Late lane change at a Sixth Ring roundabout
At 17:30 you approach a three-lane roundabout on the Sixth Ring Road. You need the third exit, a main road heading east. Lane markings on the approach show the right lane for the first exit, the centre lane for the second, and the left lane for the third and beyond. You are in the centre lane at 40 km/h. A pickup is level with your rear wheel in the left lane, and a bus is already circulating in the outer lane. The roundabout is busy, the sun is low, and the road surface is dusty. Your left mirror is cracked and vibrates, so you cannot rely on it. You have already passed the point where the lane divider becomes solid. You are solo; no pillion.
1. Which lane should you have used for the third exit, and when should you signal?
Read the worked answer
The lane markings decide the answer: the left lane is the one marked for the third exit, so you should have moved left before the divider became solid. Since you are in the centre lane and the divider is now solid, do not straddle or cut across. Signal right before your exit, not from the approach. If a legal gap exists and the markings allow, you may move left; otherwise continue in your lane and accept a different route. Signalling does not give you priority, so check the pickup and the bus before any move.
2. You realise too late that you are in the wrong lane. What is the safe action?
Read the worked answer
The safe action is to accept the mistake. Continue around the roundabout in your lane, then either take the second exit and turn around safely, or go all the way round and re-enter in the correct lane. Do not brake sharply, swerve across the pickup, or cut in front of the bus. A wrong route costs a few minutes; a late cut costs far more.
3. How do you manage the circulating bus and the pickup alongside?
Read the worked answer
Circulating traffic has priority. The bus in the outer lane is especially hazardous because it blocks your view and its rear overhang swings wide. Do not enter alongside it. Hold back, make eye contact with the pickup driver if possible, and keep out of the blind spot. Because your left mirror is unreliable, turn your head before any lane change. Use the solid divider as a boundary: if you cannot change lanes legally, go around again. Give your exit signal after you pass the exit before yours, not from the approach.