Help! I’m Stuck in a Roundabout, Addendum

Quick update here.  I was recently in the UK, driving around, and the experience has reminded me of some things to tell you to help you drive there, too. Nothing to contradict what I’ve already said in Part 1, Part 2 or Part 3, just some observations on how it’s working in 2018.

First up, pay attention to what is painted on the road. If for example you see a circle with a number in it, that is the speed limit for that road. Never mind what the GPS navigation may say.  Many cities, towns and villages have now adopted even slower speeds to reduce pedestrian and bike rider incidents. So, now most towns will have 20 mph zones, even if the national limit is 30. And they have cameras to photograph you if you are in excess of that speed. So, in addition to the round signs with numbers on posts, look for circles with numbers on the road.

While talking about speed limits, let me update what I said earlier about speeding. I recently (2018), asked two British friends about speeding and tolerance. One says that the authorities usually ignore 10% over the limit but will be pretty strict beyond that. So, in a 20 zone, 22, 30 zone would be 33, 40 is 44 etc., up to the motorway 70 being 77. The other friend says it’s “10+2” which generally means 10% plus 2 mph, which would make 20 be 24, 30 be 35, 40 be 46 and 70 be 79. Based on what I saw on our trip I think the latter seems to be what most folks assume. But based on the fact that one of my friends has gotten two citations for travelling at 81 on the motorway, the tolerance is pretty strict. Personally, I ended up being cautious, using 10% as the hard-upper-limit and sticking below 75 on the motorway.

If you see a pedestrian crossing lane, known as a “zebra” crossing indicated by the stripes on the road, be aware that in that lane pedestrians have full right of way. If you approach a zebra crossing and there is someone standing at the curb, you are required by law to stop and let them cross. There may also be a black and white striped pole with a round light globe at the top to signal the zebra crossing. The light doesn’t change so you have to keep an eye out for such zebra crossings as pedestrians have absolute right of way. The light is there for in the darkness of the evening to let you know you are approaching a zebra crossing. Very often pedestrians won’t bother to look and will just start crossing because they know they have right of way and expect the cars to stop.

Also on the road will be lane markings to help you navigate complex roundabouts. Not everywhere, but I saw a lot of markings as you near the roundabout showing what roads that particular lane will lead to. So, get into the proper lane and follow that lane around to your exit and the transit of the roundabout will be much smoother for you.  And look for the lane signs as you near the roundabout, too. There may well be a sign showing in advance which lane leads to which road out of the roundabout, so get into the proper lane as early as you can. Other drivers will be expecting you to follow the lane guidance into and out of the roundabout.

One other thing I have noted at roundabouts is the increased presence of left turn and straight across lanes marked on the left lane with the right lane marked for right turns only. Normally, when approaching a roundabout, if you want to turn left, you should be in the left lane, and if you want to go across, or turn right, be in the right lane. But in those roundabouts that have the arrows painted, follow the arrows to blend in with the flow of traffic. In addition, there may be lanes with indications of where that lane leads. See this image:

Sample of lane markings approaching a roundabout

In this situation, the left lane is for turning left, going to the “city.” The center lane is for entrance to the A3 road, and the right lane is for turning right onto York Street. As you enter the roundabout, stay in the lane and look for further markings of where each lane is headed.

Read this http://www.drivingtesttips.biz/road-markings-lines.html or this http://www.ukmotorists.com/marking_signs.asp for more.

You will find, in towns and villages, that people park their cars on the side of the road, as long as it is not prohibited, even if it blocks the travel lane partially or fully. When you come upon one of these impediments you have two choices; slow down or stop. If there is sufficient room for you to get past the impediment by moving over to the right a bit, slow down and make the move.

Cars parked on both sides of the road, you need to be courteous here if traffic is coming toward you. © 2018 EnglandForAllReasons.com

But if you see traffic coming from the other direction and don’t feel secure that there is sufficient room, just stop and wait for the oncoming traffic to pass. If there is a steady stream, sooner or later someone will flash their headlights to indicate that they plan to stop short to let you get around the impediment. Drivers are normally pretty courteous in the UK, so respond in kind and if you see a few folks on the other side who are blocked, stop, flash your lights and let them get by the obstacle. All it takes is a little courtesy and common sense.

Parking lots are, to put it politely, a nightmare. The spots are very narrow so if you have any size car larger than a Mini, or a Smart Car, it’s going to be a tight fit. And the lanes between the parked cars are also narrow, so getting into and out of these tight spaces is a struggle of going back and forth until you can wiggle the car into the spot. Often times you will see someone standing near the car being parked who had been the passenger but got out before the parking evolution began because when the evolution was done, there would not be sufficient room to open the door wide enough to get out. The driver is then free to snuggle up that passenger side closer to make sufficient room for him or her to get out of the car.  Try not to be too close to the driver’s side (right side) of the car next to you so that when that driver returns to the car they can get in without too much wiggling themselves.

Typical village parking area. The park and pay dispenser is on the post. © 2018 EngandForAllReasons.com

Most city/village/town parking lots are “Pay and Display.” That means you park the car, then go to a machine in the lot to purchase a parking ticket for the time you need to park there and put that ticket in the car where the parking warden can see it through the windscreen. Typically it’s not terribly expensive to park for a shopping trip or a quick meal. Couple of quid should do nicely. Just don’t overstay as the traffic wardens are quick with the citations. If you need an extension, go back to the lot and pay for a new ticket to display.

One last thing. The top picture in this post was taken when we were diverted from the A9 in Scotland onto a detour around a serious traffic accident. For fifty miles of detour, this was the traffic we saw, all moving at about 20 mph on the A923, A93 and A924. The roads were tight, but everyone was polite and the traffic kept moving along, slowly, as we made our way. When driving in the UK, patience and courtesy go a long way.