Roundabouts - their use and abuse (with videos!)

I pass through this junction every day on the way home from work. Coming off the N3 motorway ( Exit 5 near Dunboyne ) heading towards the Ratoath/ Trim roundabout. I have to exit via the slip road (A), stay in the right lane, enter the roundabout in the inside lane and stay there until past the second exit ( 12 O'Clock, marked B ) where I cross into the outside lane and take the next exit ( 3rd exit @ 3 O'Clock marked C). Heading in the direction of D ( passed Kilsaran ).

This junction is a nightmare, loads of people go the whole way around the roundabout in the outside lane, leaving me and others unable to cross into the correct lane at point B, traffic often backs up to the first exit and cars using the roundabout correctly have to stop at point B and try merge. Most people don't know they are using the roundabout wrong and are less than obliging when it comes to letting us in.

The second scenario that makes this junction a ball of stress to navigate is the drivers who know traffic will be heavy, fly all the way around the roundabout in the inside lane and squeeze past the Que of traffic at point C, creating a second lane where there is none! They then go down to the small roundabout, do a full lap of it and shoot off out the R147 towards Kilsaran.

An example of two kinds of these drivers can be seen in this video, the first car in fairness tries to merge, he may have been using the roundabout correctly and have been locked out by cars or he could have skipped the whole Que, I don't know. The second car, the Subaru is a typical ''F*** you all, I'm not sitting in this traffic'' driver, who only gained a few car lengths.

I use this roundabout correctly and every day I have to dart in/ indicate and be let in/ squeeze in somewhere because people can't use a roundabout. It's surprising there isn't more crashes here daily. Stressful!

Mick55 wrote: »

I pass through this junction every day on the way home from work. Coming off the N3 motorway ( Exit 5 near Dunboyne ) heading towards the Ratoath/ Trim roundabout. I have to exit via the slip road (A), stay in the right lane, enter the roundabout in the inside lane and stay there until past the second exit ( 12 O'Clock, marked B ) where I cross into the outside lane and take the next exit ( 3rd exit @ 3 O'Clock marked C). Heading in the direction of D ( passed Kilsaran ).

I feel your pain, I bloody hate this same section - and almost daily there are a number of idiots in the left hand lane (with no indicator on usually) from the N3 going to right of the main roundabout. Those correctly in the righthand lane then have nowhere to go - and can either stop to merge and block the whole roundabout, or continue on.

When traffic is backed up and this happens, I continue on - staying in the right hand lane and looping around the small roundabout. I know it's infuriating for people, but it's that or block the main roundabout. I only do it when there is no safe option to get back to the left.

slimjimmc wrote: »

That's all too common I'm afraid, I've seen cars, vans and trucks, including drivers of artics do that. A friend (full licence) used to do that regularly, his reasoning was you have to indicate because there's a right hand curve, not because you want to take a later exit. Thankfully he hasn't done it in a while so something must have clicked.

Not great driving but its not as bad as the youtube poster lets on. And maybe a little harsh of a small fault.

Technically he was not driving straight on as the exit was to the right (slightly) , so one would be correct on approaching on the right hand lane and then changing lanes to exit.
The only fault really is failure to indicate correctly on exit.
Such a junction should have better signage on approach over what lane to use IMO .

Your friend, all the cars ,vans and trucks also sound like they are using a roundabout correctly.

http://www.drivingschoolireland.com/roundabouts.html



The junction.
https://www.google.ie/maps/place/Belturbet/@54.0982891,-7.4605034,18z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x485e137178421309:0xa00c7a9973176e0

He quotes " luckily I stayed behind this idiot"

The round about had only one lane once entered onto the roundabout, which had a solid unbroken white lines on both sides, which would would make getting ahead of the red car arguably illegal . Lucky indeed.

Now excuse me while I ride out of here on my large horse ..

slimjimmc wrote: »

I see what you mean but I would argue that because road signs take priority and the road sign on approach to that junction shows the exit as straight ahead you should treat the exit accordingly.

And nah, the others weren't do it correctly because these events were at roundabouts where the exit was geometrically at 12 o'clock.

Gotta get a dashcam, starting to feel left out here :P Was behind a car yesterday that suddenly veered towards a bunch of oncoming traffic but managed to pull back just in time. Could have been 100km/h carnage.:eek:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x163ejc_roundabout1_auto

I see it every day. Some drivers think that the indicator is an indication they join the roundabout. If i had to post every single one I would have to quit my job tbh.
Perfect example in a link above - indicating right joining the roundabout from a left lane What kind of information is it for me?

And another one indicating correctly but going well inside before leaving the roundabout:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x163egc_roundabout_auto

hju6 wrote: »

more roundabout antics,

I have a few of those as well,

Watch range rover indicator at start, and the exit lanes of roundabouts.


This is similar to yours.


Are they still taking suggestions for future driving test curriculum?

ironclaw wrote: »

As regards the roundabout videos, its not so much bad driving in my experience, is people have absolutely no idea how wide their car is or how they fit within the lines. I live near a roundabout that most take the second exit (So left lane) whilst I would be taking the third (Right lane) The amount of times I've almost been side swiped is ridicoulous as people seek to take the racing line though the roundabout. Its no excuse but I've taken to either being well ahead or actually waiting for the left lane to proceed before moving off.

Is that not bad driving though?

ironclaw wrote: »

As regards the roundabout videos, its not so much bad driving in my experience, is people have absolutely no idea how wide their car is or how they fit within the lines. I live near a roundabout that most take the second exit (So left lane) whilst I would be taking the third (Right lane) The amount of times I've almost been side swiped is ridicoulous as people seek to take the racing line though the roundabout. Its no excuse but I've taken to either being well ahead or actually waiting for the left lane to proceed before moving off.

See this all the time at the roundabout near my estate. It has 2 lanes and is wide enough but people do exactly as you say and take the 'racing line' and cut you up when they're going straight on.

Another one is that some people use the right lane to go straight (no road markings to suggest you're allow go straight) and again cut you up as they exit as the exit is only wide enough for one car all because there's no queue in the right lane.

I was approaching a roundabout today, and the driver behind me , who was proceeding straight ahead, moved into the right hand lane, so that he could overtake me on the roundabout. Also he didn't bother his ass indicating, either :mad:

You do know you were in the wrong there?

Painted road markings should take preference over normal rules for roundabouts, in other words you were in the wrong lane I'm afraid.

@doesnotcompute owes the internet an apology

Aaaand: footage deleted in 3,2,1