Brits warned using ‘slingshot’ trick on roundabouts could land you in trouble
Brits have been warned that they could find themselves in bother if they try out a particular trick when driving around a roundabout.
It's controversial, but strangely it isn’t actually illegal.
Check out this video showing it in action:
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However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t receive three points on your licence for doing it, because it could be considered to be a misuse of lanes and driving inconsiderately, which can be an offence.
Basically, what we are talking about here is known as ‘slingshotting’.
It is a technique that some have developed to get ahead of traffic, as while most people queue patiently to get onto a roundabout in the left land lane, others use the right hand lane to bypass all of the standing traffic, ‘slingshot’ themselves the whole way around the roundabout, then merge into the traffic having skipped the queue.
It’s not illegal in itself, as we’ve said, but don’t be surprised if everything thinks you’re a d*** for doing it.
We’ve all been in the situation where you are stuck queuing at a roundabout, waiting to get onto it.
However, most of us take our place in the left-hand lane patiently, like you’re supposed to do.
That hasn’t stopped some learning that you can get onto the roundabout by using the right-hand lane as if you’re going to a further around junction, before simply staying on and getting off at the junction that you otherwise would have done, avoiding a sit in the traffic along the way.
But, if you are judged to have been driving inconsiderately, or misusing the lanes, it could be considered an offence and you might be liable for points and a fine.
So, just think on if you’re planning a slingshot.
The whole thing has split drivers online, though. Some say it’s just clever and using the road, others say it clogs up the other junctions and is inconsiderate.
“That’s called knowing how to drive, sorry,” said one.
“The only drivers who are angry are the ones not smart enough to think of doing it,” wrote another.
A third wrote: “The only drivers who are angry are the ones not smart enough to think of doing it.”
However, not everyone agrees.
One person commented: “If everyone stuck to the rules and merged in turn, everyone’s happy.”
Another wrote: “Legal but not British.”
What do you reckon then?
Are they just being d***s, or are they actually working smarter, and not harder?
Tom Wood