Who goes 1st, up the hill or down the hill?

jozi

If any of you live in Cavan you might know the barrackhill?

It's quite a steep hill with parking on the right if your going up the hill, footpath to the left with steps further up.

Many's a time i find my self sitting at the bottom waiting for a trail of cars coming down the hill and blocking my way up because the road isnt wide enough because of the parked cars. Normally when coming down the hill i wait at the top to let the cars at the bottom up, sometimes meet them half way and pull in a little.

Who actually has right of way here? Is it the cars going up because the obstruction is the parked cars on the other side blocking some of the road down. Or is it the cars coming down that have right of way because of some other reason?

Jozi

BrianD3

That hill is a disaster, it should have been made a one way street years ago.

In general the car that has to cross the centre line to pass the obstruction should yield to oncoming cars which are on their own side of the road. On that Cavan hill this is often unfeasible as when you pull out to pass the parked cars and start your "descent" the road may be clear. But when you're halfway down an oncoming car may turn onto the hill from the main road. Because of the line of parked cars you have nowhere to pull into and the other guy can't move till you get to the bottom. You can't reverse because 5 other cars have followed you down the hill and meanwhile the guy waiting to come up the hill has backed up the traffic on the main road. What a mess :rolleyes:

franksm

I only know the North's version of the ROTR and it says, or suggests, that traffic coming up the hill be given priority, on the basis that such traffic might need more revs or "work" to get up the hill. On the other hand, that part was probably written in the '50s when cars tended to have 4 or 5 hp

dudara

I'm not from Cavan but I grew up driving on quite hilly and steep roads and it was an unwritten rule that cars going up hill got right of way. It just seems more polite.

smemon

yeah, it seems fair cars going up have right of way but then again you'll get stupid people who feel they've got right of way as it's their side of the road.

i learned my trade on steep hills you soon learn not to roll back once you find yourself on a steep hill, having to stop, with cars behind you

those hills are what make drivers. Nothing more testing for a learner than a big steep hill, having to stop and the pressure of cars behind you. No margin for error

jozi

So im right in saying ive not been in the wrong then barging up the hill and getting dirty looks from people coming down (who would have seen me coming up as they came to the top of the hill).

I'm always giving out about the amount of cars coming down and not waiting at the top and wondered who has right of way. Thanks for answering the question.

And yes learning on hill does mean you learn to control the car much better than avoiding them. My sister used to avoid said hill and i always made her go up it as i believe there's no point not over coming a fear and never learning how to drive up the hill. Another friend must have avoided the hill for a good year of driving I've no problems going up or down the hill anyway.

Jozi

Wishbone Ash

franksm wrote:

such traffic might need more revs or "work" to get up the hill. On the other hand, that part was probably written in the '50s when cars tended to have 4 or 5 hp

Forget about a car and think of a truck with a heavy load. I'd say that is where that rule originated.

dak

I grew up in Cavan and know the Barrickhill well . When I left Cavan 20 odd years ago you had no such problem as there were fewer cars and you could drive up and down all day without having to wait or give way. I would suggest going the slightly longer way out by the farnham road .