Roundabout behaviour

BrianD3 · 05-01-2007 10:57am #1

Here's a question for you guys - if you are entering a roundabout do you tend to give way to cars coming from your right which are *not* already on the roundabout. I tend to do this for safety's sake but my understanding of the law is that drivers are obliged to give way to drivers who are already on the roundabout. Therefore if you cross the white line and enter the roundabout before the guy coming from your right, he must give way to you. In practice the opposite happens. People approach roundabouts at speed and think that they automatically have priority over other driver waiting to pull onto the roundabout

Does anyone know of any cases where there were crashes on roundabouts and there was arguments about who had priority. It seems to me that it would be very hard to prove who was on the roundabout first.

The ROTR is useless on this - I cannot find any mention in it about who is supposed to give way to who on a roundabout.

Seth Brundle · 05-01-2007 11:04am

I guess it would depend on the size of a roundabout. if I knew that I had more than enough time to get through then I would go.
Coincidentally this morning as I was coming to work, a large truck entered the roundabout (M50 southbound @ Dundrum) in front of the car in front of me. i saw him looking in our direction yet he still pulled out forcing the woman in front of me to brake to a stop suddenly

Interceptor · 05-01-2007 11:16am

I live in Galway and roundabouts here are treacherous. I approach them with caution, I won't cross them unless I have a clear entrance and exit, and I don't trust any other motorist while they are on or near a roundabout. If a motorist is not already on the roundabout to my right, but look like they are about to move, I will hold back.

I came to work on my motorbike this morning and had a guy in a diesel VW van try to race me onto the Tuam road roundabout - unbelievable.

'cptr

patrickc · 05-01-2007 11:20am

roundabouts in carlow are the worst, people seem to think that it's ok to stay in the left lane approaching the roundabout and then take the third exit.

Hobbes · 05-01-2007 11:22am

As far as I remember it is those on the right of you before entering the roundabout get priority (unless there are lights, or something similar) while those on the roundabout get right of way.

BrianD3 · 05-01-2007 11:40am

I might have opened a can of worms with this - from reading the UK driving forums nobody seems 100% sure about this issue. And the Brits tend to be pretty well informed about driving rules.

As far as I remember it is those on the right of you before entering the roundabout get priority (unless there are lights, or something similar) while those on the roundabout get right of way

I don't really understand what you're saying here - cars approaching the roundabout have priority but cars on the roundabout have right of way? AFAIK priority is just the correct term for right of way. People say right of way when they mean priority. It doesn't help matters that Yield signs and the ROTR mention "right of way" :rolleyes:

Anan1 · 05-01-2007 11:59am

Forgive me if i'm not fully awake yet, but I would have thought that cars coming from your right are by definition already on the roundabout?

_Kaiser_ · 05-01-2007 12:28pm

Personally, like the OP, I tend to wait if I see someone approaching the roundabout from the right at speed. Better to just let them tear on rather than risk them broadsiding me as I'm halfway across.

NeMiSiS · 05-01-2007 12:39pm

Is what the OP is saying is they are yielding for traffic not even on the roundabout ? As in if I came to a roundabout I could see directly to the exit at 3 O clock, and a car was _at it_ having not joined yet, that I would give way to them ?
TK

BrianD3 · 05-01-2007 12:52pm

Anan1 wrote:

Forgive me if i'm not fully awake yet, but I would have thought that cars coming from your right are by definition already on the roundabout?

Not necessarily they could just be approaching the roundabout and haven't passed their yield sign/line yet. Once they pass that point then they are on the roundabout. The problem occurs when drivers approach roundabouts at speed and think that their only obligation is to check for traffic coming from their right. Many roundabouts have such good visibility that drivers can check the road to their right well before they reach the roundabout. If it's clear they assume that they can carry on through and have priority over anyone who may pull out in front of them when in fact those drivers may have entered the roundabout a fraction before them from a standing start.

Nemisis: yes that's what I'm saying

Idleater · 05-01-2007 1:58pm

Yes I agree with BrianD3's reading of the rules.

It would seem stupid to give "priority" to someone (for example) driving at 80kmph towards a little roundabout and blaring someone 50m in front of them for entering the roundabout "before" them.

I had this exact type of situation arise over christmas, exactly as I describe.

My reading of it is that the roundabout is a complete section of road in its own right (like any other junction) and should be treated as such.

Interceptor wrote:

I came to work on my motorbike this morning and had a guy in a diesel VW van try to race me onto the Tuam road roundabout

I presume you politely out accelerated him.

L.

OldmanMondeo · 05-01-2007 4:34pm

I understanding of the rule is to give way to traffic already in the roundabout. The give way to traffice on from the right is a general rule of thumb and and a rule of the road.
I always slow down when approaching a roundabout, as pointed out, there are people who will keep their foot to the board because the don't see anything comming from the right.
I nearly got smacked by a dickhead taxi driver the other night in Lucan. He was approaching the roundabout, I was on it, he kept comming, didn't slowdown. I had to accelerate to get out of his way. The 2 reasons I didn't stop, 1. I had my 14 month old son in the back, 2. Because there is so little understanding of the roundabout rules, I probably would have be held liable. Better to be safe than sorry.

Pherekydes · 05-01-2007 4:59pm

OldmanMondeo wrote:

I nearly got smacked by a dickhead taxi driver the other night in Lucan. He was approaching the roundabout, I was on it, he kept comming, didn't slowdown.

[sarcasm]Sorry but we were discussing the ROTR. We all know they don't apply to taxi drivers.[/sarcasm]

Gillie · 05-01-2007 5:05pm

kbannon wrote:

I guess it would depend on the size of a roundabout. if I knew that I had more than enough time to get through then I would go.
Coincidentally this morning as I was coming to work, a large truck entered the roundabout (M50 southbound @ Dundrum) in front of the car in front of me. i saw him looking in our direction yet he still pulled out forcing the woman in front of me to brake to a stop suddenly

Agreed. If i'm coming into a small roundabout i'll wait for the car on my right to go. TGH. I do it to try and educate them! A hell of a lot of drivers don't understand roundabouts! They will see me to their left and stop and wait!!
I don't budge just to make the point!

However on a larger roundabout, if it is safe to do so I will move on.
But I wouldn't agree with approaching ANY roundabout at speed!

iconnect · 05-01-2007 11:15pm

So guys the idea is not to get into an accident so here is my advice
If there is a car in a position to move off on your right (ie) they are clear to proceed then give way as they may accelerate faster than you think from stationery.Otherwise if they are already on the roundabout give way.
The worst that can happen is that you stop for a second and then go.

antodeco · 06-01-2007 4:09pm

on a seperate point, why dont people f*cking indicate on roundabouts?! I see every day, but was nearly killed yesterday in dundrum. Was driving down, and came to one of the small roundabouts. Big council truck was on the roundabout coming towards me. I stopped, cause I know muppets dont indicate. He went all the way around the roundabout, passing by me and another car on the other entrance/exit. Nearly took us both out. All the way around a roundabout without one indicator being used.

Ive also seen alot of people driving brand new cars, who obviously didnt pay the €50 upgrade pack to get working indicators

Del2005 · 06-01-2007 4:46pm

One of my instructors said the idea on a roundabout is not to make the person coming from the right have to break. Therefore if you can clear their line first go, but if they will have to break then wait. Also with the sh!t standard of indicating now I won't risk it unless it was a big roundabout and I could be well clear of the person coming at speed as god only knows where they will be going.

Del2005 · 06-01-2007 4:48pm

antodeco wrote:

Ive also seen alot of people driving brand new cars, who obviously didnt pay the €50 upgrade pack to get working indicators

Thats them being environmentally friendly:rolleyes:

johnnyrotten · 06-01-2007 5:20pm

What about people who don't indicate properly on roundabouts?

franksm · 06-01-2007 6:05pm

Do you know what's a gas ? The roundabout at Liffey valley (coming from Lucan direction and wanting to go south on the M50). There are three lanes there - two to go straight across and down the N3, and one lane dedicated to turning right for people wanting to join the M50.

It's downright scarey how people treat that - granted the road markings are sh!te. I mean - people in lane 2 skipping around everyone correctly waiting in lane 3... I have a real problem with that roundabout and idiot drivers every time I use it.

_Kaiser_ · 06-01-2007 8:15pm

I still say roundabouts don't work and cause more trouble - poor layout/markings, people not knowing how to use them correctly etc - than a proper signal controlled junction.

Hobbes · 07-01-2007 8:44am

johnnyrotten wrote:

What about people who don't indicate properly on roundabouts?

Indicating on a roundabout is just to tell other people that your lights work.

One of my instructors said the idea on a roundabout is not to make the person coming from the right have to break. Therefore if you can clear their line first go, but if they will have to break then wait.

Which explains better by what I meant by priority rather then right of way.

Seth Brundle · 07-01-2007 10:37am

franksm wrote:

Do you know what's a gas ? The roundabout at Liffey valley (coming from Lucan direction and wanting to go south on the M50)...

It was great watching the gardai pull people for that.

Roundabout behaviour

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