Traffic officers clamping down on drivers turning at roundabout

12:00pm Tuesday 23rd October 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Damian Fantato, covering Summertown, Jericho and North Oxford. Call me on 01865 425429

Traffic officials are plotting to halt drivers carrying carrying out a dangerous turn on an Oxford hamburger roundabout.

Officers at Oxfordshire County Council are worried about drivers coming along the A40 London Road from the east and cutting through the centre part of the Green Road “hamburger” to turn right into Barton.

While Rodney Rose, the cabinet member in charge of transport, said it was not illegal, it was dangerous.

Council officials are now putting in place a traffic order that would make it illegal to carry out the manoeuvre, forcing motorists wanting to go into Bayswater Road to use the outer roads of the roundabout.

They hope police would then enforce the new ban and fine motorists flouting it.

Owen Morton, county council spokesman, said: “Performing a right-turn at this location is self-evidently dangerous.

“We’ve been made aware of a number of instances of motorists attempting such a manoeuvre and decided to reinforce the message with signage.”

But Yvonne Lowe, chairman of Risinghurst and Sandhills Parish Council, is concerned about the roundabout because of its current layout and the volume of traffic which uses it.

She said: “As far as I am concerned it seems that every so many years someone tries to change that roundabout.

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“I think the roundabout is absolutely absurd and an accident waiting to happen because you have got problems with people coming from Barton, which is an awful turning.

“There has got to be an easier solution.”

County councillor Rodney Rose, cabinet member for transport said: “The hamburger roundabout has proven itself no end as long as people use it properly.

“What we are trying to do is give total legal coverage so police and magistrates can enforce this offence.”

The county council is consulting on the change and any objections can be sent to the authority’s director for environment and economy Huw Jones.

The roundabout is one of two hamburger roundabouts in Oxford – so-called because of the road running straight through the middle of them.

It was the first such roundabout to be created in Oxfordshire, being completed in November 2006. Heyford Hill was completed last autumn.

Comments (13)

1:24pm Tue 23 Oct 12

bart-on simpson says...

Chairman Yvonne Lowe must be in a small minority to think the Headington Hamburger is absurd. Traffic is far, far more efficient than before. Can't think of any other changes in past 20 years.

Why doesn't Lowe concentrate on the immiment return of the free car park that is Sandhills when Thornhill gets its £3 fee and the Risinghurst pedestrians dodging the vehicles crossing the A40 at the Risinghurst non-turn?
Chairman Yvonne Lowe must be in a small minority to think the Headington Hamburger is absurd. Traffic is far, far more efficient than before. Can't think of any other changes in past 20 years. Why doesn't Lowe concentrate on the immiment return of the free car park that is Sandhills when Thornhill gets its £3 fee and the Risinghurst pedestrians dodging the vehicles crossing the A40 at the Risinghurst non-turn? bart-on simpson

1:26pm Tue 23 Oct 12

Dilligaf2010 says...

"County councillor Rodney Rose, cabinet member for transport said: “The hamburger roundabout has proven itself no end as long as people use it properly"..........
.........He's obviously not sat in a queue of traffic approaching it, between 4 and 7pm then.
"County councillor Rodney Rose, cabinet member for transport said: “The hamburger roundabout has proven itself no end as long as people use it properly".......... .........He's obviously not sat in a queue of traffic approaching it, between 4 and 7pm then. Dilligaf2010

1:56pm Tue 23 Oct 12

Carfax Cabby says...

In the time since Green Road was redesigned I have never seen anybody make this manoeuvre so they must be far and between and no accidents so far arising from it. How much will it cost for the traffic order and signage, from this supposedly skint council. The main problem on the roundabout are the partially obscured traffic lights you hit when coming from Barton onto A4142 or London Rd you do not see them and carry on across the A40 traffic coming through the middle, I have seen an accident caused by this, and many near misses. Also as the above poster points out, it has just shifted queues to other approaches.
In the time since Green Road was redesigned I have never seen anybody make this manoeuvre so they must be far and between and no accidents so far arising from it. How much will it cost for the traffic order and signage, from this supposedly skint council. The main problem on the roundabout are the partially obscured traffic lights you hit when coming from Barton onto A4142 or London Rd you do not see them and carry on across the A40 traffic coming through the middle, I have seen an accident caused by this, and many near misses. Also as the above poster points out, it has just shifted queues to other approaches. Carfax Cabby

3:55pm Tue 23 Oct 12

Myron Blatz says...

Quite right, 'Carfax Cabby' - and certainly in the past, buses cause their own little 'issues' when coming up the Bayswater Road and onto the Green Road 'hamburger' - possibly one of the busiest intersections around Oxford? Yes, the 'hamburger' has made the road junctions more efficient and safer - but we still seem to have competition between through traffic, and traffic crossing from Barton to London Road, and also the Eastern Bypass. The irony is that traffic planners (an oxymoron?) never seem to plan-ahead, and are always constrained by 'either the Government, or County Council trying to save money in the short-to-medium term. I wonder how the Green Road 'hamburger' will be affected by the increase in traffic from the new Barton housing development, once built?
Quite right, 'Carfax Cabby' - and certainly in the past, buses cause their own little 'issues' when coming up the Bayswater Road and onto the Green Road 'hamburger' - possibly one of the busiest intersections around Oxford? Yes, the 'hamburger' has made the road junctions more efficient and safer - but we still seem to have competition between through traffic, and traffic crossing from Barton to London Road, and also the Eastern Bypass. The irony is that traffic planners (an oxymoron?) never seem to plan-ahead, and are always constrained by 'either the Government, or County Council trying to save money in the short-to-medium term. I wonder how the Green Road 'hamburger' will be affected by the increase in traffic from the new Barton housing development, once built? Myron Blatz

4:06pm Tue 23 Oct 12

davyboy says...

carfax cabbie, sit there for 5 minutes and just watch. it happens nearly every time the lights change! it is, in fact, illegal, as the road markings indicate ahead only. people do it to avoid sitting at an extra set of lights, but, for anyone following them, expecting them to go straight on, this can cause incidents. bearing in mind the speed of the traffic, these incidents can be fairly major, blocking the roundabout from all directions. it is about time there was a crackdown, and the minimum offence must be driving without due care and attention, rising up to dangerous driving.
carfax cabbie, sit there for 5 minutes and just watch. it happens nearly every time the lights change! it is, in fact, illegal, as the road markings indicate ahead only. people do it to avoid sitting at an extra set of lights, but, for anyone following them, expecting them to go straight on, this can cause incidents. bearing in mind the speed of the traffic, these incidents can be fairly major, blocking the roundabout from all directions. it is about time there was a crackdown, and the minimum offence must be driving without due care and attention, rising up to dangerous driving. davyboy

4:10pm Tue 23 Oct 12

John Lamb says...

It'll do little to stop the numpties on scooters who rode out of Barton onto the roundabout on my right hand side and nearly caused an accident. Barton really has some idiotic drivers/riders.
It'll do little to stop the numpties on scooters who rode out of Barton onto the roundabout on my right hand side and nearly caused an accident. Barton really has some idiotic drivers/riders. John Lamb

4:35pm Tue 23 Oct 12

Simon33 says...

Need a left only lane coming out of Barton - instead of a very wide grass verge.
Need a left only lane coming out of Barton - instead of a very wide grass verge. Simon33

4:46pm Tue 23 Oct 12

King Joke says...

davyboy wrote:
carfax cabbie, sit there for 5 minutes and just watch. it happens nearly every time the lights change! it is, in fact, illegal, as the road markings indicate ahead only. people do it to avoid sitting at an extra set of lights, but, for anyone following them, expecting them to go straight on, this can cause incidents. bearing in mind the speed of the traffic, these incidents can be fairly major, blocking the roundabout from all directions. it is about time there was a crackdown, and the minimum offence must be driving without due care and attention, rising up to dangerous driving.
Surely the issue with manoeuvre is not that people behind expect them to go straight on, but that it brings them into direct conflict with traffic coming onto the roundabout from the Northern Bypass? Are the lights phased in this way?
[quote][p][bold]davyboy[/bold] wrote: carfax cabbie, sit there for 5 minutes and just watch. it happens nearly every time the lights change! it is, in fact, illegal, as the road markings indicate ahead only. people do it to avoid sitting at an extra set of lights, but, for anyone following them, expecting them to go straight on, this can cause incidents. bearing in mind the speed of the traffic, these incidents can be fairly major, blocking the roundabout from all directions. it is about time there was a crackdown, and the minimum offence must be driving without due care and attention, rising up to dangerous driving.[/p][/quote]Surely the issue with manoeuvre is not that people behind expect them to go straight on, but that it brings them into direct conflict with traffic coming onto the roundabout from the Northern Bypass? Are the lights phased in this way? King Joke

5:06pm Tue 23 Oct 12

iklhik says...

The problem is there is already signage there but the incompetent tubbies at Oxfordshire Highways have done it wrong - they've put a wonky arrow on a blue background which is totally non-compliant with the law.

They are now presumably seeking to replace it with what it should have been all along, a no right turn sign. Luckily no accidents have been caused yet as I bet the insurance companies would love suing the inept council and getting an easy win. Nonetheless, I hate to think how much money has been wasted on the wrong signage, and correcting it. All they had to do was copy the hundreds of other hamburger roundabouts across the country but as always the halfwits at the council know best.
The problem is there is already signage there but the incompetent tubbies at Oxfordshire Highways have done it wrong - they've put a wonky arrow on a blue background which is totally non-compliant with the law. They are now presumably seeking to replace it with what it should have been all along, a no right turn sign. Luckily no accidents have been caused yet as I bet the insurance companies would love suing the inept council and getting an easy win. Nonetheless, I hate to think how much money has been wasted on the wrong signage, and correcting it. All they had to do was copy the hundreds of other hamburger roundabouts across the country but as always the halfwits at the council know best. iklhik

6:51pm Tue 23 Oct 12

Darkforbid says...

Mmm,,, carrying carrying, does it matter?
Mmm,,, carrying carrying, does it matter? Darkforbid

11:23pm Tue 23 Oct 12

colinsfew says...

When i first used the hamburger coming from London way and wanting to take the Barton turn i accidentally did this manouver(must admit i was shatting myself waiting for the lights to change) i do believe it is just people who are not familiar with this roundabout that get into this situation and i have never seen anyone else sat in the same position, all that is needed i feel is better signage telling people the right lane to take.
When i first used the hamburger coming from London way and wanting to take the Barton turn i accidentally did this manouver(must admit i was shatting myself waiting for the lights to change) i do believe it is just people who are not familiar with this roundabout that get into this situation and i have never seen anyone else sat in the same position, all that is needed i feel is better signage telling people the right lane to take. colinsfew

2:26am Wed 24 Oct 12

riman09 says...

TO: colinsfew says...
11:23pm Tue 23 Oct 12

It is not about familiarity. I drive in all sorts of unfamiliar places, and it gives all the more reason to read the signage!

It is very plain, just that some drivers do not bother to look, probably through approaching it at too high a speed for their eyesight.

As for the roundabout, I've no idea what this Councillor is proposing. I have seen the traffic there flowing a lot better than it used to without it.

I would go along with a proposal for a left turn into London Road from Barton, as well as a possible left turn into Barton on the Eastbound A40 approach which is not traffic controlled.
TO: colinsfew says... 11:23pm Tue 23 Oct 12 It is not about familiarity. I drive in all sorts of unfamiliar places, and it gives all the more reason to read the signage! It is very plain, just that some drivers do not bother to look, probably through approaching it at too high a speed for their eyesight. As for the roundabout, I've no idea what this Councillor is proposing. I have seen the traffic there flowing a lot better than it used to without it. I would go along with a proposal for a left turn into London Road from Barton, as well as a possible left turn into Barton on the Eastbound A40 approach which is not traffic controlled. riman09

9:19am Wed 24 Oct 12

Simon33 says...

So there haven't been any accidents.

Isn't this the same journalist who gave the scare story about the Hamburger subway, and yet no one has broken a bone or died?
So there haven't been any accidents. Isn't this the same journalist who gave the scare story about the Hamburger subway, and yet no one has broken a bone or died? Simon33

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