Roundabout etiquette?

I think I may be going mad but is the following nonesense?:

If you are waiting at an entry to a roundabout, and there are no stationary cars waiting at the entry points, who has right of way? Don’t you have right of way?

Common sense says wait for the impatient **** to keep rolling from some distance back from the right, in a loose chain of cars, until there is a gap, but this feels like a T junction not a roundabout?

I think I may have become a grumpy old man!

IIRC vehicles on the roundabout have right of way but if they are stationary they should not block the passage of vehicles entering the roundabout if their exit is clear.

FWIW I passed my test 30+ years ago so I might well be wrong.

If you’re not on the roundabout you have no right of way.

so is that a free for all?

It seems logical that you look right to see if there is somebody waiting to go from the right, or already on the roundabout, but these days there seem to be a lot of drivers that steam through expecting you to stay where you are, in some bizarre game of chicken.

AFAIK, you dont have to give right of way to the people waiting on the right of you, but simply wait until it is clear for you to go on the roundabout as the chances are they will be on it before you.

if you’re not on the roundabout you have no right of way

That means that there is no etiquette on who should enter first?

How come there aren’t more accidents!

Give way to traffic coming from the right, it’s not that difficult is it?

OK, but what if you are waiting at the roundabout and some chump arrives at 30mph onto the roundabout from the right. The onl reason I don’t pull out is because I know he will hit me. I would be on the roundabout first, but lots of people seem to be doing this now. That, and cutting people up when you are appraoching an exit and they can’t wait any longer to get home.

Give way to traffic coming from the right but look out for tools that haven’t a clue what they’re doing.

There are plenty driving test areas that have no roundabouts and driving instructors aren’t tested on them.

really!!!

God that’s appaulling!

What i mean is that a driving instructor’s ability to teach roundabouts to learners can not be tested.

I got that, but it’s still bloomin awful!!!

I agree that it is awful. To answer your question, if they are coming from the right you are not supposed to cause them to slow down, swerve or swear – regardless of their approach speed.

the only good news is that those tools that are approaching roundabouts at 30mph or so with no intention of stopping are usually looking in direction they are going (not slowing down and looking right) so they will see you if you pull out in front of them

Its like basketball. a non contact sport, but if you run into thee opposition it’s your fault

give way to the right, tough tits if you have to sit there all day waiting for a gap. 🙄

I was in Italy a few years ago & they (still) had the opposite rule – the vehicle waiting to join had priority. THAT, my friends, was **** rubbish (I think they’ve changed since)

Aye, remember the same rule in Morocco

That used to be the rule in France too – cars on the roundabout had to give way to cars entering it thus creating a massive pile of traffic in the middle.
All roundabouts in France now have this sign at the entry point:
Vous n’avez pas la prioritie.
You do not have right of way.