Last update ~ 6th April 2012 ~ CS

Blackpool & Fylde Advanced Motorists Group

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If is it not possible to achieve a sufficient deflection of traffic around the central disc, perhaps because of its approach speed in general, the usual GIVE WAY road marking, the single broken white line ( 1003.3 ) may be disregarded.  If this is the case, a mandatory GIVE WAY road sign ( 602 ) has to be mounted directly above the typical mini–roundabout road sign ( 611.1 ).

Can you believe this next bit ...... if to fit 602 might lead some drivers into wrongly thinking that they must GIVE WAY to traffic from their left, either at the old T-junction setting or indeed from any arm of a four-way junction, then that sign might not be fitted.  BUT when 602 is fitted, then it must have the double broken white line ( 1003 ) and the typical upside down GIVE WAY triangle ( 1023 ) painted on the road as road markings.

Consider now the Highway Code Rule 188 where we must approach these mini-roundabouts in the same way as normal roundabouts.  All vehicles MUST pass round the central markings except large vehicles that are physically incapable of doing so. Remember, there is less space to manoeuvre and less time to signal.  Avoid making U-turns at mini-roundabouts.  Beware of others doing this.

As far as normal roundabouts are concerned, to deal with them safely and confidently you should have a thorough understanding of the rules which apply to approaching and negotiating them.  Being in the correct position and applying the appropriate signalling is crucial as is a decisive and safe entry into the traffic flow.  Let us look at a typical roundabout below showing the Norcross Roundabout near Poulton, using our artistic licence of course.

There are two specific sizes of the white central disc and the size to be used depends upon the road space available and the need for the mini-roundabout to be conspicuous. Sometimes the disc is located slightly off-centre of the junction and there is a reason behind the positioning of it.

The larger of the two discs, up to 4.0 metres in diameter, is used where the local authority want to have the traffic coming onto the roundabout slowed down sufficiently and then have to steer around the marking to deter them from a straight through movement.

To make the central disc more conspicuous, it can be raised from a maximum 6mm (1/4”) at its outer edge up to a maximum of 125mm (5”) at its crown.

The standard GIVE WAY road marking painted at a mini-roundabout is shown here as the single broken white line ( 1003.3 ) but it may have the typical upside down GIVE WAY triangle ( 1023 ) with it.

If is it not possible to achieve a sufficient deflection

Mini-roundabouts are only located in areas of 30mph or less and have proven over time to be an effective measure at improving traffic flow at existing junctions where drivers suffered delay and potential safety problems.  Their layout creates the driver’s awareness of their presence in plenty of time.  We would like you to have a look at a typical design below with acknowledgement under Crown Copyright 2003 to the Traffic Signs Manual on Road Markings. Notice the different types of road markings and signs with a view to understanding the reasons behind those markings and signs.  Once you have seen this page, we would ask you to have a look at your local mini-roundabouts near you and follow that reasoning.

As far as our approaches onto roundabouts are concerned, we must follow the five phases of the system of car control.  Above is a sketch of a roundabout that you might be familiar with.

INFORMATION

Some distance away from the roundabout ~

TAKE the effective observations that you need to take to the front, to the sides and to the rear collecting sufficient information to enable you to see what you are about to deal with.  Look for the road signs and road markings to determine whether they impact on your journey ahead and will discuss that below. Establish your first impressions of the traffic flow on the roundabout as to whether your progress will be impeded or not.

USE any information regarding any vehicles in front of you that might slow you down on your approach and try to establish from the traffic flow as to when the vehicles in front of you will be able to merge with traffic already on the roundabout, thus reducing your need to possibly stop. Roundabouts are a means of maintaining traffic flow from a number of junctions and types of road which potentially might involve a variety of speeds.  As part of your USE of information phase approaching the roundabout, you must look for road signs that are going to affect you.  These might be changes in speed or perhaps clearways coming to an end. You must now be aware of the new limitations under which you are about to drive.  Also watch out for and use any information that a cyclist or an accompanied horse rider might be giving to you.  If that rider wishes to turn right at the roundabout, they will probably stay in the left lane whilst continually signalling right until they are ready to give what we can now call “the breakaway signal” to come off the roundabout.  Give them plenty of space.

GIVE an appropriate signal if one is required to benefit another road user.

POSITION

Your positioning on the approach to the roundabout should be satisfied in plenty of time and the information regarding your appropriate exit should be established from the information you have seen on the signboard in your information phase.  The position will of course depend upon your intended exit and the number of approach lanes.

SPEED

A good mental thought process on the approach to the roundabout is to PLAN TO STOP BUT LOOK TO GO.  Your approach speed should be such that if you can join the traffic flow you can do so but that you must be able to stop if it is necessary. Your first speed objective is therefore to reduce it by “acceleration sense” in plenty of time in order to reduce the amount of braking that you might otherwise do.  By taking further information on the approach to the roundabout continuously, you should be able to establish from that traffic flow, a suitable gap in the traffic that will allow you to merge into the actual flow, hopefully, without having to stop.  Don’t forget that the traffic already on the roundabout to your right hand side has the priority over you so do not take any risks when entering the roundabout as before you go you must have established where each of the vehicles on that roundabout to your right are going and are they going to impact on your decision.

GEAR

At this stage, you have not yet selected a gear.  Do not select the gear until you know which one you are going to go for.  If you have to stop, obviously first gear will be selected but otherwise determine the appropriate gear that you will need from the speed at which you are travelling.

ACCELERATION ~ first part

Once you have established that you are going to go after having chosen the appropriate gap to join the traffic, ensure that you are very careful with vehicles in front of you at the roundabout and make sure that they have moved off safely before you decide you are going to move off.  Many shunting accidents are reported on roundabouts because of that very fact.  Never make a presumption that the other vehicle will move.  If you can carry on or move off, only increase your speed safely and smoothly without disrupting traffic already on the roundabout whilst you maintain your appropriate speed and position.

TRAVELLING AROUND THE ROUNDABOUT AND LEAVING IT SAFELY

Pedestrians, Vehicles and Cyclists can be a problem to us everywhere and to no lesser extent on a roundabout.  Before you do decide to move into the traffic flow, take effective observations for those P’s, V’s and C’s.  You must watch for potential pedestrians and obstructions at your exit point if you can see them, potential vehicles at each exit junction as you approach them to ensure nothing is moving that shouldn’t be and cyclists as you are about enter the roundabout.

As you are about to exit, you need to revisit the safe system of car control and so certainly check information in advance regarding any road signs at the entrance to your new road and specifically, are there any speed changes to watch for?  Don’t forget the difference in the National Speed Limit sign’s criteria for a single carriageway and a dual carriageway.  Clearways might have been located on the new road just as a couple of examples.

If a road user is to benefit from your exit signal, remember to give that breakaway signal no earlier than the middle of the exit before the one you want to come off at.

Your effective observations on your way to exiting the roundabout must again take the P’s, V’s and C’s into account. This means the new road has to be scanned for pedestrians and any obstructions that might impede your progress, your appropriate nearside or offside blind spots to be checked for any vehicle whose driver might want to cut you off in your prime and a two-wheel check in your nearside door mirror to ensure that no-one is alongside you on a cycle or motorbike.

ACCELERATION ~ final part

We mentioned in the above topic about maintaining an appropriate speed and position whilst you are travelling around the roundabout.  Now as we have exited the roundabout, must complete the final phase of car control.  Before you can take that decision to accelerate properly away from the hazard, you must ensure that it is safe to do so.  With that in mind, once more take effective observation to the front, the sides and through all three mirrors to the rear and of it is safe, once your wheels are straight and not before, you can now power the vehicle safely and smoothly away from the roundabout.

STRAIGHT-LINING A ROUNDABOUT

You might, if you become involved upon an IAM Advanced Driving course, enter into a discussion with your Observer about this.  In short, if you are going straight ahead at a roundabout, instead of going around the curvature of the roundabout in the left lane, to maintain progress and stability of the vehicle, you can lawfully take the shortest distance between two points and that is a straight line.  This is a practice, usually employed as part of the driving techniques of an emergency response trained driver in his or her ambulance, fire-engine or police car.  The principle about this technique is that it cannot be employed until full effective observations have been made on that emergency response to ensure that the road position to be used will not interfere with any other road user.  It is not against the law per se and can be of benefit in maintaining sufficient progress.  You will be encouraged to consider this technique but you must not try it until you are fully aware of the reasons behind its use.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST

Having looked at the process of going around a roundabout on paper, you might find it interesting to have a look at the real life roundabout about in pictures to give you more of a sense of what you should be looking for.     Imagine you are travelling South, in the little yellow car on the graphic above, from Fleetwood towards Preston and the last instruction you had been given by the Observer or the Examiner some distance before the roundabout  was .......

“I would like you to follow the road to Norcross”

If you hover your mouse over the pictures, they will expand to a greater size to let you into that thought process.