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Galway motorists really grinding my gears

Sniipe

It really grinds my gears when I queue up on the quincentennial Quincentenary bridge going from the college side to the headford road side. Most of the traffic at or before 6pm wants to go left. The correct lane is the outside one which is very busy. I think too many people cut in front of the queue by driving on the inside lane. They either zoom in front of a car that might have left a gap in front of them or they merge in cheekily when the lane expands/cuts left.

In the same area but to a lesser extent; at morning rush or other busy times coming in the opposite direction the rat race is fierce and cars will use the left lane in front of dunnes and then switch into the one of the two lanes going right.

Too many people are in too much of a rush or are just douche bags.

/rant

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WallyGUFC

apoeiguq3094y wrote: »

If you're coming from Terryland, then the SQR is the 3rd exit (1st is back to NUIG, 2nd is the hospital) so you should be in the right lane for 3rd exit.

This is completely wrong. Use the hands of the clock, anything up to 12 use the left lane, anything after 12 use the right lane. Same thing happens at the Cemetery roundabout in Bohermore. People heading out of town going straight use the right lane regularly, which is wrong.

snubbleste

I'm confused!
I'll just stick St. Christopher on the dashboard and just floor the accelerator through the circular thing

WallyGUFC

snubbleste wrote: »

I'm confused!
I'll just stick St. Christopher on the dashboard and just floor the accelerator through the circular thing

Like any good taxi driver or Sunday driver!

The King of Moo

In fairness, that roundabout is confusing if you're heading west, as you're technically going from one dual carriageway to another (Seamus Quirke Road), but it's effectively just one lane on the west side due to the bus lane.

I remember my driving instructor telling me about the Golden Rule, but also not to go by counting exits as where they fall on the "clock" is never consistent.

Another funny one is coming towards the Menlo Park Hotel from Bothar na dTreabh where you've got four exits which are at 8, 10, 2 and 4 o'clock.

galwaycyclist

dastardly00 wrote: »

Should you not apply this 'rule' from the RSA:

Here is the problem with that. It does not appear anywhere in the traffic regulations - it is just a "recommendation" from the RSA.

All the regulations say about roundabouts is that you enter a roundabout by turning left.

Thats it.

joeKel73

Another common local "mistake" and cause of many near accidents is when coming up Bishop O'Donnell road and progressing towards the junction to Threadneedle Road. A lot of motorists enter that roundabout with Kingshton Road / Dunnes in the left lane when travelling straight through to Threadneedle Road.

J o e wrote: »

"Going straight ahead (or any exit to the left of 12 o’clock) - Approach in the lefthand lane (unless road markings say otherwise)".

There are road markings that the left lane is only for turning left into the residential estate off the roundabout. I've nearly been side-swiped here a few times by cars going straight through.

Redhairedguy

I was always under the illusion that a 1st exit (9 o clock), you would always have to be in the left lane; and a 3rd exit (3 o clock), you would have to be in the right lane. Yet a 2nd exit (12 o clock) you could be in either the left or right lane, as long as you indicated correctly.

At least that's what I was always told by both of my instructors when I was going for the test.

The only roundabout that I feel in any way safe at, is the one at cemetery cross. I feel like I've had near misses or little frights at nearly every other one... :cool:

?Cee?view

Redhairedguy wrote: »

Jesus! Tell me about! My housemate who is taking driving lessons was apparently told by his instructor that this is a correct maneuver on that roundabout. Baffling!

It is...provided there isn't something already in the lane.

dastardly00

Redhairedguy wrote: »

I was always under the illusion that a 1st exit (9 o clock), you would always have to be in the left lane; and a 3rd exit (3 o clock), you would have to be in the right lane. Yet a 2nd exit (12 o clock) you could be in either the left or right lane, as long as you indicated correctly.

But what if you are in the left lane, and I'm beside you in the right lane, and we both want to take the exit positioned at 12 o'clock........ crash, bang, wallop.

Redhairedguy wrote: »

At least that's what I was always told by both of my instructors when I was going for the test.

That might have been the case back when you were learning to drive. But nowadays it's all about the 'clock' when it comes to dealing with roundabouts.

?Cee?view

dastardly00 wrote: »

That might have been the case back when you were learning to drive. But nowadays it's all about the 'clock' when it comes to dealing with roundabouts.

It was always. It was just explained badly by the RSA et al.

The easiest way is to treat a roundabout as you would any other junction. If going straight or left, keep to the left lane. If going right; right lane. Both subject to the proviso that signage which indicates otherwise overrides the general rules.

Clock, numbers etc. are merely tools to help understand the general rules.

joeKel73

dastardly00 wrote: »

But what if you are in the left lane, and I'm beside you in the right lane, and we both want to take the exit positioned at 12 o'clock........ crash, bang, wallop.

Well you should only be in the right lane if the left lane is blocked up due to road works or traffic waiting to take an earlier exit.

RSA - "Where traffic conditions dictate otherwise for example a long line of traffic in left lane signalling left or road works in the left lane, you may follow the course shown by the broken red line." (in their diagram the broken red line shows taking the right lane to take a 12 o'clock exit)

beardybrewer

This is not a country of authority-loving, rule-abiding people. Locals usually find the best solution regardless of the lines painted or signs posted. Go with the flow.

/thread

joeKel73

Just spotting this now..

The King of Moo wrote: »

The same thing happens at the roundabout further on, the Western Distributor one. It's somewhat understandable that people move into the left lane after the bus to go straight on to Threadneedle Road (as they should) but then keep their indicator on as they pass the entrance to Cuan Glas on the left.

As they should? No! The left lane is for left turn only!

B_Sharp

J o e wrote: »

Just spotting this now..

As they should? No! The left lane is for left turn only!

I was told by my instructor in the last 12 months that you had to enter that lane to go straight ahead towards Threadneedle.

He also mentioned the clock thing but said that it was dependant on where the exit was on the sign coming up to the roundabout rather than where it looked on the roundabout. He had an example of one (can't remember which now) that the exit on the sign was at 12 o'clock so you stay in the left-hand lane, even though at the roundabout, it looked around 1 o'clock.

dastardly00

J o e wrote: »

Well you should only be in the right lane if the left lane is blocked up due to road works or traffic waiting to take an earlier exit.

I was using redhairedguy's logic in my example above to illustrate to him what could happen if two drivers decided to use both lanes for taking the 12 o'clock exit

?Cee?view

J o e wrote: »

Just spotting this now..

As they should? No! The left lane is for left turn only!

No the sign there indicates the end of the bus lane, not that the lane is left only

?Cee?view

B_Sharp wrote: »

I was told by my instructor in the last 12 months that you had to enter that lane to go straight ahead towards Threadneedle.

He also mentioned the clock thing but said that it was dependant on where the exit was on the sign coming up to the roundabout rather than where it looked on the roundabout. He had an example of one (can't remember which now) that the exit on the sign was at 12 o'clock so you stay in the left-hand lane, even though at the roundabout, it looked around 1 o'clock.

Correct as to the lane.

And yes, use the clock tool unless the signs override

joeKel73

?Cee?view wrote: »

No the sign there indicates the end of the bus lane, not that the lane is left only

The road markings indicate that the left lane is for the immediate left turn only.

alias no.9

skinny90 wrote: »

beat me to it...something about that kirwin roundabout where think its ok to stay on the outside lane when taking the 3rd, 4th, 5th exit

Reading this thread I'm glad I don't live in galway anymore. That roundabout is very badly designed but since the highest volume of out bound traffic entering the roundabout from headford road will be taking the third exit, from a traffic flow point of view, there should be two lanes through the roundabout for that route, two lanes in, two lanes out, standard practice for the volume route on many roundabouts but usually designed to o make it a 12 o'clock exit.

As this is a deviation from default roundabout practice (not that such a thing exists in galway) the left lane should be marked for
-hard left towards Menlo park (whatever the road is called)
-headford road
-bothar na dtreabh (enter the roundabout from the left lane and exit onto left lane bothar na dtreabh)

And the right lane should be marked for
-bothar na dtreabh (enter the roundabout from the right lane and exit onto right lane bothar na dtreabh)
-Sandy road
-return back towards terryland shopping centre and city center

These lanes need to be clearly marked however and certainly weren't when I used them daily.

dastardly00

J o e wrote: »

The road markings indicate that the left lane is for the immediate left turn only.

At the Deane roundabout?

I'm pretty sure ?Cee?view and B_sharp are correct.

Mars Bar

snubbleste wrote: »

Not sure where to put this, but can anyone identify this location and the speed limit on that stretch?
https://twitter.com/GardaTraffic/status/627886410603827200

The sign on the left is green. He should have known it was 100kph.

The King of Moo

J o e wrote: »

Just spotting this now..

As they should? No! The left lane is for left turn only!

I always thought the arrow there was to indicate the end of the bus lane, but I had a proper look at it earlier and it does seem to indicate a left turn only.
Which does make sense in fairness, as the majority of people heading straight on towards Salthill would all have to squeeze into the left lane after the bus stop.

Iwannahurl

The King of Moo wrote: »

I always thought the arrow there was to indicate the end of the bus lane, but I had a proper look at it earlier and it does seem to indicate a left turn only.
Which does make sense in fairness, as the majority of people heading straight on towards Salthill would all have to squeeze into the left lane after the bus stop.

The left lane is for left turn into Cuan Glas or straight on towards Threadneedle Road.* The right lane is for a right turn, ie into Carraig Ard, onto the WDR or back to the SQR.

This being Galway, a favourite trick of some motorists is to enter the bus lane illegally in order to get past more compliant motorists up ahead.

This is also a regular occurrence at the Browne Roundabout near the hospital.

Another routine behaviour on the Deane Roundabout (WDR/Bishop O'Donnell Road junction) at rush hour is for motorists turning right from the WDR and heading towards the junction of Taylos Hill/Threadneedle to enter the roundabout in the right-hand lane, then switch mid-junction to the left lane. Of course in doing so they typically obstruct the yellow boxes as well as blocking traffic coming from the SQR. The only solution is to replace the roundabout with a signalised junction. Those Irish motorists who don't understand or appreciate Irish roundabouts may be better able to respond to primary colours.

*Ts&Cs apply.

joeKel73

Iwannahurl wrote: »

The left lane is for left turn into Cuan Glas or straight on towards Threadneedle Road. The right lane is for a right turn, ie into Carraig Ard, onto the WDR or back to the SQR.

No the left lane is for Cuan Glas only. There's road markings that override the default lane selection. You should be in the right lane for all other exits, including going towards Threadneedle Road.

Agh, I'll need to get out with the camera it seems!

joeKel73

Iwannahurl wrote: »

*Ts&Cs apply.

Nice ninja edit...

?Cee?view

dastardly00 wrote: »

At the Deane roundabout?

I'm pretty sure ?Cee?view and B_sharp are correct.

In fairness to both points of view here, the signage on this roundabout is a complete mess.

If heading in the direction of Salthill, the first sign you see is a roadside one which indicates that heading to Salthill is straight, which would mean using the left lane.

The sign on the road shows that the left lane is for left turns (not just the first left) and the second exit to Salthill is clearly a left and not straight or to the right.

If there were no signs at all, the exit to Salthill is clearly to the left which would mandate using the left lane.

If there were no signs at all, the exit to Salthill might be considered by some to be a straight, but even if they consider that, it's still left lane.

All things considered, the left lane sign on the road, the straight ahead sign at roadside and the fact that it's to the left all indicate left lane for me!

Coming the opposite direction from Threadneedle is even worse.

The roadside sign ignores the existence of one of the turns. It shows Seamus Quirke road as a straight but most people simply ignore the sign and use the right lane.

?Cee?view

J o e wrote: »

No the left lane is for Cuan Glas only. There's road markings that override the default lane selection. You should be in the right lane for all other exits, including going towards Threadneedle Road.

Agh, I'll need to get out with the camera it seems!

There's no need. You think that Cuan Glas (never knew that was its name!) is the only left. Others see that there are two lefts and two rights.

joeKel73

?Cee?view wrote: »

The sign on the road shows that the left lane is for left turns (not just the first left) and the second exit to Salthill is clearly a left and not straight or to the right.

?Cee?view wrote: »

There's no need. You think that Cuan Glas (never knew that was its name!) is the only left. Others see that there are two lefts and two rights.

Cuan Glas is the only left - you take the roundabout layout as outlined in the sign approaching it....

?Cee?view

J o e wrote: »

Cuan Glas is the only left - you take the roundabout layout as outlined in the sign approaching it....

Interesting. It just shows what a mess they continue to make of the signage!

joeKel73

?Cee?view wrote: »

If heading in the direction of Salthill, the first sign you see is a roadside one which indicates that heading to Salthill is straight, which would mean using the left lane.

RSA - "Going straight ahead (or any exit to the left of 12 o’clock)" - "Approach in the lefthand lane (unless road markings say otherwise)"

?Cee?view wrote: »

The sign on the road shows that the left lane is for left turns (not just the first left) and the second exit to Salthill is clearly a left and not straight or to the right.

If there were no signs at all, the exit to Salthill is clearly to the left which would mandate using the left lane.

But there is a sign. And it shows to treat Salthill as straight.