Learning to drive can seem difficult at first; you may feel like you’re trying to do too many things at once as you attempt to master clutch control, work the gears, remember and abide by traffic signals and laws while simultaneously looking around and ahead.
Yet once you’ve mastered the basics, learning how to navigate more complex road systems becomes the real challenge. Roundabouts are something that many learner drivers struggle to get to grips with before their test.
Whether mini or major, single lane or multi-lane, the problem for learners is that no two roundabouts are ever the same, causing confusion about which lane to get into or which exit to take. Yet although they may seem daunting at first, practise makes perfect. It’s best to begin on smaller roundabouts and work up to major ones. During your test, you could be instructed to drive anywhere in the local area, so it’s best to get used to the biggest, most daunting roundabouts in Surrey well in advance. Here are a few good ones to practise on.
1. Deepdene Roundabout, Dorking
You will have probably noticed the giant metal cockerel in the centre of this roundabout if you have driven around Dorking. This is a fairly basic, straightforward roundabout to try before attempting any larger ones. It has two lanes, so you can practise approaching the roundabout and getting into the correct lane according to the exit you want to take, while giving way to oncoming traffic from both lanes.
2. Portsmouth Road Roundabout, Cobham
Although this roundabout is only two lanes wide, it’s very large. It crosses over the Esher Bypass, and therefore has various lanes connecting to and from it, while providing access to the A245. This is the perfect place to practise meeting traffic lights on a roundabout, and bearing other drivers in mind when crossing over into the correct lane as you exit.
3. Margery Hall Roundabout, Reigate
This is a large, complex roundabout with three lanes and multiple exits leading to and from the M25 as well as the A217. It enables a learner to practise getting into the correct lane on a multi-lane roundabout, stopping at traffic lights and taking the correct exit. You will also have to bear in mind traffic that comes from the motorway, which may need to swap lanes around you in order before exiting.
There are, of course, lots of other roundabouts in Surrey, so make sure to practise on as many as possible so you can be completely confident when taking your test.