What's the point of these poxy junctions!

Cienciano

Doing my driving lessons and the most annoying junction I think is the ones with a painted traffic island that you have to drive around.
Example here, you're heading north up the fontill road and want to turn right up boot road. Now, imagine traffic is busy and you're in the right hand lane
http://goo.gl/maps/XQNPG
You're not allowed cross the white line into painted traffic island (i forget the name for them!), so you have to try get into a space in the left hand lane, mirror, indicate manovure, over the shoulder look and move in. Go past the traffic island thingy, do all your look, indicate, road position, over the shoulder look and move in to the right lane you were already in!
Anyone know whats the point of them?
I know in a non test situation no one actually drives around them, they just go straight over them and make the right turn.

Alanstrainor

They're just there to make sure the 2 lanes merge into one to get through the junction.

Even in a test situation, if there was a lot of traffic, I would probably drive through the hatch markings. I did this at a similar junction during my test years ago, because not doing so was just madness.

That being said, I'd wait and see if any of the ADI's who post here can offer their opinion on it.

stacexD

Didn't cover this with my instructor but a friend of mine came across it with hers and he told her in a test situation where there is traffic, tell the tester she is going to move into the box so as not to hold up traffic.
Whether that's right or not is another thing so maybe run it by your instructor?

loobylou

Don't know the junction but from the pic I would imagine its to prevent traffic from using the right lane to proceed straight ahead through the crossing, given theres only one lane at the other side.
If there was no traffic backed up I would move into the left lane and then back right again, as directed. If there was traffic backed up I would maintain my position and drive over the hatched markings.
If I were to do that on a test I would briefly mention why to the tester.

rosie16

in general i was told it's an automatic fail for entering hatch markings Maybe testers might be more lenient ....

miss no stars

I asked my instructor about this - he said if you'd be holding up traffic by not driving over the hatching - drive over the hatching.

Eire Go Brach

You picked a good example of a picture. If you look to your right. You have the same situation. But there is an island in the way.

My instructor told me not to cross the lines. You obviously can not when the island is there.

But I have noticed myself that when I do it right. Others people go over the markings and get in your way.

Motor-Ed

Cienciano wrote: »

Doing my driving lessons and the most annoying junction I think is the ones with a painted traffic island that you have to drive around.
Example here, you're heading north up the fontill road and want to turn right up boot road. Now, imagine traffic is busy and you're in the right hand lane
http://goo.gl/maps/XQNPG
You're not allowed cross the white line into painted traffic island (i forget the name for them!), so you have to try get into a space in the left hand lane, mirror, indicate manovure, over the shoulder look and move in. Go past the traffic island thingy, do all your look, indicate, road position, over the shoulder look and move in to the right lane you were already in!
Anyone know whats the point of them?
I know in a non test situation no one actually drives around them, they just go straight over them and make the right turn.

The main idea of them is to Protect the car turning right and to keep other vehicles to the left. They are painted because there isn.t enough space to place an island. They are called hatch markings. They can be crossed to avoid an obstacle or by a bigger vehicle gaining access.

redarmy1929

https://maps.google.ie/maps?q=Boot+Road,+Clondalkin&hl=en&ll=53.320687,-6.42072&spn=0.000505,0.00142&sll=53.3834,-8.21775&sspn=8.551334,22.91748&oq=boot+road&t=h&hnear=Boot+Rd,+County+Dublin&z=20

This one is even worse, and dangerous too imo. you have to go from the right lane to the left lane, then back into the right lane if you intend to turn right, meanwhile some tool is flying up the right lane, going through the island.

Motor-Ed

redarmy1929 wrote: »

https://maps.google.ie/maps?q=Boot+Road,+Clondalkin&hl=en&ll=53.320687,-6.42072&spn=0.000505,0.00142&sll=53.3834,-8.21775&sspn=8.551334,22.91748&oq=boot+road&t=h&hnear=Boot+Rd,+County+Dublin&z=20

This one is even worse, and dangerous too imo. you have to go from the right lane to the left lane, then back into the right lane if you intend to turn right, meanwhile some tool is flying up the right lane, going through the island.

Proves my point as far as I can see "protecting the car turning right"
Traffic lanes and road markings are there to be obeyed, it's when the "Tool" as you describe , ignores it then the accident will happen, otherwise lets do away with Stop signs etc and have a free for all

GreeBo

They also ensure that traffic staying in the left lane (as its supposed to) is afforded the opportunity to turn right without being blocked by a solid lane of traffic.