Which lane is correct....?

[Evo Sean]

Morning all
I'm sure you all love a little bit of "whats the road rule here?" scenario. I asked this because there are two roundabouts close to me that continuously cause divide. Let me explain:

Roundabout 1. The worse offender!
A5 Between Rugby and Lutterworth. Travelling from the North to the South West



This particular location always seems to divide opinion. As you approach the roundabout the lane widens to accept two lanes of traffic. What happens on nearly every occasion I've driven through here is some people pick the left lane and some people pick the right lane for the indicated direction of travel. There are no road markings. If there were they're long gone. Both lanes attempt to take the 3rd exit (A426).

I've seen every manner of road rage here when drivers come together to exit the roundabout. The exit is single lane. 2 into 1 rarely goes smoothly.

What's the correct lane?
I haven't looked at the book of dreams (highway code) on this yet. In my opinion, the left lane is correct but I'm always mindful of someone in the right lane attempting to take the same exit.

Roundabout 2. Much less of an issue than the above:
A5 Magna Park travelling on the B4027 heading East onto the A4303



The truth is on this one, I encounter very few issues. As you approach the roundabout on the B4027, again the road widens to accept two lanes. Exiting the roundabout is onto a dual carriage way. Left and right lane can exit without issue. Taking the left lane feels like the correct option here but when driven, it feels like your going the long way round, hugging the outside. When cutting across to the inside lane it feels like your cutting the roundabout hoping lanes. Neither "feel" like the right option. I tend to do a bit of both depending on what other cars do around me. There's far more space on this roundabout which is why there is far less road rage.

Same, question, what's the correct lane to be in?

Opinions....go!

[MikeM6]

I would say roundabout 1 is left lane and roundabout 2 is right lane, in the absence of road markings. This is based on left lane for turning left or going straight on and right lane for turnings right.

Always good to learn though, so keen to see what others decide!

[vroomtshh]

If in doubt, always the left hand lane. That way, you’re never cutting across a lane

[Skodillac]

Roundabout 1, left lane, but like you say OP be aware of traffic using the right lane and allow them to merge in front of you if necessary at the exit.

Roundabout 2, either lane seems fine, but again if you've taken the left lane be aware that someone in the right hand lane might merge into your lane on exit, so keep and eye out and give them space if necessary.

[RazerSauber]

2 lanes or 1, nothing changes if you're driving staggered and expecting conflict. With a total lack of road markings, I'd probably treat the junctions as a single lane.

Big Jobber on Facebook deals with these sorts of things quite regularly and provides often pretty good explanations of why things work the way they do.

[Aunty Pasty]

Roundabout 1, I can see a case for either lane but I would probably pick lane 2.

Roundabout 2 I'd pick lane 2. I'd think that people unfamiliar with the area would choose lane 2 as well.

[supermak]

Left lane by the looks of it, so long as it doesn't feed straight into the second turning. The right hand line could also be ok if it joins a dual carriageway.

[spoodler]

RazerSauber said:

2 lanes or 1, nothing changes if you're driving staggered and expecting conflict. With a total lack of road markings, I'd probably treat the junctions as a single lane.

.

Having ridden motorcycles for decades, I'd say this is the best approach... tend to ride and drive like this all the time, if poss'.

[Pica-Pica]

First roundabout, I would tend for the right hand lane, but only if not heavy traffic. If heavy traffic and I expect others to be in left hand lane and we would not be able to zip-merge our exit, then left hand lane. Coming from a two lane entry to a one lane exit is always risky and requires observation. Even worse are the very short two lane exits that narrow quickly to one lane.
Second roundabout would be right hand lane, unless other factors come into play.

[Doofus]

The first roundabout doesn't have any lane markings, does it? There's only one lane.

[Juan B]

spoodler said:

Having ridden motorcycles for decades, I'd say this is the best approach... tend to ride and drive like this all the time, if poss'.

I just take these kind of roundabouts as one lane too. My brother ended up having to go to court because insurers wouldnt agree on a roundabout bump he had on one of these earlier this year (fortunately he won) but such a ball ache.

So now I just go in the middle of the road so no one can pull up beside, its not marked as seperate lanes so is easier to treat it as one.

[C4ME]

Roundabout 1. I avoid that way generally by taking the road through Magna Park from the Jet roundabout and coming down the A5 instead and turning right. Left lane if I had to go this way but taking account the person in the right lane could be doing anything!

Roundabout 2 is simpler due to two exit lanes so either should be OK, but again being conscious the car in the other lane next to me could try and exit into either lane.