Roundabouts

Dravokivich · 16-06-2009 12:33PM

Mossy Monk wrote: »

The roundabout around the Arc de Triumph in Paris is fecking lethal. Great fun to watch from above though.

http://www.zpinaddict.com/parisimg/archstar.jpg

Yeah, someone posted that already, mad thing about that area is that if you crash, insurance companies won't payout.

- Drav!

ZYX · 16-06-2009 01:14PM

Much worse at roundabouts are drivers who turn right from Left Hand lane or turn left from Right Hand Lane. This seems to be really prevalent when approaching N3 from Castleknock or Blanchardstown. Nearly got killed a couple of times with the guilty drivers blowing their horns at me as if I was somehow in the wrong.

Mossy Monk · 16-06-2009 01:19PM

ZYX wrote: »

Much worse at roundabouts are drivers who turn right from Left Hand lane or turn left from Right Hand Lane.

You can put drivers who overtake on a roundabout as absolute idiots too.

Jaysoose · 16-06-2009 01:28PM

Mossy Monk wrote: »

You can put drivers who overtake on a roundabout as absolute idiots too.

CAn i add the prick that tried to merge into the lane i was while going round Scotts roundabout this morning into this list, he gave me a dirty look and waved his arms for some reason when i didnt want to change my speed and let him in while half way a roundabout.

20goto10 · 16-06-2009 01:34PM

Who paints the arrows on roundabout approaches? Left lane is for left and straight on and right lane is for turning right and doing an about turn am I correct here? The amount of roundabouts that have striaght on arrows in the right lane and left only arrows in the left lane is ridiculous. There's a stretch of road (don't know the name of it but its approaching Dundrum centre from the M50) where each roundabout changes. 1st one I need to be in the right lane to go straight, 2nd one I need to be in the left lane and so on. It's no wonder people are confused. What happens when you approach a roundabout you're not familiar with only to find out you're in the wrong lane?

ad1 · 16-06-2009 01:37PM

Roundabouts are great! /you get places way faster than with traffic lights. And at the busy ones, you even get that 'quick, quick, quick' feeling as you glance back to check that your tail has made it out of the way of the oncoming car...

ZYX · 16-06-2009 01:40PM

20goto10 wrote: »

Who paints the arrows on roundabout approaches? Left lane is for left and straight on and right lane is for turning right and doing an about turn am I correct here? The amount of roundabouts that have striaght on arrows in the right lane and left only arrows in the left lane is ridiculous. There's a stretch of road (don't know the name of it but its approaching Dundrum centre from the M50) where each roundabout changes. 1st one I need to be in the right lane to go straight, 2nd one I need to be in the left lane and so on. It's no wonder people are confused. What happens when you approach a roundabout you're not familiar with only to find out you're in the wrong lane?

If the road signs or markings indicate that you can go straight on in right lane then it is legal to do so. It is only where there is no sign that it is illegal.

20goto10 · 16-06-2009 01:45PM

ZYX wrote: »

If the road signs or markings indicate that you can go straight on in right lane then it is legal to do so. It is only where there is no sign that it is illegal.

There are no signposts, just an arrow on the road right at the roundabout junction, at which point its too late to change lanes. If the arrow says I can go straight then that's fine. The problem arises when you approach an unfamilar roundabout in the left lane with the intentions of going straight (as per the rules of the road) only to find out this is a special roundabout that has its own rules of the road and if I want to go straight on I need to dive across to the other lane or break the rules in some form or other. OR I could let it force me left and hence in the wrong direction, but who's going to do that?

vibe666 · 16-06-2009 01:47PM

Twin-go wrote: »

Any Roundabout I have come across with exits 1 and 2 before the 12 o'clock position will have road markings showing to use right lane for exits 3+. Example is the Coonagh Roundabout in Limerick.

the RoTR says that you follow the general rule unless the road markings dictate otherwise in which case road markings take precedence, which is (again) the same for just about everywhere that uses roundabouts.

unfortunately in Ireland, most of the time the NRA seem to think that almost on top of the roundabout directly under the car you are queuing behind is the ideal first place to indicate which lane you need to be in when it's too late to do anything about it. :rolleyes:

generally speaking, if you follow the 12 o'clock rule and watch out for road markings telling you differently, you'll be doing it right when some feckless eejit who is indicating left but going right who doesn't know how to negotiate a roundabout t-bones you and totals your motor.

kingtut · 16-06-2009 01:47PM

Gees this is my first post in this thread. Read through all the posts and really wish I had not bothered. It is worrying that half the people who contributed so far clearly do not have a clue how to use a roundabout.

It is at times like this that I wish I was a mod so that I could end this thread and give a few of you a kick up the a*s.

/rant

Saruman · 16-06-2009 01:52PM

The amount of times I have been in the right lane of a roundabout, taking the 3rd exit (going right) and the clown in the left hand lane does not stay to the left and only my quick reflexes and jamming on the brakes while sounding the horn wakes them up and saves an accident. I swear my car (age etc) is getting to the stage that I will ignore the muppets and not be waiting for them to cut across into the wrong lane one of these days and if they hit me then tough crap as they are in the wrong.

I did wrote to the RSA about getting all roundabouts not only with the arrows indicating what lane you should be in but also actually have lanes on the roundabout. It seems every new roundabout I have been on in recent years has two approach lanes but no dividing lane on the roundabout itself which probably explains at least some of the muppetry.

I did get a response, they passed my mail to the NRA and the NRA responded to me but pretty much said that they only have control of roundabouts on national routes and that its up to drivers to know what lane to be in.

20goto10 · 16-06-2009 01:54PM

kingtut wrote: »

Gees this is my first post in this thread. Read through all the posts and really wish I had not bothered. It is worrying that half the people who contributed so far clearly do not have a clue how to use a roundabout.

It is at times like this that I wish I was a mod so that I could end this thread and give a few of you a kick up the a*s.

/rant

Why not enlighten us?

Twin-go · 16-06-2009 01:59PM

It's simple:

Left Lane 7 o'clock to 12 o'clock

Right Lane 1 o'clock to 6 o'clock

Exceptions:

Where there are lane markings directing otherwise/Garda Direction.

kingtut · 16-06-2009 02:04PM

20goto10 wrote: »

Why not enlighten us?

I'm too busy reading all the stories of the idiots that people in this thread have encountered on the roads.

dylano_k · 16-06-2009 02:11PM

They replaced a roundabout in lucan with a crossroads last year and ever since it was replaced...the traffic goes back as far as The Arc sometimes, its never been as bad before that...so i think its better that there's so many roundabouts.

20goto10 · 16-06-2009 02:12PM

Twin-go wrote: »

It's simple:

Left Lane 7 o'clock to 12 o'clock

Right Lane 1 o'clock to 6 o'clock

Exceptions:

Where there are lane markings directing otherwise/Garda Direction.

Why have any exceptions at all? What is the point in changing the rules? You're not allowed stop on a roundabout (in theory

) so it can't be a "traffic management" exercise. Get rid of all exceptions and you'll solve 99% of the problem of "idiot drivers". I even know someone who thinks the right lane is always straight on, because of the road markings and because when the standard rules apply there is usually no road markings meaning you never see a marking saying the left lane is for straight on - therefore the right lane must be for going straight...QED

Degag · 16-06-2009 02:13PM

Anyone think it's fairly silly to put the roundabout directions on the road itself, i mean,

HOW THE FCUK ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO SEE THEM WITH A LINE OF TRAFFIC COVERING THEM!!!!:mad:

Saruman · 16-06-2009 02:20PM

Degag wrote: »

Anyone think it's fairly silly to put the roundabout directions on the road itself, i mean,

HOW THE FCUK ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO SEE THEM WITH A LINE OF TRAFFIC COVERING THEM!!!!:mad:

Not just roundabout directions either. All of them!

In the US they always have the lane directions overhead either on big banner signs like on the upgraded N4 or else hanging from the wires that the traffic lights hang on.

Then again, where there are signs they would be ignored. Most obvious example is the N3 Auburn roundabout coming from the auburn road. The sign clearly shows left lane for Navan (blanch ctr direction) and right for city. the road markings themselves show the left hand lane for left and straight ahead (towards river road, elm greeen golf course) and right lane is also straight ahead and to the right yet every muppet goes in to the right lane to go LEFT??? Its wrong and dangerous. I was going to river road once and I was in the left lane and some clown in a van comes around from the right lane and tries to go left for the m50. Moron!!

I swear if I was stupid enough to be a minister for transport I would go around the country and mark places that need new road markings and signs and get it done even if I had to paint the damn lines myself.

ScumLord · 16-06-2009 02:37PM

Degag wrote: »

Anyone think it's fairly silly to put the roundabout directions on the road itself, i mean,

HOW THE FCUK ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO SEE THEM WITH A LINE OF TRAFFIC COVERING THEM!!!!:mad:

Well for one thing the vast majority of roundabouts work the same way. 2nd of all you shouldn't be right up the hole of the vehicle in front. 3rd of all if your up the hole of the vehicle in front and it's a truck you won't see the overhead sign then either.

Everyone needs to stop driving up each others hole.

Saruman · 16-06-2009 02:41PM

ScumLord wrote: »

Well for one thing the vast majority of roundabouts work the same way. 2nd of all you shouldn't be right up the hole of the vehicle in front. 3rd of all if your up the hole of the vehicle in front and it's a truck you won't see the overhead sign then either.

Everyone needs to stop driving up each others hole.

You should probably think about that for a moment.
Since the arrows are painted at the front of the junction, if there are two cars stopped then you can leave all the space you like, you will still not see the arrow.

Not until the cars in front move and you then find you are in the wrong lane and its too late.
Still any intelligent person in that situation will go around the roundabout and get where they are going anyway as opposed to the Irish solution of drive dangerously of force your way in front of other cars.

You are right about the first point though, people should know how to use a roundabout.

Degag · 16-06-2009 02:45PM

ScumLord wrote: »

Well for one thing the vast majority of roundabouts work the same way. 2nd of all you shouldn't be right up the hole of the vehicle in front. 3rd of all if your up the hole of the vehicle in front and it's a truck you won't see the overhead sign then either.

Everyone needs to stop driving up each others hole.

Where i'm from, three of the roundabouts work differently from the rest....

And as Saruman said it's impossible to see road markings no matter what distance you keep from other cars... what about when cars stop right on the markings?

ScumLord · 16-06-2009 02:47PM

Saruman wrote: »

You should probably think about that for a moment.
Since the arrows are painted at the front of the junction, if there are two cars stopped then you can leave all the space you like, you will still not see the arrow.

Not until the cars in front move and you then find you are in the wrong lane and its too late.
Still any intelligent person in that situation will go around the roundabout and get where they are going anyway as opposed to the Irish solution of drive dangerously of force your way in front of other cars.

You are right about the first point though, people should know how to use a roundabout.

I pretty sure most roundabouts start putting down directions long before you get to them.

Degag · 16-06-2009 02:52PM

ScumLord wrote: »

I pretty sure most roundabouts start putting down directions long before you get to them.

No they don't. There are road markings where the road devides into lanes about 50 metres from the roundabout itself which are often covered by traffic.

Saruman · 16-06-2009 02:59PM

ScumLord wrote: »

I pretty sure most roundabouts start putting down directions long before you get to them.

I have been driving for over 10 years and have NEVER seen what you just described, not for a roundabout.
All road markings are right up at the junction, its rare even for a normal traffic light junction to have road markings that can always be seen.

Let me give you an example. If you know Ballymun, Santry cross (the days hotel).
If you come from santry and want to go straight through the junction to get to finglas (or the new Ikea building) then you have to be in the left hand lane, the left hand lane starts out as a bus lane so you need to move into it. It is not until you get to near the junction that the arrow turns in to a right hand (for m50) arrow. 20 meters back the arrow was for straight ahead.
You can never see the arrow as there are always cars in front and stopped so unless you know the junction, you will find yourself in the wrong lane.
A simple overhead sign would solve that problem for the most part, unless as you said you find yourself riding the arse of a truck and can not see it.

16-06-2009 03:13PM

If a roundabout uses non-standard lane designation then there should be a sign like this on the approach!

vibe666 · 16-06-2009 03:13PM

Twin-go wrote: »

It's simple:

Left Lane 7 o'clock to 12 o'clock

Right Lane 1 o'clock to 6 o'clock

Exceptions:

Where there are lane markings directing otherwise/Garda Direction.

spot on! now where's the "gold star" smiley?

in the 2 miles to drive to get my lunch and back I go through 4 roundabouts and in the journey there and back i saw 6 people driving in the wrong lanes either coming into or coming out of those roundabouts.

the funny thing is i bet most of them would swear blind they know what lane they're supposed to be in. :rolleyes:

vibe666 · 16-06-2009 03:15PM

Deleted User wrote: »

If a roundabout uses non-standard lane designation then there should be a sign like this on the approach!

and every roundabout should have one of THESE, regardless.

Fink Goddie · 16-06-2009 03:17PM

The red whore roundabout is the worst!

ScumLord · 16-06-2009 04:13PM

Saruman wrote: »

I have been driving for over 10 years and have NEVER seen what you just described, not for a roundabout.
All road markings are right up at the junction, its rare even for a normal traffic light junction to have road markings that can always be seen.

Let me give you an example. If you know Ballymun, Santry cross (the days hotel).
If you come from santry and want to go straight through the junction to get to finglas (or the new Ikea building) then you have to be in the left hand lane, the left hand lane starts out as a bus lane so you need to move into it. It is not until you get to near the junction that the arrow turns in to a right hand (for m50) arrow. 20 meters back the arrow was for straight ahead.
You can never see the arrow as there are always cars in front and stopped so unless you know the junction, you will find yourself in the wrong lane.
A simple overhead sign would solve that problem for the most part, unless as you said you find yourself riding the arse of a truck and can not see it.

I avoid driving in Dublin as much as possible. It drives me insane and I feel the urge to puck someone in the face, unfortunately I'm usually the only one in the car so it just turns into a farce of me pucking myself in the head and pointing at people screaming at them.

Don't get me wrong I'm not trying to defend the jamrags that plan the roads in Ireland. I'm sure they are just pulling the worlds greatest in joke with the state of Irish roads. But I'm fairly sure in the lanes coming up to the legendary terryland roundabout in Galway the directions are repeated every so often on the ground.

Saruman · 16-06-2009 05:58PM

Maybe they do their Roundabouts properly in Galway

I do not drive there much. In Dublin though.... well

I keep imagining the aliens in simpsons looking down at us and mocking!
"Stupid earthlings can not even drive around in circles without hitting each other. We will destroy them, mwuhahahha" or something along those lines

Roundabouts

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