Misplaced "courtesy" on the roads

Guy:Incognito

Stark wrote:

I notice in the UK driving test, you're required to leave junctions clear if you're in a slow moving queue of traffic, ie: treat every junction as if it were a box junction. Not sure if you should do the same on the Irish driving test.

i always do that, but very rarely see anyone else do it. garages are one in particular you know there will be traffic in and out of.

dubstub

ambro25 wrote:

I utterly fail to see any causality between the word 'France' and being rear-ended whilst waiting to proceed on a roundabout (unless you're trolling of course - then the causality is clear).

The words 'UK', 'Germany', 'Spain' and *especially* 'Ireland' may be associated just the same. Sh1t happens globally, y'know.

As for courtesy on roads, after 15 years of driving all over the shop, nowhere is it better IME than in the North of the UK (defined as from Birmingham upwards). 'Taught me much about courtesy, which I apply daily in Ireland... and in terms of 'educating' the 'courtesied' Irish drivers in doing so, apparently to no avail still

Until some time around the late 1980's France operated the "priorité à droite" rule: traffic already on the roundabout had to yield to traffic looking to come onto the roundabout. They've now changed to be more in line with other European countries with yield right of way signs as you enter the roundabout. There are some exceptions, most notably the roundabout around le Arc De Triomphe.

ambro25

dubstub wrote:

Until some time around the late 1980's France operated the "priorité à droite" rule: traffic already on the roundabout had to yield to traffic looking to come onto the roundabout. They've now changed to be more in line with other European countries with yield right of way signs as you enter the roundabout. There are some exceptions, most notably the roundabout around le Arc De Triomphe.

I'm well acquainted with the priorité à doite rule (I passed my license in FR), and sufficiently knowledgeable about FR (I am FR, u see) to know that this rule has never been applied on roundabouts, each and everyone of which always has at least appropriate road markings if a yield sign is not present.

The arc de triomphe is not classed as a roundabout, access is governed by traffic lights from each artery - people just mistake it for a 'big roundabout'

The priorité à doite rule, incidentally, is still in force in the absence of any signage to the contrary (which is a rare occurence these days, but always worth remembering).

zilog_jones

Stark wrote:

I notice in the UK driving test, you're required to leave junctions clear if you're in a slow moving queue of traffic, ie: treat every junction as if it were a box junction. Not sure if you should do the same on the Irish driving test.

My instructor tells me to do this as well.

dubstub

ambro25 wrote:

I'm well acquainted with the priorité à doite rule (I passed my license in FR), and sufficiently knowledgeable about FR (I am FR, u see) to know that this rule has never been applied on roundabouts, each and everyone of which always has at least appropriate road markings if a yield sign is not present.

The arc de triomphe is not classed as a roundabout, access is governed by traffic lights from each artery - people just mistake it for a 'big roundabout'

The priorité à doite rule, incidentally, is still in force in the absence of any signage to the contrary (which is a rare occurence these days, but always worth remembering).

Fair enough; you're obviously more of an authority on the matter than me. I remembered being told this when I was driving in Paris though and a quick search on Google brought this up:

http://www.france4families.com/DrivingInFrance/RulesoftheRoad.htm

It says that it is still very much practised in Paris on roundabouts...

Either way, getting OT now... just remembered that being said to me, is all

smashey

On the N14 from Lifford to Letterkenny recently the car in front of me slowed to let a tractor onto the road.:mad: I was not impressed as it is difficult to overtake on this road. Misplaced courtesy? Nah, stupidity

ambro25

dubstub wrote:

Fair enough; you're obviously more of an authority on the matter than me. (etc.)

'tis alright, don't fret

There's driving in France and then there's driving in Paris. For that matter, there's driving in the South of France (very Italian style *aka eccentrically*) and driving in the North of France (very Belgian style *aka dangerous*, veering onto very German *aka very regimented* as you veer east), etc, etc. I suppose the exact same can be said of -say- Co.Kerry viz Co.Cork viz. Co.Dublin etc.

(if u want real sport and earn your stripes, don't bother with the Arc de Triomphe - get hair on your chest on the Place de la Concorde, preferably 16:00 onwards ).

But courtesy on FR roads is afairly recent development - as is observance of speed limits, priorities and such like (the FR gvt has been cracking down with a vengeance over past 2-3 years). So maybe that's the answer for IE? Just enforce... as harsh as it may seem when they would start (only harsh becasuse law is suddenly being enforced, not that the law was never there in the 1st place), enough of it for long enough appears to have worked wonders over there.

bbbbb

Rovi wrote:

Try using the old truckers' technique of flashing <left> <right> <left> (or <right> <left> <right>) with your indicators.
No taking your eyes off the road to look for the hazard switch, or even taking a hand off the wheel either.
Truckers understand it straight away, and the vast majority of other motorists quickly recognise it as an acknowledgement for a courtesy done.

I've never seen anyone do this before.

I usually wave, but if it's a higher vehicle (e.g. truck, transit van), they probably don't see me.

Cucullan

Maybe I'm wrong here but i'm sure I read somewhere in the rules of the road that if your driving in the left lane of a motorway and traffic is merging that you are suppose to move to the right hand lane to allow them to join the flow of traffic.

DMC

The following occured to me this evening.
Just past the Esso garage outbound on the N3, I'm in the left lane, a guy indicating to come in from the overtaking lane to go into mine. Slow moving traffic, so when the car in front of me went on, I allowed space for him to move in.
THIS UGLY BINT in a Yaris scoots up on the inside in the bus lane, and took the space just as yer man was pulling into it.
50 metres more, and the rozzers were there. How I wished they'd seen that.

I want Gatsos on bus lanes sooooo bad.....

Dilbert75

Were motorways invented when the "current" edition of the rules of the road was published?

h2s

Stekelly wrote:

I have come accross an increasing number of people stopping on roundabouts to let me out.:eek: the mind boggles.

This misplace courtesy, could cause problems in the log run because in doing something like that people are basically changing long standing rules which everyone is used to. Could get to the point where so many people start doing something they think is the right thing to do as to change the rules of the road and cause confusion?

For example with the roundabout thing, in some countries it is the car on the roundabout that must give way to traffic coming on to it, but it is not the rule here.

cjt156

This roundabout malarky has happened to me twice in the past month, never before. I went ahead, shaking my head in disbelief. I agree, it has to be stamped out or it may start to take hold. In future I'm staying where I am until the t.wat moves by.

Silvera

bbbbb wrote:

I've never seen anyone do this before.

I usually wave, but if it's a higher vehicle (e.g. truck, transit van), they probably don't see me.

Yeah, it's a truck driver's way of saying 'thanks' to other truck drivers.

I read about it over on the UK Truck Drivers Forum http://trucknetuk.com/phpBB2/
(It's interesting to read through some of the threads there now and again!)

The poster said that flashing the hazard lights to say 'thanks' was a bad idea as hazards should only be used for "emergency warnings" to other drivers, e.g. hitting the hazard lights to warn following traffic of stationary traffic/vehicle(s) ahead, in fast moving traffic situations.

He also said that it only seems to be Irish truck drivers who flash their hazards to say 'thanks' on UK roads!

BrianD3

Silvera wrote:

The poster said that flashing the hazard lights to say 'thanks' was a bad idea as hazards should only be used for "emergency warnings" to other drivers, e.g. hitting the hazard lights to warn following traffic of stationary traffic/vehicle(s) ahead, in fast moving traffic situations.

He also said that it only seems to be Irish truck drivers who flash their hazards to say 'thanks' on UK roads!

Yep, and the Highway Code has a section on this. Using hazards to say "thanks" would be an offence.

Highway Code wrote:

96: Hazard warning lights. These may be used when your vehicle is stationary, to warn that it is temporarily obstructing traffic. Never use them as an excuse for dangerous or illegal parking. You MUST NOT use hazard warning lights whilst driving unless you are on a motorway or unrestricted dual carriageway and you need to warn drivers behind you of a hazard or obstruction ahead. Only use them for long enough to ensure that your warning has been observed.
Law RVLR reg 27

johnnyrotten

kikel wrote:

I've started flashing at drivers to get out of my way. I'm not speeding, just sticking to the limit. When they get out of my way i too acknowledge them to say thanks for moving over.. Maybe someday overtaking lane hogger s will learn. Flashing can be seen to be aggressive driving in my opinion. But a thank you afterwards makes a huge difference.

Thats the sort of behaviour of the type who enters the motorway and goes straight inot the overtaking lane and only leaves the overtaking lane to exit motorway or undertake slower cars!:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: