Handsworth roundabout

Hey guys,

Sorry in advance for this bit of a rant. I'm a learner driver of about 10 months now. I had a bit of a bad lesson yesterday (2days before my 2nd test!). Anyway, I wanted to get people's opinions on this roundabout and the signs leading to it as my instructor made me feel a bit of a tit for getting confused. I would have added a link but I can't as a new user. I was basically traveling from town on Parkway and came off to head towards Handsworth roundabout.

My instructor said, "follow the signs to Handsworth". Looking at the signs, Handworth is on the right, here's me thinking "Ok, I'm going right on a roundabout let's signal right and move into the right-hand lane as I've done with every other roundabout I've ever been on". My instructor then proceeds to tell me (in a pretty condescending manner) that it's the left-hand lane for Handsworth roundabout.

Apart from the later road markings, which I couldn't see due to the pile up of traffic on the road, it's just not clear AT ALL that you use the left-hand lane for a right-hand turn.

Am I the only one or am I just getting confused due to inexperience?

I would greatly appreciate your opinions.

Links

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.376748,-1.398988,3a,75y,44.93h,76.43t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1stjiCP_hGXQn2L22mlwzwDA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.377153,-1.398323,3a,75y,16.94h,76.89t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sMrqI29nGkAjhrEu3uKJN6g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.377497,-1.397756,3a,75y,44.93h,76.43t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sCa6YoMbTlwalMkPd3AvHkQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

You can use both lanes to turn right towards Handsworth.

If you know where you're going you will use the left hand lane, as after you exit the roundabout the right hand lane exit turns right again.

See this link for where this happens

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.376062,-1.393806,3a,75y,166.42h,71.34t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1slLVHAVojYDmcF1r57dY3AQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

There is plenty of time after the roundabout to change lane though, so using either lane is perfectly valid. It's just minimises the lane changes if you use the left hand lane.

You WOULD need to see the arrow on the floor or know the roundabout to be aware of this though. Anyone unfamiliar and not seeing the arrows due to traffic would naturally use the right hand lane.

Cyclone, thanks for your reply and for posting the links! It does make me a feel a little better knowing it's not just me. It's hard to learn from your mistakes sometimes as a learner driver when you don't quite know how you went wrong. Definitely going to change instructors if I fail tomorrow.

Yeah, not good of the instructor to make you feel patronised. If you make a mistake, a good instructor, would help you understand what you did wrong, how you can avoid the mistake in future, all without feeling bad about yourself.

It was changed a while ago. Being in the left lane to turn right is not obvious but it does help the flow. It is the people coming off there and not indicating to go down Handsworth Road when I am coming up it that annoy me.

Are you sure it's not just you thinking your instructor was being condescending? You can't be expected to know everything, that's why you're learning to drive.

It's clear from the road markings, it's not the only roundabout where you can turn right in the left lane, it's likely your instructor took you there so you'd make that mistake, or almost make it & then learn from it. I think you're reading too much into it, there's no shame in learning how to drive. I think you'd fail if it was your test, but it wasn't. I think it was on one of the possible test routes too.

You should stay in the left lane unless told otherwise by your instructor, signs or the road markings. If they say take the third exit, or the exit for Handsworth or whatever then you need to look to see which lane you should be in approaching the roundabout.

anywebsite, thanks for your advise. Yes he did upset me with it because he said it with impatience as though I'd made a rookie mistake. That is one of the possible test routes as you say.

I wasn't looking for road markings because I assumed the road sign indicated it was a normal approach to a normal roundabout. Do experienced drivers automatically learn to check for road markings in those situations? I.e. is this something I should be doing all the time?

Yea you always need to check for road marking, because on that 1% of roundabouts they will be different.

If you're in the wrong lane and pile across a roundabout regardless you will cause a crash, and if there is sufficient evidence you could also be open for prosecution.

Lots of people now use dashcams to try and protect themselves from people not paying attention and causing accidents.

Yea you always need to check for road marking, because on that 1% of roundabouts they will be different.

 

If you're in the wrong lane and pile across a roundabout regardless you will cause a crash, and if there is sufficient evidence you could also be open for prosecution.

 

Lots of people now use dashcams to try and protect themselves from people not paying attention and causing accidents.

Difficult to see arrows on the road sometimes if there's a queue of traffic waiting to get on the roundabout..

Difficult to see arrows on the road sometimes if there's a queue of traffic waiting to get on the roundabout..

Yea, almost impossible until you're right on them sometimes.

It's worse when 'odd' roundabouts don't include any signs leading upto the roundabout to show the layout is different.

but still, you should be looking, and if you do find yourself in the wrong lane and it's not safe to change just go with the flow and find somewhere safe to turn around.

It's silly when someone realises at the last minute they are in the wrong lane, so just attempts to barge across regardless.

I'll make sure I check that by default in future then. It was very difficult to see, I imagine most people on that route would be doing their daily commute so would be familiar with it already.

I understand learners are not expected to know everything straight away. At the moment, I just can't imagine ever enjoying driving if these types of scenarios are common. Anyway, thank you for all your replies.

Yea you always need to check for road marking, because on that 1% of roundabouts they will be different.

 

If you're in the wrong lane and pile across a roundabout regardless you will cause a crash, and if there is sufficient evidence you could also be open for prosecution.

 

Lots of people now use dashcams to try and protect themselves from people not paying attention and causing accidents.

Of course if the road markings are obscured by queueing traffic, then you may not realise at all, but using the right hand lane at that roundabout is not wrong, it's just not optimal if you wish to continue into handsworth.

---------- Post added 29-07-2015 at 15:52 ----------

Yea, almost impossible until you're right on them sometimes.

It's worse when 'odd' roundabouts don't include any signs leading upto the roundabout to show the layout is different.

 

but still, you should be looking, and if you do find yourself in the wrong lane and it's not safe to change just go with the flow and find somewhere safe to turn around.

 

It's silly when someone realises at the last minute they are in the wrong lane, so just attempts to barge across regardless.

They weren't in the "wrong" lane. They could have taken the 3rd exit in either left OR right lane. They would however need to then move to the left hand lane after exiting, before the 2nd set of traffic lights.