Roundabouts

ebowdia

Something that really bugs me!

Picture this: a standard roundabout with 4 roads leading off it - equally spaced out, and all 4 roads dual carraigeways. The roundabout consists of 2 lanes all around. Approaching the roundabout you want to take the 3rd exit. In this case, which lane should you be in? and which lane should you exit into?

I personally in this situation would approach in the right-hand lane of the dual carraigeway, travel around the roundabout in the inner lane, move to the outer lane just after the second exit, and then exit the roundabout in the lefthand lane of the 3rd exit dual carraigeway.

What annoys me is drivers approching in the same dual carraigeway as me, but in the left-hand lane, travelling all around the roundabout in the outer lane, and then exiting into the left-hand lane of the 3rd dual carraigeway.

Opinions please?

silverside

you are correct. Look in the rules of the road if you want confirmation. There used to be TV advertisements reminding people of this.

ebowdia

Good - just wanted confirmation! Checked a couple of driving rules websites, but there seem to be so many people doing this wrong I thought I'd throw it out there to see what the general habit/opinion is....

robbie1876

I know what you mean. Every day I travel along the old Swords road, through all those roundabouts and I very regularly see people in the left lane wanting to turn right. The worst spot has to be the new roundabout at the M1/Airport junction. I've seen several accidents there caused by people staying in the left hand lane but turning towards the airport, while somebody else is in the right hand lane and wants to go down to the M1 heading into the city.

It's difficult to say who's in the wrong in situations like that. I would say that if taking the third exit, you should be in the right hand lane until after the second exit, as you described.

The Malahide Road roundabout on the Swords Road is particularly bad. If you are coming from Malahide, the road is 2 lanes approaching the roundabout. The first exit is Feltrim, 2nd exit is the Swords dual carriageway heading into town, 3rd exit is towards the Pavillions shopping centre, 4th exit is dual carriageway towards Skerries. If you were coming from Malahide heading towards the Pavillions, instinct tells you that you should approach in the left lane, because the junction is almost straight across, even though its the 3rd exit. Similarly, coming from Malahide heading into town, you would feel it is ok to approach in the right hand lane, because you are taking the second exit. I have had many near misses at this junction.

Better road markings might play some part towards helping the problem. At each exit on the roundabout, the left hand lane should have road markings guiding the driver off the roundabout. Once the driver has gone throught the roundabout a few times, they will start to realise that they should not be in the left lane unless they are taking the next exit. The exception is of course the 1st exit, the immediate left when you come onto a roundabout.

Dr. Dre

I came to the conclusion, long ago, that people on this island don't know how to use roundabouts. It's heart stopping stuff going around one.

Kersh

Ye, I live just down from that Pavillions roundabout, and it is a nightmare. Everyday I have to get through it, and every day some tw** takes it wrong, nearly causing an accident.

bbbbb

definitely agree roundabouts are a bit of a lottery.

In the scenario above (2 lanes, 3rd exit), I tend to enter the round about on the right lane and exit on the right lane, indicating left as I pass the second exit and doing a shoulder check before cutting across the inside lane. Works for me as (1) given that I've indicated, if there is a person inside they are usually exiting also. (2) if there is any doubt, I can safely stay in my current lane and just continue around.

In terms of "spiraling" lane markings as suggested, the headford rd. roundabout in Galway has that. Doesn't work, most cars seem to ignore the road markings.

BrianD3

Prime example of this is when you're heading south along the M50 and take the Lucan (N4) exit and wish to take the third exit (heading west) The road layout at that particular location has been improved recently but it hasn't stopped muppets going all the way around the roundabout in the left hand lane.

The situation is: at the N4 turnoff traffic taking the first exit (i.e. turning left, heading towards the city) has the option of using a filter lane before the main roundabout. The vast majority of drivers turning left use this filter lane. They have the option of continuing on to the roundabout and turning left there but there's no point as using the filter lane is quicker. So, at the roundabout itself, you'll find almost no traffic turning left, resulting in an almost empty left hand lane, with the right hand lanes being relatively busy. Muppets who want to turn right see the empty left hand lane and think"ah look at the empty lane, I'll use that to jump the queue!" So off they go around the roundabout in the wrong lane and cut up everyone else.

BrianD3

Turner

Irish people generally cant use roundabouts!!!

You should try travelling through the "magic" roundabout on the cork ring road. All the lanes lead into each other and the lanes just disappear!!. It really is a "magic" roundabout.

Seth Brundle

Another problem is the way people approach roundabouts.
As an example, heading westwards from Dublin on the N4, as you approach the M50 there are big feckin signs (both upright and painted on the tarmac) telling you what lane to be in.
You will always get someone who wants to jump traffic and travels up the rightmost lane (as if they are taking 3rd exit to M50 'North'). They then barge their way into the correct lane at the last moment.
However, the polis have been more acitve at these recently.

</rant>

BrianD3

You will always get someone who wants to jump traffic and travels up the rightmost lane (as if they are taking 3rd exit to M50 'North'). They then barge their way into the correct lane at the last moment

This is true. However, poor road design and signage comes into it too. For example you want to go west having been travelling south along the M50 (hope that makes sense) So you take the N4 exit off the M50. As you come up to the roundabout, roadmarkings and signs tell you to use either the rightmost lane or middle lane if you want to take the third exit i.e. head west. If you pick the middle lane you're grand - you can go around the roundabout and still be in the correct lane when you get to your exit. If you use the rightmost lane, you'll find that as you go around, your lane "disappears" and you have no way of taking the third exit without changing lanes/barging in front of someone. Of course you can continue around the roundabout and have another attempt at it, still it's not ideal.

Same story on the blanchardstown/M50 rondabout - seems to be designed so that you're forced to do a lane change maneouvre in the middle of a busy roundabout. Surely there msut be a better way of designing roundabouts than this

BrianD3

Pataman

I think those adds years ago on the telly are needed again

dahamsta

Originally posted by Chief---
You should try travelling through the "magic" roundabout on the cork ring road. All the lanes lead into each other and the lanes just disappear!!. It really is a "magic" roundabout.

I heard Stephen Hawking got lost on the Kinsale Road roundabout. Had to be led away gibbering about "physical impossibilities".

adam

ebowdia

The Kinsale Road roundabout in Cork is indeed an absolute disaster - five roads coming into it, some two lane, some one. The roundabout three lanes wide in parts, then two, then three again,,,, and did I mention the traffic lights!!!! As mentioned earlier - the lanes just disappear if you follow them in parts.

Scary thing is - this is the first major round about you meet coming from the airport - real wakeup call for tourists with rented cars!

In the next few years there are also plans to construct a dual carraigeway flyover the roundabout - while this will help the flow in the long run, can you imagine the chaos during construction!!

mike65

The Kinsale Road roundabout in Cork is indeed an absolute disaster - five roads coming into it, some two lane, some one. The roundabout three lanes wide in parts, then two, then three again,,,, and did I mention the traffic lights!!!! As mentioned earlier - the lanes just disappear if you follow them in parts.

I just "love" the Kinsale rd roundibout - its just mad and thats at fairly quiet time like mid morning. The mere fact
traffic lights are used proves what a failure it is.

Also a thought - Why do local authorities insist on prettyfying roundabouts and the approaches with flower beds that in spring bloom and rob drivers of vision when looking right....

Mike.

sceptre

I did my Ignition test down in Cork. It was based at the Great Southern so with two people in the car and an instructor some lucky idiot had to go around the circle of death. Me unfortunately. No problems passing though.

It's a wacky wacky roundabout. Even wackier than the Waterloo roundabout in London, which actually has real lanes.

As numerous people have already said, Irish people and roundabouts don't appear to mix well. At least most people seem to have figured out how the Parkway roundabout in Limerick works since they've changed it (left lane at the roundabout coming from Dublin leads to the shopping centre only). Quite a few hairy moments when they first changed it involving some people who obviously couldn't "read signs too good".

ebowdia

Regarding the Parkway roundabout in Limerick - yes since they're changed the road marking etc it has made the roundabout a bit more logical. Like you say however, until people get used to the changes, it can be dodgy getting around in one piece.

This seems to be happening a lot around the country - lane markings for roundabouts being changed, and people not noticing the marking changes - disaster!