Pesky roundabouts

imeddyhobbs

So there i was driving and singing along with its raining men on the radio when i approached the 2 lane roundabout at liffey valley SC,I was in the right hand lane intending to go straight ahead there was a car slightly ahead of me to my left but just when we were on the roundabout the guy in the left lane goes right aroundabout,we both did very well to avoid each other but i hit the kerb and damaged something in the steering and he clipped a post and put a slight scratch on his bumper,we were both polite and respectfull towards each other but he insisted that i was wrong because if wanted to go straight thru the roundabout then i should be in the left lane but my point was that if you want to go right at this roundabout you get into the right hand lane but this time he insisted that both lanes can go right but only one can go straight thru?
I drive a lot and i have had near misses like this before on roundabouts,the way i look at it is that i will never keep to the outside lane(left) and ignore two exits and go right like this driver did today!

Can anyone enlighten me?

TheNog

For the two lane roundabouts the left lane is used to turn left and go straight through. THe lane on the right is used for turning right only. The idea behind using the right lane for turning right only is that traffic approaching from the first exit and want to take their first left can do so without having to stop/yield for traffic taking the third or subsequent exit.

Does that make sense?

Seth Brundle

It may depend on the roundabout and the direction from which you approached it.
The large roundabout near the N4 allows drivers in the centre lane to go straight or turn right (and those in the rightmost lane must go right).

copacetic

sounds like he was in the wrong more than you, but you were in the wrong lane too imo. You had to cut across his lane to get off the roundabout while he doens't have to cut across yours to go around it.

which roundabout was it and which direction were you going? some people would say the left lane is only for turning left but on the one I am thinking of there is either no left turn or an earlier filter for left turn.
a case of 2 people making mistakes and no-one getting hurt so learn from it and move on, if you had been in the left lane it wouldn't have happened. Was he not indicating that he was going around the roundabout?

oleras

Down to the signage as far as i know, but as a rule i stay left if using first or second exits, even if it means joining a slight queue.

imeddyhobbs

daveym wrote:

sounds like he was in the wrong more than you, but you were in the wrong lane too imo. You had to cut across his lane to get off the roundabout while he doens't have to cut across yours to go around it.

which roundabout was it and which direction were you going? some people would say the left lane is only for turning left but on the one I am thinking of there is either no left turn or an earlier filter for left turn.
a case of 2 people making mistakes and no-one getting hurt so learn from it and move on, if you had been in the left lane it wouldn't have happened. Was he not indicating that he was going around the roundabout?

I think it was the main(first!)roundabout into the SC,coming from the m50 its the third roundabout,i wanted to get to one of the last roundabouts near the M&S part of the sc.
All of the above replys i agree with but there is no difinative answer,i cant understand why drivers ignore their nearest exits and go right,if you dont need to take at least the first exit on a roundabout then why stay in the left lane and ignore 2 exits of a two lane roundabout and go right?surely if you want to go right at a two lane roundabout then get into the right hand lane:(

imeddyhobbs

oleras wrote:

Down to the signage as far as i know, but as a rule i stay left if using first or second exits, even if it means joining a slight queue.

same here.

imeddyhobbs

daveym wrote:

Was he not indicating that he was going around the roundabout?

No but i did not bring this up with him because i did not expect him to go around the roundabout from that lane so even if he did indicate he wasnt going to get any friendly wave from me

imeddyhobbs

kbannon wrote:

It may depend on the roundabout and the direction from which you approached it.
The large roundabout near the N4 allows drivers in the centre lane to go straight or turn right (and those in the rightmost lane must go right).

thats a 3 lane roundabout?

afatbollix

it ye all look in the rules of the road the inside lane is for 1st and 2nd exit, (left and stright on) then the second lane is for stright on and right (2nd and 3rd)

its all up to indacaters also.. you signal left if your going left but dont when going stright on till you pass the 1st exit... ( if only peopel used them )

op you were in the right.... he was wrong... get him to pay for anything broke...

Gregor Samsa

According to the rules of the road, you may use the right hand lane when travelling straight through a roundabout "Where conditions permit, usually on larger roundabouts". I don't have a link to hand, but it's illustrated by Diagram 2 in the Roundabouts section. "Where conditions permit" is a pretty vague statement, but I'm sure it would be subject to signage on the roundabout, and the stipulation that the exit has two lanes.

On the other hand, the ROTR are very clear that it's never permissible to use the left lane of a two lane roundabout to exit using anything but the first and second exits.

So, you may have been in the right depending on the specific roundabout, but he was in the wrong on any roundabout.

Furthermore, his claim is obviously wrong if you think about how traffic enters and exits a roundabout. Traffic entering the roundabout from the left of you, and wishing to turn right, would be in the right hand lane. How could they safely exit if cars in the left lane were entitled to cut across them?

PauloMN

TheNog wrote:

For the two lane roundabouts the left lane is used to turn left and go straight through. THe lane on the right is used for turning right only. The idea behind using the right lane for turning right only is that traffic approaching from the first exit and want to take their first left can do so without having to stop/yield for traffic taking the third or subsequent exit.

Does that make sense?

Wrong on two counts.

On a two lane roundabout, both lanes can be used to go "straight on". Left lane can be used for 1st and 2nd exits, right lane can be used for 2nd and subsequent exits.

Also when approaching a roundabout, you must yield to traffic on the roundabout regardless of what lane that traffic is in.

@ OP - sounds to me like you were in the right. Whatever about the above, no way should he have been in the left lane if taking the 3rd or subsequent exit.

markirish22

your right all roundabouts in liffey valley have left lane for only left and straight. Unless marked on the ground and signs that is the way they all are. The same happened too me in liffey valley (its like where all moron drivers gather) and spun accross the road into opposite lane lucky nobody was oncoming. From that point on i force them too stay into there own lane by not budging no matter what. A guy even got out at me. Implanted his face into the road sign at b&q though showed him the error of his ways :P

bazz26

I think the bigger issue here is why the OP was singing along to "It's raining men" on the radio?

oleras

bazz26 wrote:

I think the bigger issue here is why the OP was singing along to "It's raining men" on the radio?

Homer Simpson fan ?

Nietzschean

i seem to remember that the right hand lane is only for turning right unless otherwise indicated on the ground when approaching the roundabout(alot of the busier ones depending on which exits can allow the right lane to go straight on). But you can never go right from the left lane... damn idiot, ye should have called the gardai, that guy could easily cause another accident doing muppetry like that...

Seth Brundle

imeddyhobbs wrote:

i wanted to get to one of the last roundabouts near the M&S part of the sc.

You were in the wrong lane so (unless you were planning on moving left before the next roundabout)!

anto-t wrote:

it ye all look in the rules of the road the inside lane is for 1st and 2nd exit, (left and stright on) then the second lane is for stright on and right (2nd and 3rd)

unless otherwise marked! However, the RotR are not a be all and end all - it is very limited (and out of date) book.
Secondly, if its the roundabout Im thinking of, he took the second exit. IIRC as you approach this roundabout heading from the N4 the left ane is for going straight on whereas the right lane is for straight and right.

anto-t wrote:

its all up to indacaters also.. you signal left if your going left but dont when going stright on till you pass the 1st exit... ( if only peopel used them )

All an indicator does is tell others that your bulb works!

NeMiSiS

The round about at Power city in Luncan heading towards Liffey Valley wrecks my head. It's dangerous more than anything. There is an arrow indicating in the left lane, after the bus lane you may travel straight through the roundabout, but everyone goes straight through in the right hand lane.. I've had some close calls there.. and many dirty looks.. for going straight through as in the 12 O Clock exit in the left lane.. maybe I'm wrong.. or crazy. I have never noticed the road marking in the right hand lane, as there is allways a quque of traffic anytime I have been on it, covering the road markings.

Why is there more roundabouts in Lucan than people ? If you go by the Rules of Road, you could be wrong, if you go by the markings on the road.. you may go agaisnt the suggested 'norm' of the way people in the area use the roundabouts.. and sure then theres the indicate right no matter what exit you take people.

The worst I have ever seen up that neck of the woods is, leaving Liffey valley, and heading back towards Powercity, from the Green and Red Carpark, a woman, entered every round about in the right hand lane, went straight through every one of them, but changed lane mid way through every one of them, as in entered right - exited left - then moved back to the right hand lane for the next round about - exited left etc.. so anyone on her left going straight through also, basically had to swerve to avoid her ploughing her car into theirs.. this included me..

Nightmare.
TK

netwhizkid

This nearly happened to me at the same place (all-Ireland culchie invasion 06), It was where you down the left slip lane to cross right under the Motorway/Dual carriage way and into liffey valley approaching from the Kildare Side. Some langer tried to cut across me on the roundabout however I floored it and held him back, I came within inches of the same thing happening me there. lol

Those roundabouts are the height of danger and when will we ever learn from the yanks and scrap them. Indicators at roundabouts seems to be a mythical thing only seen by someone actually taking a driving test.

SoBe

netwhizkid wrote:

Some langer tried to cut across me on the roundabout however I floored it and held him back, I came within inches of the same thing happening me there. lol

very clever thing to do. :rolleyes:

and the yanks are starting to adopt roundabouts as we speak btw

Kadeshh

check your rules of the road book, it explains this quite well (unlike a lot of things)

theres even picutres:D

Seinas

oh christ no, not roundabouts

i drove right over one in Killarney on friday night........:rolleyes:

netwhizkid

Seinas wrote:

oh christ no, not roundabouts

i drove right over one in Killarney on friday night........:rolleyes:

I know there is one there outside Casey's Electrical as you turn up right toward Fitzgerald Stadium and it is just painted on the road because there isn't space for a actual one, the council tried having a giant concrete flower pot there before but they got rid of that.

I saw a LHD German 52 seater coach come in to that roundabout one day in July 2005 and the idiot driver tried to go around the roundabout and broke his side mirror clean off the adjacent signpost as well as putting signs in all directions.

There is clearly not enough room to go around it in a lorry or coach so the only option is to drive straight over it which was why they got rid of the big flower pot I reckon.

I also personally think there should be a mandatory fine of €300 and four penalty points for people who refuse to use indicators at roundabout, I reckon that about 65% of people do not use them at roundabouts.

seamus

I live pretty much right beside the shopping centre. I know all of the roundabouts like the back of my hand.

There is only major anomaly in all of those roundabouts. At the junction of Fonthill Road and St. Loman's road (check it out on Google maps), when you're leaving the shopping centre - that is, when turning left will bring you down the fonthill road, and turning right will bring you to get onto the N4. This side of the roundabout has three lanes - the left-hand lane you may only use to turn left. The right-hand lane you may only use to turn right. The middle lane you may use to go straight on *or* turn right.

All other roundabouts operate as normal (though most have arrows too).

OP - I think I know which roundabout you're talking about. Is it the one Just before the entrance to the red car park? That is, you pass the Arc bar on your left, go through the roundabout which would take you into the Arc/Clarion, and then hit this roundabout. It is an odd one (it's a Y as opposed to an X), but you're still in the right. On this roundabout you may only go straight in the left lane, but you may go straight or right in the right-hand lane.

BostonB

I reckon you should obey the road markings, which are pretty inconsistent everywhere. So each location is different. Which is a dire situation tbh.

kevpants

OP you were right he was wrong. No debate. Rules of the road explicitly state left lane for 1st and 2nd exits and right for 2nd and subsequent exits. If it was definitely a 2 lane roundabout that is.

imeddyhobbs

kevpants wrote: »

OP you were right he was wrong. No debate. Rules of the road explicitly state left lane for 1st and 2nd exits and right for 2nd and subsequent exits. If it was definitely a 2 lane roundabout that is.

Thanks pal.sorry about the delay...

antodeco

OP was it the last roundabout fir access to either red/yellow car park? Ie when you go around the roundabout into lif val you can go straight to where all the coaches are?
If so, it clearly has on the markings that right lane is for right only. If it was the bigger one previous to that (just after Liffey Valley Nissan, then the right lane can be used for going straight (clearly marked).

It's amazing the amount of people who try to run me off the road when I go straight from the left lane, with them in the right lane. I reckon ROTR should be sent to every house!

Theta

Blam! from the rules of the road,

Going straight ahead
Stay in the left-hand lane, but do not indicate "left" until you have passed the first exit. Where conditions dictate otherwise, you may follow the course shown by the broken red line.

Leaving by a later exit
Stay in the right-hand lane, indicate right on your approach and maintain this signal until you have passed the exit before the one you intend to take. Then change to the "left" turn indicator

Having said that I always use the left for straight.

NewDubliner

imeddyhobbs wrote: »

Can anyone enlighten me?

There's nothing in the regulations about use of roundabouts. So the what's in the RoTR is just good practice/advice.

To consider it legally, in this case, you need to look at the regulations on overtaking and on giving way when changing lane. You may be in the wrong for unsafe overtaking and he may be in the wrong for failing to give way to you (assuming you were both in separate lanes).

Berty

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