Going straight on at roundabouts when indicating right

Gwynston

This drives me crazy - what's the story?

I learned to drive in England, and it's only over here that I see people doing this, and it doesn't make any sense. As far as I'm concerned, at roundabouts, you indicate left if you're taking the 1st exit, and right if you're taking the 3rd exit. It's you're going straight on (2nd exit), you shouldn't indicate at all until you're past the 1st exit, then you indicate left.

But in Galway, I'm always seeing people indicating right, then going straight on at the roundabout! Some are "thoughtful" enough to indicate left at the last minute just as they leave the roundabout, but the initial right signal is very misleading....

I know that you're not taught to do it when you learn to drive, so is it just a bad habit due to older drivers who were never taught how to negotiate roundabouts properly, and it's become a kind of convention that others follow too?

padi89

Just bad drivers simple.Theres a whole feast of them in Galway,you just gotta take them with a pinch of salt.

biko

Also be vary of driver in right lane going straight.

Rules are if you are turning left or going straight you go in left lane.
If you intend to turn anywhere after "12 o'clock" you go in the right lane.

Gwynston

Oh yes!
Not to mention someone in the left lane turning right!!! :rolleyes:

I've nearly been taken out many a time by one of those eejits.

The Tesco's roundabout is especially bad, but then there are unusually marked lanes there anyway, which just seems to confuse people even more! At rush-hour, that roundabout is a complete free-for-all anyway... :eek:

sudzs

Ye'd want to try driving around Dundalk... no indication whatsoever on the roundabouts up here!!!

Gwynston

sudzs wrote:

Ye'd want to try driving around Dundalk... no indication whatsoever on the roundabouts up here!!!

To be honest, I don't think that's as bad. If someone's not indicating at all, at least it prompts you to keep an eye on them until you're sure what they're doing.

But when someone indicates incorrectly and misleadingly, that's just dangerous....

Im_No_Superman

biko wrote:

Also be vary of driver in right lane going straight.

Rules are if you are turning left or going straight you go in left lane.
If you intend to turn anywhere after "12 o'clock" you go in the right lane.

Its unreal the amount of people who do that but especially in Galway, seems to happen all the time at the roundabout by The Huntsman.

gerryo

biko wrote:

Also be vary of driver in right lane going straight.

Rules are if you are turning left or going straight you go in left lane.
If you intend to turn anywhere after "12 o'clock" you go in the right lane.

Finally - someone else has heard of this. Read it somewhere years ago, but nobody I spoke to has ever seen/heard of this simple yet common sense rule.

Maybe it should be on a big sign at every roundabout, instead of the quaint local names that no one can ever remember.

sensitive_soul

OMG I HATE THAT TOO!!!


Whilst we're on the subject of road rage...... don't you just have drivers that drive fast and suddenly break or slow down for NO reason?? Or...on the dock road heading to jurys...people who go down in the right lane as if turning right then butt in to go left at the top of the queue, throwing themselves infront of you...

WHAT'S THE STORY WITH GALWAY DRIVERS???!!!!!!

ambasite

sitting outside appartment on doughiska road yesterday around 5pm, guy drives up road in navy opel vectra, music pumping - drinking can of dutch gold :eek:

sensitive_soul

ambasite wrote:

sitting outside appartment on doughiska road yesterday around 5pm, guy drives up road in navy opel vectra, music pumping - drinking can of dutch gold :eek:

I would have taken his reg no. and rang the guards! Plonker of a boy racer! I hate them!

Duras

Gwynston wrote:

But in Galway, I'm always seeing people indicating right, then going straight on at the roundabout! Some are "thoughtful" enough to indicate left at the last minute just as they leave the roundabout, but the initial right signal is very misleading....

Actually I do that from time to time...
Let's take this example:
there are 2 lanes that you can enter the roundabout from.
You're on the left lane and you want to go straight. On the right lane there is another fella and you have no idea what he wants to do. This is why I signal right before passing the left exit and then left just before going to the second exit.

I'd rather do that and let the guy in my right know that I don't want to go left in case he wants to do something smart (like turn left from the 2nd lane or change lanes just when he exits the roundabout).

Why would it drive you crazy?

Duras

sensitive_soul wrote:

OMG I HATE THAT TOO!!!


Whilst we're on the subject of road rage...... don't you just have drivers that drive fast and suddenly break or slow down for NO reason?? Or...on the dock road heading to jurys...people who go down in the right lane as if turning right then butt in to go left at the top of the queue, throwing themselves infront of you...

WHAT'S THE STORY WITH GALWAY DRIVERS???!!!!!!

Galway is a lovely place to drive actually. Drive for a while in a real mad traffic (take Bucharest for example) and you will realize that there is no such thing as bad drivers in Galway.

plonk

No you dont indicate right if you are taking the str8 on exit, its just the way it is. You just indicate left after passing the first exit

ethernet

biko wrote:

Also be vary of driver in right lane going straight.

Rules are if you are turning left or going straight you go in left lane.
If you intend to turn anywhere after "12 o'clock" you go in the right lane.

It is with shame I admit to knowing someone who does this. I'll have to break it to them gently ...

galwayrush

makes me angry every time i see this,On friday , an asshole tried to cut me off on the Tuam rd roundabout at Fleming's garage, he was in the right lane, and accelerated to try and cut me off to go straight, he then blew his horn at me for getting there first, and then at the car behind me for going through before him.Oh sometimes it would be nice to be a traffic Garda in an unmarked car.

Fobia

Try driving a moped

I was on the roundabout in Westside (at the back of the regional hospital), coming from Knocknacarra side, going to city center. I'm taking the third exit, so I'm in the right hand lane indicating right. I don't go very fast as I have a pillion and you don't want to try banking too hard with a pillion on the back, not excessively slow though, about 15-20mph.

When approaching the second exit (still in the right hand lane) a white car undertakes me in the same lane as me (I was close enough to the kerb to do so), while beeping in anger, flies out into the left hand lane and out of the second exit without ever indicating.

I mean, fair enough a moped is small and half the people who drive them are complete knackers, but there's still a person on them, and though they wear a helmet you'll still do alot more damage hitting them than you would a car at the same speed.

Robbo

Fobia wrote:

Try driving a moped

That's the kind of thing you're not supposed to admit in public. It's a public proclamation of being a eunuch.

Fobia

A eunuch lacking the money for car insurance.



...I bet a eunuch could run faster than my moped drives..

padi89

Duras wrote:

Actually I do that from time to time...
Let's take this example:
there are 2 lanes that you can enter the roundabout from.
You're on the left lane and you want to go straight. On the right lane there is another fella and you have no idea what he wants to do. This is why I signal right before passing the left exit and then left just before going to the second exit.

I'd rather do that and let the guy in my right know that I don't want to go left in case he wants to do something smart (like turn left from the 2nd lane or change lanes just when he exits the roundabout).

Why would it drive you crazy?

There is no need for you to be indicating right when you are in the left lane and going straight ahead, by indicating right the driver behind you and to your right is going to assume you are turning right.

Gwynston

Duras wrote:

Actually I do that from time to time...

Duras, thanks for contributing. I've always wanted to hear some justification from someone who does this....

However, padi89 has explained in a nutshell why you shouldn't do it. You're not turning right, so you shouldn't indicate right.

CerebralCortex

Duras wrote:

Galway is a lovely place to drive actually. Drive for a while in a real mad traffic (take Bucharest for example) and you will realize that there is no such thing as bad drivers in Galway.

You're daft.

learnerplates

I'm so glad someone has brought this up at last.
I moved to Galway about 12 months ago and noticed the phenomonon nearly immediately.
You'll be glad to know that this type of behaviour is unique to the Galwegian species! I've lived in quite a few cities over the past few years and seen some bad drivers but Galway beats all (followed closely by the Co. Louth breed).

An additional characteristic of the Galweigen is taking any exit even though they remain in the left hand lane all the way around the roundabout which is particularly dangerous, especially if you're from the civilized world and do not expect this behaviour. Luckily I've spotted it and escaped and have now come to live but not accept the behaviour.

I believe there is one person to blame for all of this, I don't know who they are but I believe there is one ill informed Driving Instructor who is leading all of these people up the wrong path.

The original poster is completely correct about the behaviour, indicate left if taking first exit, indicate right if taking 3rd exit, do not indicate if going straight (maybe up until you pass the white line of the last exit i.e. just before you enter your exit).

Gwynston

learnerplates wrote:

I believe there is one person to blame for all of this

I don't know about that. I think a lot of the general wrong behaviour at roundabouts is simply down to people who had never seen a roundabout until a few years ago, and have certainly never learned the correct rules.

I know my wife's parents both openly admit to that - they've been driving for decades, but live in the country and hate roundabouts so much, that they actually refuse to drive in to Galway city any more. I remember when I first started visiting Galway from England in the 90s, they were bemoaning the sudden rash of roundabouts all over the city. When in the car with me, they were frankly amazed at my confidence and "other worldy" skill at negotiating roundabouts!

I tend to think the right-hand-signal-when-going-straight-on thing is probably a Galway anomaly, and that in the absence of being corrected, it seems to have caught on and become infectious. People see other drivers doing it and assume it's the right thing to do! I know for sure that learner drivers I've asked are definitely not taught to do it by instructors.

Dalfiatach

learnerplates wrote:

I believe there is one person to blame for all of this, I don't know who they are but I believe there is one ill informed Driving Instructor who is leading all of these people up the wrong path.

And I know who he is!

I went to that Hibernian Ignition course thingy bout 2 years back. Quite useful, learned a few things actually. Anyway, in the afternoon you go out in the car for a couple of hours with a driving instructor, who are all members of some "Advanced Motoring Institute" crowd. And me an him had a blazing argument over how to go round a roundabout properly, he was telling me some mad ****e that made no sense :eek: And so he failed me for the course and I didn't get me cheap insurance :mad:

Incidentally though, the Rules Of The Road in Ireland make no sense either and are ambiguous. They assume every roundabout has 4 exits in a nice N-S-E-W cross pattern. And we all know how many of them there are in Ireland! Try 6 or 7 exits heading off in all random directions! So the rules talk about second and subsequent exits, there's not a word in there about "12 O'Clock" or anything like it.

po0k

Me, I just drive over the bump in the middle.

The Disco' clears it with ease.

Gwynston

Dalfiatach wrote:

And I know who he is!

he was telling me some mad ****e that made no sense :eek: And so he failed me for the course and I didn't get me cheap insurance :mad:

So what was he trying to tell you then?

learnerplates

I feckin knew it...I'd say he's caused thousands of euros in damage and driven hundreds of civilized drivers demented.

wet-paint

This is strange, I've been driving round Galway for about six months and have noticed very little of the above mentioned driving. I'm fairly heavy on the horn and headlights, as I believe everyone who ****s up in front of me, either by accident or design, deserves the lambasting they get, but dammit if they don't cop themselves on when they see me coming.

But I have this disturbing thought in my brain, that I have a habit of letting people hit me if they're in the wrong, just so I can **** them out of it. I've never done it, but I keep thinking I will.
It's like standing on top of a castle looking over the ramparts and wondering what it'd be like to jump off.


Cue "Youneedhelpthat'sfreakyman!" yadda yadda yadda comments

biko

wet-paint wrote:

This is strange, I've been driving round Galway for about six months and have noticed very little of the above mentioned driving. I'm fairly heavy on the horn and headlights, as I believe everyone who ****s up in front of me, either by accident or design, deserves the lambasting they get, but dammit if they don't cop themselves on when they see me coming.

But I have this disturbing thought in my brain, that I have a habit of letting people hit me if they're in the wrong, just so I can **** them out of it. I've never done it, but I keep thinking I will.
It's like standing on top of a castle looking over the ramparts and wondering what it'd be like to jump off.


Cue "Youneedhelpthat'sfreakyman!" yadda yadda yadda comments

Well, as long your idea of how driving should be is consistent with Irish ways and laws that's fine.

DRakE

Bicycle.

padi89

DRakE wrote:

Bicycle.

Only if your the type of cyclist that actually obeys traffic lights, a rare breed here.

Robbo

padi89 wrote:

Only if your the type of cyclist that actually obeys traffic lights, a rare breed here.

Or the kind who goes for the ever decreasing gap up the inside of a car on a square junction. Lycra clad morons.

learnerplates

And what about the 2 lane roundabout into a single lane exit!

I'm not completely sure on the rules here but I think that cars in both lanes have the right to single lane exit. I've noticed in Galway only (maybe it's because Galway has more of these than other towns), most roundabouts are 2 lane and nearly all roads are single lane.. if you're in the inner lane of the roundabout and there's a car in the outer lane...both cars are exiting at the same exit, one car must give way to the other, usually the car that's further back ..but I've noticed drivers here give the surprised/Durty look when they finally spot someone on their inside and rarely give way to any car regardless of position.

This manouvre is perfectly legal I think.

wet-paint

If you're in the right hand lane taking the exit, you're meant to check your mirrors, then take a glance over your left shoulder for the blindspot to see nobody's coming up behind you into that single lane. You've the right of way.

fish fingers

the roundabout by moneen/huntsman is a classic if your coming down the hill from bohermore,headin out the dublin rd. its pure who flinches first.:)

HappyLady

It's really not that difficult of a task, driving roundabouts. I get so irritated at people who can't and don't signal their intended direction. Although I've been driving for 30 years in the states, having moved here to Ireland a year ago, I have had to study the Irish Driving Test. The explanation is very clear as to when and how to travel a roundabout, and when and where to signal. It's not rocket science. What gets under my skin as much as the wrong signaler, are the ones who are afraid to speed up coming out of the roundabout. Nothing worse than exiting onto the dual carraigeway, and be crawling up someone's boot...because they don't know what excelleration is.:)

biko

HappyLady wrote:

...because they don't know what excelleration is.:)

Did you mean "acceleration"? Sorry, had to be done

galah

witnessed another variation of the theme yesterday - The Terryland Roundabout near the Mariott - coming from the dual carriageway, some idiot (L plates, on her own, blond, no older than 20...) kept indicating left as if to turn into the estate (towards Galway Bay FM), and then went straight through the roundabout without indicating, switched lanes 3 times between Dunnes and the Tesco roundabout, went in the left hand lane as if to turn into Sean Mulvay road, indicated right, crossed three lanes, indicated left as if to turn onto the Bridge, and then decided to go back in the direction of Dunnes...

Great piece of driving...:mad:

Aura

galah wrote:

(L plates, on her own, blond, no older than 20...)

Surely you too were a learner driver at some stage. Admittedly it is a somewhat questionable tradition in this country for learner drivers to be let out on the road after only a few lessons, if any at all, and prior to any form of practical testing. Granted we are meant to be accompanied by a fully licensed driver but in fairness this is widely unadhered to and how most people take their tentative first steps in learning to drive.

galah

ehm, actually, no. I have enjoyed a thorough proper driver education in Germany (pricey, but worth it), where you are NOT let out on the road without supervision by an approved driving instructor in a car modified for driving instructions. ANd you have to do ( I think) at least 22 driving lessons (including night driving, motorway, country roads, etcetc), PLUS theory lessons - so once you actually get your license, you are more or less fully prepared...

And apart from that - if you don't know what you're doing, can't manage to stay in one lane, indicate incorrectly, and do all sorts of other cr*p on the road, endangering other drivers in the process, you have absolutely no right to be on the road, in a car, on your own. Full stop.

Poppy84

I have lived in galway now for nearly 12 months and the sheer frustration with all of the points made above has developed a level of road rage I never thought imaginable.
I have driven on most of the big cities in Ireland and i can tell you there is not one that comes close to the crazy driving seen here. My poor sister who drives around dublin on a daily basis was nearly in tears by the time i met her in tescos since then she's taken the train from Dublin.

The roundabout that drives me mad most is the one over at westside at the back of the hospital thats just crazy at 6 in the evenin cars coming from every direction though the one at tesco is just as bad people just cant follow the lanes. Nearly everyday you will see some form of accident no matter how minor.....its a wonder why this problem is ignored by the traffic cor

Aura

galah wrote:

ehm, actually, no. I have enjoyed a thorough proper driver education in Germany (pricey, but worth it), where you are NOT let out on the road without supervision by an approved driving instructor in a car modified for driving instructions. ANd you have to do ( I think) at least 22 driving lessons (including night driving, motorway, country roads, etcetc), PLUS theory lessons - so once you actually get your license, you are more or less fully prepared...

And apart from that - if you don't know what you're doing, can't manage to stay in one lane, indicate incorrectly, and do all sorts of other cr*p on the road, endangering other drivers in the process, you have absolutely no right to be on the road, in a car, on your own. Full stop.

I did not question your driving experience but your compassion for those learning. Yes the German system with which I am also familiar is far better and safer and as I posted the current Irish system is indeed questionable. Perhaps it would better serve all road-users to discuss this rather than commenting on hair colour, gender and age.

Ich wuensche Ihnen eine angenehme Reise.

A.

galah

sorry if I have offended all blonde, 20 year old females with L-plates who can't drive ...and while I have a lot of compassion for people learning, I have a problem tolerating people who endager others by their careless driving...

Robbo

galah wrote:

sorry if I have offended all blonde, 20 year old females with L-plates who can't drive ...

You do realise that means you've offended the entire Peugeot 206 driving population around these parts?

galah

I do...