travelling from under the flyover and trying to get to the bridge over the railway, then the left lane. I use this road occasionally; use the left lane and have never had a problem.

Have you been experiencing issues? (which lane do you use?)

[Dan29]

Here? https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.4343342,-1.07576...

Either lane for straight ahead.

[boyse7en]

I voted for left lane.

As its a two lane entrance but only a single lane exit, I'm guessing that there have been a few contretemps when two cars go straight on and neither will give way to the other.

[Solocle]

Left lane, but from a road engineering perspective it probably should be the right lane, as third exit is a null exit basically.

[Pica-Pica]

I would stick to left hand lane, to avoid cars entering from Brunel Road trying to sneak to my inside. I would not indicate at the Brunel road entrance, until cars from Brunel Rd could no longer see my front left indicator, or I was alongside them. Even then, only if there were road users behind or approaching the roundabout going north on Station Rd that would benefit from a signal (also for the benefit of pedestrians, cyclists or electric buggies that may be waiting to cross at this last exit).

[LordGrover]

Dan29 said:

Here? https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.4343342,-1.07576...

Either lane for straight ahead.

As a non-local I'd use left.
Locals and/or typical conditions may affect my decision though.

[JakeT]

Well look at that. 5 mins down the road from me! Not to mention my local station. I'd use left lane toward both roundabouts. That's if coming from the High St.

[james_gt3rs]

That's near where I work. I straddle both lanes and take the racing line on that roundabout

[Johnnytheboy]

Solocle said:

Left lane, but from a road engineering perspective it probably should be the right lane, as third exit is a null exit basically.

Logic says left, but as the right turn is a cul-de-sac, using right would divide the traffic more evenly.

So I don't know.

[boyse7en]

Johnnytheboy said:

Logic says left, but as the right turn is a cul-de-sac, using right would divide the traffic more evenly.

So I don't know.

As a non-local, I didn't know the right exit was a cul-de-sac, so I wouldn't really expect people in the right-hand lane to be going straight on.

[Pica-Pica]

Johnnytheboy said:

Solocle said:

Left lane, but from a road engineering perspective it probably should be the right lane, as third exit is a null exit basically.

Logic says left, but as the right turn is a cul-de-sac, using right would divide the traffic more evenly.

So I don't know.

The difficulty is, locals may develop their own habits depending on traffic flows, but visitors can then get caught out.

[Vocal Minority]

Left lane would probably provide the smoothest progress in the higher number of situations (namely 1 car in each lane going on squabbling over road position on exit).

So left.

But if there are several cars in the left lane indicating left, using the right wouldn't cause any bother either.

[RobM77]

Thanks for your replies. I deliberately kept the original post neutral, but I'll now reveal why this was a mystery to me. Virtually every car I see on this roundabout is going straight on and using the right hand lane to do so. There are rarely queues when I take it, but often one car going straight on. It gives me an awkward conundrum, because obviously if I'm in the left lane (as per the Highway Code), we'll come together on the exit.

I thought the Highway Code was quite clear that from a single carriageway to another single carriageway, the left lane is for all exits up to and including 12 o'clock. Could anyone who vote for the RHL give their reasoning? Something is causing Jo Public to use the right lane exclusively for going straight on and avoid the left hand lane. I can't see any evidence of arrows on the road, and there's no sign giving lanes either.

This may seem like a small point, but I've been taking this roundabout once a week for years now and it always confuses me why other drivers do what they do on it.

Edited by RobM77 on Thursday 14th September 16:28