Roundabout question

tech77

Hi.
My sister and I are in disagreement about a roundabout rule.

She maintains you are NEVER allowed enter a roundabout without being able to leave it.
In other words that you can't stop on a roundabout and hold up other traffic coming from ANY direction under any circumstances.
Is this true?

I was of the opinion that
1) it's ok to be stopped on a RB in traffic and be holding up cars coming from your left.
2) but not ok to be stopped on a RB in traffic holding up cars coming from your right (which of course would have the right of way).

Who is right?

Wishbone Ash

tech77 wrote: »

She maintains you are NEVER allowed enter a roundabout without being able to leave it

I'd love to see her negotiating signal controlled roundabouts!!

tech77

I take it from that you think she is mistaken, correct.

vengeance52

Well ifs a signal controlled roundabout then it would be ok to enter, but if its not, and the exit i would be taking is blocked, i personally wouldnt enter the roundabout and block cars from taking other exits.

http://www.drivingschoolireland.com/roundabouts.html

Approaching a roundabout

* Decide as early as possible which exit you need to take.
* Take note of and act on all the information available to you from traffic signs, traffic lights and road markings that direct you into the correct lane.
* Remember, "mirror, signal, mirror, manoeuvre" at all stages. First use your mirrors to check for any traffic following behind you and, where necessary, signal your intentions in good time to give other road users appropriate warnings.
* Get into the correct lane when it is safe to do so.
* Be aware of the speed and position of all traffic around you and adjust your speed to fit in with traffic conditions.

Follow the correct procedure and instructions when approaching and driving on roundabouts.

When you reach the roundabout

* Give way to traffic approaching from your right, unless signs, road markings or traffic lights tell you otherwise.
* Where traffic lights control the roundabout, you must obey them.
* You must obey any road markings on the lanes and/or other instructions to show what lane to use if you intend to take a particular exit from the roundabout.
* Pay attention to vehicles already on the roundabout. In particular, be aware of their signals and try to judge where they plan to exit.
* Watch out for other users of the road and be aware of any cyclists or motorcyclists on your left or right.
* Look forward before moving on to make sure that traffic in front of you on the roundabout has moved off. This means that you will be able to move on to the roundabout without blocking any traffic coming from your right.

tech77

Well ifs a signal controlled roundabout then it would be ok to enter, but if its not, and the exit i would be taking is blocked, i personally wouldnt enter the roundabout and block cars from taking other exits.

By that logic if you were entering a roundabout and intended to leave at the 2nd exit (12 o' clock) and a steady queue of cars were entering from the left (9 o' clock) and leaving via your intended exit (12 o' clock) would you:

1) just sit there all day without entering the roundabout waiting for the queue to pass (possibly indefinitely).

or would you
2) take up position on the roundabout before the
2nd exit (12 o' clock) thereby necessarily blocking the queue from the left.

I know what i would do.

This means that you will be able to move on to the roundabout without blocking any traffic coming from your right.

No mention here of not blocking traffic from your left. It just says "without blocking traffic from your right"