Advocacy & Safety - roundabouts - turning right - uk

I just wondered what the safest way is to take a roundabout?

I often see exceptionally aggressive driving at a roundabout in the UK, ( typically people with more money than sense who simply don't give a **** about anybody else; period; cos driving is a class game to them... but don't get me started )

Anyway, I have often encountered MULTIPLE cars cutting in front of me as I traverse the outside of the circle of the roundabout, basically I have to stop or be hit, thanks Mr(s) matey car driver so kind and considerate.

Anyway, since I've got a slightly quicker road bike I'm slightly inclined to keep pace with traffic and hold my road position.... for safety?!

Can I ask please... on a double roundabout should one when turning right ( turning left in other countries ok ) enter the inner lane at all? or stick on the outside? I want to know what is safest and not what is fastest.

Cheers,
spurt.

I just wondered what the safest way is to take a roundabout?

I often see exceptionally aggressive driving at a roundabout in the UK, ( typically people with more money than sense who simply don't give a **** about anybody else; period; cos driving is a class game to them... but don't get me started )

Anyway, I have often encountered MULTIPLE cars cutting in front of me as I traverse the outside of the circle of the roundabout, basically I have to stop or be hit, thanks Mr(s) matey car driver so kind and considerate.

Anyway, since I've got a slightly quicker road bike I'm slightly inclined to keep pace with traffic and hold my road position.... for safety?!

Can I ask please... on a double roundabout should one when turning right ( turning left in other countries ok ) enter the inner lane at all? or stick on the outside? I want to know what is safest and not what is fastest.

Cheers,
spurt.

Hi, with all due respect here, since you're not in a race, it might be prudent to vary your route so as to not 'have' to go through the roundabout.

I'm afraid I have no choice in route, the only choice would be to pushing the bike on pavement. But just to clarify this is a double lane roundabout issue, where vehicles feel the need to assert their position in the road and outside and overtake on the inside, in the UK we give way to traffic to our right entering or already on the roundabout. The cyclists trouble is that on the outside you are almost asking for trouble if cars are already engaged in battle of lanes as they enter the roundabout.

I honestly don't know the general code of safe conduct for cyclists and roundabouts and just want to do it as safe as possible, given my reasonably close calls to date.

Is the inner lane of a roundabout out of bounds to a cyclist?, and if not should one take the extreme inner or lane outside of this lane?

Any tips very much appreciated as I feel I'm doing it wrong being passive if you catch my drift?

Ride as you would drive round correctly:
1. Take the RH lane in such a position that they cannot overtake you on the right or left
2. Keep a very careful lookout for all other vehicles
3. Clearly signal your intention to leave the roundabout
4. Ride as fast as you can
5. Do not repeat not assume that any drivers know (a) how to position themselves correctly and (b) knows how/when to signal.
AND
6. Do not ride in the nearside lane where your path will be crossed by drivers exiting the r'bout - but then, you've already discovered that ;)

I find roundabouts utterly confusing altogether. Even when I'm driving in my car I feel like I am invisible to other cars approaching the roundabout. Seems like anything goes with these things! Luckily I do not have to ride my bike through one of these, but I would suggest taking the lane as you usually do so you can attempt to be seen as much as possible, but if cars do not want to yield to you, looks like you have no choice but to stop for them since the consequences of not yielding for you are obviously more fatal than for the driver. Unfortunately, doesn't sound like there is any easy method of using this roundabout. Sounds like the roundabout you use frequently has a lot of traffic, right? Is there an option to use a sidewalk through the roundabout instead? I wouldn't recommend "racing" through the roundabout to keep up with traffic though. That will only make it harder for you to stop suddenly if needed.

great advice, but just want to clarify


1. Take the RH lane in such a position that they cannot overtake you on the right or left

in a two lane roundabout, where is this?... you mean the middle of the inner lane right?

great advice, but just want to clarify



in a two lane roundabout, where is this?... you mean the middle of the inner lane right?

UK usage:
Inside lane/nearside lane = US outer lane
Outside Lane = US Inner lane

So yes, "the middle of the inner lane"

Altho', confusingly, on roundabouts people often talk about going round the outside lane, meaning the outside one looked at from above, i.e. what is also called the inside/nearside lane. Which may account for some of the frequent inability of British drivers to follow the Highway Code (govt. publication giving the rules of the road, some of which are advisory rules and do not have the force of law, but you may find yourself in court if you don't apply them and cause an accident) on roundabouts.

As always, two countries divided by a single language :)

By the way, your median is our central reservation.

I trust all is now clear.

Get over towards the island, so you wont have to deal with crossing vehicles. The radius of the roundabout should reduce the car speed sufficiently so there wont be a dangerous speed differential. Good luck.

I had recently posted another thread about roundabout/circles.
I also have found that people at the circles here fly through them, with only inches to spare to the next car.
In my thread many said if you know how to use them. That is, I think the problem. Many of the people don't know how to use them with any courtesy to anyone else on the circle.
dc

Although I generally like tight-radius single-lane traffic circles with 15mph/25kph design speeds, I dread fast multilane roundabouts when walking or cycling.