Incident on single-lane roundabout

nomdeboardie

Unknown Soldier wrote: »

It is common practise and I'm nearly sure mentioned in the UK's Highway code, that you "should" signal going past an exit to indicate you are not leaving the round about if you are on a bike, or that it is good practise or something.

Quite frankly I use indicating while cycling as the ONLY way I have to communicate with vehicles. I have no problems indicating right going past a first exit etc, if it means that vehicles behind me or coming onto the roundabout know what I am doing..

That sort of ring a bell with me too, though it might be referring to a situation in a 2-lane roundabout where the cyclist chooses to stay in the left lane though taking 3rd/later exit(?)

That being said, in this instance OP, where we would differ is that I don't take the lane par se, I position myself to block any vehicles behind me in a manner that keeps me safe, I'd have kept more to the left in your case, as you'd past the first exit and yours was next.

I indeed thought I was blocking the lane, but must have been too far right to make it impossible for the car to worm through on the left

CramCycle

There are mistakes by both parties but those errors are mutually exclusive and does not excuse either. At the OP, it's single lane and a roundabout. You should not have indicated right at any point in the scenario you describe. This though, is just an error, one that annoys me but one that on a single lane roundabout is nothing more than annoying. The driver, no matter where you indicated or positioned yourself, undertook on a single traffic lane, where any intelligent driver will tell you, who gives a **** where the other party said they intend going, it's a single lane, just wait the 2 seconds. At best they stopped in reaction to your about out of concern but it sounds more like they brake tested you knowing you were likely to come off worse. The driver was at best an idiot, at worse an assh@t. You can't fix either but learn for yourself, take the lane completely. A family member lives only a few minutes away, that roundabout takes no more than 12seconds if your slow and going to the last exit so just block everything, they would have not been delayed any longer if a car had been on it anyway so your inconveniencing nobody.

doozerie

The Rules of the Road (PDF document) say that for motorists on roundabouts you use your right indicator only if taking an exit between 6 o'clock and 12 o'clock positions. So no right indicator if taking the second exit on this particular roundabout.

However, the following (poorly worded) section could be interpreted as saying that signalling right by cyclists and horse riders should be expected even if they are taking the second exit:

In all cases watch out for and give plenty of room to:
* pedestrians who may be crossing the approach and exit roads,
* traffic crossing in front of you on the roundabout, especially vehicles intending to leave by the next exit,
* traffic that may be straddling lanes or positioned incorrectly,
* motorcyclists,
* cyclists and horse riders who may stay in the left-hand lane and signal right if they intend to continue round the roundabout,
* long vehicles (including those towing trailers), which might have to take a different course approaching or on the roundabout because of their length. Watch out for their signals.

So the motorist was in the wrong.

Of course all of that is immaterial in this case anyway, the motorist undertook on a single lane roundabout and there is no justification for that, it's bad driving plain and simple. And slamming on the brakes elevates them from bad driver to complete arsehole.