Block paved section on roundabouts

[scrambler]

My local authority seem to be building roundabouts with the outer 3 - 5 metres laid with block paving, s;ightly banked, I see a lot of drivers taking very wide circuits to avoid putting their wheels on these blocks, whereas I just cut staight across them. Is there any legal requirement to treat them like 'land mines' ?

[Toureman]

NO there is not, I do exactly the same, if other drivers want to act like prats, let them!

You do have to be careful though, if you did have an accident doing this all the prats would say it was your fault.

[kempie]

Toureman - the drivers who avoid the vehicle overrun areas are hardly 'acting like prats' but rather using the roundabout as intended i.e. keeping to the designated circulatory carriageway.

The overruns are there to enable LGVs to negotiate what may otherwise be too tight a turn.

[Toureman]

Please point out to me where in the highway code it states what you say Kempie.

[kempie]

The Highways (Traffic Calming) Regulations 1993 - here - (an amendment to the Highways Act 1980) defines an 'overrun area' as 'an area of a carriageway so constructed of textured or coloured material as to appear to narrow that carriageway'.

These are intended to guide the majority of vehicles to use the reduced width carriageway whilst still allowing those incapable of such to utilise the overrun area.

This is similar to the operation of a mini-roundabout without the legally enforceable instruction given by the road markings painted on the road.

[scrambler]

Kempie, I appreciate your comments. So it is recommended, but not enforceable by law?- Is cutting across painted roundabouts also similar? - Thanks

[kempie]

The overrun areas are not legally enforceable, however their purpose is to deflect and thus reduce the speed of traffic around the roundabout.

Mini-roundabouts are a different matter entirely.

This from the Highway Code states

"164: Mini-roundabouts Approach these in the same way as normal roundabouts. All vehicles MUST pass round the central markings except large vehicles which are physically incapable of doing so. Remember, there is less space to manoeuvre and less time to signal. Beware of vehicles making U-turns."

To deliberately and unnecessarily cross the painted road markings, as proscribed by the Traffic Signs Regulations & General Directions 2002 reg 10(1), 16(1), is a contravention of section 36 of the Road Traffic Act 1988.

[Toureman]

Thanks kempie,

You have done some research, I know the painted mini roundabouts are legaly enforcable and you need to actualy go round them.

As I said there is no legal requirement to keep off textured or differently marked areas around roundabouts.

Many councils are trying to con motorists into doing things they want them to do by painting weird colours on the road because the government will not change the law. Things like the red central strips in the centre of the road, again these have no legal meaning.

This sort of conning just confuses the normal motorists and in some cases is actualy dangerous.