Is it my imagination, or does almost every foreign truck take the left hand lane on roundabouts, regardless of which exit they intend on taking and also ignoring any lane dedications in place, obviously i understand the need to straddle lanes on smaller roundabouts, but even on a main, 3 lane roundabout with room to spare?
I’ve lost count of the number of minor accidents I’ve passed on roundabouts involving a foreign truck and a car and in nearly every instance it is after the truck ignored lane dedications and approached roundabout in left hand lane, but was turning right, the car meanwhile, was in his dedicated middle lane to go straight on.
I don’t believe this can be put down to a case of bad driving as it happens too often, in my opinion there’s clearly a contradiction in the way foreign drivers are trained on how to use roundabouts compared to UK drivers, why hasn’t this been addressed■■?
A question I’ve asked myself many times over the years since the ‘invasion’ started.
We all get a bit lost sometimes and use a roundabout figure it out but FFS get on the inside lane and use the right indicator until you want to exit grrrrr.
Hungarocamion many years ago used to have off road training for drivers heading for the UK with instruction for proper use of roundabouts. I dont drive in the UK anymore so cant comment on ‘foreign’ trucks using the infrastructure but France/Spain at least doesnt have the strict(er) lane discipline and general use of indicators the UK has…
Is it my imagination, or does almost every foreign truck take the left hand lane on roundabouts, regardless of which exit they intend on taking and also ignoring any lane dedications in place, obviously i understand the need to straddle lanes on smaller roundabouts, but even on a main, 3 lane roundabout with room to spare?
I’ve lost count of the number of minor accidents I’ve passed on roundabouts involving a foreign truck and a car and in nearly every instance it is after the truck ignored lane dedications and approached roundabout in left hand lane, but was turning right, the car meanwhile, was in his dedicated middle lane to go straight on.
I don’t believe this can be put down to a case of bad driving as it happens too often, in my opinion there’s clearly a contradiction in the way foreign drivers are trained on how to use roundabouts compared to UK drivers, why hasn’t this been addressed■■?
Almost EVERY Foreign truck?
No particular individual nationality then, just almost every foriegn truck? All under one category.
That is a hell of a lot of drivers who can’t use roundabouts then.
…No can’t say I’ve noticed that myself mate.
Noticed a lot of ■■■■ poor driving among UK trucks, but wouldn’t go as far as to say ‘Almost every Brit truck’’
What I have noticed is there are good, bad and downright ■■■■ poor drivers whatever language they speak, but in a lot of cases, (especially on here) if say for eg. a Dutchman ■■■■ s you up on one occasion on one day, I hear… ‘‘ALL Foreign drivers are’’… this that and the other.
I have a villa in Spain and we always giggle when over there as the Spanish just do not know how to use a roundabout. They ALLWAYS go on the outside lane regardless of which exit they are taking. Sadly I find myself doing the exact same thing to blend in lol
Of course the other driver could adjust his speed / direction / attitude instead of barrelling in with the “I’m British” mentality and Jonny foreigner should remember that.
AndrewG:
Hungarocamion many years ago used to have off road training for drivers heading for the UK with instruction for proper use of roundabouts. I dont drive in the UK anymore so cant comment on ‘foreign’ trucks using the infrastructure but France/Spain at least doesnt have the strict(er) lane discipline and general use of indicators the UK has…
I remember there being only one roundabout in Hungary and families used to drive their Trabants there on a Sunday afternoon to amuse the kids.
Is it my imagination, or does almost every foreign truck take the left hand lane on roundabouts, regardless of which exit they intend on taking and also ignoring any lane dedications in place, obviously i understand the need to straddle lanes on smaller roundabouts, but even on a main, 3 lane roundabout with room to spare?
I’ve lost count of the number of minor accidents I’ve passed on roundabouts involving a foreign truck and a car and in nearly every instance it is after the truck ignored lane dedications and approached roundabout in left hand lane, but was turning right, the car meanwhile, was in his dedicated middle lane to go straight on.
I don’t believe this can be put down to a case of bad driving as it happens too often, in my opinion there’s clearly a contradiction in the way foreign drivers are trained on how to use roundabouts compared to UK drivers, why hasn’t this been addressed■■?
Almost EVERY Foreign truck?
No particular individual nationality then, just almost every foriegn truck? All under one category.
That is a hell of a lot of drivers who can’t use roundabouts then.
…No can’t say I’ve noticed that myself mate.
Noticed a lot of ■■■■ poor driving among UK trucks, but wouldn’t go as far as to say ‘Almost every Brit truck’’
What I have noticed is there are good, bad and downright ■■■■ poor drivers whatever language they speak, but in a lot of cases, (especially on here) if say for eg. a Dutchman [zb] s you up on one occasion on one day, I hear… ‘‘ALL Foreign drivers are’’… this that and the other.
To be fair to the op he does have a point regarding EE drivers and he does say he’s not saying it’s bad driving as such, rather a question do they have different rules regarding this in their country. I’ve noticed it myself, maybe not so much these days but certainly when they first started coming here.
Just saying [emoji57]
Wheel Nut:
Of course the other driver could adjust his speed / direction / attitude instead of barrelling in with the “I’m British” mentality and Jonny foreigner should remember that.
The point being made is the truck (usually EE) joins the roundabout intending to turn right but with no indicator going, cars coming round from his right assume he’s going straight on so they go to exit at the same exit only to find the truck is going past that exit to the next. I’ve seen it many times.
As I said earlier, I have literally seen them lost on roundabouts going round and round in the outside lane with no indication.
I hope you don’t think of me as a ‘fake news’ spreader. If I hadn’t seen it many times I wouldn’t say it. [emoji6]
Going round a round with no indicator. They’re creeping out completely blind hoping not to get hit. I know why they do it because I’ve driven right hookers over there.
ALL the accidents I’ve seen involve them cutting right across the exit blindly.
Is it my imagination, or does almost every foreign truck take the left hand lane on roundabouts, regardless of which exit they intend on taking and also ignoring any lane dedications in place, obviously i understand the need to straddle lanes on smaller roundabouts, but even on a main, 3 lane roundabout with room to spare?
I’ve lost count of the number of minor accidents I’ve passed on roundabouts involving a foreign truck and a car and in nearly every instance it is after the truck ignored lane dedications and approached roundabout in left hand lane, but was turning right, the car meanwhile, was in his dedicated middle lane to go straight on.
I don’t believe this can be put down to a case of bad driving as it happens too often, in my opinion there’s clearly a contradiction in the way foreign drivers are trained on how to use roundabouts compared to UK drivers, why hasn’t this been addressed■■?
Almost EVERY Foreign truck?
No particular individual nationality then, just almost every foriegn truck? All under one category.
That is a hell of a lot of drivers who can’t use roundabouts then.
…No can’t say I’ve noticed that myself mate.
Noticed a lot of ■■■■ poor driving among UK trucks, but wouldn’t go as far as to say ‘Almost every Brit truck’’
What I have noticed is there are good, bad and downright ■■■■ poor drivers whatever language they speak, but in a lot of cases, (especially on here) if say for eg. a Dutchman [zb] s you up on one occasion on one day, I hear… ‘‘ALL Foreign drivers are’’… this that and the other.
I think you’ve misunderstood, he’s not slating foreign driver’s at all.
I’d have to agree with the OP tbh, very rare do you see a foreign plated lorry use round about lanes correctly with the correct indicator use.
My main driving experience is in France, mostly not in trucks to be honest, and I have had this discussion with both locals and ex pats as there is a busy roundabout that I regularly turn left at (3rd exit on a classic shape with roads at 90deg), you approach it on a dual but leave (unless you are doing 180) on single carriageways. If you take the left hand lane on approach, with vehicles to your right, some will leave at the first and second exit (correctly in UK rules) but some, trucks and cars, will continue round to the 3rd exit and will get extremely upset as you then, if you have not outpaced them, have to cut in front of them to exit.
When I ask locals about this the first response is generally just a shrug of the shoulders , but from what I can gather the theory is that the road space on the roundabout is just an extension of the road you have come on so the right hand lane is for “normally” going around the roundadout, and the left hand is an overtaking lane just like any other road. If you miscalculate though and cannot complete your “overtaking” before you exit, then you have failed and all hell breaks loose I have seen 2, french, trucks approach side by side on the dual, go right round 180 side by side and leave very neatly in the same formation
I have asked about what it says in the french highway code but response so far is just a shrug
I would be interested to know if my theory is anywhere near the mark.
maga:
I’d have to agree with the OP tbh, very rare do you see a foreign plated lorry use round about lanes correctly with the correct indicator use.
You just need to watch UK dash cam video’s on Youtube to see one after another of UK plated car’s seemingly not able to read signs and look at the floor marking cutting each other up. I have cocked up before driving on the other side in a RHD unit but I found local driver’s held back more then dash cam ■■■■■ here to let you do your thing even if it add’s 10 second’s to the car drivers journey.
Manski, here in France lorry drivers are taught to keep to the outside of the roundabout, slightly straddling towards the interior, whatever exit you are taking. On approaching the roundabout, if it’s the first exit RH indicator on. If you’re going straight on or left then on approaching the rdbt you put the LH indicator on and keep it on right up to the exit, then RH to indicate that you are about to leave the roundabout.
I just can’t understand why they crawl round the outside lane not telling anybody what they are doing (indicators). Just put right indicator on and get on the inside lane. They can do that til they run out of diesel and not get in anybodies way. I can and have done it whilst on the continent.
Not rocket science FFS!
nomiS36:
I just can’t understand why they crawl round the outside lane not telling anybody what they are doing (indicators).
Lost and not sure which is the exit they want, taking a while to decide maybe ?
That’s the thing I’ve seen with foreign trucks, UK trucks, cars, vans,.and any other vehicle, on a FEW occasions.
However if it’s in epidemic proportions with ‘foreignen trucks’ as the o/p suggests, maybe I’m wrong eh?
pierrot 14:
Manski, here in France lorry drivers are taught to keep to the outside of the roundabout, slightly straddling towards the interior, whatever exit you are taking. On approaching the roundabout, if it’s the first exit RH indicator on. If you’re going straight on or left then on approaching the rdbt you put the LH indicator on and keep it on right up to the exit, then RH to indicate that you are about to leave the roundabout.
That putting a left hand indicator on for going straight over has caught me out several times when in France, used to it now so it’s expected; one of the roundabouts I find bad is the one in Rouen with the cows on it. There seems no logic to the road position or indicator use, so you end up launching yourself into what is hopefully still a gap and not somebody going round past you, hugging the outside and having their Right hand indicator on.
I have seen a recent trend in the UK where people are indicating right, even though they’re going straight over.
I wouldn’t say almost all foreign trucks do what the OP says, but I do give them a bit of space as I’ve seen a few go all the way round on the outside or crawl round looking for their exit, it’s no hardship to hold back a bit or to anticipate that they might not take the exit you expect them to. I’ve no doubt confused a few when I’ve been to other countries or even in this country.
pierrot 14:
Manski, here in France lorry drivers are taught to keep to the outside of the roundabout, slightly straddling towards the interior, whatever exit you are taking. On approaching the roundabout, if it’s the first exit RH indicator on. If you’re going straight on or left then on approaching the rdbt you put the LH indicator on and keep it on right up to the exit, then RH to indicate that you are about to leave the roundabout.
Yep. That seems the norm. And (in the absence of clearly marked lanes) it works well.
Artics when bent to go around a roundabout have a huge blind spot on the outside. Keep to the outside of the curve and you can see the road. Many cars will whip through on the inside, but so what? Doesn’t dent my ego any! More that if someone overtaking gets it wrong it’s their fault, afterall they are doing an illegal more by overtaking on a junction.
Seems to me there’s more silly overtaking in Eu than the UK, but generally it’s not something people get upset about? Maybe because everyone does it? Maybe there’s less vehicle related egos? Maybe it’s just my false impression?
, but from what I can gather the theory is that the road space on the roundabout is just an extension of the road you have come on so the right hand lane is for “normally” going around the roundadout, and the left hand is an overtaking lane just like any other road. If you miscalculate though and cannot complete your “overtaking” before you exit, then you have failed and all hell breaks loose 
