Minor miniroundabout incident

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palinurus

Velo, boulot, dodo
Location
Watford
Approaching a mini roundabout yesterday, It's one of those ones that's just been stuck in the middle of what used to be a T-junction. Quiet road, traffic calmed, shops an' stuff.

I was going straight on, the only turning off the roundabout was to my left. A car was approaching the same roundabout from the other direction, reached the roundabout at the same time as me, then indicated right, pretty late when I was committed to going across. No problem, because I would've been clear by the time he'd gone around the painted circle in the middle. Or over it even.

Only he went around the inside of it, cutting the corner. I managed to stop just before his wing, bit of a skiddy stop too. He had a pop at me, saying I should've given way. It was Friday, I was tired and wet, I wasn't in the mood to argue the toss. I rode off and called him a twat under my breath.
 
Fraid it happens and it ain't worth worrying about.At least you are okay.I know what it's like riding after a long shift.Guess we all do.
 

bianco

New Member
palinurus said:
Approaching a mini roundabout yesterday, It's one of those ones that's just been stuck in the middle of what used to be a T-junction. Quiet road, traffic calmed, shops an' stuff.

I was going straight on, the only turning off the roundabout was to my left. A car was approaching the same roundabout from the other direction, reached the roundabout at the same time as me, then indicated right, pretty late when I was committed to going across. No problem, because I would've been clear by the time he'd gone around the painted circle in the middle. Or over it even.

Only he went around the inside of it, cutting the corner. I managed to stop just before his wing, bit of a skiddy stop too. He had a pop at me, saying I should've given way. It was Friday, I was tired and wet, I wasn't in the mood to argue the toss. I rode off and called him a twat under my breath.

You should have given way
 

BentMikey

Rider of Seolferwulf
Location
South London
bianco said:
You should have given way

Doesn't sound like it to me going by the OP's comments:

palinurus said:
A car was approaching the same roundabout from the other direction, reached the roundabout at the same time as me, then indicated right, pretty late when I was committed to going across. No problem, because I would've been clear by the time he'd gone around the painted circle in the middle. Or over it even.

Sounds like a careless and impatient driver to me. The driver might have a different view though. xx(
 

CarnageAX

New Member
Location
Lancashire, UK
Definitely should have stopped and given way. See highway code!

Avoiding a mini roundabout in the above mentioned way is a legitimate move as some vehicles have no choice other than driving over them.

Glad you managed to stop in time.
 

Joe24

More serious cyclist than Bonj
Location
Nottingham
Both in the wrong, sort of, how i see it. He went round the wrong way, and you should have given way. However, i would have just kept going if i knew i could have made it in time.
There are 2 mini roundabout very near to each other, and that is mainly where i have had the most problems with cars not giving way, jumping out, or going to turn left, then just deciding not to and quickly swerving to go straight on.
 

Tynan

Veteran
Location
e4
I give way at mini roundabout unless I'm sure, you can't be too careful, sounds like the driver was marginally in the right on this version, him signalling in good time would have been helpful
 

tdr1nka

Taking the biscuit
I ALWAYS slow to give way at mini roundabouts whatevers coming.
I also signal and hold primary upon entering the roundabout to deter cars from overtaking me on the mini roundabout, they love to do that round here!

As for advice in this situation I'd say always be ready to stop at a mini roundabout as cars often don't indicate and your corner cutting 'friend' would have had right of way upon entering the roundabout.
Best not to try and out wit/run cars in these situation as you'll always come off worse.

T x
 
OP
OP
palinurus

palinurus

Velo, boulot, dodo
Location
Watford
I should've taken a more cautious approach and waited to see which way he was going- the approach wasn't fast, since I was going uphill. I was watching him and I reckon I made the assumption (there's the problem) he was going straight on. The turn and indicate were pretty much simultaneous.

As for his corner-cutting, it was only a little hatchback, plenty room to go around.
 

gambatte

Middle of the pack...
Location
S Yorks
CarnageAX said:
Avoiding a mini roundabout in the above mentioned way is a legitimate move as some vehicles have no choice other than driving over them.

Never seen a mini RAB, that a CAR driven properly couldn't negotiate. Seen plenty of drivers in cars that cant be arsed to negotiate a mini RAB
 

Tynan

Veteran
Location
e4
driver was bad agreed, so many can't be arsed to indicate, but it's about being safe

no harm done though
 

Maz

Guru
palinurus said:
Approaching a mini roundabout yesterday, It's one of those ones that's just been stuck in the middle of what used to be a T-junction. Quiet road, traffic calmed, shops an' stuff.

I was going straight on, the only turning off the roundabout was to my left. A car was approaching the same roundabout from the other direction, reached the roundabout at the same time as me, then indicated right, pretty late when I was committed to going across. No problem, because I would've been clear by the time he'd gone around the painted circle in the middle. Or over it even.

Only he went around the inside of it, cutting the corner. I managed to stop just before his wing, bit of a skiddy stop too. He had a pop at me, saying I should've given way. It was Friday, I was tired and wet, I wasn't in the mood to argue the toss. I rode off and called him a twat under my breath.
I have a similar RAB on my way home (me turning right like the car in your case, with oncoming cars going straight on). I hate those junctions cos cars come bombing along going 'straight' over the RAB.
 
I had a van approach without indicating, go diagonally straight at me over the entire width of the silly blob, stop, hoot, and then switch his indicators on.

It's terrible when your telepathy stops working ain't it?

I'm convinced these things are just painted in to create conflict. How many times do you approach one at a former crossroads and find traffic at standstill in all four entrances waiting for each other? I see it every single working day.
 

CotterPin

Senior Member
Location
London
Mini-roundabouts are a problem and I always treat with caution.

I encounter a miniroundabout on my commute home where one of the entries is from a bike track (across a pavement). I do a right (taking the final exit) In those cases I ALWAYS have to slow right down and eyeball anything coming from my left to make sure I get some kind of right of way.*

When I am on the roundabout I also find I sometimes have trouble with cyclists coming in the opposite direction to me and going straight across into the cycle track, who for some inexplicable reason cannot see me.

* Do I have a right of way? - the cycle track goes across a pavement that closes off a road that would once have joined the roundabout. That road would have had some kind of right of way vis a vis the roundabout - what about the cycle track?
 
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