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Roundabouts in Spain - Article / video / information

Roundabouts in Spain - Article / video / information

Postby Jan » Tue Feb 10, 2015 10:57 am

There is quite a lot of confusion in Spain over roundabouts as they are a relatively recent introduction to Spanish roads and the Spanish drivers don't always drive as they should around them, which can and often does cause problems.

This video from the Government of Spain's 'Ministeria del Interior' shows how a guard "teaches" the drivers on the inner lane(s) of a roundabout that they cannot take an exit from these lanes , " forcing " them to continue circulating and come back round and then indicate in advance to get safely into the outside lane to exit the roundabout at their chosen exit:

Video - http://revista.dgt.es/es/multimedia/vid ... NnLL-asXfd


***(Update edit 2017 - Sorry it appears the link above is now not working and we can't find another copy of this video - If anyone finds it please put it on this topic).
Here's another article though that may help explain the principles of roundabouts -- http://n332.es/2015/05/17/exiting-roundabouts/


Is it me or is this just what we do, and are legally supposed to do, in the UK? If so then it shouldn't be a problem for us Brits to do the right thing on Spanish roundabouts. There are some big roundabouts with multiple lanes that can be more difficult to negotiate (especially when those who don't understand the basic principles of roundabouts make mistakes and don't take extra care) but with care and attention the way we Brits drive around them should be similar to UK roundabouts.

How many times do we see drivers come from one of the inside (Inner) lanes and cross straight over the path of a car in the outside lane to take the exit - If we did this in the UK it would be wrong and it is wrong in Spain too.

I am open to contradiction but looking at the video it does appear that what we do in the UK on roundabouts (when done correctly) is very similar to the Spanish rules!

Discuss if you wish?
:lol:

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Re: Roundabouts in Spain - Article /video / information

Postby marcliff » Tue Feb 10, 2015 12:18 pm

Unfortunately the "old" Spanish way taught everyone to use the right hand lane at a roundabout even if going all the way around. Even though this was changed about 4 or 5 years ago, I don't think it's filtered down to the average driver. The N332 Guardia Civil facebook page mentioned here previously shows only cars going left or all the way round should use the left hand lane. The old Spanish instruction book still shows everyone using the right hand lane.
According to one of the Spaniards I spoke to (and I've had this conversation before) if you crash into the right hand side of a car with your left side then you are in the right every time.
I just stay back and watch, to be honest.
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Re: Roundabouts in Spain - Article /video / information

Postby Jordy » Tue Feb 10, 2015 2:46 pm

Interesting video Jan but this only shows single lane entry & exit roads on this roundabout. In the uk we are allowed to exit a roundabout using both lanes (as you see drivers do here) but in Spain you take the chance of having the driver in the outside lane impacting into your right hand side even though his intention was to go all the way round the roundabout.
I have been making enquiries at different sources & have found it's pretty much as marcliff says, the driver on the outside lane has priority no matter if he/she is turning right, going straight on, turning left or doing a complete circuit & going back the other way. The driver on the inside lane must safely cross into the outside lane BEFORE his exit.

Jordy :roll:
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Re: Roundabouts in Spain - Article /video / information

Postby Jan » Tue Feb 10, 2015 4:14 pm

Jordy wrote:Interesting video Jan but this only shows single lane entry & exit roads on this roundabout. In the uk we are allowed to exit a roundabout using both lanes (as you see drivers do here) but in Spain you take the chance of having the driver in the outside lane impacting into your right hand side even though his intention was to go all the way round the roundabout.
I have been making enquiries at different sources & have found it's pretty much as marcliff says, The driver on the inside lane must safely cross into the outside lane BEFORE his exit.

Jordy :roll:



Hi Jordy,

Interesting!

...but I thought it shows a double exit lane where the official is standing and he's directing everyone to filter into the outside lane to turn into the exit road and those that try to go straight into the exit road from the inner lane are being directed back round the roundabout.

However, if the driver on the inside lane must safely cross into the outside lane BEFORE his exit, as you say, then that appears to be the correct procedure and makes it safer. As long as we indicate & then filter into the outside lane before taking the exit, then there is not quite so much chance of an accident.

Although in the UK we are allowed to exit using both lanes of the exit road (if there are two lanes), there is still the same chance that another car could be stupid enough to be going all the way round the roundabout in the outside lane and cause an accident - We are no doubt naturally aware of this (like second-nature!) in our native country but still have to be as vigilant. Also generally the majority of people in the UK have had decades to get used to roundabout protocol.

As for the "driver on the outside lane having priority no matter if he/she is turning right, going straight on, turning left or doing a complete circuit & going back the other way", that does sound crazy and is. However, if we are aware of this and only use the outside lane to exit (indicating and filtering in before our exit) and, even if there are two lanes on the exit road, only use the outside/ kerb-side lane when exiting then it should be safer anyway.

It is a minefield though!!

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Re: Roundabouts in Spain - Article /video / information

Postby Liz & Gordon » Wed Feb 11, 2015 8:29 am

Keep watching the video , the voice / commentary is really funny and there are some stubborn drivers. (Not as moh suggests female)

Roundabouts Option 1. Make plastic policeman to stand on round about exits.
". 2. Make all roundabouts single lane.

We all need to be very careful.
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Re: Roundabouts in Spain - Article /video / information

Postby jake » Wed Mar 25, 2015 7:10 pm

The best explanation I ever got on this subject was:
The nearside RH lane is for driving in, and the offside LH lane is for overtaking in.
This means that you may overtake on a roundabout, but you must be firmly positioned in the nearside lane before making your exit from the roundabout.
Unfortunately, there will always be clowns who want to enter on the fast lane, and also leave on it, so take care.
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Re: Roundabouts in Spain - Article /video / information

Postby Pablo Teatime » Wed Mar 25, 2015 11:45 pm

Spanish insurance companies will always give priority to cars in the outside lane, therefore all Spanish drive round a roundabout in the outside lane to be sure of being in the "right", no matter what exit they want. I even saw a poster last year in the window of a police station showing that you need to stay in the outside lane of a roundabout in all cases.
How weird is that?
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Re: Roundabouts in Spain - Article /video / information

Postby Jan » Tue Jun 09, 2015 8:28 am

As Summer is here and there will be more drivers on the road, with some who will be unfamiliar with Spanish roads, I thought I would bring up roundabouts again. There is a good article from the N332 Facebook page which explains the basic rules on roundabouts in Spain and particularly focuses on 'exiting roundabouts' where most accidents take place. I find the image a bit confusing but the text is explanatory and easier to understand. When all is said and done it isn't really that different from using roundabouts in the UK but on the other side of the road - The main rule is to always be safely in the right hand lane to exit the roundabout (same as we would be in the left hand lane to exit in the UK!)

Here's the link to the article: http://n332.es/2015/05/17/exiting-roundabouts/



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Re: Roundabouts in Spain - Article /video / information

Postby jose45 » Mon Jun 15, 2015 7:38 pm

Well, it´s so simple as you have to drive always in the rigth side of the road...Even if you are in the higway, you have to drive on the right side, only use the left side for pass another car and you must return as soon as possible to the right again. Well, the roundabout have the same system...you have to drive on the rigth side all the time, using the left side when you want to keep turning in the round....You have to think that if you are in the left side, you are passing a car and your are responsable if there is a crash between two cars
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Re: Roundabouts in Spain - Article /video / information

Postby Martin the artist » Tue Jun 16, 2015 7:52 am

As for the "driver on the outside lane having priority no matter if he/she is turning right, going straight on, turning left or doing a complete circuit & going back the other way", that does sound crazy and is

Well I think the Spanish system makes complete sense.
You should just regard the roundabout as a normal road that happens to go round in a circle.
If you were driving along a normal road and wanted to turn right, you would make sure you were in the right hand lane first.
You wouldn't turn right immediately accross a slow vehicle would you?
So the outer lane of course has priority.
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