How Accomodating This Country Is

I noticed on Monday that the lane priority leading to a roundabout up the road from me has been changed, apparently it was done at the weekend, it used to be left lane for turning left or going straight on & right lane for turning right or doubling back on yourself.

It has now been changed to left lane for turning left only & right lane for straight over, turning right & doubling back on yourself, after almost getting knocked of my bike yesterday by a car in the left lane comming straight on with me because they hadn't noticed the changes i decided to phone the highways dept, i explained my problem to the woman at the other end of the phone & explained that the vast majority of road users were totally useless & didn't look at road markings, also there had been no signs put up to advise people of the layout/priority changes & indeed the old layout roadsigns had been left up to confuse even further.

After much appology from her she said that she would make sure the old signs were removed & proceeded to explain that this would be happening everywhere a roundabout had two approach lanes as they had received new legislation telling them to make these changes to accomodate the growing number of foreign drivers on british roads, apparently we are no longer allowed to have turn right only lanes as this confuses them?????

I had a bit of a moment & asked what about the british drivers that got confused, she just laughed which p'd me off even more.

No doubt this expense will be used after this winter to explain why the potholes haven't been filled in again, It never ceases to amaze me how far this country will go to accomodate everyone except the good old british tax payer.

Signs should be in different languages too, afterall - all the DVLA forms are available in multiple languages, so if you can't read English and you have just got your driving license... you may be a touch scr3wed with signs in English.

Saying that - I always count myself as lucky that when I travel to a foreign country a lot of the times the signs are also in English. If every other nation has to accomodate the British then this is maybe their way of getting their own back on us.

[Bri w]

Breathe in, hold 2 3, and relax.

Now repeat, "non parlie ingleise" *spelt badly*

We're stuck with it, barring a major shift in politics. Better just accept it and get on with enjoying life.

I had someone last night at one specific roundabout who tried to use a normal roundabout incorrectly, used the right hand lane to go straight on, luckily I was in the car, I went round the outside of this roundabout and chopped his nose off, a very displeased (and possibly blind) man got out of his car at the next junction and knocked my window to challenge what I had done with verbal abuse. It wasn't until I got out the car, that he piped down and agreed he had gone over the roundabout incorrectly.

There are more and more roundabouts that I see with this new layout though.

[ophic]

Originally Posted by plowsie

I had someone last night at one specific roundabout who tried to use a normal roundabout incorrectly, used the right hand lane to go straight on, luckily I was in the car, I went round the outside of this roundabout and chopped his nose off, a very displeased (and possibly blind) man got out of his car at the next junction and knocked my window to challenge what I had done with verbal abuse. It wasn't until I got out the car, that he piped down and agreed he had gone over the roundabout incorrectly.

There are more and more roundabouts that I see with this new layout though.

Check the highway code. You can use either lane to go straight on, unless the lanes are otherwise marked.

Originally Posted by ophic

Check the highway code. You can use either lane to go straight on, unless the lanes are otherwise marked.

Apologies, marked lanes.

It is also proposed that the imperial measurement system i.e.miles and yards be changed to Kms and Mts so in the middle of a economic recession billions are going to be spent changing all the road markings and signs. I know that bikes and cars with electronic speedos can be changed but an awful lot of vehicles don't have this facility

Knowing the way government and highways agency works we will be getting told to drive on the left in the near future to comply with the rest of the EEC

As this will be such a big change over and can't be done overnight it will be split into two with even numbered registrations changing over one week and the odd number registrations the next week

[ophic]

Originally Posted by ophic

Check the highway code. You can use either lane to go straight on, unless the lanes are otherwise marked.

I take this back - it used to be explicitly stated, also with a diagram in the highway code. The online version of the highway code now has a different diagram, and the text just says "use appropriate lane"

It wasn't this way when I did my test back in 1993.

[ophic]

Originally Posted by plowsie

Apologies, marked lanes.

Then he's definitely in the wrong. I was confused by your description of it being a "normal roundabout".

Still, see my last post - its not very clear in the highway code anymore.

Originally Posted by ophic

I take this back - it used to be explicitly stated, also with a diagram in the highway code. The online version of the highway code now has a different diagram, and the text just says "use appropriate lane"

It wasn't this way when I did my test back in 1993.

Yeah, I'd still go with what you said normally though mate.