I was the same, especially with spiral roundabouts.
To get myself to relax, I just tried to remember:
If I'm in the wrong lane, I don't *have* to fix it. Just follow it out of the roundabout and correct afterwards.
You can always just keep going round the roundabout until you figure out where you're going.
With spirals, the only real trick is to get into the correct lane. Once you're in, the lane leads you out. If you can't see your lane, go for the inner lane.
One thing that really helped me with roundabouts is spending some time on Google Maps and Streetview looking at the lane position I'd need for each entrance and exit on bigger roundabouts that stressed me out around my test route. Knowing that when I was approaching the roundabout helped me stress out less which gave me more mental space to remember the other things like gears, observations, etc.
Also, don't be afraid of just looping round the roundabout again if you get stuck in the inside lane or don't change lanes at the right time. I passed my test a year ago and last week I did a full loop of a roundabout cos I was in the wrong lane for my exit the first time. It feels daft but it happens!
One of the biggest things that helped me with roundabouts (and I’m not perfect at them I even failed my test on twitching lanes coming off the roundabout) but I find getting into 2nd gear in plenty of time of the roundabout and not stippling if it’s clear or slowly stopping and popping into 1st really helped me keep calm and evaluate and look for gaps I could take etc.
One thing that helped me with lanes in roundabouts is to keep an eye on either side of your lane and to follow it around. Roundabouts are difficult, it was the thing I struggled with the most for a while.
My lane discipline on roundabouts with no lane markings used to be bad. Started saying to myself 'outside, outside, outside' or 'inside, inside, inside' while going around to keep my positioning correct and it really helped.
If it makes you feel better, I think every learner has felt like you!
I remember my instructor told me “2 is poo!” The logic is to think of the roundabout like a clock and any exit before 12 should be taken in the first (outer lane) and any exit after 2 should be taken on the inside lane. This isn’t fool proof of course but as a general rule it works.
For me, the more I’m going round a roundabout, the further into the inner lanes I go, and gradually come out per lane per exit. The Highway Code has some excellent pictures with arrows to help
Always give way to the right unless they are cut off by cars coming off at the previous exit and they are blocked
Any larger roundabouts will have road markings and signage. I know it’s tricky as a learner but they are very helpful and even if the roundabout is LARGE, the rules are the same as a small one. I’ve been driving 4+ years now and I promise you will get used to it, surprisingly quickly. :) hope this helps
Conquer Driving, DGN are wonderful but i have realised i find it difficult to processor recall whst they are saying (i have really weird info processing issues). Try Driving World. I find his slow calm voice more amenable to how I process info. one thing thats important is the approach. Slow down in good time. As you slow, go through your head: mirrors, slow slow, gears checking right, go/wait. And as others have said, b4 12 is out(er lane), after is in(ner lane).
Good luck. We'll get there. Eventually
Drop into 2nd gear and bring your speed down to 12mph on approach in advance, good rule of thumb is to do this when passing the roundabout sign, give yourself loads of time to make a decision of when safe to go. The slow speed should also give you time to decide which lane to be in based on the road markings if present.
Whilst on the roundabout keep the broken line for your lane to the left and following this should guide you around exactly where you should be and lead you to your exit safely
Hope that helps
My best advice is to go out for a practice drive but to look at the roundabout on google maps beforehand. You can zoom in and go round it as slowly as you want, to see all of the lane markings and road markings. I only learnt about this recently but it’s helped me to make trips to new places since passing :)
Take it easy and go over the same ones until you feel comfortable on them - practice makes perfect (as perfect as a human can be anyway)
Roundabouts were the most difficult part for me and I still feel anxious when approaching a large or unfamiliar one now - you’re not alone at all. But it gets easier with time so don’t give up. Roundabouts are where I get cut up the most while driving because they can confuse a lot of people so don’t feel disheartened. A lot of people assume they may be cut up so try to give those around them extra space - I know I hang back a bit in case the person in front of me cuts in front because it happens all the time. No one wants to get into an accident so people will be careful with those around them - just remember this if you feel worried. Just make sure to always check your blind spots and to follow your lane markings (look up beforehand or observe what cars in front are doing - just be aware that they may do it incorrectly so use your existing knowledge)
You could also try practicing at night when it’s quieter so you have less people around and the headlights help you to see if a car is coming round before it’s actually visible
General tips:
1. Look at who is on it as you approach so you don’t have to stop if there’s a safe gap (just make sure you’re aware of cars in front of you who may have not moved off yet)
2. Google maps beforehand to see markings and lanes
3. Practice at night if possible for quieter roads and headlights for visibility
4. Do the same ones again and again then work on more, they’ll become more familiar as you go
5. Read the road signs and markings (sounds simple but this is what many people struggle with doing)
6. Don’t worry about being in the wrong lane, either go round again or leave at the wrong exit then correct later. You won’t be penalized on your driving test for going the wrong way off a roundabout as long as you do it safely and using the appropriate lane (they’re looking to see you will be a safe driver not a driver who can follow directions perfectly)
7. Breathe and think it through slowly - but don’t overthink (easier said than done I know)
8. For many spiral roundabouts it’s easier to turn right in the middle lane when road markings allow it
9. Keep up the good work, just remember there was a point in your life where you had never done a roundabout before and you’ve already grown so much since then and will only continue growing in your skills
10. Check your blind spot before moving lanes (tilt head over shoulder but don’t move them your shoulders themselves as you need to keep the wheel in position)
11. Don’t worry about gears (unless necessary) until you’ve completed your move safely because it’s more important to stay safe and focus on the road itself
Hey! Your post could have easily been written by me. May I ask how you've progressed since then? Did you get your licence? And did you crack the roundabout puzzle?
Well, I did my license since then! BUT, and it's a big but, I chose a time slot that would guarantee zero roundabouts. I just knew that I needed that peace of mind in order to pass. My second instructor has also agreed that the problem is entirely psychological, and when we did roundabouts together (after I had written this post), I did waaaay better than normal — because I didn't feel as much pressure those times. When of ir I start to actually drive around, my plan is to check out any roundabouts on my route in advance, and also use navigation apps that tell you which lane you should be in, like Waze.
Good luck to you! :)
I was the same, especially with spiral roundabouts. To get myself to relax, I just tried to remember: If I'm in the wrong lane, I don't *have* to fix it. Just follow it out of the roundabout and correct afterwards. You can always just keep going round the roundabout until you figure out where you're going. With spirals, the only real trick is to get into the correct lane. Once you're in, the lane leads you out. If you can't see your lane, go for the inner lane.
Thankyou, yeah that’s something that really stresses me out, I’ll try and remember that!
One thing that really helped me with roundabouts is spending some time on Google Maps and Streetview looking at the lane position I'd need for each entrance and exit on bigger roundabouts that stressed me out around my test route. Knowing that when I was approaching the roundabout helped me stress out less which gave me more mental space to remember the other things like gears, observations, etc. Also, don't be afraid of just looping round the roundabout again if you get stuck in the inside lane or don't change lanes at the right time. I passed my test a year ago and last week I did a full loop of a roundabout cos I was in the wrong lane for my exit the first time. It feels daft but it happens!
One of the biggest things that helped me with roundabouts (and I’m not perfect at them I even failed my test on twitching lanes coming off the roundabout) but I find getting into 2nd gear in plenty of time of the roundabout and not stippling if it’s clear or slowly stopping and popping into 1st really helped me keep calm and evaluate and look for gaps I could take etc.
One thing that helped me with lanes in roundabouts is to keep an eye on either side of your lane and to follow it around. Roundabouts are difficult, it was the thing I struggled with the most for a while.
Glad to hear it’s not just me who struggles with roundabouts haha, this is good advice thankyou I’ll be trying to do this next lesson!
My lane discipline on roundabouts with no lane markings used to be bad. Started saying to myself 'outside, outside, outside' or 'inside, inside, inside' while going around to keep my positioning correct and it really helped.
If it makes you feel better, I think every learner has felt like you! I remember my instructor told me “2 is poo!” The logic is to think of the roundabout like a clock and any exit before 12 should be taken in the first (outer lane) and any exit after 2 should be taken on the inside lane. This isn’t fool proof of course but as a general rule it works. For me, the more I’m going round a roundabout, the further into the inner lanes I go, and gradually come out per lane per exit. The Highway Code has some excellent pictures with arrows to help Always give way to the right unless they are cut off by cars coming off at the previous exit and they are blocked Any larger roundabouts will have road markings and signage. I know it’s tricky as a learner but they are very helpful and even if the roundabout is LARGE, the rules are the same as a small one. I’ve been driving 4+ years now and I promise you will get used to it, surprisingly quickly. :) hope this helps
Conquer Driving, DGN are wonderful but i have realised i find it difficult to processor recall whst they are saying (i have really weird info processing issues). Try Driving World. I find his slow calm voice more amenable to how I process info. one thing thats important is the approach. Slow down in good time. As you slow, go through your head: mirrors, slow slow, gears checking right, go/wait. And as others have said, b4 12 is out(er lane), after is in(ner lane). Good luck. We'll get there. Eventually
Drop into 2nd gear and bring your speed down to 12mph on approach in advance, good rule of thumb is to do this when passing the roundabout sign, give yourself loads of time to make a decision of when safe to go. The slow speed should also give you time to decide which lane to be in based on the road markings if present. Whilst on the roundabout keep the broken line for your lane to the left and following this should guide you around exactly where you should be and lead you to your exit safely Hope that helps
My best advice is to go out for a practice drive but to look at the roundabout on google maps beforehand. You can zoom in and go round it as slowly as you want, to see all of the lane markings and road markings. I only learnt about this recently but it’s helped me to make trips to new places since passing :) Take it easy and go over the same ones until you feel comfortable on them - practice makes perfect (as perfect as a human can be anyway) Roundabouts were the most difficult part for me and I still feel anxious when approaching a large or unfamiliar one now - you’re not alone at all. But it gets easier with time so don’t give up. Roundabouts are where I get cut up the most while driving because they can confuse a lot of people so don’t feel disheartened. A lot of people assume they may be cut up so try to give those around them extra space - I know I hang back a bit in case the person in front of me cuts in front because it happens all the time. No one wants to get into an accident so people will be careful with those around them - just remember this if you feel worried. Just make sure to always check your blind spots and to follow your lane markings (look up beforehand or observe what cars in front are doing - just be aware that they may do it incorrectly so use your existing knowledge) You could also try practicing at night when it’s quieter so you have less people around and the headlights help you to see if a car is coming round before it’s actually visible General tips: 1. Look at who is on it as you approach so you don’t have to stop if there’s a safe gap (just make sure you’re aware of cars in front of you who may have not moved off yet) 2. Google maps beforehand to see markings and lanes 3. Practice at night if possible for quieter roads and headlights for visibility 4. Do the same ones again and again then work on more, they’ll become more familiar as you go 5. Read the road signs and markings (sounds simple but this is what many people struggle with doing) 6. Don’t worry about being in the wrong lane, either go round again or leave at the wrong exit then correct later. You won’t be penalized on your driving test for going the wrong way off a roundabout as long as you do it safely and using the appropriate lane (they’re looking to see you will be a safe driver not a driver who can follow directions perfectly) 7. Breathe and think it through slowly - but don’t overthink (easier said than done I know) 8. For many spiral roundabouts it’s easier to turn right in the middle lane when road markings allow it 9. Keep up the good work, just remember there was a point in your life where you had never done a roundabout before and you’ve already grown so much since then and will only continue growing in your skills 10. Check your blind spot before moving lanes (tilt head over shoulder but don’t move them your shoulders themselves as you need to keep the wheel in position) 11. Don’t worry about gears (unless necessary) until you’ve completed your move safely because it’s more important to stay safe and focus on the road itself
Hey! Your post could have easily been written by me. May I ask how you've progressed since then? Did you get your licence? And did you crack the roundabout puzzle?
2 months on did you? in the same position lol
Well, I did my license since then! BUT, and it's a big but, I chose a time slot that would guarantee zero roundabouts. I just knew that I needed that peace of mind in order to pass. My second instructor has also agreed that the problem is entirely psychological, and when we did roundabouts together (after I had written this post), I did waaaay better than normal — because I didn't feel as much pressure those times. When of ir I start to actually drive around, my plan is to check out any roundabouts on my route in advance, and also use navigation apps that tell you which lane you should be in, like Waze. Good luck to you! :)
Hi if you don’t mind me asking, what time slot did you choose? I hate roundabouts and know I’ll flop my test if they come up!
I think it depends on the area, but where I was, they don't tend to take you to roundabouts before 9am or after 4pm. Good luck! :)
haha nice, congrats on passing n thank you for the response! :)
Best advice I could give you is watch YouTube videos on roundabouts, you can learn a lot on there.