Why the Confusion

Milly33

I going on a rant... Roundabouts wtf is wrong with people that they cannot manage to get into the correct lane to drive around or off one.

Victoria Road by the Petrol Station..Two lanes on the approach and by all normall rules of the road the first lane is used to go either left or straight on, no. 2 lane would be for all other exits.. Not at all, at all.. Sick of stupid drivers budging you out of the lane when they decide they can use any lane they like..Muppets..

And another one is the south link, lets say if you came out of Smyths entrance and turned right...Why the same senorio, two lanes one to go left and one to get into the lane to either exit rochestown or go around...It isnt rocket science people...

ahhhhh

twowheelsonly

The one at Smyths - The left lane is for turning left (towards town) or for straight ahead i.e. the Douglas/Rochestown exit.

The Victoria Road one just seems to be whoever gets there first!!!

Milly33

twowheelsonly wrote: »

The one at Smyths - The left lane is for turning left (towards town) or for straight ahead i.e. the Douglas/Rochestown exit.

Yeah see I dont get that now, you think it would be standard..There are two lanes that you conect to easily if you are in the left hand lane. The third lane would be the one going to Rochestown which would be the right hand lane..makes sense no...

kingtut

A tiny bit off topic but the amount of times I have been waiting ages to get onto a roundabout because there is someone on it who is not indicating (which tells me they are passing my exit) but then leaves the roundabout without indicating is unreal .

ARGH !!!!!!!!!!!!!! F*CKIN INDICATE :mad:

Milly33

Ah people really are after getting worse on the roads.. I hear you with the idicators also, my dad does it and I kill him for it...

the beer revolu

Also on roundabouts:

There is no traffic to speak of.
I am at the entrance to the roundabout about to enter when I see a car 50 meters from the entrance on my right coming towards the roundabout at speed, clearly assuming right of way even though they aren't at the roundabout yet.
I only have to yield to traffic already on the roundabout, not traffic approaching it but bad things will happen if I don't hold back. They treat it like a T junction, especially if they intend to take the second exit.

I see this happening all the time it is annoying and dangerous and wrong.

Malari

Or driving behind someone who is coming up to a roundabout, with a clear view that it is deserted yet they still feel the need to stop and check nothing's coming, then move off. :rolleyes: It's like they are unable to glance to the right while driving - MUST LOOK STRAIGHT AHEAD AT ALL TIMES!

Milly33

I wouldnt think that is very bad, at least they are taken caution..What happens if tis clear fine on the drive up there and then some tard decides to either cycle over the roudie or something daft like that

Malari

Milly33 wrote: »

I wouldnt think that is very bad, at least they are taken caution..What happens if tis clear fine on the drive up there and then some tard decides to either cycle over the roudie or something daft like that

Because it is actually possible to look right while driving ahead, as I said. Too much caution is also a cause of accidents.

Bacchus

Malari wrote: »

Or driving behind someone who is coming up to a roundabout, with a clear view that it is deserted yet they still feel the need to stop and check nothing's coming, then move off.

Milly33 wrote: »

I wouldnt think that is very bad, at least they are taken caution..What happens if tis clear fine on the drive up there and then some tard decides to either cycle over the roudie or something daft like that

Coming to a complete stop is a bit much if you have a clear view of the roundabout the entrances to it. I'd always slow down (drop down to 2nd/3rd) as I approach a roundabout but if I see the way is clear I'll continue on.

Malari wrote: »

Because it is actually possible to look right while driving ahead, as I said. Too much caution is also a cause of accidents.

It's not the caution that causes the accidents it's impatient driver behind the cautious driver that causes the accident. Overly cautious drivers are an annoyance and really shouldn't be on the road if they are that nervous but they are not responsible for another driver rear ending them because they were tailgating on approach to a roundabout.


Oh, the Kinsale Road Roudabout about is the worst. Half the people on it don't seem to know how it works. Granted the road markings aren't great and it does have 5 entrances/exits (1 of them with no traffic lights) but it's not that hard to just get in the correct lane an stay in it. So many time I've seen people switching lanes and back again cutting across other drivers because they follow the wrong road markings. Really wish they'd repaint that roundabout for all the noobs

Malari

Bacchus wrote: »

Coming to a complete stop is a bit much if you have a clear view of the roundabout the entrances to it. I'd always slow down (drop down to 2nd/3rd) as I approach a roundabout but if I see the way is clear I'll continue on.

That's all I'm sayin'!

Bacchus wrote: »

It's not the caution that causes the accidents it's impatient driver behind the cautious driver that causes the accident. Overly cautious drivers are an annoyance and really shouldn't be on the road if they are that nervous but they are not responsible for another driver rear ending them because they were tailgating on approach to a roundabout.

Yes, obviously if a person rear-ends it's their fault. But I think in some cases being over-cautious causes accidents, even if the driver isn't actually responsible.

wallycharlo

kingtut wrote: »

A tiny bit off topic but the amount of times I have been waiting ages to get onto a roundabout because there is someone on it who is not indicating (which tells me they are passing my exit) but then leaves the roundabout without indicating is unreal .

ARGH !!!!!!!!!!!!!! F*CKIN INDICATE :mad:

I've often wondered about indicating in the case of a roundabout which just has one single lane.

Does one only indicate left when one is about to leave the roundabout, or is it also propert to indicate right until then to show that one is not taking a previous exit?

I would think that the only time one shoud indicate is when one is about to exit?

AwayWithFaries

I regularly drive through the Wilton roundabout coming from to Sarsfield Road and heading to Glasheen.

Now there is three lane coming onto the roundabout, one for going left, one for going straight ahead and one for going right (the one I take).

I can't even count about of times some arsehole has cut across me from the centre lane to go right. :mad:

The only reason I avoid an accident one day is because I sat back, I knew they would turn in on me. Another day I had to jam on the brakes, in the middle of the ****ing roundabout. A blast of the horn from me and an innocent look from the driver, they didn't even know what they did wrong. :mad: Some people.

/rant

Spindle

Simple read the Rules of the Road, it explains how to use roundabouts

And you only indicate right going into a roundabout if you are going round it, or taking an exit after the second exit. You always indicate left when you arrive at your exit.

Of course some roundabouts override the normal operation where you follow the signs and road markings to indicate what you are supposed to do.

Or there is the another approach foot down, head down, make it through approach, Rules of the Road what is that??? :rolleyes:

Ludo

AwayWithFaries wrote: »

Now there is three lane coming onto the roundabout, one for going left, one for going straight ahead and one for going right (the one I take).

I can't even count about of times some arsehole has cut across me from the centre lane to go right. :mad:

/rant

Are you sure you are right about that? Never went around it really that way but take the bandon road roundabout coming from sarsfield road roundabout.
3 lanes on approach. Only the right hand lane is marked right turn..i.e. third exit.
However, once you are ON the roundabout this middle lane suddenly get s right turn arrow to indicate it is ok to proceed to third exit...so now there are 2 exit lanes. So...markings on approach may change suddenly ON the roundabout to indicate it is OK to exit from centre lane when there are 2 exit lanes.

paulhardman

There is a significant problem with roundabouts and their markings in this country... before they dug up the Sarsfields Road roundabout if you were to follow the lane markings exactly as indicated you would never get off the roundabout but be stuck in the middle lane for all of eternity!

hoodwinked

AwayWithFaries wrote: »

I regularly drive through the Wilton roundabout coming from to Sarsfield Road and heading to Glasheen.

Now there is three lane coming onto the roundabout, one for going left, one for going straight ahead and one for going right (the one I take).

I can't even count about of times some arsehole has cut across me from the centre lane to go right. :mad:

The only reason I avoid an accident one day is because I sat back, I knew they would turn in on me. Another day I had to jam on the brakes, in the middle of the ****ing roundabout. A blast of the horn from me and an innocent look from the driver, they didn't even know what they did wrong. :mad: Some people.

/rant

came through it this morning car in front of me coming from the east turned right going the wrong way around the roundabout when coming onto the roundabout heading towards wilton as if it was a normal junction and not a roundabout...

i had to keep going as traffic was moving but i saw him reversing back and turning onto the roundabout the right way around after...

meanwhile the driver then in front of me was moving erratically in the rightmost wilton lane (inside lane) before darting left last minute and crossing the lanes of moving traffic to head out west instead, but almost hit the right hand side of the garda car (who was in the rightmost lane for going west)

i would love to know if they pulled him in.

hoodwinked

twowheelsonly wrote: »

The one at Smyths - The left lane is for turning left (towards town) or for straight ahead i.e. the Douglas/Rochestown exit.

The Victoria Road one just seems to be whoever gets there first!!!

no the left lane is for the two lanes heading to the city/dump direction, the right lane is for the two inside lanes, aka douglas/rochestown or heading west/grange. this came up before and this is the official layout, but rules of the road disagree with the markings, i don't know why and anyway

if the left lane was for douglas exit that would mean cars are cutting across 2 lanes to the 3rd lane and sometimes with a blocked (by the cars heading that way) view of traffic coming from the right especially considering the amount of trucks/vans coming from that direction, its safer to take the right lane and check your left blind spot when indicating off the roundabout

Faith

wallycharlo wrote: »

I've often wondered about indicating in the case of a roundabout which just has one single lane.

Does one only indicate left when one is about to leave the roundabout, or is it also propert to indicate right until then to show that one is not taking a previous exit?

I would think that the only time one shoud indicate is when one is about to exit?

If you're taking the first exit, indicate left as you get to the roundabout. If you're taking the second exit, don't indicate until you're past the first exit, then indicate left. For the third exit, indicate right until you're past the second exit, then indicate left.

wallycharlo

Faith wrote: »

...

For the third exit, indicate right until you're past the second exit, then indicate left.

This is the part I was unsure of. I learned to drive in Europe, where of course there will be differences in the rules of the road.

I was told during the driving lessons that one never indicates to give a signal that you are staying on the roundabout, but that you only indicate to leave.

Guess it's just a small difference in the rules ...

kingtut

wallycharlo wrote: »

I've often wondered about indicating in the case of a roundabout which just has one single lane.

Does one only indicate left when one is about to leave the roundabout, or is it also propert to indicate right until then to show that one is not taking a previous exit?

I would think that the only time one shoud indicate is when one is about to exit?

If you are not taking the 1st or second exit then you should be in the right hand lane entering the roundabout and be indicating right, then once you pass the exit before yours you should indicate left.

If you are taking the first or second exit then stay in the left lane and indicate before your exit (after the 1st exit if you are taking the 2nd exit),.

There are some oddball roundabouts but the general rule is as above.

EDIT - SH*T just realised Faith got in before me oopsie

wallycharlo

kingtut wrote: »

If you are not taking the 1st or second exit then you should be in the right hand lane entering the roundabout and be indicating right, then once you pass the exit before yours you should indicate left.

If you are taking the first or second exit then stay in the left lane and indicate before your exit (after the 1st exit if you are taking the 2nd exit),.

There are some oddball roundabouts but the general rule is as above.

EDIT - SH*T just realised Faith got in before me oopsie

Just to clarify, I'm speaking here about single lane, i.e. one lane entering the roundabout, and one single lane on the roundabout.

kingtut

As much as I would like more road markings on the roads, they will never be idiot proof :mad:

kingtut

wallycharlo wrote: »

Just to clarify, I'm speaking here about single lane, i.e. one lane entering the roundabout, and one single lane on the roundabout.

That's why I put in the "there are some oddball roundabouts" clause :pac:

hoodwinked

kingtut wrote: »

That's why I put in the "there are some oddball roundabouts" clause :pac:

you mean like almost every major cork roundabout? :pac:

kingtut

hoodwinked wrote: »

you mean like almost every major cork roundabout? :pac:

Indeed

Went through the sarsfield road roundabout for the first time in a few months the other day, my god it's like a tongue twister, even as a self-proclaimed good driver my facial expressions were something like :eek::eek::eek::(:mad:

wallycharlo

hoodwinked wrote: »

you mean like almost every major cork roundabout? :pac:

Not sure if it is still the nigthmare which it once was, but the roundabout at the end of the airport road was something else, it seems that it may have been impossible to navigate it without breaking some traffic laws ... I recall it being known as 'the magic roundabout ...

hoodwinked

kingtut wrote: »

Indeed

Went through the sarsfield road roundabout for the first time in a few months the other day, my god it's like a tongue twister, even as a self-proclaimed good driver my facial expressions were something like :eek::eek::eek::(:mad:

its actually not so bad, i use it every day twice a day and you get used to it...
the lanes actually makes sense when you think about it!

wallycharlo wrote: »

Not sure if it is still the nigthmare which it once was, but the roundabout at the end of the airport road was something else, it seems that it may have been impossible to navigate it without breaking some traffic laws ... I recall it being known as 'the magic roundabout ...

thats the one by smyths, the problem with it was they painted the lanes anticipating the flyover which wasn't built at the time so the lanes made no sense whatsoever,

now the flyover is built, the roundabout is classed as "too big" to follow the rules of the road with regards to roundabouts, leads to BIG confusion with lanes so instead of being the 'magic roundabout' its now the 'oh jesus' roundabout because you need to be looking 360 degrees to drive on it!

kingtut

wallycharlo wrote: »

Not sure if it is still the nigthmare which it once was, but the roundabout at the end of the airport road was something else, it seems that it may have been impossible to navigate it without breaking some traffic laws ... I recall it being known as 'the magic roundabout ...

It's still called the magic roundabout, I go through it every day and the road markings are correct (albeit they cross over a lot which is fair enough for such a complicated roundabout).

Heading the city via the south link there are 2 lanes, the other two are for the south ring (or to go around the roundabout), the amount of times a taxi driver has been in the '3rd' lane, heading for the south ring but illegally moved into the 2nd lane to head for the city is unreal, I have had to jam on many times.

Of all the people on the roads the taxi drivers no the roads, they have no excuses and in those situations I believe they know exactly what they are doing :mad:

kingtut

hoodwinked wrote: »

its actually not so bad, i use it every day twice a day and you get used to it...
the lanes actually makes sense when you think about it!

It was more the dramatic change that got me than anything else

Malari

The Kinsale Rd roundabout is not bad! It's a bit parochial the way people call it the "magic" This is the actual magic roundabout: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Roundabout_(Swindon)

kingtut

WOW !!

twowheelsonly

AwayWithFaries wrote: »

I regularly drive through the Wilton roundabout coming from to Sarsfield Road and heading to Glasheen.

Now there is three lane coming onto the roundabout, one for going left, one for going straight ahead and one for going right (the one I take).

I can't even count about of times some arsehole has cut across me from the centre lane to go right. :mad:

The only reason I avoid an accident one day is because I sat back, I knew they would turn in on me. Another day I had to jam on the brakes, in the middle of the ****ing roundabout. A blast of the horn from me and an innocent look from the driver, they didn't even know what they did wrong. :mad: Some people.

/rant

The problem at Wilton is that the centre lane that you refer to was always for going down the Glasheen Rd and the right hand one was for going all the way around and going back down the Sarsfield Rd. (Was put there to accommodate the No.14 bus turning AFAIR)
They've since remarked the lanes in a far more confusing manner than before. Both lanes are now legal to take the Glasheen exit but I always stick with the centre one as I find it safer. This is the one that traffic from Bishopstown will be using so better to be in that lane earlier than trying to merge. If you take the inside lane and attempt to take the Glasheen exit then you'll be cutting in on someone already using that lane and could be liable in an accident IMO.

http://maps.google.ie/maps?q=cork&hl=en&ll=51.882746,-8.507232&spn=0.001366,0.003484&sll=53.3834,-8.21775&sspn=10.823445,28.54248&hnear=Cork,+County+Cork&t=k&z=19

hoodwinked wrote: »

no the left lane is for the two lanes heading to the city/dump direction, the right lane is for the two inside lanes, aka douglas/rochestown or heading west/grange. this came up before and this is the official layout, but rules of the road disagree with the markings, i don't know why and anyway

if the left lane was for douglas exit that would mean cars are cutting across 2 lanes to the 3rd lane and sometimes with a blocked (by the cars heading that way) view of traffic coming from the right especially considering the amount of trucks/vans coming from that direction, its safer to take the right lane and check your left blind spot when indicating off the roundabout

Those lanes are not marked that way??? Both lanes are marked 'Straight Ahead' and in fact there's no left arrow at all!!!


http://maps.google.ie/maps?q=cork&hl=en&ll=51.873926,-8.470057&spn=0.001366,0.003484&sll=53.3834,-8.21775&sspn=10.823445,28.54248&hnear=Cork,+County+Cork&t=k&z=19

TheChizler

Only the right hand lane is for Glasheen, been like that as far back as I can remember (before 09 anyway). You move from the right hand lane to the left hand lane as you pass the northbound exit, it doesn't look like that from the satellite image as the roundabout is elliptical (markings are more for people coming on from the hospital side), but there's only one lane you should be in coming from Sarsfield road.

Ludo

Now I AM confused :-)

hoodwinked

Those lanes are not marked that way??? Both lanes are marked 'Straight Ahead' and in fact there's no left arrow at all!!!


http://maps.google.ie/maps?q=cork&hl=en&ll=51.873926,-8.470057&spn=0.001366,0.003484&sll=53.3834,-8.21775&sspn=10.823445,28.54248&hnear=Cork,+County+Cork&t=k&z=19

i know! thats what causes confusion, the fact there is no left arrow means they've assumed the left lane is to go straight ahead down the dump direction, and the right lane is to go straight ahead down the douglas direction if you follow me, because both the dump and Douglas roads technically go in a v shape starting at the same side of the roundabout they are both assumed to be straight ahead from that junction. if you follow the roundabout lane to douglas exit and the grange/airport exit you see the split between them happens on the roundabout as opposed to before you enter it.

basically follow the arrows straight onto the roundabout and the arrows on the roundabout are your guide, the left lane brings you onto the two lanes that have left arrows on the roundabouts lanes (to city center/dump direction), the right lane brings you onto the roundabout lane that gives you a straight arrow (to douglas) or a straight(to douglas)/right turn(west/airport/grange) turn.
see it is confusing!

twowheelsonly

TheChizler wrote: »

Only the right hand lane is for Glasheen, been like that as far back as I can remember (before 09 anyway). You move from the right hand lane to the left hand lane as you pass the northbound exit, it doesn't look like that from the satellite image as the roundabout is elliptical (markings are more for people coming on from the hospital side), but there's only one lane you should be in coming from Sarsfield road.

That's an older Sat image - the lanes have since (recently) been repainted into a far more complicated set up!!

If you look at the 3 lanes on Sarsfield Rd the left one is arrowed left for the two lanes Westbound towards Bishopstown/Regional Hospital. The other two are 'Straight ahead' onto the two lanes on the roundabout. The middle/left of these has the option to go down the Wilton Rd or around to Glasheen Rd exit without breaking lanes/white lines.
The right hand one is actually to go around and back down Sarsfield Rd. This lane wasn't there originally when they built the roundabout and the Island was adjusted to allow for it to accomodate the busses turning here. You can see the arrow at the most Northerly point is taking you back around and into the lane for Sarsfield Rd. To go down Glasheen you have to change lanes after the Wilton exit which is a very short space.

Strangely enough there are relatively few accidents on this Roundabout considering the volume of traffic that uses it.

grenache

Bacchus wrote: »

Co
Oh, the Kinsale Road Roudabout about is the worst. Half the people on it don't seem to know how it works. Granted the road markings aren't great and it does have 5 entrances/exits (1 of them with no traffic lights) but it's not that hard to just get in the correct lane an stay in it. So many time I've seen people switching lanes and back again cutting across other drivers because they follow the wrong road markings. Really wish they'd repaint that roundabout for all the noobs

I dont blame people on the Kinsale Road one, i always follow the "airport" lane, but even this one changes half way through and if i stay on it i find myself having to go in Togher direction, or change lanes, which i don't like doing.

Milly33

Man nearly gave up and got out of my car today..Christ trying to either drive up temple hill or down is fecking madness. People just seem to have no notion how big their cars are (they arent all tanks) or that if you actually stop and let some cars up the way will clear..

Padraig Mor

twowheelsonly wrote: »

The problem at Wilton is that the centre lane that you refer to was always for going down the Glasheen Rd and the right hand one was for going all the way around and going back down the Sarsfield Rd. (Was put there to accommodate the No.14 bus turning AFAIR)
They've since remarked the lanes in a far more confusing manner than before. Both lanes are now legal to take the Glasheen exit but I always stick with the centre one as I find it safer. This is the one that traffic from Bishopstown will be using so better to be in that lane earlier than trying to merge. If you take the inside lane and attempt to take the Glasheen exit then you'll be cutting in on someone already using that lane and could be liable in an accident IMO.

I've been using that roundabout for ~10 years and the right hand lane on the approach from Sarsfield Rd was always the only correct lane to take when heading for Glasheen Rd, even when there were only 2 lanes on that approach. The centre approach lane is only "safer" because so many drivers use the wrong lane.

twowheelsonly wrote: »

That's an older Sat image - the lanes have since (recently) been repainted into a far more complicated set up!!

If you look at the 3 lanes on Sarsfield Rd the left one is arrowed left for the two lanes Westbound towards Bishopstown/Regional Hospital. The other two are 'Straight ahead' onto the two lanes on the roundabout. The middle/left of these has the option to go down the Wilton Rd or around to Glasheen Rd exit without breaking lanes/white lines.
The right hand one is actually to go around and back down Sarsfield Rd. This lane wasn't there originally when they built the roundabout and the Island was adjusted to allow for it to accomodate the busses turning here. You can see the arrow at the most Northerly point is taking you back around and into the lane for Sarsfield Rd. To go down Glasheen you have to change lanes after the Wilton exit which is a very short space.

Strangely enough there are relatively few accidents on this Roundabout considering the volume of traffic that uses it.

Unless they've been repainted very recently, I believe the same markings as the image are still there. Using the middle/left lane to head towards Glasheen makes no sense as it clearly contravenes both the ROTR (both 'clockface' and '90 degree angle' interpretations) and the arrows themselves.

AwayWithFaries

twowheelsonly wrote: »

The problem at Wilton is that the centre lane that you refer to was always for going down the Glasheen Rd and the right hand one was for going all the way around and going back down the Sarsfield Rd. (Was put there to accommodate the No.14 bus turning AFAIR)
They've since remarked the lanes in a far more confusing manner than before. Both lanes are now legal to take the Glasheen exit but I always stick with the centre one as I find it safer. This is the one that traffic from Bishopstown will be using so better to be in that lane earlier than trying to merge. If you take the inside lane and attempt to take the Glasheen exit then you'll be cutting in on someone already using that lane and could be liable in an accident IMO.

This is exactly my problem. If you are in the middle lane and turn go to Glasheen you are in the wrong. If you are in the right hand lane and you are going to Glasheen you are not "cutting-in" on someone. They should not be there because the middle lane is for straight ahead.

Some people really need a lesson on how to use a roundabout.

Wyldwood

If you are coming from Ballincollig onto the Poulavone roundabout and heading up Model Farm Road should you be in the left or right lane. I take the right lane based on the fact that it's the 3rd exit but have been blown out of it by cars coming on the left lane, including a driver instructor yesterday.

Rabbo

I'm not sure the first exit counts as its a minor road into an estate.

mikeecho

Rabbo wrote: »

I'm not sure the first exit counts as its a minor road into an estate.

it's still an exit, minor or not,

AEDIC

OP - totally agree..its one of the things that winds me up to ninety Try coming down from the Airport to turn right to Kinsale and you take your life in your hands on the 2 smaller roundabouts before the main one.

The number of people who will be in the left hand lane at them and then go in a straight line over the roundabout taking up the right hand lane and cutting people up is unreal... it is called a roundabout for a reason people.... you go around it...2 lanes...stay in your own.

arrrgh