Entrance to the Magic Roundabout, County Road, Swindon

Image: © Brian Robert Marshall Taken: 22 Nov 2013

The blue rectangular sign at the left warns push-bike riders to dismount before using the pedestrian-controlled crossing in order to comply with Rule 79 of the Highway Code https://www.gov.uk/rules-for-cyclists-59-to-82/crossing-the-road-79-to-82 They rarely do in my experience. The Magic Roundabout itself is an inspired and innovative piece of highway engineering allowing traffic from five roads to converge and disperse without undue delay. It is relatively safe: I have travelled across it innumerable times since it opened and never once seen an accident or even a 'near miss'. Some folk find it 'scary'. This may be deliberate; it is certainly fortuitous. One of the reasons the roundabout is so safe is that users are uncertain and thus more inclined to exercise caution when crossing it. Frankly, if motorists can't cope with it they should consider handing in their driving licences and going by bus.

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