A DRIVER has boasted about slicing 20 minutes off his journey with a contentious “slingshot” roundabout trick loathed by other motorists.
The TikTok user posted footage of how he managed to bypass tailbacks of queuing cars with the manoeuvre dividing many online.
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Andy Higgins shared the 110-second clip accompanied by the words “My epic slingshot roundabout”.
He added: “Saved me 20 minutes on a good day.”
The footage shows him using the tactic several times in succession along highways including the A283 which goes between Surrey and West Sussex in south-east England.
The “slingshot” involves veering across traffic lanes then circling a roundabout in full before bypassing cars queuing for the first exit.
And he shared the clip with Newcastle motorist Shaun Jobber, or @jobbertok, whose account encourages the driving hack.
Shaun recently shared footage of a similar “slingshot” at a busy roundabout in Hull, East Yorkshire – which won both praise and condemnation from viewers.
The driver in that instance was seen nipping into an inside lane and completing a full circuit before racing off at the first exit.
They left behind in their wake a long line – in footage Shaun shared online with the words “Love the old roundabout slingshot”.
That clip has been watched more than 2.1million times, attracting more than 206,000 “likes”.
Some described the move as “such a good idea” and “genius”, with one admirer writing: “Every time I do this I start telling myself out loud I’m the smartest guy on the road.”
Another posted, “I actually love doing this and seeing everyone get annoyed”, while it was also said: “I also do this at roundabouts and wonder why no one else does it.”
But a commenter admitted, “I always feel like a criminal”, while another responded: “I’ve been one of the chumps sitting in traffic oblivious to the slingshots taking place next to me.”
And there were also critics, including one viewer who labelled the move “dangerous”.
Another sceptic warned the anti-congestion measure could “create the same problem if everyone does it”.
There were also concerns about spreading the word, with one viewer joking: “I’m glad this manoeuvre has a name, but this is secret knowledge that shouldn’t be shared.”
The TikToker, who used to work as for a leading UK insurer, decided to use his experience as a motor insurance claim handler to inform drivers in a bid to prevent unnecessary traffic jams.
He called other drivers “stupid” after overtaking 20 queuing cars in June.
He has also shared footage of the moment an SUV smashed into a parked car, almost ripping the driver’s door clean off.
There have been other examples of motorists using a “roundabout slingshot” trick to avoid morning traffic, while a video of a car driver losing control on a wet roundabout went viral on social media.
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