What is it island lane markings !

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Sun 10 Aug 2008 18:11
What is it island lane markings ! - mustangman
SWMBO tells me often that my driving around islands is not correct. It seems I am always in the wrong lane and / or indicating incorrectly.

However since my driving is of course perfect, I blame the lane markings around large islands.

Some of these take the form of an ?outward spiral? and should you follow them, deliver you correctly to your turn off.
There?s a lot that don?t though, one local island has three lanes around it. If you are taking the third exit off, you start on the inside, then pass the second exit, where the lane you should be in is suddenly on the outside of the island. What are you supposed to do, immediately cross over two lanes ?

As an example some may know, try following the markings around the Oldbury island, J2 M5.

Rant over, just wondered if other islands exit where the lane markings appear to have planned by a half-wit.
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Mon 11 Aug 2008 08:57
What is it island lane markings ! - L'escargot
Traffic permitting, I drive the straightest (and fastest) line possible and the devil take the hindmost. Lane markings (unless they're solid) are just for guidance.

Note that I did say "traffic permitting".

Edited by L'escargot on 11/08/2008 at 08:59

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Mon 11 Aug 2008 09:36
What is it island lane markings ! - Cliff Pope
Are you talking about islands, or roundabouts?
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Mon 11 Aug 2008 09:59
What is it island lane markings ! - L'escargot
Are you talking about islands or roundabouts?


What's the difference?
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Mon 11 Aug 2008 11:30
What is it island lane markings ! - Cliff Pope
Islands are slightly raised blocks in the middle of roads, often at junctions, pedestrian crossings, or as traffic calming measures to stop overtaking. Usually with illuminated boxes showing arrows indicating which side(s) to pass. Sometimes they are wide enough to provide a half-way refuge for traffic turning right.

Roundabouts are, well, roundabouts.
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Mon 11 Aug 2008 11:37
What is it island lane markings ! - Statistical outlier
Ah Cliff, I thought that when I first moved to the Midlands from Oxford yeas ago. For the first two years I was bemused by my sudden inability to follow directions, they simply never took me where I wanted to go.

Turns out that an 'island' in the Midlands is nothing other than a roundabout. I'd never heard it before I lived here, but it's completely standard. And utterly baffling to a newcomer.

I wonder what other regional dialects feature this sort of variation?
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Mon 11 Aug 2008 14:38
What is it island lane markings ! - Cliff Pope
Turns out that an 'island' in the Midlands is nothing other than a roundabout. I'd
never heard it before I lived here but it's completely standard. And utterly baffling to
a newcomer.
I wonder what other regional dialects feature this sort of variation?


Well well, I can honestly say I have never, until now, heard this useage.

It reminds me of the meaning of "square" in Wales. I used to look out for something a bit like Trafalgar Square, but it turned out it just meant a small rural crossroads.
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Mon 11 Aug 2008 15:47
What is it island lane markings ! - L'escargot
Islands are slightly raised blocks in the middle of roads .......


In a roundabout way I think mustangman is referring to roundabouts. :-D
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Mon 11 Aug 2008 11:25
What is it island lane markings ! - Roly93
I think that roundabout lane markings are one of the best road-traffic innovations I have seen for years, especially on some of the realy aggressive roundabouts round my way.
I lot of road rage and accidents are caused by peopl who think they are taking the correct course around roundabouts and those that disagree. With these markings, I find that it clears everyhting up for all but the most stupid of drivers. I welcome them from what I've seen so far.
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Mon 11 Aug 2008 11:51
What is it island lane markings ! - jbif
As an example some may know, try following the markings around the Oldbury island, J2 M5. Rant over,


Rant seems unjustified.
I have just looked at the location using "Bird's Eye View" maps.live.com and also using aerial view on maps.google.co.uk .

To me the lane markings seem clear and exemplary, at least from an aerial view.

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Mon 11 Aug 2008 15:01
What is it island lane markings ! - b308
I agree with Roly, and we now can see those who are too lazy or ignorant to get in the correct lane and then blame others when they cut the rest of us up - like a black cab tried to do to me last week...

BTW I have no issue with cutting them when its quiet....
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Mon 11 Aug 2008 15:11
What is it island lane markings ! - Armitage Shanks {p}
The americans call roundabouts "Traffic Circles" and some of the US voices in my sat nav call them "Rotaries", pronounced roadarees!
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Mon 11 Aug 2008 20:40
What is it island lane markings ! - jc2
"Gyratory"
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Mon 11 Aug 2008 16:42
What is it island lane markings ! - slowdown avenue
islands begin in birmingham . ask your council to put lead out lines on to the roundabout
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Mon 11 Aug 2008 16:51
What is it island lane markings ! - Cliff Pope
So that explains the increasing numbers of joggers seen on roundabouts. They are merely obeying the Highway Code which says it is safer to cross a road at an island.
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Mon 11 Aug 2008 20:21
What is it island lane markings ! - FotheringtonThomas
SWMBO tells me often that my driving around islands is not correct.


Not sure what an island is in this context. Is it a roundabout? Presumably so, looking at the aerial photo. of that thing at J2 of the M5.
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Mon 11 Aug 2008 23:04
What is it island lane markings ! - Statistical outlier
Not sure what an island is in this context. Is it a roundabout? Presumably so
looking at the aerial photo. of that thing at J2 of the M5.


See my explanation further up - it is a Midlands term for a roundabout.
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Tue 12 Aug 2008 12:08
What is it island lane markings ! - Tron
How to use a roundabout. Explained: tinyurl.com/66awmq

There 'seems' to be so many out there that have no idea how to use a roundabout or 'Island' - never mind how to read road markings correctly...

...take 2nd 3rd etc., exit or right turners. How often do and have you had one of these cross your path, making you give way to them?

Even with great big white arrows and explicit clear lane markings on the road telling them the position of their vehicle should be X (marks the spot...) HERE (you all know what I mean right?) they still get it wrong.

Did you know that the more 'white or other coloured markings' there are on the road surface; it means the greater given hazard for that particular area?

If you didn't (Tch...) the next time you are out & about - watch the white centre line and look how this changes from short white lines with big gaps to longer ones with shorter gaps. The best place to see this is on the approach to junctions and when you are approaching a give way or stop sign.

This is called reading the road and was drilled in to me on one driving course I did many moons ago as 'The more white the greater the fright'.



Road markings all wonderfully explained here: tinyurl.com/5whgu2

Edited by Webmaster on 14/08/2008 at 01:35

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Tue 12 Aug 2008 12:13
What is it island lane markings ! - Tron
tinyurl.com/c7vhr

Now these are serious roundabouts!!!
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Tue 12 Aug 2008 23:23
What is it island lane markings ! - scouseford
tinyurl.com/c7vhr
Now these are serious roundabouts!!!


In the 1970's there used to be a similar set up in Hemel Hempstead that had SEVEN mini roundabouts making up one large intersection. It seemed to work pretty well then. Probably still there.
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Tue 12 Aug 2008 12:52
What is it island lane markings ! - L'escargot
Same instructor also used to say 'Grey hair be aware' ........


Ageist swine!

My instructor asked me what colour traffic light comes after green, and I replied "I don't know ~ I've always gone by then!" :-D
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Tue 12 Aug 2008 13:06
What is it island lane markings ! - daveyjp
Look at the aerial photo in the 'Leeds Gyratory' thread for island lane marking confusion! It has all been remakred since this photo was taken which means it is now slightly less of a lottery.
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Tue 12 Aug 2008 14:41
What is it island lane markings ! - GJD
Even with great big white arrows and explicit clear lane markings on the road telling
them the position of their vehicle should be X (marks the spot...) HERE
(you all know what I mean right?) they still get it wrong.


You mean the great big white arrows painted on the road itself? Brilliant idea they are. The busier the traffic gets, the more helpful it is to know in advance what lane to be in. And yet, the busier the traffic gets, the less likely you are to be able to see said arrows until you're on top of them and it's too late to do anything about it. You need lane instructions (particularly if you are in an unfamiliar area) to help you interact safely and predictably with all the other traffic. How anyone could have thought that the right place to put those instructions is somewhere where their accessibility is inversely proportional to their importance is beyond me.

Nothing wrong with a sign or two at the side of the road or on an overhead gantry is there?
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