Roundabout Rules

[Detach8]

 

Correct me if I am wrong. logically if you want to exit you should keep to the left and not keep in the middle and then cut out. one should not assume car on the left have to exit. right? I encountered a lot of ass hole who suddenly exit from their middle position.

 

Wrong, wrong, wrong! Cars CAN exit together in a two lane roundabout. I think there are enough diagrams here to show, but in case diagrams don't work, here's a video:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONacAiKXe-8

 

Watch carefully when two cars exit side by side. That's how roundabouts are supposed to work, and that's how they worked when I went overseas to various countries... I drove in Malaysia, Australia, Turkey, and have also seen the same behavior in USA.

Edited May 12, 2015 by Detach8

[Hamburger]

maybe you would like to see the pic illustration first. it is indicated that A can also go to 12oclock. it is contradicting. again I don't think you understand my point .. I never say give way.. I said the car is behind me and should he speed up and cut dangerously in front of me or reduce speed . maybe I am not clear or u do not understand.

 

yup, my bad i got your pix wrong.

[Detach8]

how about those cars already in the round about? reference to 2lane round about, personal experience car A (me) wants to exit at the second exit 12oclock. there is a car already in the round about slightly behind me on my right after I enter the round about to go to 12oclock exit . maybe he enter the round about from the 12oclock. he wants to exit at the 9oclock exit. he should slow down and exit behind me and not speed up in front of me right?

 

If a car enters roundabout at 12, and wants to exit at 9, and you came in at 6 with the intention to exit 12, then you should have yielded to him before you enter the roundabout.

 

When you enter the roundabout you are supposed to look at the cars that are heading towards you. If your intent is to enter at 6 and exit at 9, then you can enter when the outer lane is free. But if your intent is to enter at 6 and exit at 12 then you have to make sure both lanes are clear.

 

If the roundabout is big like Suntec then the car that entered at 12 exiting 9 would have seen you entering at 6, and he should then yield to you.

 

Basically when you are inside the roundabout you should give way to whoever is in front (because we don't grow eyes at the back, duh)

Edited May 12, 2015 by Detach8

[Detach8]

Referring to the diagrams, I know a lot of drivers who insist on sticking to the outer most lane even if they want to exit at 3 o'clock when they enter at 6 o'clock. Reason is they fear being unable to exit/change lanes so safer to stick to the outer lane for easy exit.

 

Whilst I can understand this mindset, it is wrong as cars on the inner lane who want to exit at 12 o'clock will be blocked off and this is dangerous.

 

Anyway, personally I find roundabouts outdated but can see some benefits over junctions like smoother traffic flow and less bottleneck as traffic patterns are different at various times of the day.

 

Roundabout is like queueing up for things. If people just start jumping queue, then it would take you forever to get your food. If everybody queues up it can be faster. It's a social thing. It CAN be more efficient than a traffic light controlled junction, but everybody must be on the same page.

[Spring]

 

Roundabout is like queueing up for things. If people just start jumping queue, then it would take you forever to get your food. If everybody queues up it can be faster. It's a social thing. It CAN be more efficient than a traffic light controlled junction, but everybody must be on the same page.

 

Well said. Unfortunately most of our local drivers are impatient and have poor social driving etiquette.

Must admit I also belong to the impatient one though I believe my social etiquette is adequate.

[Detach8]

 

Well said. Unfortunately most of our local drivers are impatient and have poor social driving etiquette.

Must admit I also belong to the impatient one though I believe my social etiquette is adequate.

 

So far I found the roundabout at Serangoon Gardens very civilised. I think it works pretty well.

[Beregond]

 

Wrong, wrong, wrong! Cars CAN exit together in a two lane roundabout. I think there are enough diagrams here to show, but in case diagrams don't work, here's a video:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONacAiKXe-8

 

Watch carefully when two cars exit side by side. That's how roundabouts are supposed to work, and that's how they worked when I went overseas to various countries... I drove in Malaysia, Australia, Turkey, and have also seen the same behavior in USA.

this 1 got very clear cut road marking and dotted lines,

where else alot of round about in singapore, is 3 lane go inside the roundabout with no marking or lines at all

 

its like 3 lane merge into 1 big lane inside the roundabout

[Detach8]

this 1 got very clear cut road marking and dotted lines,

where else alot of round about in singapore, is 3 lane go inside the roundabout with no marking or lines at all

 

its like 3 lane merge into 1 big lane inside the roundabout

 

Most Malaysia roundabouts are the same too (mostly 2 lanes wide in more built up areas) and do not have problem(s) that people described here in Singapore context.

Well if roundabout rules doesn't matter I think it's time for me to install a LSD and learn to drift around it. Afterall, cars in roundabout has right of way, right? :P

[serenade]

Just came from first hand experience at Newton Circus during peak hour. I was on middle of 3 lanes. Entered roundabout at 6 o'clock and going to leave 3 exits later at 2 o'clock position.

 

The roundabout was jammed because of poor lane discipline. 3 large vehicles from my right (innermost lane) cut across 3-lanes diagonally in succession to exit. They were a white Audi Q7, black Lexus SUV and a silver school bus. As they were cutting across 3 lanes diagonally to exit, they ended up blocking 2 of the 3lanes of the roundabout. Choking traffic flow in the roundabout and preventing more cars from entering the roundabout.

 

My point is bad lane discipline reduces the throughput at roundabouts. At least 50% of drivers do not know or care about the lane disipline.

[Jumpmanz]

 

So far I found the roundabout at Serangoon Gardens very civilised. I think it works pretty well.

 

i would think it's easier for drivers if the roundabout is simply 1 lane.

things get messy when it's 3 lanes.

[Benarsenal]

Sigh.

 

Agree. The other day nearly kena one at Sports Hub. This idiot Audi took outer lane and went all the way (6 to 3), blocking me from exiting at 12.

 

Moron.

[Detach8]

Just came from first hand experience at Newton Circus during peak hour. I was on middle of 3 lanes. Entered roundabout at 6 o'clock and going to leave 3 exits later at 2 o'clock position.

 

The roundabout was jammed because of poor lane discipline. 3 large vehicles from my right (innermost lane) cut across 3-lanes diagonally in succession to exit. They were a white Audi Q7, black Lexus SUV and a silver school bus. As they were cutting across 3 lanes diagonally to exit, they ended up blocking 2 of the 3lanes of the roundabout. Choking traffic flow in the roundabout and preventing more cars from entering the roundabout.

 

My point is bad lane discipline reduces the throughput at roundabouts. At least 50% of drivers do not know or care about the lane disipline.

 

I'm going to say it's don't know more than don't care. You can tell already from this thread that a lot of people still assume that they can go a full circle being on the outer lane.

[Sunny]

Newton circus was one "dangerous" round a bout before they set up traffic lights.

[Lotr]

It seems a lot of people here don't know how to drive around a roundabout. Almost kena hit by a cockernarden at International Business Park, and the joker still think it's his right of way.

 

Let me set this straight: If you are in the LEFT lane, you are supposed to exit at the immediate next exit or go straight (depend on the number of the entry lanes and roundabout lanes). These rules are INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN. There's no special rule for Singapore.

 

When a driver sees a car in the LEFT lane passing 2 exits, it is assumed he is clear to come into the roundabout with the knowledge that the other driver will be exiting.

 

AND... signal your intent to exit the roundabout (left signal) or continue going around (right signal).

 

Same rules actually apply for the roundabout at Suntec but most drivers here are too cock so it's seems to be a unspoken rule to change lane to the left before you exit.

 

 

thanks for sharing. My office is at IBP, will usually watch other drivers actions at the roundabouts.

 

I think Singapore not so many roundabouts so some drivers maybe just too clueless to know what to do. Only thing we can do is to practise defensive driving and anticipating others actions.

[Lotr]

but u see the blue car didnt turn left at the first or 9 clock exit, instead it show it go straight and exit at 12.

if the green car want to exit at 9 ? how lol

exit from inner lane of circle to outer lane. but may get banged by the blue if the blue car blur don't exit

In principle, @Detach8 is correct. There is an internationally-recognised way to navigate a roundabout.

 

However, in practice, local customs often override international convention. In Singapore, the problem is that drivers are often arseholes. They don't give way, in fact they're often intent on blocking others as if their very lives depended on it. Hence, a driver in the appropriate middle or inner lane of a roundabout has no confidence about being able to filter into the exiting lane when he needs to. When there is no etiquette, the system breaks down. There is no sense in haranguing "CMI" drivers about their lack of theoretical know-how when the issue is a very practical one to do with local attitudes.

 

And this sort of thing is hardly unique to Singapore; in fact we're not even the only developed nation to "not know" how to drive on roundabouts. Just look at Paris' Arc de Triomphe.

 

 

Now, after viewing that video, don't you think driving along Newton Circus (or *any* other roundabout here) is far more civilised? While we just have organised chaos, the French have decidedly disorganised chaos. Perhaps the root cause is the same - the French are known for having a disproportionately large number of arseholes too, just less repressed ones than in Singapore.

 

this one special case I think. No lane markings 'cos want to make it look nice

[Sunny]

i use the pinoeer round about at pinoeer road north below AYE every day ,

2 lane go in, there is no lane marking dotted or any thing inside

 

if u go in from the left lane u become on the outside, basically u can chose to exit any exit u want

if any car go in from the right lane , u become inside, and u want to exit left, and it happen the vehicle on your left chose to go ahead,

 

well u need to slow down signal left and filter out,

 

thats how i see it lol

Me too using that round about every weekdays 🔃💤

[Jq1988]

Roundabout at choa chu kang rd lagi best! u can give it a try!!!

[Nissan833]

Some roundabouts quite big sized without lane markings.. like the one near TUAS linking AYE and PIE. Then how?

 

Isn't it simpler to follow a basic rule.. stay in the inner circle if you do not wish to exit yet, plan for the exit, know which one it is, signal intention, change lane, keep signal on, exit smoothly via the outer lane?