Help with Roundabouts

I found a lot of driving quite difficult and multi-lane roundabouts were absolutely one and were the instances where I was probably a bit of a danger while being instructed. 

The solution ended up being going on the multi lane roundabouts either when there were roadworks so things were going at a crawl or very early in the morning when there was barely anyone out. It allowed me to practice the formula for which lane I needed to be in which I then progressed to keep an eye on cars at the same time. This helped a lot with the roundabouts I was practicing for my tests, I still struggle quite a lot on unfamiliar roundabouts but as others have suggested, looking up areal shots and the roundabouts layout before hand helps a lot. The only other issue is when I get a diversion, but I'm usually sufficiently put out by the change of plan that the roundabout is the least of my problems.

I will say though, my favourite roundabout in my area is on a ring road near my test centre. If you're going straight on, there is a slip road you can take to completely bypass the roundabout. So yeah, the best roundabout is the one I can avoid. 

Hope you find a way to sort this out or get to a point where you're comfortable, good luck!

I've been driving 21 years and large roundabouts to this day still terrify me. I'm forever astonished at the people who just sail through them at 30 miles an hour with some kind of sixth sense that all will be well. I have to stop and check thoroughly, every single time. I can feel the fury of those behind, who presumably have that sixth sense I just mentioned. Most seem to have it, I don't. Anyway, not helpful that is it, other than to hopefully reassure that you are not alone. 

I've been driving 21 years and large roundabouts to this day still terrify me. I'm forever astonished at the people who just sail through them at 30 miles an hour with some kind of sixth sense that all will be well. I have to stop and check thoroughly, every single time. I can feel the fury of those behind, who presumably have that sixth sense I just mentioned. Most seem to have it, I don't. Anyway, not helpful that is it, other than to hopefully reassure that you are not alone. 

Exactly.  Not alone with this one at all.  My "sixth sense" does improve over time but then I've been driving since 1987 and still find it scary at times.  Those times tend to be busier times close to town centres though so I've taken the decision to simply avoid them.  Although I know that avoidance isn't generally recommended, I'd struggled for so long that in the end I just accepted that, if I'm going to continue driving, this is one of the limitations I have.  My thoughts are that it's better to be aware of my limitations and work around them than to keep struggling.

I've noticed as well that people don't seem to slow down as much as they approach roundabouts any more and I'm not sure why that is.  Their apparent confidence seems to push me further into anxiety and I wonder whether that is something that reflects a more general dynamic between me and others and whether this is something to do with being in a neurominority.  I do seem to have an ingrained habit of deferring to others as if they're bound to be doing the right thing (with the feeling that I'll get blamed if I don't) and I often need to do a bit of cognitive therapy on myself to bring my automatic thoughts into the open and challenge them.  The apparently super-confident others aren't always in the right, after all.

I also find that I need the highway code to be a bit clearer as it tends to show very simplified diagrams of situations and I always look at them and think, "Yes, but what if...?"   And quite often those "What ifs" relate to roundabouts or joining motorways, especially if it's not instantly clear to me who has right of way.  e.g. It may be that there are two lanes leading into a roundabout, but only one on the other side, which, although I think I have right of way as I'm in the first lane, becomes confusing if another driver cuts in front of me because they're just that bit faster.   Or if I'm sort of "flying in close formation" alongside another vehicle on a two laned approach to a motorway and gauging where I'll fit with the traffic already on the motorway.  To my mind this often becomes a kind of power struggle in which others forge ahead and I'm left braking and waiting.  Perhaps there's also a tendency to overthink things, which can work well in analytical work but which hinders me in driving situations?