Roundabout

Bruthal

Average-Ro wrote: »

What are the odds a lot of people will ignore it and continue to use the exit number method; because "that's what (they've) always done"?

It's nice to have an official response from the RSA (especially for the people who were correct in the first place:D) but it won't make a blind bit of difference if people don't admit they were wrong and change their method of navigating a roundabout.

Would the same RSA fella who sent the reply practices perfect flawless driving so? And if he gets out of his car after a collision, then the other person is automaticaly in the wrong because its the RSA man:D

Dunjohn

There is a roundabout ad on the tv, but it's mainly to do with when to indicate and then it uses the simplest setup, i.e. second exit straight ahead. The indication thing is something I feel people are just too lazy to do rather than being mistaken about, and the ad is probably made with that in mind.

Bruthal

Dunjohn wrote: »

There is a roundabout ad on the tv, but it's mainly to do with when to indicate and then it uses the simplest setup, i.e. second exit straight ahead. The indication thing is something I feel people are just too lazy to do rather than being mistaken about, and the ad is probably made with that in mind.

There are some roundabouts where you enter it, and there is only 1 exit which is 3 quarters way around it, it has 2 lanes, so according to what the RSA said, you should be in the right hand lane all the way around it to the exit, no problem there. But what would be wrong with being in the left lane there until the exit? Nothing i would say, and if it is wrong, then the 2 lanes would not be needed. These roundabouts are not too common, but there are some.

I think the worst drivers at roundabouts are the ones that seem to think they have to remain stopped at the entrance until no cars are visible anywhere.

dloob

robbie7730 wrote: »

There are some roundabouts where you enter it, and there is only 1 exit which is 3 quarters way around it, it has 2 lanes, so according to what the RSA said, you should be in the right hand lane all the way around it to the exit, no problem there. But what would be wrong with being in the left lane there until the exit? Nothing i would say, and if it is wrong, then the 2 lanes would not be needed. These roundabouts are not too common, but there are some.

I think the worst drivers at roundabouts are the ones that seem to think they have to remain stopped at the entrance until no cars are visible anywhere.

I think a roundabout like that would have roadmarkings to indicate the left lane can be used for the first exit. Road markings take precedent.

Not that roadmarkings are too clear either, here are the roadmarkings in loughrea.
street view
Approaching the end of the bypass heading towards galway the markings say left lane is for the left and straight traffic.
Now the Galway road is well past the straight ahead and more in a 2 to 3 o'clock position rather than straight ahead but the intention seems to be for Galway traffic to stay left.

They should use markings like this canadian sign

Bruthal

dloob wrote: »

I think a roundabout like that would have roadmarkings to indicate the left lane can be used for the first exit. Road markings take precedent.

Yea but why would it need road markings, its the only exit unless your coming back where you came from. There are no other exits for a left lane driver to interfere with if they go to the first exit which is 3 quarters way around. And thats the whole point of being in the right hand lane when taking a turn past straight on, because someone in the left lane doing this will be cutting across right hand lane drivers who are correctly in the right hand lane. Drivers should understand the reasons, rather than just learning a rule and thats it.

aido76

dloob wrote: »

I think a roundabout like that would have roadmarkings to indicate the left lane can be used for the first exit. Road markings take precedent.

Not that roadmarkings are too clear either, here are the roadmarkings in loughrea.
street view
Approaching the end of the bypass heading towards galway the markings say left lane is for the left and straight traffic.
Now the Galway road is well past the straight ahead and more in a 2 to 3 o'clock position rather than straight ahead but the intention seems to be for Galway traffic to stay left.

I think the roundabout at Briarhill coming from Airport/Monivea is a better example.(I'm not able to link to the Street View). The sign before the roundabout shows a straight forward 4 arm roundabout except 3rd exit is more 2 o'clock than 3 o'clock. There are 2 lanes leading onto the roundabout. The left lane has arrows for left and straight on. The right lane has arrows for straight on. According to the sign post approaching the roundabout straight on is up by Dunnes and the Clayton Hotel. There is only one lane available on this exit. If two cars enter the roundabout at the same time here and want to go up by Dunnes (second exit) who has right of way and if there is a collision who is at fault? The city council? Road markings are terrible in most of the city and I think a full review should be taken of all junctions to eliminate any confusion.

tribesman78

I use this roundabout every day and it is an absolute joke. The amount of people coming from carnmore side in the left lane and taking the third exit(or 3 o clock exit). Technically you can be in either lane to take the Dunnes exit from carnmore but you should only be in the rigth hand lane if Left lane is closed, blocked or for left turn only or instructed by a garda. If two cars leave one from right and one from left then the left hand lane has right of way to take the dunnes exit first and right hand lane should proceed to do a full circle of the rounabout.

Also a friend of mine had an accident on this roundabout colliding with another car due to the reason above and the response from the gardai was if there are no road marking on the rounabout then it is considered a single lane and neither could be held responsible as it was a side impact. so they say anyway.

dloob

robbie7730 wrote: »

Yea but why would it need road markings, its the only exit unless your coming back where you came from. There are no other exits for a left lane driver to interfere with if they go to the first exit which is 3 quarters way around. And thats the whole point of being in the right hand lane when taking a turn past straight on, because someone in the left lane doing this will be cutting across right hand lane drivers who are correctly in the right hand lane. Drivers should understand the reasons, rather than just learning a rule and thats it.

Well it should be common sense, but you know Irish drivers.

Dunjohn

This thread is well sprinkled with "Irish drivers" comments, but are they really fair? I don't have any experience of driving abroad but the foreigners that come over here are indistinguisable. Worse, when they figure they'll get off with no points.

Iwannahurl

Irish drivers, Irish roads, Irish road engineering practices, Irish law enforcement, Irish cultural attitudes to the law and to following rules, Irish culture generally -- all very relevant IMO.

I would guess that lots of foreign nationals wouldn't dream of behaving on their own roads (and footpaths) at home they way they do here. Just look at all those non-Irish cyclists and their harum-scarum behaviour on two wheels. They're just blending in with the locals. When in Rome...

antoobrien

Iwannahurl wrote: »

Irish drivers, Irish roads, Irish road engineering practices, Irish law enforcement, Irish cultural attitudes to the law and to following rules, Irish culture generally -- all very relevant IMO.

Not particularly fair that. I've had several foreign friends remark at how relaxed it is driving on Irish roads compared to the likes of Holland, Germany, Italy & especially France.

Iwannahurl

antoobrien wrote: »

Not particularly fair that. I've had several foreign friends remark at how relaxed it is driving on Irish roads compared to the likes of Holland, Germany, Italy & especially France.

My general point is that we have a particular attitude in this country to law and its enforcement (that includes both the citizenry and AGS).

Every country has its own culture, laws and practices in this regard I suppose.

For example, in the Netherlands you are about five times more likely to get pulled for a traffic offence, while cycling and cyclists are better protected by law and better respected by motorists and the general public.

Perhaps in Ireland we are more easy-going on the roads in some respects -- you often see queue-jumpers being let into a line of traffic, for example. Would German, French or Italian drivers be so tolerant?!

July

"4. If turning left (that is any point from 0 and less than 180 degrees or from 6 o’clock to before 12 o’clock on the clock face regardless of the number of exits), the driver should signal left, and stay in the left hand lane when on the approach, when on the roundabout, and when leaving the roundabout."

The above is what the RSA guy said about taking any exit before 12 o'clock.
Applying this rule to a second exit that falls before 180 degrees or 12 o'clock doesn't make sense to me.

Why would you signal left, on the approach to the roundabout if you're taking the second exit? Wouldn't people think you were taking the first exit if you're indicating left on approach to the roundabout?
Surely you should only indicate left once you've passed the first exit if you're taking the second exit? Bah!!!

Caliden

July wrote: »

"4. If turning left (that is any point from 0 and less than 180 degrees or from 6 o’clock to before 12 o’clock on the clock face regardless of the number of exits), the driver should signal left, and stay in the left hand lane when on the approach, when on the roundabout, and when leaving the roundabout."

The above is what the RSA guy said about taking any exit before 12 o'clock.
Applying this rule to a second exit that falls before 180 degrees or 12 o'clock doesn't make sense to me.

Why would you signal left, on the approach to the roundabout if you're taking the second exit? Wouldn't people think you were taking the first exit if you're indicating left on approach to the roundabout?
Surely you should only indicate left once you've passed the first exit if you're taking the second exit? Bah!!!

In the same reply there are further instructions for straight on (I would consider the insturctions for 'straight' on to apply to any exit after the first and equal to or less than 180 degrees)

July

Caliden wrote: »

In the same reply there are further instructions for straight on (I would consider the insturctions for 'straight' on to apply to any exit after the first and equal to or less than 180 degrees)

But he explicitly outlines 'straight on' to be at 12 o'clock. Anything before 180 degrees he calls 'left'. Anything after 180 degrees he calls 'right'.

Bruthal

July wrote: »

"4. If turning left (that is any point from 0 and less than 180 degrees or from 6 o’clock to before 12 o’clock on the clock face regardless of the number of exits), the driver should signal left, and stay in the left hand lane when on the approach, when on the roundabout, and when leaving the roundabout."

The above is what the RSA guy said about taking any exit before 12 o'clock.
Applying this rule to a second exit that falls before 180 degrees or 12 o'clock doesn't make sense to me.

Why would you signal left, on the approach to the roundabout if you're taking the second exit? Wouldn't people think you were taking the first exit if you're indicating left on approach to the roundabout?
Surely you should only indicate left once you've passed the first exit if you're taking the second exit? Bah!!!

I think your right there, and with some posts saying how the RSA has endorsed their methods, and proven others wrong, you would think it was the god of road rules that had spoken. The same posts are correct i think however, but i think people should know themselves and understand why a rule is there, not just say look, the RSA said its correct.

savagecabbages

I was told by two instructors i had to count all the exits(including the one you came in on)...
if your taking one from the first half, left lane.
If your taking one from the second half, right lane.

I was told explicitly not to rely on the 'before 180, after 180' method as one persons version of 180 may be different to anothers!

My question is...
In a 4 exit (+type)roundabout I want to go straight on.
Two lanes on the road i'm using to enter the roundabout, one on the road I want to take out of it.
The left lane has a 'straight ahead and left' arrow painted on it.
The right lane has a 'straight ahead and right' arrow painted on it.
Again theres only one lane on the exit.

How can both lanes be allowed(by the arrows)???

[i know of another similar one with 3 entry lanes, one exit lane, two arrows for straight ahead...]



edit: maybe this is better suited to the motors thread as both these are in limerick i got here through a search and thought i was posting there sorry mods. But the question still applies

desaparecidos

savagecabbages wrote: »

I was told by two instructors i had to count all the exits(including the one you came in on)...
if your taking one from the first half, left lane.
If your taking one from the second half, right lane.

I was told explicitly not to rely on the 'before 180, after 180' method as one persons version of 180 may be different to anothers!

Before 180 = first half,
After 180 = second half.

savagecabbages

Thanks, I've read up some more on the subject it seems to be down to degrees regardless of how many exits on each side...

But in the case of both lanes having straight ahead arrows painted on them, with only one exit lane, I wonder which is correct?