Roundabout advice - which lane?

[amandanorgaard]

I've been driving for just over a year, and still get confused when I use this roundabout. I regularly use it as it's close to my house.

I would usually approach from the road on the far right side, where there are two lanes.

I would take the left lane if turning immediately left, or heading onto the roundabout and using the first exit.

I would take the right lane if heading onto the roundabout and taking the fourth exit onto the motorway. (The fifth exit isn't an exit, it's just the traffic leaving the motorway).

However, if I want to take the third exit (just to the left of the motorway) then I need to be in the middle lane after crossing Glenmachan St, which becomes the left lane, and merge over to the extra left hand lanes after the second exit. This is done easily enough with the traffic lights. Similarly, if I want to take the second exit, I need to be in the middle lane again, then move over to the left.

My question is, when approaching from the road on the far right hand side, which lane do I use to then move into the middle lane on the roundabout? My instinct is right if I'm taking the third exit, but left if I'm taking the second exit, due to the whole 12 o'clock rule. But after looking at the roundabout from above like this, I've realised that technically as I come to the end of the road on the right I'm not actually at the roundabout yet. So I'm quite confused!

If someone could help me that would be wonderful!

Edited by amandanorgaard on Friday 24th August 13:11

[Pica-Pica]

What may be technically correct, may not be what other road users are expecting you to do.
I do not know the area (Belfast?), but you need to observe what others do during different times of day and levels of congestion. Observation, positioning, not be in others’ blind spots, and indicating are key.

[Pica-Pica]

To follow the Blue route, I would enter in RH lane. At ‘A’ I would move to centre lane. At B it seems a LH lane becomes available and you can enter it without the likelihood of traffic coming from your left. For the next exit, carry on as described above, but at point B continue in the middle lane, and then exit via whatever exit lane is appropriate. Signal where appropriate.
That is what I would do, on the image given. As I said, traffic flow patterns may dictate other routes.

[Pumpkinz]

amandanorgaard said:

My question is, when approaching from the road on the far right hand side, which lane do I use to then move into the middle lane on the roundabout? My instinct is right if I'm taking the third exit, but left if I'm taking the second exit, due to the whole 12 o'clock rule. But after looking at the roundabout from above like this, I've realised that technically as I come to the end of the road on the right I'm not actually at the roundabout yet. So I'm quite confused!

You're quite right about not having reached the roundabout - when entering from Donegall Road you are simply turning right onto Glenmachan Street - it just happens there is a roundabout shortly afterwards, and knowledge of that could be a factor in lane choice.

So choosing right or left based on 2nd/3rd exit doesn't make sense because you use the same lane (the middle) at the roundabout for both. At the traffic lights on Donegall Road you need to select the correct lane to enter the middle lane approaching the roundabout.

Now unlike the roundabout where the right lane on entry splits in two and is very clearly marked as such, we have no markings to indicate whether the left or right lane at Donegall Road lights should become the middle. That means that it is a negotiation and right and left lanes in principle have equal right (or lack thereof) to take up the middle lane after the lights.

Observation is critical in these situations... You may find that with local knowledge most people use one particular lane, in which case fit in with the local custom and practice, but be alert to the visitors who haven't been told... We have something similar local to me, but all the locals know that it used to be clearly marked for the left to become left and middle, but since some minor layout changes markings were left out, so you can get conflict if you are not alert.

EDIT: My preference is to use the left hand lane in these situations where 2 becomes 3 without guides - simple application of the principle that we keep left unless we have a good reason to do otherwise. That might be guide markings on the road, local custom and practice, or even to pass a slower vehicle (although with the limited distance to the roundabout, this is a risky strategy here, so probably unwise)

Edited by Pumpkinz on Friday 24th August 18:44