Online driving tutorial - Crow Lane Roundabout, Henbury

The Crow Lane roundabout is possibly the busiest roundabout in Avonmouth test route territory. Instructors in the waiting room speak freely about their concerns for students on test about this roundabout, so I thought I'd write a little about it.

The main thing you'll notice on arrival here is the amount of traffic. It's always busy. It's the main road between Cribbs Causeway and the M5 connecting to the heart of Bristol. The speed limit on approach via the dual carriageway is 40 mph, so traffic arrives quickly. Keep that in mind.

Knole Lane to Cribbs

It's on a handful of the test routes at the Avonmouth test centre. Coming from Henbury and turning right that could cause the greater of problems. The roundabout has a small yellow box on it to help keep the flow of traffic moving. There is also a pedestrian crossing just after the exit on the way to Cribbs which creates congestion on the junction.

It's the cars that scream round above 20 mph, then suddenly reduce their speed that could potentially be throwing people. Have a look at the image 1 to help see this.

Crow Lane to Cribbs/Bristol

You are the blue circled car. The yellow box junction is in front of you. The red circles are cars which have stopped on the roundabout due to the red light at the pedestrian crossing. There is a large gap in front of you, no cars ... looks like it's safe to emerge. The car with the yellow arrow is the problem. If they are too quick, you have no idea they're coming as the roundabout blocks your view.  They have clear path, they can't see you due to the stationary vehicles and it's potentially dangerous. Be careful but try to use the yellow box to get out if busy.