Does anyone else have issues at the eaglestone roundabout, with people going straight on the right lane?
Posted by Classic_Peasant@reddit | miltonkeynes | View on Reddit | 32 comments
Yo-Son@reddit
Bad road markings and terrible drivers.
Nothing you can do.
bsidewinsagain@reddit
They can use the right lane but should have let that other car go ahead of them when turning off.
SomeoneBritish@reddit
Just typical wankers who don’t want to learn how roundabouts work.
SimRacerSam@reddit
There’s actually nothing wrong with how the lanes were used. The anticipation of other road users’ positions was the downfall, and why this ended up a clumsy manoeuvre.
SomeoneBritish@reddit
The Highway Code objectively states that they should have been in the left lane. People ignoring the rules is dangerous.
SimRacerSam@reddit
The Mercedes (which, granted, was probably speeding) would have entered the left lane and immediately been under the 2-second rule (also in the Highway Code) to the gap of the vehicle in front. Given it’s been damp recently, that gap should increase to around 3-4 seconds. So, while the speed was high, there was no problem with using the right lane.
SomeoneBritish@reddit
Yes it was a problem. The Highway Code states that unless the road markings state otherwise, the left lane is for going left of straight. The right lane is for right or backwards.
If he was in the right lane and it was too late to change lane for whatever reason, they should have gone all the way around the roundabout and then exited at their desired exit.
Ignoring the rules puts everyone in danger and it’s not excusable. Mistakes happen, and that’s fine, but we shouldn’t accept rule breaking.
SimRacerSam@reddit
I do enjoy being downvoted, as a driving instructor, for stating facts. I would ask you to copy and paste the section of the Highway Code that you’re reading from, but I know you can’t.
Rule 186 talks about left exits (left lane), and right exits/full circle (right lane) as you alluded to, but it then states…
“When taking any intermediate exit, unless signs or markings indicate otherwise
The left lane may not have been appropriate due to the closing speed, and therefore would not have been practicing a safe following distance.
The Mercedes stayed in it’s lane, and did in fact indicate after passing the exit before the lane they wanted.
So, as I said - while the Mercedes in OP’s video was likely speeding and could have done a lot more to navigate the roundabout safely, using the right lane to go straight ahead is not an issue in this situation.
SomeoneBritish@reddit
To my understanding, this situation does not constitute an “intermediate exit”. I believe an intermediate exit is a roundabout with more than 4x exits where standard rules wouldn’t apply.
They were simply in the wrong lane for the 2nd/straight exit. The driver in the left lane likely would not have expected a driver to be on their right hand side during exit and this causes a safety risk. The Mercedes driver should have accepted they were in the wrong lane and gone around to ensure they approached their exit in the correct land.
If an exit having two lanes constitutes an intermediate exit counts, I am happy to be wrong, and if so, I take back everything I said about.
SimRacerSam@reddit
The word ‘intermediate’ is defined as “coming between two things.”
The Highway Code specifies which lane to be in for “the first exit left,” and it also specifies which lane to be in for “an exit to the right or going full circle.”
When teaching roundabouts, the general rule of thumb is, if the exit is past 12 o’clock on the roundabout sign, you’d typically be in the right hand lane and indicating, unless otherwise specified.
Therefore, the 2nd exit in OP’s scenario is neither a left exit or a right exit and, therefore, it’s an intermediate exit. As such, you would select an appropriate lane. Given the road leading up to it is a dual carriageway, and there are no signs to indicate otherwise, it’s fair to assume that the exit will also be a dual carriageway (as I’m sure you’re aware is very common in MK), which is why the Mercedes driver was well within their right to continue using the right lane (especially, as I mentioned, that moving to the left would have involved an insufficient following distance).
I’m not defending the Mercedes driver for a second, as I believe they were driving too fast and could have planned better. That said, I’d argue the car ahead in the left lane was appeared to be driving very hesitantly. Both could have been a bit more aware of their surroundings.
I spend a lot of time in cars, with a lot of different people, with vastly different skill sets. What’s apparent is how terrible people’s judgment of the road is.
I’m hoping to develop some 1:1 coaching packages aimed at full licence holders to help them refresh their knowledge and skills. People spend such little time on their driving techniques, and yet spend so much time behind the wheel. You’d be amazed at how rusty most people are.
SomeoneBritish@reddit
I wish you luck with the business.
rockandrollmark@reddit
Oh, they know. He’s driving a 10y old mid-range Mercedes. He needs to assert his Alpha status against other road users.
SimRacerSam@reddit
Nothing wrong with the situation but, as always, drives’ situational awareness could have been a lot better.
The car in front in the left lane seems very hesitant, and the car in front in the right lane doesn’t really need to be there in order to carry on - there was plenty of time for them to come back across to the left lane.
Both arrived at the same pinch point at the same time; the car on the left navigated the roundabout slowly and then hesitated due to the other car’s presence, the other car could have picked up earlier that the lane narrowed, and prepared to merge in behind the car on the left.
Lots to learn in the situation but, navigated properly, there’s not really an issue. There ‘could’ be a merge arrow to make it clearer, but it’s not needed.
chead23@reddit
All the time. And it's always a prick in a BMW.
SimRacerSam@reddit
As someone in a BMW, I promise you it’s everyone in Milton Keynes. In fact I think I’m one of the few cars who bothers to indicate around some of our larger roundabouts.
Mister_Marmite@reddit
Cos it goes from a dual to a single carriageway and 40 zone. They not reading signs n don't care. I mean they might be a doctor rushing to the hospital to save someone else's life, but I doubt it.
shdanko@reddit
As much as when I am driving and people do this it pisses me off, what signs should they have read to know the right lane doesn’t continue forward? There’s literally no sign or road markings saying so. I love the roads and system in MK but feel they could be signposted better in places.
Of course he might live here, know the road, and not care. More likely, but I don’t get why there isn’t some marking like there is at most roundabouts like this.
Feel_My_Bass@reddit
Agree. Jury is out on this - if you watch the video back you will see there is no way indication that the road layout will change nor any signalling of priority.
shdanko@reddit
Yeah definitely. And there are some roundabouts with straight up wrong signage/markings… the a5 roundabout by the stadium literally had different arrow markings on the road to the sign for years (because of a completely pointless slip road due to the traffic lights). Thankfully it was finally corrected a few months ago..
Cow_Launcher@reddit
This happens all the bloody time on the Stanton Wood roundabout (going northbound).
It's not signposted, but the road markings make it 100% clear, so I assume that people are just ignorant or oblivious.
moj_91@reddit
Is it that clear that the road drops down to one lane on approach? I think that's cuaght me out before.
hemm759@reddit
There's a sign on the approach... it's pretty small but it's there. Easy to miss it, but then you should just go round the roundabout when you realise (not that many people do that, though).
techno-ninja@reddit
If I'm not sure if a double goes to a single, I always mentally prepare myself to go all the way around. Most of the time I just stick to the left lane though
ronmarti@reddit
The lack of road markings is the issue here. Most roads in the grid have arrow signs on the floor but not when it’s going to be transitioning from double to single carriageways (which is more dangerous).
shdanko@reddit
Yeh exactly. The road system in MK is so good, why can’t they just add markings or a sign about the lanes here like they do in so many other places throughout MK?
awrgho@reddit
The one that does my head in is the Kingston roundabout going from glebe farm towards Kingston. The people going straight would mostly change lanes from left to right all of a sudden. Makes me think if I don’t know how to drive?
UsefulAd8513@reddit
This is the single most dangerous thing after the cross grid road right hand turns.
huse789@reddit
All the time
aboutautism@reddit
I think this is standard driving these days . It’s worse in Northampton.
Classic_Peasant@reddit (OP)
Can't say i venture to Northampton, is it really?
aboutautism@reddit
The A45 in particular, is very competitive.
GelatinousPinapple@reddit
I drove through the centre of Northampton to get to Vue and witnessed 3 near-misses. It's actually nuts