Single lane leading onto double lane roundabout

Medievalist

I have a question about approaching a roundabout that has two lanes, from a road with one lane. If I want to take the 3rd exit, I would automatically assume I should be in the right-hand lane. If there is a continuous flow of traffic from my right into the right-hand lane, but the left-hand lane is empty, can I move out into the left lane and take the 3rd exit from that lane?

I sat waiting patiently for the right lane to clear before moving, but I was getting some very impatient drivers behind me. Just wondering if those drivers were being moronic or whether I should have moved out into the left lane?


Another question : I was looking for info on the roundabout question on the RSA website, but nothing was forthcoming. I did notice however that they suggest putting the car into 1st gear or reverse when parking. I was always told to leave it in neutral. What's the general opinion on that here?

Random

Could you tell us where the roundabout is (using Google Maps maybe?) to make things clearer?

Wishbone Ash

Medievalist wrote: »

I sat waiting patiently for the right lane to clear before moving, but I was getting some very impatient drivers behind me. Just wondering if those drivers were being moronic or whether I should have moved out into the left lane?

Why did you not move into the right lane when you reached the roundabout? If it was a single lane on approach I can't see what your problem was! It's not as if there would be traffic on your right!

Medievalist wrote:

I was always told to leave it in neutral. What's the general opinion on that here?

:eek: Never leave a vehicle in neutral when parked up. A parking brake can't be trusted. It's always safer to leave it in gear as it gives extra security.

Medievalist

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Why did you not move into the right lane when you reached the roundabout? If it was a single lane on approach I can't see what your problem was! It's not as if there would be traffic on your right!

There wasn't a right lane to move into on approach. It was a single lane, and being a roundabout there was traffic coming from my right. There were two lanes of traffic going around the roundabout. The right (inner) lane was packed, and there was occasional traffic in the left lane (closest to me) which was taking the exit directly to my left. My question is, considering I should be on the right (inner) lane while on the roundabout to take the 3rd exit; was I correct to wait until the right lane was clear before moving directly into the right lane, or should I have taken the 3rd exit in the left lane?

Wishbone Ash

Medievalist wrote: »

There wasn't a right lane to move into on approach. It was a single lane, and being a roundabout there was traffic coming from my right. There were two lanes of traffic going around the roundabout. The right (inner) lane was packed, and there was occasional traffic in the left lane (closest to me) which was taking the exit directly to my left. My question is, considering I should be on the right (inner) lane while on the roundabout to take the 3rd exit; was I correct to wait until the right lane was clear before moving directly into the right lane, or should I have taken the 3rd exit in the left lane?

(Apologies - I thought you meant that the single lane on approach broke into two lanes and you couldn't get into the right hand lane).

What you did was correct but did you have your right indicator on to show that you intended to take the 3rd exit? If you had, I can't really see what the problem was (assuming that it was a normal type roundabout where you had to be in the right lane to take the 3rd exit).

Medievalist

I did have my indicator on. If it was one car beeping at me I wouldn't have paid much attention. But there were two at it, so it got me wondering if maybe I had been in the wrong. A mixture of impatience on their part and paranoia on mine :rolleyes: