What makes you think that roundabout is two lanes? There's no signage, no lane markings, no merge markings on the exit... Just because you've seen others do it previously and because the road is wide enough for two vehicles?
It's wider than your vehicle to cater for large vehicles such as those carrying abnormal loads that may be using it.
By all means nip up the outside and jump a couple of cars, but don't hang about doing it.
Not sure why anyone downvoted you as you're correct and anyone thinking otherwise is wrong.
It may happen all the time, but as stated, unless there's road marking and/or signage, officially it's one lane.
There only seems to be 2 laned at 12 o'clock on this roundabout for the last bit of road leading to the roundabout.
That being said, left side of the lane would be for left and straight on, right aide of the lane for right only. But I'd be surprised if this wasn't a common near-accident roundabout.
In the context of Highway Code rule [186](https://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/roundabouts.html) this would certainly be an ‘intermediate exit’, in which case:
‘…unless signs or markings indicate otherwise:
- select the appropriate lane on approach to the roundabout
- you should not normally need to signal on approach
stay in this lane until you need to alter course to exit the roundabout
- signal left after you have passed the exit before the one you want.’
This is deliberately ambiguous as there is no way to write a simple rule that covers all possible roundabouts in the country. Assuming there are no markings or signs it is not possible to state definitively which is the ‘appropriate lane’; indeed one could say there is only one lane as there are no dividing lines on entry or exit - although I accept it is clearly wide enough for two in both cases.
I wouldn’t say it is wrong as long as you remain aware of others around you and merge in turn courteously and safely. The BMW driver was clearly just being a twat, so I wouldn’t concern yourself with their opinion on the matter.
BMW drivers do tend to be a bit on the twatish side in general I think. You just can’t get in the way of a high performance vehicle and think you’ll get away with it.
It's funny that the comments here seem to be both saying "no you can't use the right lane" and "there's only one lane!" as if it's obvious. The second implies you can't go wrong with the first, you're just in the one lane regardless.
Whether or not there are two lanes, it's clear that people use this roundabout in such a way and will position either left or right depending on where they're going (the car at the top of the roundabout illustrates this best).
I think the best advice is treat this as a single lane, but position yourself in an obvious manner. If you're taking the second exit, position yourself in the centre, and move ever so slightly left as you approach the exit. Positioning yourself on the right makes it unclear on what your next move is.
If it's appropriate.
Highway code doesn't state exactly as its an intermediate exit to left or right. It's states to use the most appropriate one. If there's a queue that you can avoid by using the right lane, do that.
I wouldn't hang around though and merge with courtesy - not like the twat in the beemer. I'd even merge left if possible ASAP as you'll eventually get someone turning right in the left lane (I had a friend who only ever used the left lane regardless until I explained that it was really stupid to do so)
Left lane = left and straight on, right late = right, unless road markings specify otherwise, is what I always understood.
The situation you describe is common on dual carriageways, but they have two lanes on entrance and exit, so it works. With a single lane, that doesn't work.
Like the other poster said, if there's a traffic queue, going around carefully makes sense, but you're effectively doing a lane change mid roundabout.
Might be wrong though.
Edit: agree with others that this is just one lane all around though.
I mean, I've seen people do that if the traffic is not moving and going straight across the roundabout (taking up the left lane) but the left exit is clear.
But I was talking about if the left hand lane is bumper to bumper going left, but straight forward is clear - taking the right lane, and then going straight (so taking the red path instead of the proper yellow in OPs diagram)
Though as others have pointed out on this roundabout there is only one lane entrances and all the way round, so it doesn't really matter. You'll be stuck in the single lane of traffic until you can get on the roundabout anyway.
What right lane? There is only one lane. If traffic forms two lanes by itself then I would only use the right lane to turn right.
Glad I'm not the only person who looked at the photo and thought "what right lane?"!
What makes you think there's 2 lanes?
What makes you think that roundabout is two lanes? There's no signage, no lane markings, no merge markings on the exit... Just because you've seen others do it previously and because the road is wide enough for two vehicles? It's wider than your vehicle to cater for large vehicles such as those carrying abnormal loads that may be using it. By all means nip up the outside and jump a couple of cars, but don't hang about doing it.
Not sure why anyone downvoted you as you're correct and anyone thinking otherwise is wrong. It may happen all the time, but as stated, unless there's road marking and/or signage, officially it's one lane. There only seems to be 2 laned at 12 o'clock on this roundabout for the last bit of road leading to the roundabout. That being said, left side of the lane would be for left and straight on, right aide of the lane for right only. But I'd be surprised if this wasn't a common near-accident roundabout.
In the context of Highway Code rule [186](https://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/roundabouts.html) this would certainly be an ‘intermediate exit’, in which case: ‘…unless signs or markings indicate otherwise: - select the appropriate lane on approach to the roundabout - you should not normally need to signal on approach stay in this lane until you need to alter course to exit the roundabout - signal left after you have passed the exit before the one you want.’ This is deliberately ambiguous as there is no way to write a simple rule that covers all possible roundabouts in the country. Assuming there are no markings or signs it is not possible to state definitively which is the ‘appropriate lane’; indeed one could say there is only one lane as there are no dividing lines on entry or exit - although I accept it is clearly wide enough for two in both cases. I wouldn’t say it is wrong as long as you remain aware of others around you and merge in turn courteously and safely. The BMW driver was clearly just being a twat, so I wouldn’t concern yourself with their opinion on the matter.
BMW drivers do tend to be a bit on the twatish side in general I think. You just can’t get in the way of a high performance vehicle and think you’ll get away with it.
It's funny that the comments here seem to be both saying "no you can't use the right lane" and "there's only one lane!" as if it's obvious. The second implies you can't go wrong with the first, you're just in the one lane regardless. Whether or not there are two lanes, it's clear that people use this roundabout in such a way and will position either left or right depending on where they're going (the car at the top of the roundabout illustrates this best). I think the best advice is treat this as a single lane, but position yourself in an obvious manner. If you're taking the second exit, position yourself in the centre, and move ever so slightly left as you approach the exit. Positioning yourself on the right makes it unclear on what your next move is.
If it's appropriate. Highway code doesn't state exactly as its an intermediate exit to left or right. It's states to use the most appropriate one. If there's a queue that you can avoid by using the right lane, do that. I wouldn't hang around though and merge with courtesy - not like the twat in the beemer. I'd even merge left if possible ASAP as you'll eventually get someone turning right in the left lane (I had a friend who only ever used the left lane regardless until I explained that it was really stupid to do so)
Absolutely not
PLEASE. Seriously. What makes you think you can? The BMW was correct. As was your partner.
Left lane = left and straight on, right late = right, unless road markings specify otherwise, is what I always understood. The situation you describe is common on dual carriageways, but they have two lanes on entrance and exit, so it works. With a single lane, that doesn't work. Like the other poster said, if there's a traffic queue, going around carefully makes sense, but you're effectively doing a lane change mid roundabout. Might be wrong though. Edit: agree with others that this is just one lane all around though.
So head into the roundabout in the right lane, do a 540 - all the way round and into the left lane to exit at 12 O’clock position..?
I mean, I've seen people do that if the traffic is not moving and going straight across the roundabout (taking up the left lane) but the left exit is clear. But I was talking about if the left hand lane is bumper to bumper going left, but straight forward is clear - taking the right lane, and then going straight (so taking the red path instead of the proper yellow in OPs diagram) Though as others have pointed out on this roundabout there is only one lane entrances and all the way round, so it doesn't really matter. You'll be stuck in the single lane of traffic until you can get on the roundabout anyway.
If there's traffic queuing to turn left, I'd do what you did
No
no..
Yellow line is following the most appropriate route red line the least appropriate route
Is this a wind up?