"Experienced" drivers lacking knowledge or rules of the road

PoisonIvyBelle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120722153#Comment_120722153

Ok, so the rules are simple. Left lane exits before 12 o'clock and going straight once it's at 12 o'clock. Right lane for after 12 o'clock not including 12 o'clock. If the road markings indicate left turn only, then obv use the right lane for any other exits.

But in your case with this roundabout, I can see the confusion. Where there actually two lanes of traffic in that road before you came to the roundabout, or did you just form two lanes when you got to it?

eggy81

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120722869#Comment_120722869

It’s a single lane approach.

PoisonIvyBelle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120726910#Comment_120726910

Good luck to them with their premium insurance rates when someone finally hits them due to this nonsense.

PoisonIvyBelle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120725976#Comment_120725976

I'm waiting for him to reply to a Q as not sure he did but we'll see!

Your driving lesson comment is interesting, I swear I know every roundabout in South dublin after 50+ lessons for test that all involved roundabouts! The Graduate one in Sallynoggin usually catches people out, so I did it tons to get used to it. I used to have a bit of a fear of them but, trust me, doing tons every lesson soon beat that out of me! It's actually one of the things I'm most confident in now because I worked so hard at understanding it and getting it right.

Markus Antonius

1. Old man drivers - they drive slowly, they believe they are the best drivers, they believe they are never wrong
2. Middle age women drivers - They direct traffic from their cars using hand gestures and flashes, they think they own the road, they think they know better than the rules of the road
3. Taxi drivers - they pull up where they like/obstruct the flow of traffic, they bend the rules
4. Boy racers - Are actually very pleasant during the day but lose points for driving like d!cks in the middle of the night
5. Old women drivers - drive too slowly but are otherwise good
6. Women drivers - Excellent
7. Male drivers - Excellent and respect the bodywork.

This is my list of worst drivers, 1 being worst.

Ramasun

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120732444#Comment_120732444

I've been the idiot many times.

You never know what's happening with another person at any time in any situation.

Be patient, don't get stressed because someone isn't doing things your way.

Citrus_8

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120732501#Comment_120732501

Walkinstown, D12 is more difficult to me because of 3 lanes at approach and no narrows on the road. It's a bit difficult to judge if the exit is just a little before, past or exactly at 12 o'clock, because the entry to the roundabout due to 3 lanes at approach is so wide that depending on which lane you're in, a view angle is different and a perspective is different. Example, do we judge about the 12 o'clock angle from the perspective of the way our vehicle is positioned or from the centre of the road position?

Approach is either 2 or 3 lanes, exits are always 1 lane in this roundabout. 2 lanes is ok: left for anything including 12 and right lane for anything beyond 12 excluding 12. What about a 3 lane approach? First lane for anything up to and including 12 or for a first exit only? Middle is for anything up to and including 12, but not the first exit? Third lane at approach is anything past 12 and excluding 12?

This obviously doesn't apply to the turbo roundabouts which locks you in the lane at approach and leads all the way to the exit without a need of changing lanes within the roundabout.

I use a Walkinstown roundabout odd times and found that most drivers are extra careful and very accommodating, but silly situations happen. I myself have a habit to change lanes between the exits to make sure I'm exiting from the outer lane of the roundabout itself. Say, if I approach the roundabout from the third lane, I gradually change to the second and between the other exits to the first. But some drivers leave this roundabout from the third (inner) lane. I find it disturbing. Even a habit of exiting a roundabout from the second lane of the roundabout I find odd, but as far as I know that allowed? There's a huge possible conflict here. Would be much easier to just change a lane and get ready to exit orderly. Why just some people do that?

standardg60

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120732635#Comment_120732635

The W roundabout is a bit of an anomaly but basically left lane for 1st or 2nd exit, middle lane for third which is more or less straight, and right lane for anything after.

If three cars enter at the same time then each exits leaving the way clear for the car on their right to exit. It's perfectly fine to leave directly from the middle or inner lane as your way should be clear, trying to move to the outer lane before you get to your exit when you have cars on your left is just going to cause issues.

I dug out my rules of the road book for you. There are two occasions when you can use the right lane for straight ahead. When the left lane is blocked or closed or if directed by a Garda, that's it.

Citrus_8

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120733352#Comment_120733352

Thank you 😊

deravarra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120732491#Comment_120732491

So why would anyone go to the rigthtmost part of the lane, and not stay in the centre?

Juran

I've been saying it for years, we have such bad drivers in Ireland. The more West you go, the worst they get.

Galway I reckon has the highest % of bad drivers.

Daily observations for me:

Can't seem to take off when lights go green. Sit there till it goes orange, takes off and leaves the feckers behind stuck with the red light again.

Pulls out of small roads onto main roads, then crawls at under 50 km ph.

No awareness of the traffic behind them. Dont realize they are holding up 5 miles of traffic, dont understand to pull in and let traffic pass if they cant go past 3rd gear.

I spent 5 years working in Germany, Holland & France up until 2019, and had a car at all times. I dont recall using my horn once. I moved back to Ireland in 2019, I had used my horn twice on my first day home.

I drive to UK on holidays, and France and Spain / Portugal. Its a pleasure to drive there. Everyone is so nippy, they know how to move, keep the traffic flowing, use the correct lanes on motorways, etc.

Markus Antonius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120735488#Comment_120735488

Can 100% confirm this about Galway, especially the pulling straight out onto the main road and then taking sweet time.

KC8420

Walkinstown is just a nightmare.

Spook_ie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120726506#Comment_120726506

No not really, because you are not turning right from that lane.

Imagine all these poor ( probably USA as they don't have many roundabouts ) drivers coming across a junction with arrows that says turn right and they do so straight into oncoming traffic.

Anyways the law says you must turn left on entering a roundabout ( note not talking exit but actually entering a roundabout )

Citrus_8

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120730178#Comment_120730178

So I have just looked up and apparently we both are right. The difference is the wording. You think that the right lane should only be taken for 12 exit if the first lane is blocked, while ROR allows to use it even if there are a lot of cars showing a left turn signal standing in the left lane. Of course, this is only if the roundabout has no arrows.

It's seems to be much more lenient and flexible than you try to picture it.

ROR p. 133, pdf can be found here:

https://www.rsa.ie/services/learner-drivers/resources/rules-of-the-road

standardg60

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120768967#Comment_120768967

That bit is not in my book so seems to have been added since and seems to be an example that someone hasn't thought through. If it was into a shopping centre at Christmas then maybe, but it makes no sense on a road full of traffic.

How can anyone know all the cars are indicating left when you're approaching? You can only see the one in front of you.

JPup

By far and away the most common form of dangerous driving I see is tailgating. Any time I'm on the M50 or a major road, you will see almost every car too close to the one in front of them. You even see it in the Dublin port tunnel with professional truck drivers up the behind of the truck in front of them, despite the chevron symbols on the ground and repeated warning signs.

It's become extremely noticeable to me since I got a car with adaptive cruise control. The car will match the speed of the vehicle in front and leaves a safe distance in case of a tire blow out or other unforeseen event. Almost every time I drive with this on an Irish motorway, people feel I am going too slow and will cut in.

magicbastarder

By far and away the most common form of dangerous driving I see is tailgating

Nope, don't see that listed here

https://twitter.com/TIITraffic/status/1673328475363586050

magicbastarder

ah, they deleted the tweet.

Citrus_8

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120769037#Comment_120769037

Your reply to my comment a few days back was to say that I should a lot to learn... This is a huge problem of so called experienced drivers - you should retake a theory test every 10 years if you don't feel wanting to get familiar with the changes voluntarily. As you see, people shouldn't be too certain about their ROR as it can be dangerous. We drive, we make mistakes, we aren't fully updated. But we shouldn't put down others telling to update their knowledge while we don't do that ourselves... Sounds a bit arrogant and slightly aggressive. I hope, your driving style isn't in line with your attitude.

standardg60

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120769681#Comment_120769681

Lol as I've said the line of traffic turning left is nonsense, it's a dangerous example and should be removed as it makes no sense.

If there was only one car proceeding straight on in that long line of cars turning left then you've broken the rotr, so you'd better check they all are.

newmember2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120735413#Comment_120735413

They shouldn't have but thought they'd be extra courteous in not obstructing traffic going immediate left. If you went onto the roundabout in front of him then he only has himself to blame tbh but if you passed him out on the left while he was already on the roundabout then you were wrong - did you not notice all the road debris in this imaginary 'inner' lane?

ForestFire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120769920#Comment_120769920

Agree this makes no sense to be trying this....although if you do it's your responsibility to make sure the left lane is clear before trying to exit?

If you really want or have to go straight (12) in the right lane, then you should go all the way around the round about 540degress.

Also, I still don't get these 6-12 and 12-6 positions, in the ROTR they show this as the actual physical road, but in many cases, you cannot see the exit (Large roundabouts) and some in Galway the position on the signs do not match the physical positions.

magic17

A mandatory refresher course of the rules every 10 years or so would do no harm. Even something online, doesn't have to be overly complicated. One of these type of things where you have to sit and watch a series of videos and then answer questions.

A few days ago I came across flashing red lights and I genuinely had no idea what I was supposed to do. I know what flashing orange is. My gut said to wait but after 20 seconds I took off once it was safe. When I got to my destination the 1st thing I did was Google it and it turns out I shouldn't have went.

Citrus_8

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120770697#Comment_120770697

Completely agree for some sort of a mandatory theory test online every 10 years.

Red light flashing? Was it a rail crossing light? Never seen a regular road traffic sign red flashing. Was it just a red-green light? Sometimes seen in parking in European continent.

Pythagorean

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120730291#Comment_120730291

My niece was due to take her driving test shortly, so I sat in with her on a test route, just to give her some feedback as to her driving. On approach to a roundabout where she intended to go straight through, she first indicated right, then left as she took the first exit. I pointed out that this signalling was not only unnecessary, but also potentially misleading. She replied "but my driving instructor told me to do it" . I see this quite often on roundabouts, indeed I even saw a Garda car signal like this !!

deravarra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120801664#Comment_120801664

Well, if the driving instructors are teaching this, then they need to be reported.

Citrus_8

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120801664#Comment_120801664

This type of signaling is only being used on the carriageways or motorways by lorry drivers to say 'thanks' instead of the hazard lights other drivers use. But I've never seen anyone using this type of signaling on approach to the roundabouts, and I hope I won't 🙂

Kurooi

I find about 1/3 to a half of drivers signal wrong in a round about. I pretty much don't look at the signals anymore just focus my eyes on their wheels. Too many times people actively signalling right suddenly cut into a left turn. So many times.

alias no.9

The other car may have taken a poor position entering the roundabout but without a second marked lane entering the roundabout, it's no different to any other place on the road, you cannot move up the left hand side of the car in front unless you are turning left or they have indicated to turn right.

Once on the roundabout, you yield to traffic on your right.