Roundabout question

[Lord Flashheart]

I was sat at a mini roundabout today, the type that was probably a T junction at some point in the past. I'm at the branch as it would have been and waiting a long time to get out. The point came when I just had to say to myself 'fk it, I'm pulling out', because the traffic was relentless. Not tightly bunched traffic, but vehicles a good 4 - 6 car distances apart with no intention of touching the brakes irrespective of the roundabout.
So my question is ' how close does a car need to be to a roundabout before you have not given way to the right?' When I pulled out, the car coming was all of 4 cars distance away, but because of his speed (30mph road), I still had to really boot it to get out. I should point out there was no hooting or flashing or bad language from anyone, but I imagine there could have been. Likewise, if I hadn't taken a chance, the grief would have eventually come from behind!

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

I always think that if you make another driver brake it wasn't a good move..


.....but then some days you just need to make a bad move (or two)

[Spx]

Look the other way, nudge forward a safe six inches, when approaching car brakes - duck out.

Don’t use all your six inches’s all at once!

[waremark]

I think the rule is that the car from the right has priority - just as if you were exiting a minor road onto a major at a T junction. But if you have to push to get out you have to push!

[hureciamirl1935]

I guess knowing well who has the right of way at a particular time helps most. It is relatively not pleasant to make a car brake unexpectedly but you can sometimes get away with it.

[Pothole]

There would have been a decent gap at some point. Depends on your patience. I can put up with any amount of beeping and arm waving from behind; they're not seeing what I'm seeing.

[LeoSayer]

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

I always think that if you make another driver brake it wasn't a good move..

.....but then some days you just need to make a bad move (or two)

I hear the phrase on here that you shouldn't cause another driver to alter their speed or direction but I'm not sure if that's always achievable.

[shovelheadrob]

Assuming that there's traffic in both directions on the road you're joining, the traffic from the right "should" be approaching more cautiously, if a vehicle coming from the left were to turn right (with or without indicating) they could end up in a mess.

[jamei303]

There are three requirements to give way at a mini roundabout:

a) a vehicle entering the junction must give priority to vehicles coming from the right

b) no vehicle is to proceed past the [mini roundabout] marking in a manner, or at a time, likely to endanger any person, or to cause the driver of another vehicle to change its speed or course in order to avoid an accident.

c) traffic approaching a [mini roundabout] should give way at, or immediately beyond, the line to traffic circulating on the carriageway of the roundabout

The problem is that people generally only focus on a) but in reality the onus is on all participants to enter at a speed that enables them to give way to others. For example if you violate a) by entering the roundabout as someone else is approaching it from the right, they need to give way to you, but instead you'll find they're more likely to lean on the horn and make a point of nearly colliding with you.

[Lord Flashheart]

All interesting and valid points. In this case all roads approaching had the usual dotted white lines, so must give way to the right. The drivers to my right would rush at the roundabout before the quieter traffic to their right got to the roundabout. So it got me thinking that if one of them crashed into me, who would be responsible in the eyes of the insurer? Technically there was not a vehicle on the roundabout for me to give way to, but my acceleration onto the roundabout compared to someone approaching at 30mph from 4 or 5 car distances could have dropped me in trouble. I guess that would all happen within about 3 seconds! A bit of a conundrum really.

[Chromegrill]

We're far more polite round where I live. Four way ex-crossroads mini roundabout, each road feeding into it equally busy. Frequently I'll sit at it with a car parked in front of me waiting to go, and a car parked at the other three exists. No-one feels they can move, as there is a car to the right of each car.

Tends to be the car in front of whoever has the loudest horn that moves first.

[Lord Flashheart]

Chromegrill said:

We're far more polite round where I live. Four way ex-crossroads mini roundabout, each road feeding into it equally busy. Frequently I'll sit at it with a car parked in front of me waiting to go, and a car parked at the other three exists. No-one feels they can move, as there is a car to the right of each car.

Tends to be the car in front of whoever has the loudest horn that moves first.

Equally annoying!

[Len Woodman]

In Australia the rule in most states is:

Drivers must slow or stop to give way to any vehicle
already in the roundabout.

This sets up so much confusion...……….