Correct Lane

Jimmy Bottlehead

Hey all.

I do a journey from Ballymun to Swords every day I go to work, the return journey includes a roundabout that has been bothering me for ages. This is the one here:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Swords,+Dublin,+Ireland&aq=0&sll=30.512699,-92.262349&sspn=0.036529,0.076818&g=swords&ie=UTF8&hq=Swords&hnear=Swords,+Co.+Dublin,+County+Dublin,+Ireland&ll=53.47894,-6.20433&spn=0.000749,0.002401&t=h&z=19

I approach from the bottom of the roundabout, in the right lane. At the top of the roundabout, the two lanes are for 'M50/D'BATE' and 'SWORDS', and I change in to the left lane, which is the M1 Southbound lane.

This is the point where I get confused... the road markings seem to want me to stay in the same (left) lane and pass the Donabate exit, then exit at the M1 exit.
However, I've seen people who stay in the right lane until they reach the M1 exit, and they then cross, but this seems to break the road markings, and they've shot in front of me more than once.

So I want to make sure I'm in the right, if an accident ever happens, and if I'm wrong, I want to change that.
But as it stands, my understanding is to enter in the right lane until the top of the roundabout when I change into the left lane, then I follow the left lane until I exit.

Hope someone can help! Cheers.

**Timbuk2**

What you're doing definitely seems correct. Just to clarify (I'm unfamiliar with the roundabout) - is the exit you are leaving on Hearse Road, or the slip road onto the M1?

Either way, it seems that changing to the left at the top of the roundabout, where the road markings indicate to do so, is the correct approach in both cases!

Jimmy Bottlehead

**Timbuk2** wrote: »

What you're doing definitely seems correct. Just to clarify (I'm unfamiliar with the roundabout) - is the exit you are leaving on Hearse Road, or the slip road onto the M1?

The exit take is onto the M1 Southbound. I think I said M50 in the original post, and this is wrong. I meant M1.

**Timbuk2**

Ah I thought so - the marking on the roundabout says M50 as well which confused me too!

Yes, it definitely seems that you are doing it correctly, because the road markings certainly suggest to do so (note that after it says M50/D'BATE there is an arrow which indicates straight or right). However, that isn't the standard way of doing it which is probably why other cars are waiting until the previous exit before changing lanes.

Maybe wait for somebody that's familiar with the roundabout to give better advice, but what you're doing is certainly what I'd do!

Esel

Looks to me that you are using the correct procedure.

Although it would help future readers/posters if you edited the OP to remove the M50/M1 confusion!

Jimmy Bottlehead

Esel wrote: »

Looks to me that you are using the correct procedure.

Although it would help future readers/posters if you edited the OP to remove the M50/M1 confusion!

Done!

sdanseo

Oddly enough I always mess up doing the same manoeuvre. I'm one of those that nearly always ends up trying to cross between Hearse Rd. and the M1S slip. The reason being that a right turn to my mind should be negotiated in the right lane.

The aerial view however clears it up; I won't keep making the same mistake now I;ve had a look at it (should have done this a long time ago lol). The markings indicate the right lane effectively splits in two. just as the N1N diverges from the roundabout. That's the cue to change. It's not so visible on the ground.

Truth be told I've never, ever seen the points of big traffic signal controlled roudabouts. Should be one or the other, never both. There's only room for 3-4 cars to queue at the lights midway round and it leads to chaos when busy - the pavilions roundabout (4th one to the south on the same stretch of N1) is an absolute basket case for this reason.

bernyh

Hi, I use this roundabout every day (twice a day) also, and 100% you should be in the left lane. I have been beeped out of it soo many times by ppl who think you shouldn't be in the left lane especially people going straight just before the lights to Lusk...

The right hand lane planely states a right only, there is a solid white line indicating no crossing of lanes after the donabate junction... I'm actually just waiting for the day someone slam's into me on that roundabout, because it is not too clear to people who are unfamiliar with it.... adding to that the filter light exiting donabate slip road at hearse road, ppl who don't notice that either.. I have seen quite a lot of broken glass at that particular roundabout, so it's not uncommon.

**Timbuk2**

I really don't like traffic lights on roundabouts - I think it defeats the whole purpose of a roundabout, which is to keep traffic flow up!

It experienced almost something similar to the OP the day before yesterday when I was driving to IKEA. After leaving IKEA, I was trying to get back onto the M50N (which is a right turn on the roundabout). The roundabout indicated that I could approach in the 2nd or 3rd lane (and one lane is dropped at an exit, so this becomes the left and right lane). I went into the 'left' lane, and it felt unusual to be going right while in the left lane. But the road markings clearly indicated that it was correct - I chose that lane because I was going onto the M50N and then immediately onto the M1N, so I wouldn't have to merge into traffic in the left lane - I'd already be in the auxiliary lane.