Looking around my area, I see two different ways roads curve at a right angle, and two different ways to map them, but they don’t always line up.
The ways the road may curve at the right angle are either: Inner side of road curves and outer side bends at a right angle, or both sides have a slower, softer curve. Apologies if that’s confusing to read. Sometimes these set ways may be more difficult to tell, as shown:
While maybe a bit harder to see, this one makes less sense. Mapped with a slight and then hard curve while the road area probably suggests a right angle…either way, this probably isn’t mapped right.
Not a clue what consensus could be on these..
(Imagery used was not always the best aligned, rather the best visually for respective intersections)
To me a right angle might imply that you need to stop and/or turn on your blinker at the corner. If that’s not the case, maybe map with two corner nodes instead of one (like the second image).
There is no rule for such 90° road bends as far as I know. A right angle in a routable way looks surely awkward and only very few vehicles would be able to turn around on the spot. On the other hand we have 90° angles on nearly every crossing and no one cares.
I have mapped few of these. If it is a public road I usually use 3 nodes for the bend. If it is a service road within a property or a parking area I map 90° bends without mercy.
I tend to curve them a bit. One way to consider it is mapping along a virtual halfway point between the road sides. Because the inner corner is usually curved, this would mean the halfway line would curve too. That’s also how I estimate connecting side streets that meet another street at an angle.
Mapping a curve with several nodes will make it look more like reality on the map, but may also have consequences for router apps. For instance: in your second image, suppose you’re in the white car and your router wants you to go straight onto the service road. The way it’s mapped now, it might instruct you to follow the curve to the right and then turn left…
The inside of a turn is usually curved, as in right turn at a street corner, or left turn at traffic islands. It’s not necessary to be catered for. I agree with using right-angle, unless the outside is marked as a hatched area. This shows the lack of deflection, and a potential safety risk. A curved line makes it seem there’s channelization, when there’s none.
Totally agree parking/service roads should have right angles. Most service roads are narrower and don’t have as clearly defined curves, and parking spaces are square, unlike roads that curve, thus angular turns make sense.
