No "turn right" lane arrows on approach to roundabout - new standard?

[NY]

I've seen a posting somewhere on Facebook (can't find it now because of
Facebook's habit of displaying a story once and then making it disappear)
saying that new roundabouts (or existing ones that are refurbished) must no
longer have a right-facing arrow as a lane marking on the approach to a
roundabout, and that the only lane markings allowed *on the approach* are
turn-left or straight-ahead; the right-most lane with a straight-ahead arrow
is assumed to including traffic turning right.

The reason for this (cue comments about drivers with negative common sense!)
is that apparently some drivers have assumed that the turn-right arrow means
that they can turn right (ie anti-clockwise) at the roundabout, facing
oncoming traffic, despite the big left-facing arrow on a blue background and
the left chevrons on signs on the hub of the roundabout.

Is there any truth in this?

[Colin Bignell]

The use of lane marking arrows is covered in Section 6.7 of Chapter 5 of
The Traffic Sings Manual. Section 6.7.2 refers in particular to the use
of right turn arrows.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5c4ace6ded915d38a0611abc/traffic-signs-manual-chapter-05.pdf



--
Colin Bignell

[Andy Burns]

NY wrote:

> I've seen a posting somewhere on Facebook (can't find it now because of
> Facebook's habit of displaying a story once and then making it
> disappear) saying that new roundabouts (or existing ones that are
> refurbished) must no longer have a right-facing arrow as a lane marking
> on the approach to a roundabout, and that the only lane markings allowed
> *on the approach* are turn-left or straight-ahead; the right-most lane
> with a straight-ahead arrow is assumed to including traffic turning right.

I find this "teardrop shaped" roundabout very badly marked, when driving
north on Grove Way, the left hand lane is for turning right (only
service-yard traffic turns left), and the right hand lane is for
returning 180° the way you've come from, the number of people who use
the right hand lane and then cut-up drivers who are correctly in the
left hand lane must be about 50%

<https://google.com/maps/@52.5962121,-1.1788968,77m/data=!3m1!1e3>

[Nick Finnigan]

But ... on reaching the teardrop in that direction, there are no give way
lines to cause a queue, and previously only one lane, so are 50% of the
drivers deciding to overtake at the junction ?

[NY]

On 14/12/2023 11:54, Andy Burns wrote:

In the absence of lane-usage signs (and I can't see any) I think might
assume that both lanes fed into a two-lane road on the right, with the
right lane also being used for U turns.

It's only when you get to here https://maps.app.goo.gl/HQmwywz7sBEnYPPq6
that you see that the right-hand lane on the roundabout doesn't feed a
second lane on the 2nd exit, by which time your only recourse to to go
round again (a long detour since the roundabout is a teardrop)- or to
stop and indicate left, and wait till someone lets you in.

Needs a sign "Right lane is ONLY for U-turns" or words to that effect in
advance.

"Fosse Park" and "A563" road markings are only any use if you know which
you want and there aren't cars covering them up. I might have assumed
that Fosse Park was the left turning and the right turning was the A563
if I was a stranger to the area (as I am).

Lane-marking is not a minimalist skill: there are no extra points for
being as terse and unhelpful as possible, to see whether people can
still cope!

[Andy Burns]

Nick Finnigan wrote:

>> <https://google.com/maps/@52.5962121,-1.1788968,77m/data=!3m1!1e3>
>
>  But ... on reaching the teardrop in that direction, there are no give
> way lines to cause a queue, and previously only one lane, so are 50% of
> the drivers deciding to overtake at the junction ?

They drift right when reaching the point of the teardrop, then veer left.

[Nick Finnigan]

and cut up a driver in the left lane who was previously behind them?