Another Roundabout Question!

Leonard Hofstadter

Apologies if this has been covered already, but this leaflet strikes me as a bit odd.

This says that if you're taking any exit before '12 o'clock' then you must be in the left lane.

I think this is incorrect, when I was learning to drive I was taught that for the third and all subsequent exits, you must approach the roundabout in the right hand lane. In other words, even if the third or fourth exit is 'before 12 o'clock', then you should still be in the right lane approaching the roundabout.

I'm pretty sure if you didn't do what I'm claiming is the correct procedure that you will be faulted for doing so in the driving test.

The implication of the RSA leaflet is that for the third, fourth and any other exit, you should be in the left lane if it is straight ahead or to the left, and if it is to the right, then approach the roundabout in the right hand lane.

I have no issue with what they're saying when it comes to the second exit on a roundabout, as I was explicitly told when learning to drive that you approach the roundabout in the left lane if the second exit is 'before 12 o'clock' and if it is 'after 12 o'clock' then you must use the right lane.

The question is, who is right, me or the RSA, and why?

Here is the link to what I'm talking about.

endacl

What you were told sounds suspiciously like old-school instructor rule-of-thumberry...

On a standard four exit roundabout, with a two lane approach, left lane for exits 1 & 2, right lane for exit 3. Unless signposted otherwise.

Walkinstown roundabout, close one eye, hold breath, and floor it!

Guy:Incognito

Not on this point specifically but just because you were thought something by a driving instructor it doesnt mean its true. For the most part they are no more qualified than anyone else. They did their test and either set up as an instructor or got a job as one.

Guy:Incognito

endacl wrote: »

Walkinstown roundabout, close one eye, hold breath, and floor it!

The walkinstown roundabout is actually very simple. Unfortunately so are a large amount of people that use it. Each entrance bar the ballymount ( which has 2) on has 3 lanes . Each of the 6 exits is 1 lane. If everyone going off at the 1st or 2nd exits used the left lane , each going off at 3rd or 4th used the middle and 5th or 6th used the right it would work fine.

Of Course they have to be able to use lanes too, which the cant. A huge amount of people line up in the left lane and plough straight on in to the middle lane on the actual roundabout. Idiots.

mgbgt1978

The older 'rules of the road' book did indeed tell you to to use L/H lane for 1st and 2nd exits and R/H lane for subsequent exits.
The new rules (a few years old now) go by the 12 o'clock etc rule....in other words if there are 4 exits prior to the 12 o'clock position then you should use the L/H lane.
However, they also mention (and the RSA will also tell you this if you contact them) that in many cases the local authorities will have marked the approach lanes differently, and that you should follow the instructions in such cases........:rolleyes:.

Guy:Incognito

mgbgt1978 wrote: »

However, they also mention (and the RSA will also tell you this if you contact them) that in many cases the local authorities will have marked the approach lanes differently, and that you should follow the instructions in such cases........:rolleyes:.

This is a good thing. In a lot of cases , because of traffic flow etc people would be sitting in massive queues where they dont have to because the rules of the road say so.

Though I find half the time the places people chose to use roundabouts the ways the rules of the road say are at one that have signage saying they work differently.

RustyNut

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

The walkinstown roundabout is actually very simple. Unfortunately so are a large amount of people that use it. Each entrance bar the ballymount ( which has 2) on has 3 lanes . Each of the 6 exits is 1 lane. If everyone going off at the 1st or 2nd exits used the left lane , each going off at 3rd or 4th used the middle and 5th or 6th used the right it would work fine.

I live near this one and while I agree 100% with you, generally the close your eyes and just go for it seems to be the method of choice.

Haven't done it for years but you used to be able to sit in the Kestril and watch the madness, allways good for a laugh.

Red Kev

Video here of Walkinstown roundabout on a quietish Sunday morning. :pac:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEkc8dGF2ds

Valetta

Red Kev wrote: »

Video here of Walkinstown roundabout on a quietish Sunday morning. :pac:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEkc8dGF2ds

Some cool cars there.

Was that a maroon Consul at the start of the clip?

RustyNut

And if you think car drivers are bad you should see the clowns on bikes.

djimi

By the sounds of it both methods are still being thought. IMO the newer "clock face" system is pure nonsense; the exits system left no ambiguity and simply worked. If people needed to have it simplified then they probably shouldnt be on the road...

endacl

djimi wrote: »

By the sounds of it both methods are still being thought. IMO the newer "clock face" system is pure nonsense; the exits system left no ambiguity and simply worked. If people needed to have it simplified then they probably shouldnt be on the road...

Absolutely. Smacks of making things simple for people who are used to having things made simple. The irony being, of course, that it was already simple enough.

'Well, guard. You see, I was in the wrong lane and caused the crash because I was on the way to lunch and I always have me lunch after 12 o'clock'.

There are far to many people thinking they're being forward thinking and clever by redesigning stuff that works, and works well.

Karl Stein

My method for exiting a roundabout is to travel around it faster and faster until I reach escape velocity and fly off at tangent.








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corktina

clear signage and road markings would work much better than half-understood ROTR instructions and RSA TV campaigns.

Leonard Hofstadter

Thanks folks. It's only a few years ago since I had driving lessons. I know that roundabouts where the third exit is not to the right are quite rare, at least outside of Galway anyway where there's quite a few that I can think of, but it's worth being clear on the correct procedure, especially as so many people are unable to deal with roundabouts correctly.