Road positioning. Is it me?

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
mediumbird
Posts: 148
Joined: 20 Jan 2013, 5:10pm
Location: Aberlour, Scotland

Road positioning. Is it me?

Post by mediumbird »

Looking for advice. I seem to have come across this type of driving and not sure if it is me or whether driving is getting worse? Ok, the scenario is as follows. Approaching a 4 way roundabout, 2 lane approach, right hand lane for straight ahead or turning right. I am in the right hand lane occupying the middle of lane, wait for break in traffic to move out(and sometimes I can just go straight out), move onto the roundabout and the car behind going the same way as me, tries to overtake me on the inside! What's that all about? I am on the shorter track just from the fact they are trying to pass me on my left therefore taking a longer route on the roundabout. Any ideas on where I am going wrong, how to stop cars doing this? It's a fairly recent phenomenon.
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Road positioning. Is it me?

Post by [XAP]Bob »

It's not you, there is nothing to do but be grateful that they have clearly seen you...
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
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661-Pete
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Re: Road positioning. Is it me?

Post by 661-Pete »

You are doing nothing wrong. The motorist in question is clearly Mr M'Gif, that archetypical moron whose entire mentality is built around the premise "cyclists are a nuisance and in my way, Must Get In Front...." - no matter where or what the road conditions are.

I would suggest, do just as you have done, but be aware that there may be other Mr M'Gif's on the road - but hopefully not all motorists. But be aware - and wary!

This sort of thing is more likely to happen on a very large roundabout or gyratory. Indeed such layouts are far more of a menace to cyclists than small ones.
Suppose that this room is a lift. The support breaks and down we go with ever-increasing velocity.
Let us pass the time by performing physical experiments...
--- Arthur Eddington (creator of the Eddington Number).
mediumbird
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Joined: 20 Jan 2013, 5:10pm
Location: Aberlour, Scotland

Re: Road positioning. Is it me?

Post by mediumbird »

Thanks for the replies. Will keep doing as I am and keep my wits about me, it just seemed to becoming a more frequent problem. I once had a van come up behind me at a roundabout and while I was waiting for a gap in the traffic, he obviously thought I would be too slow, so moved to the left lane waiting to go on the roundabout, to turn right, and surprise, surprise we both moved onto the roundabout at the same time, but despite his best efforts to try and undertake me to get in front, he failed as I was obviously faster. Numptee. I did feel smug and hope they felt foolish.....though I doubt it! Lots of lifesaver looks for me on roundabouts at all times!
Tacascarow
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Re: Road positioning. Is it me?

Post by Tacascarow »

I think you are all wrong unless I'm reading the original post in the wrong way.
From my interpretation you wanted to exit at the second exit?
In which case you should have been in the left hand lane but not signalling until you passed the first junction. the right hand lane is for any traffic exiting at the third (or higher) junction.
Highway code roundabouts.
mediumbird
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Joined: 20 Jan 2013, 5:10pm
Location: Aberlour, Scotland

Re: Road positioning. Is it me?

Post by mediumbird »

Nope. This is a roundabout that is marked right hand lane for straight on or right turn. Left hand lane for left only. Drivers have tried to undertake me when we are all going the same way i.e right and have entered the roundabout behind me then try to beat me round the roundabout to the exit
Bicycler
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Re: Road positioning. Is it me?

Post by Bicycler »

You do need to be doubly careful at that type of roundabout. Not only do you have to worry about "Mr MGIF" you also have to beware of those who fail to look properly at the lane markings and automatically take the left hand lane to go straight on.

It will depend on the exact circumstances but this may be one of the rare circumstances where it might be safer and appropriate for you to ignore the road markings and take the left hand lane when travelling straight on. The Highway Code specifically mentions that cyclists may choose to take the left hand lane round a roundabout
Last edited by Bicycler on 4 Jul 2015, 10:22am, edited 1 time in total.
TonyR
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Re: Road positioning. Is it me?

Post by TonyR »

I cycle a roundabout like that on my commute but I stay on the left of the right hand lane and then move across to primary in the left lane on the roundabout as I pass the exit to the left. I have very few problems doing it that way. If you stay too far over to the right you will get undertaken by drivers doing what I do - going from the right hand lane on the approach to the left hand lane on the roundabout.
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661-Pete
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Re: Road positioning. Is it me?

Post by 661-Pete »

Roundabouts with lane markings pointing to specific exits, are in my opinion a bad idea. They can be confusing to road users. This is a particularly insidious example, near Crawley, which I find perplexing both in car and on bike. Even when the lane markings are not so faded and illegible as they evidently were when Google paid a visit, it is difficult to follow the right line.
Suppose that this room is a lift. The support breaks and down we go with ever-increasing velocity.
Let us pass the time by performing physical experiments...
--- Arthur Eddington (creator of the Eddington Number).
TonyR
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Re: Road positioning. Is it me?

Post by TonyR »

661-Pete wrote:Roundabouts with lane markings pointing to specific exits, are in my opinion a bad idea. They can be confusing to road users. This is a particularly insidious example, near Crawley, which I find perplexing both in car and on bike. Even when the lane markings are not so faded and illegible as they evidently were when Google paid a visit, it is difficult to follow the right line.


For that one I'd start on the right of the left lane and head straight for just to the right of the hatched area to go straight ahead.
The fat commuter
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Location: The hilly side of Sheffield

Re: Road positioning. Is it me?

Post by The fat commuter »

TonyR wrote:I cycle a roundabout like that on my commute but I stay on the left of the right hand lane and then move across to primary in the left lane on the roundabout as I pass the exit to the left. I have very few problems doing it that way. If you stay too far over to the right you will get undertaken by drivers doing what I do - going from the right hand lane on the approach to the left hand lane on the roundabout.

That's what I'd do. In fact, that is what I do on the roundabout on my ride home from work - however, on that it would be difficult for someone to pass on the left.
Each roundabout is different though - if one has two lanes approaching it and only one lane on the exit and you ride too far to the left then you could find that you just introduce a problem with drivers squeezing you on the exit.
I agree with other comments, most issues with drivers is the "must get in front" attitude that they have.
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: Road positioning. Is it me?

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
No your not doing anything wrong, its simply Mr impatient going home.

I wish councils would stop playing with Highway codes, you are taught the correct way and then they paint arrows, vain attempt at traffic flow etc at the safety of other users.

Probably been already said as I haven't rear all the posts.
NA Thinks Just End 2 End Return + Bivvy - Some day Soon I hope
You'll Still Find Me At The Top Of A Hill
Please forgive the poor Grammar I blame it on my mobile and phat thinkers.
Bicycler
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Re: Road positioning. Is it me?

Post by Bicycler »

NATURAL ANKLING wrote:I wish councils would stop playing with Highway codes, you are taught the correct way and then they paint arrows, vain attempt at traffic flow etc at the safety of other users.

You are taught a general rule to use in the absence of road markings which makes sense on a typical 4-road roundabout. It is not always the ideal arrangement for any roundabout so road users ought to be capable of reading simple changes in lane allocation like in the op. Not that I am justifying some of the more ridiculous inventions of local authority highway designers of course...
Mark1978
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Joined: 17 Jul 2012, 8:47am
Location: Chester-le-Street, County Durham

Re: Road positioning. Is it me?

Post by Mark1978 »

Plenty of those types around here. The councils "solution" is to direct cycles onto the pavement dismount and cross the road on foot - great.
axel_knutt
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Re: Road positioning. Is it me?

Post by axel_knutt »

On one occasion I was waiting in the right lane with an impatient driver behind me revving his engine and nudging forward. As soon as I crossed the give-way line he pushed past between me and the bollards on the right, and then swerved left in front of me. I was forced into emergency braking, and then got honked at for stopping by the car coming round the roundabout. I shouted back at him, so he then tried to barge me off the road as he passed.
“I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
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