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RSA leaflet: using the correct lane on roundabouts

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Comments

  • #32
    Mc Love
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,015 ✭✭✭✭Mc Love


    mfceiling wrote: »

    The roundabout at the top of my road is a great example. People who want to go straight on and see 6 or 7 cars in front of them will skip up the outside (right lane)....then drive straight through...most of the time they nearly get lamped, and only for the car in the correct lane letting them in there would be 20 or 30 crashes every day.

    Well according to the ISM video they are entitled to use the right lane for driving straight on if there is an obstruction in the left lane :rolleyes:


  • #33
    Del2005
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19,073 ✭✭✭✭Del2005


    Iwannahurl wrote: »
    And yet the promoters (and "designers") of roundabouts in this country would claim they are safer than other junction types.

    Something wrong somewhere design-wise. And no, it can't be just down to driver behaviour and lane discipline. Roundabouts are meant to be inherently safer.

    Pity the poor pedestrians and cyclists. If vans are nearly written off practically as a matter of routine, what hope have these vulnerable road users with no metal box, seat-belts and air-bags to protect them? No wonder so many cyclists especially loathe, avoid or inappropriately navigate Irish roundabouts.

    It's totally down to driver behaviour due to a complete lack of any Road Traffic legislation bar speeding and DUI being actively enforced.

    Look at the 4 way stops in the USA. Do you think for a second they'd work here?

    Similarly how many drivers stop when a pedestrian takes a junction at a roundabout? Hence the danger to pedestrians

    All the other countries I've driven in have similar laws to our junction laws and there pedestrians just walk onto the road as they know cars will stop. Here I'm still checking every when crossing with lights never mind at an uncontrolled junction.


  • #34
    mfceiling
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,989 ✭✭✭✭mfceiling


    Mc Love wrote: »
    Well according to the ISM video they are entitled to use the right lane for driving straight on if there is an obstruction in the left lane :rolleyes:

    Where's the obstruction?

    Can't wait their turn so they drive up the outside of everyone else and cut in front of the people who are waiting in the "correct" lane to go straight ahead.

    Where's the obstruction?:rolleyes:


  • #35
    Iwannahurl
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,156 ✭✭✭Iwannahurl


    Del2005 wrote: »
    It's totally down to driver behaviour due to a complete lack of any Road Traffic legislation bar speeding and DUI being actively enforced.

    Look at the 4 way stops in the USA. Do you think for a second they'd work here?

    Similarly how many drivers stop when a pedestrian takes a junction at a roundabout? Hence the danger to pedestrians

    All the other countries I've driven in have similar laws to our junction laws and there pedestrians just walk onto the road as they know cars will stop. Here I'm still checking every when crossing with lights never mind at an uncontrolled junction.




    Well, I wouldn't say other road traffic violations are being ignored. The Penalty Point stats bear this out. Speed and DUI are major risk factors and they deserve major attention.

    However, I would like to see a much higher level of enforcement in relation to other types of misbehaviour. We are too lax in that regard, IMO, and even just a greater level of Garda visibility would help to concentrate minds.

    I wouldn't hold my breath though. When I see a Garda vehicle traversing a roundabout I often take a good look to see how they do it. Surprisingly often the driver does not indicate at all. Tut tut.


  • #36
    wonski
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,679 ✭✭✭✭wonski


    Del2005 wrote: »
    It's totally down to driver behaviour due to a complete lack of any Road Traffic legislation bar speeding and DUI being actively enforced.

    Look at the 4 way stops in the USA. Do you think for a second they'd work here?

    Similarly how many drivers stop when a pedestrian takes a junction at a roundabout? Hence the danger to pedestrians

    All the other countries I've driven in have similar laws to our junction laws and there pedestrians just walk onto the road as they know cars will stop. Here I'm still checking every when crossing with lights never mind at an uncontrolled junction.

    Speeding is actively enforced, and most drivers are not to happy about it.
    DUI - been breathalyzed only once in 3 years time...

    As for the 4 way stops (USA style) - no, they wouldn't. When the traffic lights are faulty here, i kind of like it. Green one for me all the time. People seem to be confused and forget which one is minor road...

    As for the pedestrians - they should look both sides too, before crossing the road. In some countries pedestrians can get tickets if they cross at red light, or in the wrong place. In Ireland they just walk onto the road without even looking. How the pedestrian knows if the car stops? What country is this you are talking about???


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  • #37
    Cookie_Monster
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,623 ✭✭✭✭Cookie_Monster


    Del2005 wrote: »
    Look at the 4 way stops in the USA. Do you think for a second they'd work here?

    we have at least one in Killiney. In my experience for the most part, those on the old 'main road' still think they have right of way through the junction and don't always stop or give way.


  • #38
    Vertakill
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,262 ✭✭✭Vertakill


    Bigcheeze wrote: »
    This bit in bold seems to be new and is effectively saying you are free to use the right lane if going straight through. My main gripe with the clock system was that it stupidly forced most of the traffic into the left lane on a dual carriageway. It appears they have now seen sense on this point.

    That's the only thing they needed to add a loooong time ago and it would allievate a lot of the confusion.
    If there's a few cars lined up in the left lane all going left, and you want to go straight through, you shouldn't need to line up with them - it makes sense.
    Iwannahurl wrote: »
    BTW, how does the new RSA guide tally with this instructional video from the Irish School of Motoring?

    You'll notice that ISM refer to First/Second/Third exits etc.

    Welcome back to the roundabout thread(s) Iwannahurl - last time I seen a post of yours was in that huuuge thread :)

    And I agree here, there's a bit of an overlap here and there's some misleading information.


  • #39
    Del2005
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19,073 ✭✭✭✭Del2005


    wonski wrote: »

    As for the pedestrians - they should look both sides too, before crossing the road. In some countries pedestrians can get tickets if they cross at red light, or in the wrong place. In Ireland they just walk onto the road without even looking.

    As I said none of our road traffic laws are actively enforced and from reading a thread on a different forum here it appears our jay walking laws don't exist or are totally unenforceable, I can't find it now.

    Because even if they are in the wrong it's still the drivers fault for hitting them, so why should they bother checking if it's safe?
    wonski wrote: »
    How the pedestrian knows if the car stops?
    They have either a green light or have taken the junction. Active enforcement means that all road users obey the laws.
    wonski wrote: »
    What country is this you are talking about???

    USA and a northern main land Europe.


  • #40
    matt-dublin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,468 ✭✭✭matt-dublin


    Bigcheeze wrote: »
    It gives examples. It's not an exhaustive list of reasons to use the right lane.

    IMO it's effectively saying that use of the left lane is preferred but use your common sense and judgement to use the right lane as appropriate. Clearly where there are roundabouts on dual carriageways it is common sense for the through traffic to use both lanes rather than having most traffic try to merge into one lane and then fan out again after the roundabout.
    So if not every car is indicating left you cant use the right lane on the 6 o clock exit of a roundabout?

    but you can't tell if every car is indicating left from the back of the queue....

    which means yes, you can use the right lane in a two lane roundabout to exit at 6, everything prior to that should really be the left lane.


  • #41
    wonski
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,679 ✭✭✭✭wonski


    Del2005 wrote: »
    As I said none of our road traffic laws are actively enforced and from reading a thread on a different forum here it appears our jay walking laws don't exist or are totally unenforceable, I can't find it now.

    Because even if they are in the wrong it's still the drivers fault for hitting them, so why should they bother checking if it's safe?


    They have either a green light or have taken the junction. Active enforcement means that all road users obey the laws.



    USA and a northern main land Europe.

    This explains the differences - eastern part of Europe is different, so is Ireland...

    To be honest with you i still prefer Ireland for driving over some eastern European countries. It was a bit off-topic anyway, but i agree with you, - at the same time - we are in different country now, and things work differently. Enforcement is poor, and Gardai is less visible on the road in recent months in my area. Gatso vans are more visble tough, but most of the drivers would rather see Gardai pulling cars over, than just sending tickets by post.


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  • #42
    TheDoc
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,140 ✭✭✭✭TheDoc


    Relatively new driver myself, started September and have been on my own the last two months driving.

    I had no experience and went with an instructor straight away, and always had a little chuckle at this ads on the radio.

    It is only since being out on my own and watching how the vast majority of people treat and deal with roundabouts that its not funny anymore. Its pretty scandalous, I got through three roundabouts of busy traffic on the way from my house and the amount of errors and crashes caused by poor decisions is unreal.

    And this coming from someone not even on the go six months : /


  • #43
    BeerSteakBirds
    Closed Accounts Posts: 494 ✭✭BeerSteakBirds


    On a recent trip to Italy, roundabouts were a hair raising experience when I encountered them connecting fast moving national roads and motorways and many Italians didn't obey their speed limits either for most of my trip entering the roundabouts at very high speeds.
    Anyone who plans to be driving abroad on the opposite side of the road to the one we are used to should definitely make sure they understand the ins and outs of them especially if you are on a family holiday with kids in the back seat then this is extremely important.
    Traffic will be circling the roundabout in the opposite direction to the one you are used to with a couple of lanes circling the roundabouts also in the opposite direction to ours. If you have been driving for hours, in Ireland it can be easy to rely on your automatic practical training instincts built up over years but not so when everything is new and on the opposite side. Especially if you are lost and have not chosen your exit and if the GPS and maps are inaccurate and the exits are hidden from view in awkwardly shaped roundabouts which have a couple at least 3 or 4 lanes circling at high speeds then the best advice is follow the rules but also use common sense and stay away from trouble and always check your mirrors. Driving is a very practical thing. You can be right and dead or wrong and alive.
    If you can't be safe on a roundabout in Ireland then God help you elsewhere. Just bear that in mind. Especially the people driving to Poznan should consider their knowledge of the rules of the road in tricky situations.


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