Safe Speed Forums

Saw a humerous near miss today - a roundabout that is normally controlled by traffic lights is having roadworks done on it, so the lights are out of action...

Anyway, IIRC highway code says that you have to treat traffic light failure as an unmarked junction - does that apply even with roundabouts, or does traffic on the roundabout have priority?

Well, .........Give way to the right in my opinion.

Unmarked junction / no defined priority. Definitely.

I would deal with it with the approach I'm about to christen 'bluff and cave'.

You have to take an approach to the junction that makes it look as if you're going to sail through regardless. That's the bluff, and at least 90% of drivers will buy it and give way. A good bluff might involve speed. position and even facial expression. I stop short of glaring at other drivers, but glaring is certainly a technique that London taxi drivers use.

But if any other driver isn't giving way then you must give way immediately. That's the cave.

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Paul Smith
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Definately approach with caution, but most drivers will naturally just give way to the right and I would treat it the same but with caution. Remember, some of these roundabouts have traffic lights which are only at peak times, at all other times its priority from the right.

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I would treat it as a normal roundabout and give way to traffic already on it. There are 2 traffic light controlled roundabouts on my way to work (both full time lights) and recently there's been a spate of repairs taking the lights offline. Generally treating it as a normal roundabout seems to work OK IMO

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Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.

From expirence I would treat it like a normal rounabout for the simple fact that everyone else does and give way to the right. Technically they may not have priority(though neither do you) but other motorists will probably assume priority if they are on it. It goes without saying however that you should take great care on approach and on the roundabout just in case. Keep a good eye on those appoaching the roundabout just in case their mind has registed that no red light = go.

What perhaps more concerning is those that treat failed traffic lights as if they have priority because they think they are on the 'main' road and the side roads should yield priority. That maybe what happens in practice, but still great caution should be exercised to make sure nobody thinks that the side road is the main road and sails through.

It should just be treated as a normal roundabout, with give way to the right applying.

I agree. If the lights weren't there In the first place how would you approach It?

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RoADA Member -GOLD 2008
If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there.