Misleading Lane Guidance Issue
A driver has reported an issue with lane guidance when approaching a roundabout.
A40(W) Golden Valley Bypass, Gloucestershire (Permalink)
The lane guidance does not give the correct lane for all routes through the roundabout. Should we remove the lane guidance here?
The lane guidance wouldn't normally be available for a roundabout but in this case there is another junction immediately before the roundabout. Just 100m before the roundabout a 5 lane road splits into two roads, 3 lanes left and 2 lanes right. So really the lane guidance here is all about the split and not about the roundabout at all. Drivers are not going to know that and would naturally assume that the lane guidance is preparing them for the roundabout.
If the split was the only feature then this guidance would be perfectly correct and suitable. However, the fact that there is a roundabout 100m after the split makes it unsuitable.
The way it is now could make it confusing for drivers approaching along the A40(W). A recent UR highlights the problem. (Permalink). The lane guidance for the left split will wrongly suggest it is alright to be in any lane, 1, 2 or 3, when only one of those lanes would be correct, depending on the destination.
┆ ↖ ┆ ↖ ┆ ↖ ┆ ┆ ┆ <<< The navigator display suggests using lane 1, 2 or 3 for the left split
After seeing this lane guidance for about 1km leading to the roundabout, getting comfortable with the idea of any lane will do, 1, 2 or 3, the driver then has only 100m to rush over to the correct lane for the roundabout.
To work appropriately, the lane guidance would need to specify which lanes are needed for each route through the roundabout.
Meanwhile the lane guidance for the right split works out fine. (This only works because going along the right split is simpler. There are no further turns to make so either lane will do fine.)
┆ ┆ ┆ ┆ ↑┆ ↑┆ <<< The navigator display suggests using lane 4 or 5 for the right split
It seems to me that the lane guidance, in it's current form, cannot be configured to handle the selection of individual lanes. Therefore, what is shown to the driver heading down the left split is misleading.
I would suggest we consider either removing the lane guidance here altogether or changing it so that it will only show up for those going along the right split.
I think the lane guidance looks really good and would be very helpful at this junction if it could be made to work with matching destinations to individual lanes. However, it's not sophisticated enough yet to do the job properly. It can lead to drivers being in the wrong lane on a fast moving road and will reduce their confidence in Waze. That's why I suggest we remove it from the left split of this junction for now and wait for the lane guidance configuration to be improved in WME before we try using it again here. What do other editors think?
A40(W) Golden Valley Bypass, Gloucestershire (Permalink)
The lane guidance does not give the correct lane for all routes through the roundabout. Should we remove the lane guidance here?
The lane guidance wouldn't normally be available for a roundabout but in this case there is another junction immediately before the roundabout. Just 100m before the roundabout a 5 lane road splits into two roads, 3 lanes left and 2 lanes right. So really the lane guidance here is all about the split and not about the roundabout at all. Drivers are not going to know that and would naturally assume that the lane guidance is preparing them for the roundabout.
If the split was the only feature then this guidance would be perfectly correct and suitable. However, the fact that there is a roundabout 100m after the split makes it unsuitable.
The way it is now could make it confusing for drivers approaching along the A40(W). A recent UR highlights the problem. (Permalink). The lane guidance for the left split will wrongly suggest it is alright to be in any lane, 1, 2 or 3, when only one of those lanes would be correct, depending on the destination.
┆ ↖ ┆ ↖ ┆ ↖ ┆ ┆ ┆ <<< The navigator display suggests using lane 1, 2 or 3 for the left split
After seeing this lane guidance for about 1km leading to the roundabout, getting comfortable with the idea of any lane will do, 1, 2 or 3, the driver then has only 100m to rush over to the correct lane for the roundabout.
To work appropriately, the lane guidance would need to specify which lanes are needed for each route through the roundabout.
Route | Use Lane | Lane Display |
Elmbridge Court | Lane 1 | ↖ ┆ ┆ ┆ ┆ |
A417 | Lane 1 | ↖ ┆ ┆ ┆ ┆ |
B4063 West | Lane 2 | ┆ ↖ ┆ ┆ ┆ |
B4063 East | Lane 3 | ┆ ┆ ↖ ┆ ┆ |
A40(W) | Lanes 4&5 | ┆ ┆ ┆ ↑┆ ↑ |
┆ ┆ ┆ ┆ ↑┆ ↑┆ <<< The navigator display suggests using lane 4 or 5 for the right split
It seems to me that the lane guidance, in it's current form, cannot be configured to handle the selection of individual lanes. Therefore, what is shown to the driver heading down the left split is misleading.
I would suggest we consider either removing the lane guidance here altogether or changing it so that it will only show up for those going along the right split.
I think the lane guidance looks really good and would be very helpful at this junction if it could be made to work with matching destinations to individual lanes. However, it's not sophisticated enough yet to do the job properly. It can lead to drivers being in the wrong lane on a fast moving road and will reduce their confidence in Waze. That's why I suggest we remove it from the left split of this junction for now and wait for the lane guidance configuration to be improved in WME before we try using it again here. What do other editors think?
Re: Misleading Lane Guidance Issue