Roundabout question

dutopia

If there's major problem I see on Irish roads, it's with roundabouts. They work fine at merging different roads in light traffic, but once things start to get heavy they turn into a bloody nightmare. Even though there are set rules for roundabouts, certain ones are a little more ambiguous and can cause confusion.

Have a look at the photo I posted below. This is a roundabout in Swords just outside the Pavilions shopping centre. I am the blue line leaving the centre and taking the lane closest to the roundabout until I leave at the exit shown. The car in red comes out and attempts to go past me (continue around the roundabout) as I exit. He brakes suddenly after almost crashing into my left side and beeps me out of it, but in my opinion and in my understanding of the rules here, he is clearly in the wrong. He shouldn't even have entered the roundabout until the way was clear. I was indicating left by the way.

What do you think?

colm_mcm

I think you should have changed into the outer lane after swords road exit.

dutopia

When I left the Pavilions exit should I not have been in the lane closest to the roundabout because I'm not exiting at either of the first two exits? But if I want to exit at the third exit I have to change lane while on the roundabout?! See the way the 2 lanes divide into 3 lanes just after the point where I exited... this is what I mean about it being a little ambiguous.

miller50841

You were correct and once you indicated properly were 100% right

miller50841

The problem people have with roundabouts is that they drive too fast most just go for it and most don't indicate at all or as I see a lot is indicate right and turn left that's no messing

Stheno

dutopia wrote: »

When I left the Pavilions exit should I not have been in the lane closest to the roundabout because I'm not exiting at either of the first two exits? But if I want to exit at the third exit I have to change lane while on the roundabout?! See the way the 2 lanes divide into 3 lanes just after the point where I exited... this is what I mean about it being a little ambiguous.

Were you heading towards the airport?

dutopia

Stheno wrote: »

Were you heading towards the airport?

Yeah Airport direction.

djimi

You were in the right in so far as you indicated and the other car should not have entered until safe to do so, however you do not take an exit immediately from the inside lane; you should have moved into the outside after the exit prior to the one that you are taking.

demanufactured

djimi wrote: »

You were in the right in so far as you indicated and the other car should not have entered until safe to do so, however you do not take an exit immediately from the inside lane; you should have moved into the outside after the exit prior to the one that you are taking.

That's not what I was told when doing driving lessons earlier this year .
I was told to do exactly what the OP did here and did so on my test and I wasn't marked for it.

djimi

demanufactured wrote: »

That's not what I was told when doing driving lessons earlier this year .
I was told to do exactly what the OP did here and did so on my test and I wasn't marked for it.

I was thought the way I described it, albeit a decade ago now. The wonders of the Irish driving education system I guess...

It stands to reason though; you never turn off any junction from the opposite lane. A roundabout should be no different.

demanufactured

http://www.rulesoftheroad.ie/rules-for-driving/junctions-roundabouts/roundabouts.html

ZENER

The direction the red car comes from is a difficult lane to get out from and lots of drivers jump at any chance that presents. I'v almost been killed several time in the exact same circumstances as the OP.

A lot of drivers also ignore the yellow box at the Pavilions exit making that exit for the Airport even more dangerous !

Ken

Jimdagym

djimi wrote: »

You were in the right in so far as you indicated and the other car should not have entered until safe to do so, however you do not take an exit immediately from the inside lane; you should have moved into the outside after the exit prior to the one that you are taking.

Regarding this roundabout specifically, the exit the other car came from is literally beside the one the op wanted to leave through. There is no room to move over after it. Having said that I move to the outside line after the swords road exit and begin indicating when I am halfway through the turn the red car came from. Easiest I find. Agree that it's a lunatic junction.

Wonda-Boy

Best thing to do is go around twice to lose all the tailgaters....lol.

GatsbyDub

I would have driven the same as the OP.

I was informed by a driving instructor that the car on the roundabout has right of way over a car entering the roundabout.

It is also my understanding that exiting the roundabout from the lane closest to the roundabout is correct if you're entering say, the right hand lane of a dual laned road.

Stheno

dutopia wrote: »

Yeah Airport direction.

ZENER wrote: »

The direction the red car comes from is a difficult lane to get out from and lots of drivers jump at any chance that presents. I'v almost been killed several time in the exact same circumstances as the OP.

A lot of drivers also ignore the yellow box at the Pavilions exit making that exit for the Airport even more dangerous !

Ken

Jimdagym wrote: »

Regarding this roundabout specifically, the exit the other car came from is literally beside the one the op wanted to leave through. There is no room to move over after it. Having said that I move to the outside line after the swords road exit and begin indicating when I am halfway through the turn the red car came from. Easiest I find. Agree that it's a lunatic junction.

It is a lunatic junction, having driven through it a few years at this stage I now move to the outside if taking the route the OP was exiting as you get cars from two other exits prior to his exit trying to hop across to get into the lane to go to pavilions. Drivers tend to assume that those in the lane the OP was in are going around to Pavilions.

Incredibly badly designed, going from three lanes to two halfway through the roundabout too as OP said. Some of the exits are traffic lighted but one is not as well, it's on a yield, which causes even more chaos.

_Kaiser_

I hate roundabouts - unless it's a very quiet spot, give me a proper signalled junction every time

As well as the OP's example (I know it well too), 2 others that spring to mind immediately are the ones in Sandyford Industrial estate - the one our the far side (beside the LUAS line - don't ask me for local place names.. I'm a northsider originally ) is a disaster at rush hour, and the other one up from the Beacon is a mess since they remarked it and removed lanes/added hatched areas/messed up what you'd think is the "natural flow" of it - particularly if coming from Dundrum and crossing said roundabout.

Semi-related side note.. what's with the signs warning about a new layout approaching the M50 from Newlands Cross? Was over there the other day getting diesel and it pointed me to what was the City bound lane, only to direct me back to the M50 S lane I wanted all along?

Can't really blame drivers for all of this messing when the Councils/"planners" themselves are worse! :mad: