New Highway Code

[mjr]

Try the Stansted Airport junction on the M11: half a mile in circumference, varies from 2 to 4 lanes wide, has multiple traffic lights, a bypass cutting through the central island, and no footpath or verge to walk on.

Even better than that, the walking/cycling bypass route bypassing the Stansted Airport junction is about double the distance between the roundabouts either side, including two U-turns, unlit and unsurfaced:

Cyclepath 16

© Glyn Baker, cc-by-sa.

With roundabouts and alternative routes that crap, the Highway Code is only ever going to be a sticking plaster trying to close a gushing artery... but still better to have it improved than not.

 

[mjr]

I had a motorist pull across me on a roundabout from right lane to turn left. I was in left lane, in my car, and had not indicated I was turning left, because I wasn’t. They can’t get it right when you are in car. Since when did turning left from the right lane become a thing?

I can think of roundabouts where the markings direct people to turn right from the left lane, such as the A47 westbound at West Lynn, where all the preceding exits have only one lane off. I expect there's one somewhere that does the opposite, where only the first exit has two lanes off, but then the left lane really ought to be marked as left-turn-only, which I bet it wasn't because you weren't.

 

[Solocle]

I can think of roundabouts where the markings direct people to turn right from the left lane, such as the A47 westbound at West Lynn, where all the preceding exits have only one lane off. I expect there's one somewhere that does the opposite, where only the first exit has two lanes off, but then the left lane really ought to be marked as left-turn-only, which I bet it wasn't because you weren't.

Right from the left lane:

 

[Solocle]

Aaand there we go!

Left from the right lane. A4260/A44 junction just outside Oxford. I've cycled the A44/A44 movement a number of times, but never this arm of the roundabout.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I can think of roundabouts where the markings direct people to turn right from the left lane, such as the A47 westbound at West Lynn, where all the preceding exits have only one lane off. I expect there's one somewhere that does the opposite, where only the first exit has two lanes off, but then the left lane really ought to be marked as left-turn-only, which I bet it wasn't because you weren't.

Yep no such markings to indicate turning left from right hand lane, plus they didn’t even indicate when they made the crazy manoeuvre

 

[Alex321]

Yep no such markings to indicate turning left from right hand lane, plus they didn’t even indicate when they made the crazy manoeuvre

The chances are they just suddenly realised they were inthe wrong place and should be taking that exit, and rather than going all the way round again, just dived across.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

The chances are they just suddenly realised they were inthe wrong place and should be taking that exit, and rather than going all the way round again, just dived across.

Whatever, an idiotic move, if I hadn’t braked sharply it would have been a collision.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

We have a small roundabout near here that has a left turn only lane as I approach it

I have had a couple of cars sweep round inside me when they get in the wrong lane
luckily I have always spotted them and been able to give them room - not sure how possible that would be if someone was coing round the roundabout at the same time - but it has never happened

 

[KnittyNorah]

In the past couple of days I've had several drivers stop their cars to let me continue on my way, in the sort of situation where it has NEVER happened before - but exactly the sort of situation as described in the 'new' Highway Code. A couple of regularly-dog-walking neighbours, with whom I share notes, have also commented on drivers halting and their not needing - as one lady put it - to 'scamper' across the road feeling as if they're dodging vehicles, but being able to walk across 'in a normal civilised fashion'.
So it seems that there is some publicity, somewhere, reaching some drivers. And some of those drivers take note - as of course they should.

 

[BoldonLad]

In the past couple of days I've had several drivers stop their cars to let me continue on my way, in the sort of situation where it has NEVER happened before - but exactly the sort of situation as described in the 'new' Highway Code. A couple of regularly-dog-walking neighbours, with whom I share notes, have also commented on drivers halting and their not needing - as one lady put it - to 'scamper' across the road feeling as if they're dodging vehicles, but being able to walk across 'in a normal civilised fashion'.
So it seems that there is some publicity, somewhere, reaching some drivers. And some of those drivers take note - as of course they should.

We can but hope

 

[harlechjoe]

We can but hope

Gosh, I'm amazed and signals, as you say, hope for all of us !

 

[Svendo]

I had a motorist pull across me on a roundabout from right lane to turn left. I was in left lane, in my car, and had not indicated I was turning left, because I wasn’t. They can’t get it right when you are in car. Since when did turning left from the right lane become a thing?

One of my dirty habits is watching DashCams UK videos on Facebook, and a very high proportion of the incidents are on roundabouts, and about half of those are big a-road or M-way junction ones, usually someone exiting from the right hand lane to their 2nd exit (or more) and another car on the inside crossing the exit. Quite often the camera car is barrelling across the roundabout from right hand approach lane to right hand roundabout lane to right hand exit lane. I now assume even more than I did that everyone on a roundabout is lost, doesn’t understand ‘lanes’, know their left from right or have working indicators.

 

[Svendo]

It's right as in correct. It's not right as in a good idea IMO. It used to be that all slow vehicles could do this and the 1968 Highway Code included Rule 84 "When in a roundabout, look out for vehicles crossing in front of you to leave by the next exit."

The 1993 edition included in Rule 200 for cyclists only "Rules 123-128 set out the correct procedures at roundabouts but you may feel safer approaching in the left-hand lane and keeping to the left in the roundabout. If you do keep to the left, take extra care when cycling across exits and signal right to show you are not leaving. Watch out for vehicles crossing your path to leave or join the roundabout." Rule 126 warns motorists about the practice. I also note that rule 200 weasels that "you may feel safer" rather than you'll actually be any safer, which puts it firmly in the same evidence-free category as certain other cycling rules.


Any of them who did Cycling Proficiency at school before 1990 (when it was taught as how to cycle on roundabouts) really should, as should any drivers who took their test before 1999, even if you consider the current (2007-2022 edition) wording to be less than explicit.

I’m intrigued, do you have a library of successive HCs, or a didactic memory?

 

[classic33]

I’m intrigued, do you have a library of successive HCs, or a didactic memory?

Google at his fingertips.

 

[mjr]

I’m intrigued, do you have a library of successive HCs, or a didactic memory?

Ones more than 50 years old are online, as is the current one, plus I have a paper copy of the 1993 edition from when I was learning to drive. I should have a copy of the 1988(?) edition but can't find it. They're small books and I found the 1993 mixed in a shelf of touring maps during the last house move. It has been useful in forums like this for context and sometimes "how the fark did this messed-up layout arise?" and "was that sign ever legal?" questions.