I do like these types of videos Richard, id say they're 85% educational (and they are educational) and 15% you airing your grievances with British roads 😂
Too many idiot drivers about that turn right from a left-hand lane - they need all the education they can get, probably don't see these vids though sadly.
He is talking gibberish. The straight ahead arrow explains you go straight ahead onto the roundabout and not turn right into the oncoming traffic on the roundabout. So simple but yet he is is an instructor! What is the point of his video. He just goes on and on and on about a right turn arrow. What IS he trying to prove?
@@DuncanStewart-Mitchell He is trying to say that if you use the argument that the straight arrow is to show which way to enter the circulatory carriageway, it is a detriment to most people for the benefit of a smaller amount of people.
I passed my test 10 years ago and got an HGV license in that time, and I still watch these videos and videos like it. Always keep learning and keep yourself fresh as it's the best way to avoid accidents. 10 years of driving, I have not had a single ticket or point on my license. I had one accident last year but it want my fault, hell I wasn't even in the car. A car with an uninsured driver reversed into me and wrote off my car. Video is available on my channel.
Hi Richard. I’m a driving instructor in Hull and these lane markings are a nightmare to explain to pupils. 100% agree with everything you said. Thank you for all your videos 🙂
It's my turn to share this today-I passed my driving test! A huge thanks for all the excellent videos you’ve created Richard. I truly believe your videos have helped save countless lives by reaching to so many viewers that you deserved. Definitely gonna keep watching and learning to be a safer and confident driver on road!
As a foreign driver in the UK, I would never go the wrong way on a roundabout, but many times I used the right lane to go ahead due to the misleading sign.
exactly what i thought. having 2 arrows pointing straight on implies that both lanes can go in the same direction, when often it's only the left lane which can actually go straight-on. this seems like it would be a significantly bigger problem than the number of idiots going the wrong way round a roundabout. it seems far more sensible to only use the straight-on arrow in the right lane, when the right lane can also go straight-on.
There are big left-only signs on roundabouts, if foreigners know how to drive they should follow the road signs. That would prevent them from driving the wrong way.
We noticed a local roundabout got updated from having a right arrow to an ahead arrow. Firstly we had never noticed people going round the roundabout the wrong way prior to the change, however what we noticed after the change was a lot of cars in the right hand lane assuming they can go ahead, which along with people in the left hand who also had an ahead arrow meant lots of near misses coming off the roundabout where people in the right lane "cut off" those in the left lane when both exit the roundabout - it is a very dangerous set up.
To be fair, most idiots don't get in the correct lane anyway. :( There are several near my area where many cars get in the left lane to go right and vice versa.
Agreed. It is my experience that more emphasis should be put on roundabouts when drivers are learning to drive. For example, where I sat my test, there were very few roundabouts. I only knew to "give way to the right" because I told a friend that I found them intimidating. If my instructor told me, I certainly didn't remember it.
@@michaellavery4899 highway code sets this out, but I agree that your instructor had a duty to ensure you fully understand how roundabouts work. Lots of people are very hesitant at roundabouts because they are unsure of right of way. Then traffic can snarl up
@johnbower7452 you will love this. I went on a course at work and told to always go around the outside of a roundabout because vision to the left has lots of blind spots so when you turn left off the roundabout you can't see people. It's physically impossible. Oh and if the arrow says straight on. Guess where I'm going in many cases because that's precisely what the arrow says! People just do not understand that you cannot see through steel.
They are complicated because they are often wrong Conflicting with highway code rules which are designed to stop conflicting roundabout exit directions.
Oh, I've watched other drivers and it's easy. You just get in the left hand lane regardless which exit you want and then just keep going around until you're there.
@WideCuriosity Ironically often the safest way is to join them rather than get involved in their collision.Bearing in mind their sat nav only counts the exits not the exit position on the roundabout.
@WideCuriosity and if you have been indicating right on the roundabout then make sure to continue to do so while you exit it. The queue of drivers waiting to get on at that point won't mind at all.
Brilliant. As a foreigner driving for a living in this country I find these type of videos super helpful in understanding the logic behind the design of various types of junctions in the UK. Thanks for that, liked and subbed.
I always go by the rule of turning left or going straight take the left hand lane and if turn right take the right. The exception to this is if I know straight ahead is two lanes then I may take the right lane if there is less traffic queued there. But always assume that the car to the left or right of you on a roundabout is in the wrong lane and likely to cut in front of you.
@@bigmac5859 Where there's no right turn, _all_ roundabouts really should be left turn only in the left hand lane. However, there's one mini roundabout where the left hand lane should be right turn only, and the right hand lane should be U turn only. The reason being that the left exit is for buses only, and they wouldn't be coming down the one way road in the first place, and one isn't allowed to turn right up the road towards a hospital, so many people do U turns there. What they've down is make the left hand lane coming off the mini roundabout into parking,so people coming off in the left hand lane then have to filter to the right, anyway. People used to park there anyway, which is why I always taught pupils to come off in the right hand lane (as opposed to the usual, where instructors teach pupils to exit in the left hand lane unless there's a very good reason not to).
I remember years ago the local council resurfacing a roundabout near us and they replaced the Right turn arrow with an Ahead arrow. This then caused confusion with other road users attempting to go ahead in the right hand lane which caused the exact issue you mentioned @7:14 The chair of our local driving instructors association contacted the council who explained that it’s in case someone turns right directly onto the roundabout. The chairman’s reaction was “ direct “ he said to the council employee “ We are in Manchester pal. If someone has come over from Hull or Dover, they’d have messed a roundabout up well before they get to our area “ 🤣 I see both sides of the coin to be fair and I agree with everything you said in this video.
Using the safety argument, I believe that an ahead arrow in the right lane can be downright dangerous, because it encourages people, well, to go ahead! This can bring traffic into conflict where the entrance has 2 lanes and the ahead exit has only 1 lane. I've been in this exact situation myself at a new roundabout. Come on road designers, we ALL know that we go clockwise around a roundabout, no-one who has passed their test should be in any doubt about that.
Trouble is, you don't necessarily have people driving here who have passed a UK driving test. Many countries can transfer their license and many more allow a new entrant to drive for a year prior to getting their UK license.
Where I live, we have a lot of unmarked roundabouts, where traffic flow tends to favour the first exit left. Consequently a high proportion of drivers routinely use the right hand lane to go straight, and I confess I've followed suit. It doesn't seem to be a problem. Worried though, that I might be breaking the rules, I checked out the Highway Code on the matter. It says (in a nutshell) when turning left, use the left lane. When turning right, use the right lane. For anything in between, use the "appropriate lane". "Appropriate" suggests a certain level of choice and assessment, like in my original scenario. On the face of it, it seems using the right lane to go straight can be legitimate. I wonder if this whole "don't go straight from the right hand lane of a roundabout" is a bit of an urban myth. Perhaps perpetuated by BMWs and Audi drivers, so they have to queue less! But, I'd love to be proved wrong. Is there anything authoritative out there that says you can't go straight from the right hand lane (arrow or otherwise)?
@@chrisdevine4848 As the HC states, most appropriate lane according to the direction intended, this will vary depending on the amount of exits on larger/more complex roundabouts. Right or left lane to go straight ahead is fine on the majority of two lane roundabouts unless roadsigns or markings state otherwise. Having said that, always be prepared for others to do whatever they wish from any lane, that’s exactly what happens where I live.
I've been driving for 40+ years and this video is really interesting, about something I've noticed, but now 'ignore', though the road markings do occasionally make me question my satnav information. So, all in all, I completely agree with your points made... and implied! Useful.
Thanks for this video Richard. I used to watch your and a few other similar channels when first learning to drive several years ago. I'm now a HGV driver and navigating new roundabouts in new places while everyone makes it their life's mission to get ahead of you is quite challenging, and this particular topic is something I've been scratching my head over.
Making the roundabout confusing for everyone to hopefully prevent it being confusing for a small portion of people is a stupid idea in my opinion, I have nearly been sideswiped by people trying to go straight from a right lane on many occasions because the arrows suggest they can. They should be right or right/straight arrows depending on the roundabout to make it clear which lane you should be in. Either that or we need new roundabout specific arrows that show the arrow going around the circle and to the right for such a situation, this is one thing America does better than us I think as they do have arrows like that for roundabouts.
Exactly this, I have been caught out by straight ahead arrows, and now I know that it is simply because we don't want to confuse immigrants I am even less happy. Why are we forever bending over backwards in this country to make life easier for foreign people at the expense of the local residents? Does any other country on Earth do this, I bet not.
Thank you for this. Been driving 45 years and this is the best explanation of a confusing question. Your 100% right. It's wrong marking and confusing. Right arrow should mean right.
I passed my license test yesterday. Am officially licensed. Ohh this channel played a big part in my development. I live in Namibia and ur videos were good everything. Thank you. May God bless you Mr Teacher
For my students I describe this as a continuation arrow. So in right lane you would just continue ahead in that lane to the right. Near me there are also forward arrows that lead left. Therefore if you have a lane to follow with a forward arrow you should just follow the lane around and not cross the dashed line unless absolutely necessary
An excellent video as usual. My thoughts: in the UK we only turn left from a roundabout, and each entry/exit is a new junction. On approach, the left lane is to take the first exit, once on the roundabout you should, mirror signal manoeuvre as for any junction. Multiple lanes as you approach, help in moving to the left as you move around the roundabout, and once in the flow of traffic your "right turn" is another driver's "left turn".
Hi Richard! I rarely leave comments on social media, but i wanted to say thank uou for your tremendous work! I know you are posting once in few weeks, i wish you could do more. I believe it might be boring already and not that exciting as when you started the channel. But you helped so many people! I hope you will reach 1mil soon! I have a test on 9th and i hope i will pass 😂 thankd again for your knowledge!
You're perfectly right. Ahead arrows in right hand lanes are misleading and unnecessary since roundabouts already deploy circular blue signs with white left arrows on them to signify which way to pass
What's worse though, someone misunderstanding the straight arrow on the road or someone misunderstanding a turn right arrow on the road? Unfortunately we have to protect the idiots from themselves.
@@SiWeeMannHave another look at the video,on the island of the roundabout is a circular blue sign with a white left arrow showing that it is mandatory to go left onto the roundabout. All drivers must obey that sign and not turn right onto the roundabout, if foreign drivers do not understand that, some white paint on the road is unlikely to help to clarify the the correct action to take.
@@SiWeeMann No worries, we have a roundabout locally previously marked left and straight ahead in the lefthand lane and right in the right hand lane, both lanes were repainted last year with two straight arrows. All the exits are single lane, so now regular near misses because two into one doesn't go! To add further confusion on the approach to the roundabout, just before the two painted arrows on the road, the central reservation has a white rectangular sign showing the two individual lanes, left lane marked with an arrow showing left and straight ahead, right lane showing right turn, I suspect this now causes confusion to non- local drivers, nevermind foreign drivers. The wannabe racing drivers just continue to do their own thing.
Hi Richard, Great video! You have very eloquently highlighted and explained a long-standing and very nagging problem. You may recall that Colchester and District DIA approached Essex County Council many years ago and got exactly the same answer; that a right turn arrow may confuse foreign drivers. We challenged this and responded that British drivers may be confused by the ahead arrow. Ten (plus) years on, we have yet to receive a response!
This is a very informative and reassuring video. There are so many occasions where misleading signage at roundabouts causes drivers to proceed incorrectly, even some that cause me to follow suit because (almost) every other driver is doing the same.
Excellent detail as always. Shows how your mind works and that makes you an excellent instructor. I would say a majority of instructors would not have been aware of all these details.
Great video! And totally agree and, I explain this issue pretty much the same as you are, with my motorcycle rider students. What was very interesting is where you are and it's the same area I am in, albeit, that we actually test in Ipswich, based in Colchester. Well done and great explanation and video.
I was amused by the first roundabout in the video having Clacton as the far-right exit! I totally agree that arrows approaching roundabouts often seem to make little sense and cause confusion. While I understand that they want to avoid drivers going the wrong way around roundabouts, or going down slip-roads the wrong way, there's got to be more trust that 99.999% of drivers (even those used to driving on the right) won't do that. There's so much inconsistency in lane markings and signage which seems to cause more problems than it solves. So many of the dashcam video on YT seem to be at roundabouts where drivers seem to have different interpretations of what lane they should be in and end up having close shaves and tantrums. There's a junction near me when the multilane approach to the traffic-lighty roundabout initially has one sign telling you which lane you need for which exit; then a second sign a few seconds later than tells you something different. So you end up with drivers doing last second lane changes just as they get to the traffic lights.
Interesting video again Richard. I enjoy your videos even though I've been driving for for around 40 years. (I like identifying the locations too as I also live in the Colchester area) I regularly get cut off on roundabouts by people who seen to use the right hand lane even when exiting from a second exit at the twelve O clock position ( straight on) which is really annoying. I also see people who go most of the way round roundabouts in the left lane cutting off everyone trying to exit. Anything that helps awareness of lane discipline must be good .
Thank you Richard, I am one of those foreign drivers who has found the roundabouts so confusing and quite scary. Although I am sure I wouldn't turn right in the wrong direction😂. I have gone straight in the right lane instead of turning right and got the hooting of my life so you are very "right" in your analogy
I'm from Cyprus where traffic rules are mostly exactly the same as the uk (it used to be a british colony well after cars were a thing). Although we do have plenty of roundabouts (but no minis at all), the road markings are not arrows but circles that look like roundabouts painted on each lane and many times on a sign, that indicate which exits each lane can take. Exceptions are either very old roundabouts or very small ones. Imo that's a much better system of assigning lanes to their corresponding exits and safer than assuming drivers know rules of thumb and won't get confused by seeing a straight arrow in the right lane. If you want examples of these road markings check out on street view for big roundabouts which definitely have them.
Yes, a right arrow with a circle showing the roundabout is likely a better sign. Then of course, is this present as an option in the road designers' manual in the first place?
@aveekbh the manual can always change. There's plenty of stupidly designed roads and junctions in Cyprus but at least they got the road markings correct.
same or similar in ireland much better; in the Republic of Ireland they have a better solution where instead of arrows they have a drawing of the roundabout with an arrow so never to confuse, it works very nice. have to straight ahead arrows into one lane is dangerous besides being confusing
I started driving in the UK not long ago with an international license and this confused me a lot. Googling did not help much so this video helped me a ton! Thanks!
Brilliant video 😁 definitely very confusing to most new drivers especially when they want to go ahead using the right hand lane but there's only room for the left lane to exit onto the ahead road 😕
Your explanation of why an Ahead Arrow is being adopted, instead of the Right Arrow, gives me a big smile (thinking about the chaos where people really made an immediate right turn!).
Thanks for this. I can absolutely see where you’re coming from in this video. When that manual was written, I suspect weight was given to the catastrophic consequences of a foreigner circling a roundabout anti-clockwise (equivalent of driving on the wrong side of the road), more so than weight being given to the probability of it happening. (It only need happen once to be fatal.) It’s surprising how many countries have no idea how to use roundabouts because theirs are either non-existent, or horrendously designed. Also, if finding yourself in the right hand lane of the roundabout when you want to go straight on it is easy to go round again safely.
Thank You Richard. I come across one in Birminham when im teaching and i thought the straight arrow was a mistake lol when turning right but this clears things up. Very useful video..
I never knew this, but I also never thought of this reason. It makes sense for foreign drivers especially from countries that don't have roundabouts, which is quite a lot!
UK roads are absolutely horrific. Don’t know if you’ve covered this topic yet, but merging two lanes into one (especially after a junction) is one of the best designs for creating traffic. The design of junction lanes in general make it difficult for people to anticipate which lane they need to be at in good time… unless they have driven on that road a couple times before.
A reason to use this is if there is a lot of traffic taking that route. For example, suppose it's the traffic going ahead at a traffic light on a road which is generally only one lane in each direction. At the traffic light, you could make the left lane, right lane or both lanes into ahead lanes. If you make them both go ahead, then because of the width of the road they will later have to merge. But, you can now potentially twice as many vehicles at a red traffic light. That may well be enough to prevent the queue at that light from tailing back all the way to the *previous* junction, gumming that up and interfering with it. I'd say the problem is not that it causes traffic, but that it causes conflict among people who see it not as a way to use space but as a way to overtake. They don't merge in turn when the lanes merge, but try to make it as far up the road as they can, and when they push in they force those behind to slam on the brakes and can cause accidents.
Edinburgh is awful for it. Seems like they consistently select just after the exit of the junction to merge lanes, even though that's the most challenging place to merge.
@@KindredBrujah because it's at the junction when you need multiple lanes to accommodate more cars stopped at the junction. Traffic always queues before junctions, often not after junctions. After the junction, traffic is slower on average as well, so I don't think it's the hardest place to merge at all.
Having an ahead arrow at the roundabout seems to make some people think they can zoom up the outside and effectively overtake. Often squeezing in front of drivers going straight ahead as the road narrows. Glad you covered this I would change the straight ahead arrow to a go right arrow.
You know whats so weird is that i not only passed my cat b ages ago but also my cat d but i still enjoy these videos even though as a professional driver now (not to blow up my bum) i know the exact answers to these tricky questions/situations Richard is clearly entertaining 😊
I watch a fair few driving fail videos, I don't see many clips of people going the wrong way around UK roundabouts, but for some reason I have seen quite a few from Australian clips. While you were explaining it, my initial thought was about preventing foreign drivers going the wrong way.
recently passed my test in colchester your videos were a massive help not only by the tips you provide but as i had never driven there but have been watching for a year or so helped me massively in the local area
Although now well retired, I spent 30 years as an ADI with consecutive grade 6's and finished with an A 51/51. It's refreshing to see an ADI who's enthusiastic and knows his stuff.
Ahh, thanks for explaining this. I’ve been wondering this for a few years now and couldn’t understand why the forward arrow on the right lane could direct you into a single lane possibly causing a collision. Personally I think it’s a crazy decision instead of just painting a right arrow. 👍
Thank you, these are very informative and I'll be watching others as they come out. Bring back Public Information films. We could all do with them at some point!!!
Been looking out for this, in our area I see plenty of right turn arrows painted in the right lane. I guess there is some local differences in interpreting the regs. I would also expect there to be more caution near the channel ports. PS. your videos have been extremely helpful in me teaching both my kids to drive… Thanks!
your correct but still alot of people dont understand at all ? i always hang back just incase the car in the right hand lane goes straight on , i totally agree with you
Great video, all very logical and correct. It is still confusing though isn't it. Anyone who would try and go the wrong way around a roundabout from an approach road should not have a driving licence. Never seen it happen myself, ever. I've seen people approach in the left hand land and go all the way around the outside of the roundabout in that lane, and take the last right turn exit. I'm sure some of you have seen the same.
🎉 I really like your videos 📹 This one.. is about that roundabout at the end of episode, it is really 👌 perfectly explained and... does shows why we have so many collisions 💥 recorded on dashcam videos online... Thank you for your advice. We forgetting what we have learned to pass driving & theory exams.. You, Sir, remind that clearly.. 🎉
Why am I only learning this now? I've held a license for 10 years. I have noticed that it's always an ahead arrow, wondered why, but I just accepted it really and never looked into it. Good tidbit to know!
Well done for your explanation of this problem. Continuation of lane markings around a roundabout may help but could also be confusing as well. Looks like we need box junctions on roundabouts too, bit tricky though.
I quite agree, having been sideswiped by a van driver going straight ahead on a single lane exit roundabout when the van entered from the outside lane!
I absolutely agree with you, i hate the confusion caused by a straight on arrow when wishing to turn right. Also i hate the straight on arrow when in the right lane lane implying i can go straight on. All of this is much more confusing than having a foreign driver going the wrong way around the roundabout.
Completely agree. Having some roundabouts with straight ahead and some with a right arrow is hugely inconsistent and likely to be a source of trouble in itself. The blue arrow is sufficient to show the direction around the roundabout. Some of these roundabouts presumably have signs on the approach showing which way you can leave the roundabout from which lane on the approach - and presumably these signs would then be showing different information to the road markings. If so, that's a source of confusion and distraction to drivers, which increases the risk of trouble.
Casually watching this and I’m like “I’ve just driven across that roundabout”😂 I live in Clacton and drove home from work, in Colchester. Had to finish the video after that
This is a perfect opportunity for me to ask a roundabout related question to a qualified driving instructor... Imagine you're on an A road, and you approach a roundabout. The roundabout has 5 exits, including the road you're approaching from. As you approach, the road widens to form enough space for 2 lanes of traffic to form. (although these lanes are not marked on the road with dividing white lines) From your perspective as you approach, exit 1 is around about 45 degrees around the roundabout, definitely a left turn. So left hand "lane" (or left side of the carriage way) is suitable. Exit 2 is 120 degrees around, and presumably still a left turn and left lane is suitable. Exit 3 however, is past the 180 point, i.e. its not technically "straight ahead". However, on this particular roundabout, there is always a mix of drivers who go in both lanes, in an attempt to get to the 3rd exit. I personally get in the right hand lane, so do the majority of people, however there is always one or two who blast down the left, and pass cars on the left whilst on the roundabout, forcing themselves off at exit 3. What's your take on this? Is exit 3 a right hand turn, should drivers approach in the right hand lane? (there are no road markings or road signs to indicate which lane to use)
You follow the roundabout sign for left, straight ahead and right, not the actual position of the roads. Edit: Ah, I see you say there are no road signs. I find it unlikely a five exit roundabout wouldn't have a roundabout sign, but I don't have an answer for you in the circumstance you describe. (also not a driving instructor, so you may need to wait and see if one responds)
my opinion - ahead arrows on the right lane can also mislead foreigners if they are unfamiliar with turning right using the right hand lane (ie their side of the road had switched), so it can get confusing to the point where they simply go ahead as the arrow supposedly shows. I think that similar to how there is a left arrow in the left lane, there should be a right arrow in the right lane. Similar to the arrows presented at junctions. this topic is a bit of a tricky one! Nonetheless I agree with you. thank you for the educational video
@@f-godz3342 I suppose it's the balance of risk and probability of it happening. The outcome of coming going the wrong way around a roundabout is potentially very bad, but the probability of it happening is very small. Whereas the probability of someone misinterpreting an ahead arrow it quite high, but the outcome is less bad. It'll be interesting to know how many cases there have been of people going around roundabouts (I'm really talking large multilane ones) the wrong way due to seeing a right-turn arrow?
I think, perhaps, road designers should opt for a curvy ahead arrow instead. So it’s still an ahead arrow, but it’s curving to the right slightly as a hint to road users.
That was my thought. You could even have an arrow that looks a bit like a roundabout sign - goes left and then around to the right. Roundabout signs have a broken circle to make clear which way you should go around and the arrow in the road could use the same idea.
This is interesting thanks for the explanation, I've only been driving for 50 years and picked up some good tips which refreshes and improves my road craft.. 😊
I queried the lack of a right arrow with Highways at Essex CC. I explained exactly what you have said and I agree with you. They told me that they do not use them to avoid confusion to Overseas Drivers (HGVs). Who might circulate the wrong way.
In the Netherlands, traffic engineers solved this issue by incorporating the correct path across the roundabout in the arrow. So to avoid people from going the wrong way, the arrow goes up, three-quarters of a circle (in our case clockwise), and then the arrow points to the left. That sounds like such a universally effective type of signage that it's almost baffling that it hasn't been implemented as a solution. 'Almost baffling,' because we're so used to traffic design making no sense that it's not even surprising anymore 😄
I learned to drive in Reading, and there are quite a few roundabouts with a right arrow, e.g. Imperial Way turning right onto the A33 northbound (it's a very popular roundabout on driving test routes) has a straight and right arrow in lane 2 and a right-only arrow in lane 3. All learner drivers are taught to use lane 2 to turn right...
I think this may be a regional thing, with local councils deciding on how they'll mark things. I teach in Telford, where we have almost as many roundabouts as Milton Keynes, and where arrows are marked it is often a right (or combination right/ahead) arrow in the right hand lane, with ahead arrows only being used in situations where the right lane can also be used to go ahead.
Totally agree. I see many people going straight on from the right lane because of this. They use the argument that some arrows do point to the right, so the straight on arrows must mean straight on. Some European countries use a hooked arrow to show the direction round the roundabout and the exit (its like a back to front question mark - because they go the other way round!)
Learnt something new today. Driving for 30 years, only seen this kind of mark up at roundabouts in Peterborough. Been blaming the council for daft road markings and now I see it’s for all our foreign friends!! 😂
I’m VERY impressed with your clarity and personal animation in delivery of well-paced, fully fluent, unhesitant and never-distracted presentation. As a fellow ADI, thank you. Regarding this video topic: aren’t traffic signs (not arrow markings) the only legally binding feature? I know DVSA examiners would nonetheless expect a test candidate to follow lane arrows even if no ORU nearby. And is not all design guidance based on monitored accident statistics? So “ahead arrow confusion” is in fact less risky than painting a right-arrow?
I always use the left lane to go left or straight and the right lane to go right (unless otherwise stated). As you showed in your diagram far too many two lane roundabouts suddenly turn into one lane once you go straight ahead.
This was useful. I had thought an ahead arrow in the right lane indicated that you could go straight ahead. (But i am in Northern Ireland and our highway code is slightly different in some areas)
10:00 my answer to this question based on only the examples given for the Mini roundabouts chapter would be: Right arrows seemed to be used where there is an island with the yellow reflector road sign which distinguishes the side of the road to use on the exit. Whereas in your mini roundabout examples with the ahead arrow, I noticed only an island shaped road marking is used instead. No yellow reflector. Also note that in these examples there are more than 1 lane at each entery and exit on the roundabout at an exit. This seems to follow your thinking that they are playing it safe to avoid responsibility. So when they have an island and yellow reflector splitting the entry and exit lanes, it should be clear enough to drive onto the correct side of the road with the right turn arrow on approach I find these yellow reflectors helpful at night at awkward junctions where roadmarkings are sometimes worn or difficult to see.
I have indeed noticed this, so was interested to hear what you had to say! Ahead arrows in all but the lane(s) for the first exit seem to me like a "big roundabout/gyratory thing", but I never thought to ask my instructor (some 20 years ago) or anyone since. It's good to have the hard evidence from the Traffic Signs Manual. I anticipated what you were going to say just before you did -- about avoiding suggesting turning right onto the roundabout in the wrong direction... and I had to wonder if the UK has more cause for this than other European countries because visitors are almost certain to be used to driving on the other side. Hmm! And it's a good point that this decision has the "flip side" of creating a risk of leading people to a dangerous convergence at the 12 o'clock exit. New to your channel; fairly lengthy answer to the question but qualified by excellent clips and worthy opinion!
They should get rid of road markings as arrows and have signs instead. If there's traffic you can't see the arrows until it's too late to safely change lane. They can be difficult to read in bad weather, the dark, and/or the arrows get warn off easily.
In Massachusetts the roundabouts (or rotaries as they are called there), the signs and road markings will have the arrow going around a circle to clearly indicate which lane you need for the turn and also being clear that you have to go around
You'll also notice that on the direction board, the island has a break to the right of your direction. This break indicates traffic flow direction around the island clockwise.
3:43 people driving here should observe our rules, we should not have incorrect road markings to suit incompetent people driving. The sign is correct with a right arrow only.
There's a very frustrating roundabout near me, that my instructor said a pupil had failed at. There are three lanes into this roundabout, left, straight, right. The sign shows the 3rd exit is straight ahead, so going straight ahead you have to be in the middle lane, makes sense. first exit being a no through and not signposted on the roundabout, but because the 3rd exit (counting the none signposted road) is visually past 12oclock the examiner will tell you to turn right third exit. This specific pupil used the right hand lane to take what is signposted as a straight ahead, but isn't actually a straight ahead. What I've been told you need to do here is be in the middle lane and indicate right. No wonder people from elsewhere may get confused when this is how roundabouts are being signposted!
I’ve known about this problem for many years, the reason being that I worked at the TRL in the 1970s on roundabout design. We tended to suggest avoid lane arrows approaching roundabouts to maintain flexibility. Also the ring junction that you were caught on highlights a problem of over strict adherence to the give-way rule resulting in locking. The introduction of the original rule in 1966 was always intended to be advisory, just sufficient to stop roundabouts from locking up. Today our larger roundabouts operate like racetracks, never what was intended. In France their roundabouts drain outwards (adverse camber). It’s effective at keeping speeds down. The simplest way of dealing with problems of some large roundabouts is to signalise them.
Straight ahead at a roundabout can be done from either the left or right lane depending on the road layout. If there are two lanes on approach and the straight ahead exit is also two lanes, you can use either lane.
Oh! This has really made me think. There is also the pressure on the test to use up all the space on the road and not queue unnecessarily if there is a lane free ...
I fully agree with you. Do add to rhe confusion, It's interesting how the highway code rules 184 to 190 don't seem to mention ahead specifically. Rule 186 especially, It clearly mentions turning left, right and around full circle. But going ahead is classed as an intermediate exit and it simply says use the appropriate lane. Yet the image shows the blue car defaulting to the left in the manner we were taught. Then we have the old school logic, approach in the left if the lane is before 12 on clock and the right after 12 o clock, unless signs or markings dictate otherwise. It not only adds to the confusion, but the highway code seems to take away liabily or fault if someone has done it differently.
Great vid. To be pedantic, the roundabout consists of a circulatory carrdigeway what goes around an island. The roundabout isn't the island itself, it is the combination of the road and the island.
The roundabout at Pudsey from Bradford has 4 lanes. Marked left ,straight, right, right. The right lanes also have Leeds written on them. The other approaches also have right arrows.
I do like these types of videos Richard, id say they're 85% educational (and they are educational) and 15% you airing your grievances with British roads 😂
15% is just finding contradictions in the Highway Code because of the crappy wording.
Too many idiot drivers about that turn right from a left-hand lane - they need all the education they can get, probably don't see these vids though sadly.
He is talking gibberish. The straight ahead arrow explains you go straight ahead onto the roundabout and not turn right into the oncoming traffic on the roundabout. So simple but yet he is is an instructor! What is the point of his video. He just goes on and on and on about a right turn arrow. What IS he trying to prove?
@@DuncanStewart-Mitchell He is trying to say that if you use the argument that the straight arrow is to show which way to enter the circulatory carriageway, it is a detriment to most people for the benefit of a smaller amount of people.
Richard doesn't seem to have aged; he looks exactly the same as when I watched his content several years ago haha
I've been driving for 40 years and I just learned something new. Thanks for this!
Me too, 50 years.
Lol same!😂
Same here😊
Same and been a driving instructor and never seen roundabout like these, in my area they still have right arrows for turning tight.
Me too. Passed my test in 1970, and still learning!
I passed my test about a year ago now and still watch your vids to improve my driving
I passed mine 40 years ago. Any good driver is always looking to improve their driving,
I passed my test 10 years ago and got an HGV license in that time, and I still watch these videos and videos like it. Always keep learning and keep yourself fresh as it's the best way to avoid accidents. 10 years of driving, I have not had a single ticket or point on my license. I had one accident last year but it want my fault, hell I wasn't even in the car. A car with an uninsured driver reversed into me and wrote off my car. Video is available on my channel.
Hi Richard. I’m a driving instructor in Hull and these lane markings are a nightmare to explain to pupils. 100% agree with everything you said. Thank you for all your videos 🙂
It's my turn to share this today-I passed my driving test! A huge thanks for all the excellent videos you’ve created Richard. I truly believe your videos have helped save countless lives by reaching to so many viewers that you deserved. Definitely gonna keep watching and learning to be a safer and confident driver on road!
Ayyy Congratulations!!
Congrats, mate!!
its one of the best feelings! passed about a year ago and still watch these videos!
@Vigo1085 Congratulations, well done.
Thanks a lot guys :)
As a foreign driver in the UK, I would never go the wrong way on a roundabout, but many times I used the right lane to go ahead due to the misleading sign.
It makes sense doesn't it, coz there may be a two lane exit so you'll come out in the right lane.
exactly what i thought. having 2 arrows pointing straight on implies that both lanes can go in the same direction, when often it's only the left lane which can actually go straight-on. this seems like it would be a significantly bigger problem than the number of idiots going the wrong way round a roundabout. it seems far more sensible to only use the straight-on arrow in the right lane, when the right lane can also go straight-on.
There are big left-only signs on roundabouts, if foreigners know how to drive they should follow the road signs. That would prevent them from driving the wrong way.
We noticed a local roundabout got updated from having a right arrow to an ahead arrow. Firstly we had never noticed people going round the roundabout the wrong way prior to the change, however what we noticed after the change was a lot of cars in the right hand lane assuming they can go ahead, which along with people in the left hand who also had an ahead arrow meant lots of near misses coming off the roundabout where people in the right lane "cut off" those in the left lane when both exit the roundabout - it is a very dangerous set up.
Well said, sir!
Even police don't realise this.😢
To be fair, most idiots don't get in the correct lane anyway. :( There are several near my area where many cars get in the left lane to go right and vice versa.
Agreed. It is my experience that more emphasis should be put on roundabouts when drivers are learning to drive. For example, where I sat my test, there were very few roundabouts. I only knew to "give way to the right" because I told a friend that I found them intimidating. If my instructor told me, I certainly didn't remember it.
@@michaellavery4899 highway code sets this out, but I agree that your instructor had a duty to ensure you fully understand how roundabouts work.
Lots of people are very hesitant at roundabouts because they are unsure of right of way. Then traffic can snarl up
@johnbower7452 you will love this. I went on a course at work and told to always go around the outside of a roundabout because vision to the left has lots of blind spots so when you turn left off the roundabout you can't see people. It's physically impossible. Oh and if the arrow says straight on. Guess where I'm going in many cases because that's precisely what the arrow says! People just do not understand that you cannot see through steel.
Totally agree with you roundabouts in this country these days are getting more complicated and hardly anybody seems to know how to use them
They are complicated because they are often wrong Conflicting with highway code rules which are designed to stop conflicting roundabout exit directions.
Oh, I've watched other drivers and it's easy. You just get in the left hand lane regardless which exit you want and then just keep going around until you're there.
@WideCuriosity
Ironically often the safest way is to join them rather than get involved in their collision.Bearing in mind their sat nav only counts the exits not the exit position on the roundabout.
@WideCuriosity and if you have been indicating right on the roundabout then make sure to continue to do so while you exit it. The queue of drivers waiting to get on at that point won't mind at all.
@@GregS-UKthe level of impatience on UK roads I'm not sure about that one 😊
Brilliant. As a foreigner driving for a living in this country I find these type of videos super helpful in understanding the logic behind the design of various types of junctions in the UK. Thanks for that, liked and subbed.
I always go by the rule of turning left or going straight take the left hand lane and if turn right take the right.
The exception to this is if I know straight ahead is two lanes then I may take the right lane if there is less traffic queued there.
But always assume that the car to the left or right of you on a roundabout is in the wrong lane and likely to cut in front of you.
A lot of roundabouts are left lane left only. It's very common
@bigmac5859 that's if you have directional arrows telling you which lane you should be in .
Solid advice.
@@bigmac5859 Where there's no right turn, _all_ roundabouts really should be left turn only in the left hand lane.
However, there's one mini roundabout where the left hand lane should be right turn only, and the right hand lane should be U turn only.
The reason being that the left exit is for buses only, and they wouldn't be coming down the one way road in the first place, and one isn't allowed to turn right up the road towards a hospital, so many people do U turns there.
What they've down is make the left hand lane coming off the mini roundabout into parking,so people coming off in the left hand lane then have to filter to the right, anyway.
People used to park there anyway, which is why I always taught pupils to come off in the right hand lane (as opposed to the usual, where instructors teach pupils to exit in the left hand lane unless there's a very good reason not to).
I remember years ago the local council resurfacing a roundabout near us and they replaced the Right turn arrow with an Ahead arrow.
This then caused confusion with other road users attempting to go ahead in the right hand lane which caused the exact issue you mentioned @7:14
The chair of our local driving instructors association contacted the council who explained that it’s in case someone turns right directly onto the roundabout. The chairman’s reaction was “ direct “ he said to the council employee “ We are in Manchester pal. If someone has come over from Hull or Dover, they’d have messed a roundabout up well before they get to our area “ 🤣
I see both sides of the coin to be fair and I agree with everything you said in this video.
Spot on when he said Dover
so they go from 1 near miss in 5 years to 5 a day with the new design
Using the safety argument, I believe that an ahead arrow in the right lane can be downright dangerous, because it encourages people, well, to go ahead! This can bring traffic into conflict where the entrance has 2 lanes and the ahead exit has only 1 lane. I've been in this exact situation myself at a new roundabout. Come on road designers, we ALL know that we go clockwise around a roundabout, no-one who has passed their test should be in any doubt about that.
Quite - and if there is an issue, put a small blue 'go left' arrow on the roundabout itself, ahead of the approaching traffic.
Trouble is, you don't necessarily have people driving here who have passed a UK driving test. Many countries can transfer their license and many more allow a new entrant to drive for a year prior to getting their UK license.
Where I live, we have a lot of unmarked roundabouts, where traffic flow tends to favour the first exit left. Consequently a high proportion of drivers routinely use the right hand lane to go straight, and I confess I've followed suit. It doesn't seem to be a problem. Worried though, that I might be breaking the rules, I checked out the Highway Code on the matter. It says (in a nutshell) when turning left, use the left lane. When turning right, use the right lane. For anything in between, use the "appropriate lane". "Appropriate" suggests a certain level of choice and assessment, like in my original scenario. On the face of it, it seems using the right lane to go straight can be legitimate.
I wonder if this whole "don't go straight from the right hand lane of a roundabout" is a bit of an urban myth. Perhaps perpetuated by BMWs and Audi drivers, so they have to queue less!
But, I'd love to be proved wrong. Is there anything authoritative out there that says you can't go straight from the right hand lane (arrow or otherwise)?
Agreed
@@chrisdevine4848
As the HC states, most appropriate lane according to the direction intended, this will vary depending on the amount of exits on larger/more complex roundabouts.
Right or left lane to go straight ahead is fine on the majority of two lane roundabouts unless roadsigns or markings state otherwise.
Having said that, always be prepared for others to do whatever they wish from any lane, that’s exactly what happens where I live.
I've been driving for 40+ years and this video is really interesting, about something I've noticed, but now 'ignore', though the road markings do occasionally make me question my satnav information. So, all in all, I completely agree with your points made... and implied! Useful.
Thanks for this video Richard. I used to watch your and a few other similar channels when first learning to drive several years ago. I'm now a HGV driver and navigating new roundabouts in new places while everyone makes it their life's mission to get ahead of you is quite challenging, and this particular topic is something I've been scratching my head over.
Making the roundabout confusing for everyone to hopefully prevent it being confusing for a small portion of people is a stupid idea in my opinion, I have nearly been sideswiped by people trying to go straight from a right lane on many occasions because the arrows suggest they can. They should be right or right/straight arrows depending on the roundabout to make it clear which lane you should be in. Either that or we need new roundabout specific arrows that show the arrow going around the circle and to the right for such a situation, this is one thing America does better than us I think as they do have arrows like that for roundabouts.
Exactly this, I have been caught out by straight ahead arrows, and now I know that it is simply because we don't want to confuse immigrants I am even less happy. Why are we forever bending over backwards in this country to make life easier for foreign people at the expense of the local residents? Does any other country on Earth do this, I bet not.
Thank you for this. Been driving 45 years and this is the best explanation of a confusing question.
Your 100% right. It's wrong marking and confusing. Right arrow should mean right.
I passed my license test yesterday. Am officially licensed. Ohh this channel played a big part in my development. I live in Namibia and ur videos were good everything. Thank you. May God bless you Mr Teacher
Well done brother
Congrats, well done my country is also Namibia. Driving on our roads is so straightforward to the British roads. 😊
Hell... I didn't even know they have roads in Namobia...😮😮😮
@@scienceevolves4417 ofcource we do have roads best in south Africa. Look it up
I passed my test in the UK but the first place I drove a car as a fully licensed driver was Namibia! Beautiful country.
For my students I describe this as a continuation arrow. So in right lane you would just continue ahead in that lane to the right. Near me there are also forward arrows that lead left. Therefore if you have a lane to follow with a forward arrow you should just follow the lane around and not cross the dashed line unless absolutely necessary
An excellent video as usual.
My thoughts: in the UK we only turn left from a roundabout, and each entry/exit is a new junction. On approach, the left lane is to take the first exit, once on the roundabout you should, mirror signal manoeuvre as for any junction.
Multiple lanes as you approach, help in moving to the left as you move around the roundabout, and once in the flow of traffic your "right turn" is another driver's "left turn".
I passed today in Barnstaple with 3 minors and your videos were so much help so thank you Richard!
Hi Richard! I rarely leave comments on social media, but i wanted to say thank uou for your tremendous work! I know you are posting once in few weeks, i wish you could do more. I believe it might be boring already and not that exciting as when you started the channel. But you helped so many people! I hope you will reach 1mil soon! I have a test on 9th and i hope i will pass 😂 thankd again for your knowledge!
You're perfectly right. Ahead arrows in right hand lanes are misleading and unnecessary since roundabouts already deploy circular blue signs with white left arrows on them to signify which way to pass
That's only for mini-roundabouts - the standard roundabout sign is a triangle warning sign.
What's worse though, someone misunderstanding the straight arrow on the road or someone misunderstanding a turn right arrow on the road? Unfortunately we have to protect the idiots from themselves.
@@SiWeeMannHave another look at the video,on the island of the roundabout is a circular blue sign with a white left arrow showing that it is mandatory to go left onto the roundabout. All drivers must obey that sign and not turn right onto the roundabout, if foreign drivers do not understand that, some white paint on the road is unlikely to help to clarify the the correct action to take.
@nicklewis-q3p Sorry, I misread it and assumed the OP was talking about a mini-roundabout sign. My mistake.
@@SiWeeMann No worries, we have a roundabout locally previously marked left and straight ahead in the lefthand lane and right in the right hand lane, both lanes were repainted last year with two straight arrows. All the exits are single lane, so now regular near misses because two into one doesn't go! To add further confusion on the approach to the roundabout, just before the two painted arrows on the road, the central reservation has a white rectangular sign showing the two individual lanes, left lane marked with an arrow showing left and straight ahead, right lane showing right turn, I suspect this now causes confusion to non- local drivers, nevermind foreign drivers. The wannabe racing drivers just continue to do their own thing.
I passed my driving test in 1965… I thought it was may age but you have enlightened me regarding these arrows, thank you very much.
Hi Richard, Great video! You have very eloquently highlighted and explained a long-standing and very nagging problem. You may recall that Colchester and District DIA approached Essex County Council many years ago and got exactly the same answer; that a right turn arrow may confuse foreign drivers. We challenged this and responded that British drivers may be confused by the ahead arrow. Ten (plus) years on, we have yet to receive a response!
This video has explained perfectly the question I had for such a long time. God bless you Richard.
This is a very informative and reassuring video. There are so many occasions where misleading signage at roundabouts causes drivers to proceed incorrectly, even some that cause me to follow suit because (almost) every other driver is doing the same.
Just passed my test thanks to your videos, great job
Excellent detail as always. Shows how your mind works and that makes you an excellent instructor.
I would say a majority of instructors would not have been aware of all these details.
Great video! And totally agree and, I explain this issue pretty much the same as you are, with my motorcycle rider students. What was very interesting is where you are and it's the same area I am in, albeit, that we actually test in Ipswich, based in Colchester. Well done and great explanation and video.
I was amused by the first roundabout in the video having Clacton as the far-right exit!
I totally agree that arrows approaching roundabouts often seem to make little sense and cause confusion. While I understand that they want to avoid drivers going the wrong way around roundabouts, or going down slip-roads the wrong way, there's got to be more trust that 99.999% of drivers (even those used to driving on the right) won't do that. There's so much inconsistency in lane markings and signage which seems to cause more problems than it solves.
So many of the dashcam video on YT seem to be at roundabouts where drivers seem to have different interpretations of what lane they should be in and end up having close shaves and tantrums.
There's a junction near me when the multilane approach to the traffic-lighty roundabout initially has one sign telling you which lane you need for which exit; then a second sign a few seconds later than tells you something different. So you end up with drivers doing last second lane changes just as they get to the traffic lights.
😂😂😂😂
I passed today, 4th attempt. Thank you so much for your videos they helped so much ❤
Brilliant👏🏻
Interesting video again Richard. I enjoy your videos even though I've been driving for for around 40 years. (I like identifying the locations too as I also live in the Colchester area) I regularly get cut off on roundabouts by people who seen to use the right hand lane even when exiting from a second exit at the twelve O clock position ( straight on) which is really annoying. I also see people who go most of the way round roundabouts in the left lane cutting off everyone trying to exit. Anything that helps awareness of lane discipline must be good .
Thank you Richard, I am one of those foreign drivers who has found the roundabouts so confusing and quite scary. Although I am sure I wouldn't turn right in the wrong direction😂. I have gone straight in the right lane instead of turning right and got the hooting of my life so you are very "right" in your analogy
I'm from Cyprus where traffic rules are mostly exactly the same as the uk (it used to be a british colony well after cars were a thing). Although we do have plenty of roundabouts (but no minis at all), the road markings are not arrows but circles that look like roundabouts painted on each lane and many times on a sign, that indicate which exits each lane can take. Exceptions are either very old roundabouts or very small ones. Imo that's a much better system of assigning lanes to their corresponding exits and safer than assuming drivers know rules of thumb and won't get confused by seeing a straight arrow in the right lane.
If you want examples of these road markings check out on street view for big roundabouts which definitely have them.
Yes, a right arrow with a circle showing the roundabout is likely a better sign.
Then of course, is this present as an option in the road designers' manual in the first place?
@aveekbh the manual can always change. There's plenty of stupidly designed roads and junctions in Cyprus but at least they got the road markings correct.
same or similar in ireland much better; in the Republic of Ireland they have a better solution where instead of arrows they have a drawing of the roundabout with an arrow so never to confuse, it works very nice. have to straight ahead arrows into one lane is dangerous besides being confusing
I started driving in the UK not long ago with an international license and this confused me a lot. Googling did not help much so this video helped me a ton! Thanks!
Can you still get those? What country are you from?
@@outlander_... Came to UK about 3 years ago with an EU driving license and just swapped it for a UK one. This is still possible afaik
Brilliant video 😁 definitely very confusing to most new drivers especially when they want to go ahead using the right hand lane but there's only room for the left lane to exit onto the ahead road 😕
Passed my test this week, thank you so much for all the tips, first try with one minor
That's fantastic news! Thank you for watching and congratulations on passing!
I'm not british so this doesnt matter to me but I wanted to tell you that your expression in the thumbnail is fantastic.
Your explanation of why an Ahead Arrow is being adopted, instead of the Right Arrow, gives me a big smile (thinking about the chaos where people really made an immediate right turn!).
I passed today thank you for the free content which is a complete god send
Thanks for this. I can absolutely see where you’re coming from in this video.
When that manual was written, I suspect weight was given to the catastrophic consequences of a foreigner circling a roundabout anti-clockwise (equivalent of driving on the wrong side of the road), more so than weight being given to the probability of it happening. (It only need happen once to be fatal.) It’s surprising how many countries have no idea how to use roundabouts because theirs are either non-existent, or horrendously designed.
Also, if finding yourself in the right hand lane of the roundabout when you want to go straight on it is easy to go round again safely.
Thanks for nice examples from Colchester and its ‘Magic Roundabout’. Fascinating reasoning about lane-marking arrows.
Thank You Richard. I come across one in Birminham when im teaching and i thought the straight arrow was a mistake lol when turning right but this clears things up. Very useful video..
Thank you for this. My students are always asking me about those arrows.
I never knew this, but I also never thought of this reason. It makes sense for foreign drivers especially from countries that don't have roundabouts, which is quite a lot!
UK roads are absolutely horrific. Don’t know if you’ve covered this topic yet, but merging two lanes into one (especially after a junction) is one of the best designs for creating traffic.
The design of junction lanes in general make it difficult for people to anticipate which lane they need to be at in good time… unless they have driven on that road a couple times before.
A reason to use this is if there is a lot of traffic taking that route. For example, suppose it's the traffic going ahead at a traffic light on a road which is generally only one lane in each direction. At the traffic light, you could make the left lane, right lane or both lanes into ahead lanes. If you make them both go ahead, then because of the width of the road they will later have to merge. But, you can now potentially twice as many vehicles at a red traffic light. That may well be enough to prevent the queue at that light from tailing back all the way to the *previous* junction, gumming that up and interfering with it.
I'd say the problem is not that it causes traffic, but that it causes conflict among people who see it not as a way to use space but as a way to overtake. They don't merge in turn when the lanes merge, but try to make it as far up the road as they can, and when they push in they force those behind to slam on the brakes and can cause accidents.
Edinburgh is awful for it. Seems like they consistently select just after the exit of the junction to merge lanes, even though that's the most challenging place to merge.
@@KindredBrujah because it's at the junction when you need multiple lanes to accommodate more cars stopped at the junction. Traffic always queues before junctions, often not after junctions. After the junction, traffic is slower on average as well, so I don't think it's the hardest place to merge at all.
Having an ahead arrow at the roundabout seems to make some people think they can zoom up the outside and effectively overtake. Often squeezing in front of drivers going straight ahead as the road narrows. Glad you covered this I would change the straight ahead arrow to a go right arrow.
You know whats so weird is that i not only passed my cat b ages ago but also my cat d but i still enjoy these videos even though as a professional driver now (not to blow up my bum) i know the exact answers to these tricky questions/situations
Richard is clearly entertaining 😊
Perfectly sensible - make things clearer with confusing road markings
I watch a fair few driving fail videos, I don't see many clips of people going the wrong way around UK roundabouts, but for some reason I have seen quite a few from Australian clips. While you were explaining it, my initial thought was about preventing foreign drivers going the wrong way.
recently passed my test in colchester your videos were a massive help not only by the tips you provide but as i had never driven there but have been watching for a year or so helped me massively in the local area
That's great to hear! Thank you for watching and congratulations on passing!
Although now well retired, I spent 30 years as an ADI with consecutive grade 6's and finished with an A 51/51. It's refreshing to see an ADI who's enthusiastic and knows his stuff.
Ahh, thanks for explaining this. I’ve been wondering this for a few years now and couldn’t understand why the forward arrow on the right lane could direct you into a single lane possibly causing a collision. Personally I think it’s a crazy decision instead of just painting a right arrow. 👍
Thanks for explaining that so clearly. It has been an unexplained bugbear of mine for years.
Thank you, these are very informative and I'll be watching others as they come out. Bring back Public Information films. We could all do with them at some point!!!
Been looking out for this, in our area I see plenty of right turn arrows painted in the right lane. I guess there is some local differences in interpreting the regs. I would also expect there to be more caution near the channel ports. PS. your videos have been extremely helpful in me teaching both my kids to drive… Thanks!
your correct but still alot of people dont understand at all ? i always hang back just incase the car in the right hand lane goes straight on , i totally agree with you
Great video, all very logical and correct. It is still confusing though isn't it. Anyone who would try and go the wrong way around a roundabout from an approach road should not have a driving licence. Never seen it happen myself, ever. I've seen people approach in the left hand land and go all the way around the outside of the roundabout in that lane, and take the last right turn exit. I'm sure some of you have seen the same.
🎉 I really like your videos 📹
This one.. is about that roundabout at the end of episode, it is really 👌 perfectly explained and... does shows why we have so many collisions 💥 recorded on dashcam videos online...
Thank you for your advice. We forgetting what we have learned to pass driving & theory exams.. You, Sir, remind that clearly.. 🎉
Why am I only learning this now? I've held a license for 10 years. I have noticed that it's always an ahead arrow, wondered why, but I just accepted it really and never looked into it. Good tidbit to know!
The explanation makes perfect sense from a foreign driver perspective and is probably the safer option.
Passed my exam today with just 3 minor faults, thanks bro.
Well done for your explanation of this problem.
Continuation of lane markings around a roundabout may help but could also be confusing as well.
Looks like we need box junctions on roundabouts too, bit tricky though.
I quite agree, having been sideswiped by a van driver going straight ahead on a single lane exit roundabout when the van entered from the outside lane!
I absolutely agree with you, i hate the confusion caused by a straight on arrow when wishing to turn right. Also i hate the straight on arrow when in the right lane lane implying i can go straight on. All of this is much more confusing than having a foreign driver going the wrong way around the roundabout.
Completely agree. Having some roundabouts with straight ahead and some with a right arrow is hugely inconsistent and likely to be a source of trouble in itself. The blue arrow is sufficient to show the direction around the roundabout. Some of these roundabouts presumably have signs on the approach showing which way you can leave the roundabout from which lane on the approach - and presumably these signs would then be showing different information to the road markings. If so, that's a source of confusion and distraction to drivers, which increases the risk of trouble.
🇬🇧 understandable. We definitely don't want people going the wrong way around the roundabout
Casually watching this and I’m like “I’ve just driven across that roundabout”😂 I live in Clacton and drove home from work, in Colchester. Had to finish the video after that
This is a perfect opportunity for me to ask a roundabout related question to a qualified driving instructor...
Imagine you're on an A road, and you approach a roundabout. The roundabout has 5 exits, including the road you're approaching from.
As you approach, the road widens to form enough space for 2 lanes of traffic to form. (although these lanes are not marked on the road with dividing white lines)
From your perspective as you approach, exit 1 is around about 45 degrees around the roundabout, definitely a left turn. So left hand "lane" (or left side of the carriage way) is suitable.
Exit 2 is 120 degrees around, and presumably still a left turn and left lane is suitable.
Exit 3 however, is past the 180 point, i.e. its not technically "straight ahead". However, on this particular roundabout, there is always a mix of drivers who go in both lanes, in an attempt to get to the 3rd exit.
I personally get in the right hand lane, so do the majority of people, however there is always one or two who blast down the left, and pass cars on the left whilst on the roundabout, forcing themselves off at exit 3.
What's your take on this? Is exit 3 a right hand turn, should drivers approach in the right hand lane?
(there are no road markings or road signs to indicate which lane to use)
You follow the roundabout sign for left, straight ahead and right, not the actual position of the roads.
Edit: Ah, I see you say there are no road signs. I find it unlikely a five exit roundabout wouldn't have a roundabout sign, but I don't have an answer for you in the circumstance you describe. (also not a driving instructor, so you may need to wait and see if one responds)
my opinion - ahead arrows on the right lane can also mislead foreigners if they are unfamiliar with turning right using the right hand lane (ie their side of the road had switched), so it can get confusing to the point where they simply go ahead as the arrow supposedly shows. I think that similar to how there is a left arrow in the left lane, there should be a right arrow in the right lane. Similar to the arrows presented at junctions. this topic is a bit of a tricky one! Nonetheless I agree with you. thank you for the educational video
What's worse, someone misunderstanding the straight arrow on the road or someone misunderstanding a turn right arrow on the road? Rhetorical.
@@f-godz3342 I suppose it's the balance of risk and probability of it happening. The outcome of coming going the wrong way around a roundabout is potentially very bad, but the probability of it happening is very small. Whereas the probability of someone misinterpreting an ahead arrow it quite high, but the outcome is less bad.
It'll be interesting to know how many cases there have been of people going around roundabouts (I'm really talking large multilane ones) the wrong way due to seeing a right-turn arrow?
A right lane is right only turn would be clearer
I think, perhaps, road designers should opt for a curvy ahead arrow instead.
So it’s still an ahead arrow, but it’s curving to the right slightly as a hint to road users.
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I think that's a good idea.
They have exactly that in Canada and USA
That was my thought. You could even have an arrow that looks a bit like a roundabout sign - goes left and then around to the right. Roundabout signs have a broken circle to make clear which way you should go around and the arrow in the road could use the same idea.
This is interesting thanks for the explanation, I've only been driving for 50 years and picked up some good tips which refreshes and improves my road craft.. 😊
I queried the lack of a right arrow with Highways at Essex CC. I explained exactly what you have said and I agree with you.
They told me that they do not use them to avoid confusion to Overseas Drivers (HGVs). Who might circulate the wrong way.
In the Netherlands, traffic engineers solved this issue by incorporating the correct path across the roundabout in the arrow. So to avoid people from going the wrong way, the arrow goes up, three-quarters of a circle (in our case clockwise), and then the arrow points to the left.
That sounds like such a universally effective type of signage that it's almost baffling that it hasn't been implemented as a solution. 'Almost baffling,' because we're so used to traffic design making no sense that it's not even surprising anymore 😄
I passed my test three years ago and a lot of that was down to you! Thank you for making these 🫶🏾
I learned to drive in Reading, and there are quite a few roundabouts with a right arrow, e.g. Imperial Way turning right onto the A33 northbound (it's a very popular roundabout on driving test routes) has a straight and right arrow in lane 2 and a right-only arrow in lane 3. All learner drivers are taught to use lane 2 to turn right...
Thank you. It makes very good sense particularly if the roundabout is a big one or not round.
I think this may be a regional thing, with local councils deciding on how they'll mark things. I teach in Telford, where we have almost as many roundabouts as Milton Keynes, and where arrows are marked it is often a right (or combination right/ahead) arrow in the right hand lane, with ahead arrows only being used in situations where the right lane can also be used to go ahead.
Totally agree. I see many people going straight on from the right lane because of this. They use the argument that some arrows do point to the right, so the straight on arrows must mean straight on. Some European countries use a hooked arrow to show the direction round the roundabout and the exit (its like a back to front question mark - because they go the other way round!)
Learnt something new today. Driving for 30 years, only seen this kind of mark up at roundabouts in Peterborough. Been blaming the council for daft road markings and now I see it’s for all our foreign friends!! 😂
I’m VERY impressed with your clarity and personal animation in delivery of well-paced, fully fluent, unhesitant and never-distracted presentation. As a fellow ADI, thank you.
Regarding this video topic: aren’t traffic signs (not arrow markings) the only legally binding feature? I know DVSA examiners would nonetheless expect a test candidate to follow lane arrows even if no ORU nearby. And is not all design guidance based on monitored accident statistics? So “ahead arrow confusion” is in fact less risky than painting a right-arrow?
I always use the left lane to go left or straight and the right lane to go right (unless otherwise stated). As you showed in your diagram far too many two lane roundabouts suddenly turn into one lane once you go straight ahead.
This was useful. I had thought an ahead arrow in the right lane indicated that you could go straight ahead. (But i am in Northern Ireland and our highway code is slightly different in some areas)
10:00 my answer to this question based on only the examples given for the Mini roundabouts chapter would be: Right arrows seemed to be used where there is an island with the yellow reflector road sign which distinguishes the side of the road to use on the exit. Whereas in your mini roundabout examples with the ahead arrow, I noticed only an island shaped road marking is used instead. No yellow reflector. Also note that in these examples there are more than 1 lane at each entery and exit on the roundabout at an exit.
This seems to follow your thinking that they are playing it safe to avoid responsibility. So when they have an island and yellow reflector splitting the entry and exit lanes, it should be clear enough to drive onto the correct side of the road with the right turn arrow on approach
I find these yellow reflectors helpful at night at awkward junctions where roadmarkings are sometimes worn or difficult to see.
I have indeed noticed this, so was interested to hear what you had to say! Ahead arrows in all but the lane(s) for the first exit seem to me like a "big roundabout/gyratory thing", but I never thought to ask my instructor (some 20 years ago) or anyone since.
It's good to have the hard evidence from the Traffic Signs Manual. I anticipated what you were going to say just before you did -- about avoiding suggesting turning right onto the roundabout in the wrong direction... and I had to wonder if the UK has more cause for this than other European countries because visitors are almost certain to be used to driving on the other side. Hmm! And it's a good point that this decision has the "flip side" of creating a risk of leading people to a dangerous convergence at the 12 o'clock exit.
New to your channel; fairly lengthy answer to the question but qualified by excellent clips and worthy opinion!
Thanks Richard I really like how you explain 😊
They should get rid of road markings as arrows and have signs instead. If there's traffic you can't see the arrows until it's too late to safely change lane. They can be difficult to read in bad weather, the dark, and/or the arrows get warn off easily.
In Massachusetts the roundabouts (or rotaries as they are called there), the signs and road markings will have the arrow going around a circle to clearly indicate which lane you need for the turn and also being clear that you have to go around
You'll also notice that on the direction board, the island has a break to the right of your direction. This break indicates traffic flow direction around the island clockwise.
this vidio is so helpful. i just bought my first car with international license.. my area is full of round about which gives me headache omg
Appreciate Ur vids man, I passed first try without paying for instructor and only got 5 minors 🙌🏾💯
That's fantastic! Congratulations on passing!
I'd been starting to wonder the exact same thing, with the exact roundabouts you went round!
3:43 people driving here should observe our rules, we should not have incorrect road markings to suit incompetent people driving. The sign is correct with a right arrow only.
There's a very frustrating roundabout near me, that my instructor said a pupil had failed at. There are three lanes into this roundabout, left, straight, right. The sign shows the 3rd exit is straight ahead, so going straight ahead you have to be in the middle lane, makes sense. first exit being a no through and not signposted on the roundabout, but because the 3rd exit (counting the none signposted road) is visually past 12oclock the examiner will tell you to turn right third exit. This specific pupil used the right hand lane to take what is signposted as a straight ahead, but isn't actually a straight ahead. What I've been told you need to do here is be in the middle lane and indicate right. No wonder people from elsewhere may get confused when this is how roundabouts are being signposted!
I’ve known about this problem for many years, the reason being that I worked at the TRL in the 1970s on roundabout design. We tended to suggest avoid lane arrows approaching roundabouts to maintain flexibility. Also the ring junction that you were caught on highlights a problem of over strict adherence to the give-way rule resulting in locking. The introduction of the original rule in 1966 was always intended to be advisory, just sufficient to stop roundabouts from locking up. Today our larger roundabouts operate like racetracks, never what was intended. In France their roundabouts drain outwards (adverse camber). It’s effective at keeping speeds down. The simplest way of dealing with problems of some large roundabouts is to signalise them.
Straight ahead at a roundabout can be done from either the left or right lane depending on the road layout.
If there are two lanes on approach and the straight ahead exit is also two lanes, you can use either lane.
Oh! This has really made me think. There is also the pressure on the test to use up all the space on the road and not queue unnecessarily if there is a lane free ...
Nice analysis... Noticed it . Never knew why .. Although I figured it out just before you gave the reason..
I fully agree with you. Do add to rhe confusion, It's interesting how the highway code rules 184 to 190 don't seem to mention ahead specifically. Rule 186 especially, It clearly mentions turning left, right and around full circle. But going ahead is classed as an intermediate exit and it simply says use the appropriate lane. Yet the image shows the blue car defaulting to the left in the manner we were taught. Then we have the old school logic, approach in the left if the lane is before 12 on clock and the right after 12 o clock, unless signs or markings dictate otherwise. It not only adds to the confusion, but the highway code seems to take away liabily or fault if someone has done it differently.
Great vid. To be pedantic, the roundabout consists of a circulatory carrdigeway what goes around an island. The roundabout isn't the island itself, it is the combination of the road and the island.
The roundabout at Pudsey from Bradford has 4 lanes. Marked left ,straight, right, right. The right lanes also have Leeds written on them. The other approaches also have right arrows.
Totally agree with you. Let's start a petition!