Dual Carriageways and Galway City Drivers...

Bass Cadet

Ok...I have to find the (mad?)logic behind something/some people...for example; you exit the roundabout at Ballybrit on the N6 coming out of the city towards oranmore (road that runs past Tom Hogans)...what lane do you use to drive all the way to the next roundabout (considering traffic is light)? Do you use the lane closest to the hard shoulder or the lane closest to the median? Answer honestly please...

s_carnage

I'd say it would depend on your speed. If your travelling at the speed limit or close enough to it it would be fine to use either but if your only going 40mph or so it would do no harm to pull into the inside lane.

Acoshla

i use the left lane (close to hard shoulder), isn't that the lane you're meant to use? If traffic is light and stuff.

the right lane is meant to be for overtaking or if you're driving faster than the left lane users isn't it, so then if the traffic is light i would say the left one....

biko

If you intend to turn right at the Clayton Hotel roundabout then move in to the right lane a couple hundred meters before roundabout.
Before that, stay to the left.

snubbleste

That is a no-brainer, You use the lane with the least amount of obstacles (other vehicles) to get to the next roundabout.

Cole

You use the left lane. The right lane is for overtaking.

However, as this involves Galway drivers, you use whatever lane you feel like!

Bass Cadet

biko wrote: »

If you intend to turn right at the Clayton Hotel roundabout then move in to the right lane a couple hundred meters before roundabout.
Before that, stay to the left.

yes and at all times, even if you're the only car on the road...The mind boggles why people would drive in the right/lane closest to the median if they are not overtaking or coming up to a roundabout. The amount of times I've had to undertake a car going 80km/hr in the overtaking lane is unbelievable and as far as I know a cop can do ya for undertaking on a motorway (not sure about dual carriageways)

I asked the initial question to see if there are any people who do it, just so I could find out if there is perhaps some logic to their madness?!

Amazotheamazing

Bass Cadet wrote: »

yes and at all times, even if you're the only car on the road...The mind boggles why people would drive in the outside/lane closest to the median if they are not overtaking or coming up to a roundabout. The amount of times I've had to undertake a car going 80km/hr in the overtaking lane is unbelievable and as far as I know a cop can do ya for undertaking on a motorway (not sure about dual carriageways)

I asked the inital question to see if there are any people who do it just so there perhaps is some logic to their madness?!

Reasonably sure that undertaking on a dual carriageway is illegal. Whatever the rights and wrongs of it, you shouldn't break the law simply because the other driver is being a tool.

Sherifu

Drive in the middle of both lanes of course, next question.

Bass Cadet

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

Reasonably sure that undertaking on a dual carriageway is illegal. Whatever the rights and wrongs of it, you shouldn't break the law simply because the other driver is being a tool.

Do you drive in Galway regularly? Believe me, if we all stuck to that particular 'law' the city would be in gridlock even moreso than it is!

As far as I know its meant to be illegal to drive less than 85kmh in the overtaking lane

Cole

biko wrote: »

If you intend to turn right at the Clayton Hotel roundabout then move in to the right lane a couple hundred meters before roundabout.
Before that, stay to the left.

Absolutely correct, but as we all know, rarely happens in Galway.

Bass Cadet wrote: »

The amount of times I've had to undertake a car going 80km/hr in the overtaking lane is unbelievable and as far as I know a cop can do ya for undertaking on a motorway (not sure about dual carriageways)

I was on that stretch of road on Monday morning..traffic was light..and an unmarked Garda car, with no lights/siren, was undertaking and weaving in and out at speed. Completely unnecessary and dangerous.

July

There was a large number of letters a few weeks back in one of the free newspapers about this very thing. Some woman wrote in complaining about the people who tailgate her and flash their lights at her as she drives in the overtaking lane. She got some stick in the replies the following week.

There is no such thing as a fast and slow lane is there? You drive on the left and the right hand lane is an overtaking lane, right? Despite this, while driving to Dublin recently, they were cutting the grass verges along the median on the motorway. They had huge signs on the approach to this telling the motorists that the 'fast lane' was closed.:rolleyes:

Galway drivers tend to be all over the place. Indicators at roundabouts seem to be optional. Worse still, I couldn't count the amount of times I've been waiting to enter a roundabout when a car entering from the road to my right will indicate left and then pass the left turn and go ahead (taking the exit to my left). You cant trust the indicators even when they are used!

milmo

Connaught drivers theory test aide memoir


1. 80kmph on all main roads

2. No indicators at roundabouts (or anywhere else for that matter)

3. Drive continuously in right lane of dualcarriage/motorways (ref 1)

4. Use left lane coming on to the dublin rd/oranmore roundabout to use the third exit coz you have **** on and can't be arsed queuing like everybody else. So what if there's an accident.

5. Driving up the arse of the slow car in front without overtaking so that nobody else can overtake either

etc

etc

etc

etc

Zzippy

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

Reasonably sure that undertaking on a dual carriageway is illegal. Whatever the rights and wrongs of it, you shouldn't break the law simply because the other driver is being a tool.

Nope. Rules of the road say you can undertake on a two-lane carriageway when traffic in the right hand lane is moving slower.

s_carnage wrote: »

I'd say it would depend on your speed. If your travelling at the speed limit or close enough to it it would be fine to use either but if your only going 40mph or so it would do no harm to pull into the inside lane.

No it wouldn't be fine to use either. The RH lane is for overtaking only, or for turning right.

cornbb

milmo wrote: »

1. 80kmph on all main roads

2. No indicators at roundabouts (or anywhere else for that matter)

3. Drive continuously in right lane of dualcarriage/motorways (ref 1)

4. Use left lane coming on to the dublin rd/oranmore roundabout to use the third exit coz you have **** on and can't be arsed queuing like everybody else. So what if there's an accident.

5. Driving up the arse of the slow car in front without overtaking so that nobody else can overtake either

6. Cut across people at junctions/roundabouts and assume its all cool cause you pretended not to see the driver whose right of way it is.

7. Being completely unaware of what's around you, failing to use common sense and generally driving like you're asleep.

8. Redlining your tin-can POS "car" in front of cornbb's house at 4 in the morning.

Right-lane hoggers piss me off as much as anyone else but if you're already overtaking someone thats not lane-hogging! What really pisses me off is if I'm in the overtaking lane, already going at or above the speed limit and overtaking someone, and some asshole starts tailgating/flashing me as if I'm doing something wrong. That sort of thing is rampant too. :mad:

padi89

One thing about drivers in Galway that absolutely gets up my tits is they cannot understand the concept of merging.I would like to point out that this is not just a few people it seems to be a majority.
A prime example is the roundabout at the Huntsman and the exit towards Renmore.Why does every gob****e decide that they have to merge into one lane (no matter where they entered from) directly off the roundabout despite the fact that there are two lanes and a big YELLOW SIGN that indicates to merge further up.The thing is anyone that knows to use the other lane gets blown out of it because of idiots.
Rant over.............................

Anyway if you are going towards Oranmore from Tom Hogans you should enter the roundabout in the right hand lane but not hog this lane all the way from Ballybane

Webbs

Its the same mentality of Galway drivers that cause chaos at the roundabout and road going out of town in front of the Eye cinema.
Its 2 lanes for gods sake! there is traffic backed up around the roundabout and one lane in front of the eye is completely empty - yet when you then drive down this to merge in turn at the end as you are supposed to do, you get the most filthy looks from drivers who if they engaged their brain would realise that they are causing the log jam at the roundabout behind them by staying in one lane!!
And dont get me started about the drivers who try to merge at the start of that double lane right at the roundabout entrance causing chaos with a completely FREE lane in front of them!!

Webbs

padi89 wrote: »

One thing about drivers in Galway that absolutely gets up my tits is they cannot understand the concept of merging.I would like to point out that this is not just a few people it seems to be a majority.
A prime example is the roundabout at the Huntsman and the exit towards Renmore.Why does every gob****e decide that they have to merge into one lane (no matter where they entered from) directly off the roundabout despite the fact that there are two lanes and a big YELLOW SIGN that indicates to merge further up.The thing is anyone that knows to use the other lane gets blown out of it because of idiots.
Rant over.............................

Anyway if you are going towards Oranmore from Tom Hogans you should enter the roundabout in the right hand lane but not hog this lane all the way from Ballybane

LOL great minds think alike we must have posted our rants at the same time!

padi89

Webbs wrote: »

Its the same mentality of Galway drivers that cause chaos at the roundabout and road going out of town in front of the Eye cinema.
Its 2 lanes for gods sake! there is traffic backed up around the roundabout and one lane in front of the eye is completely empty - yet when you then drive down this to merge in turn at the end as you are supposed to do, you get the most filthy looks from drivers who if they engaged their brain would realise that they are causing the log jam at the roundabout behind them by staying in one lane!!
And dont get me started about the drivers who try to merge at the start of that double lane right at the roundabout entrance causing chaos with a completely FREE lane in front of them!!

Did you just read my post or did you just rant about the exact same thing

padi89

AGGGGGGHHHHHH thats freaky :eek:

smackbunnybaby

i have a question!

Driving from Oranmore to the City. After passing the Merlin park hosptial (on your right) you approach the GMIT Roundabout. you want to drive straight through the roundabout as if you are driving towards the City Centre.

do you -

a) drive in the left hand lane as you approach the roundabout
b) drive in the right hand lane as you approach the roundabout
c) drive extra fast in the right hand lane so as to beat the person who is in the left hand lane off the roundabout on the other side.

*please note the bus lane and the left lane merge*

CrowdedHouse

Answer = a

s_carnage

Another thing I find so annoying with drivers around Galway is something that regularly happens on the Bohermore roundabout. If you are entering that roundabout coming from eyre square or any of the other entrances for that matter.

Just say I am in the inside lane and there is another car entering from the same entrance as me but in the outside lane. Well more often than not the driver in the outside lane with enter the roundabout and if they were going straight ahead would more or less go straight through the roundabout hence cutting me off.

For God sake there are two lanes of traffic going through the roundabout, why can't drivers stick to their own lane when using the roundabout.

Phew I feel better now!! That was eating me up!!!

Malice

smackbunnybaby wrote: »

i have a question!

Driving from Oranmore to the City. After passing the Merlin park hosptial (on your right) you approach the GMIT Roundabout. you want to drive straight through the roundabout as if you are driving towards the City Centre.

do you -

a) drive in the left hand lane as you approach the roundabout
b) drive in the right hand lane as you approach the roundabout
c) drive extra fast in the right hand lane so as to beat the person who is in the left hand lane off the roundabout on the other side.

*please note the bus lane and the left lane merge*

CrowdedHouse wrote: »

Answer = a

I would disagree here and answer (b). The reason being that the roundabout isn't a straight cross shape. I was taught to always treat roundabout exits like the hands of an analogue clock. Up to 12 = left lane. 12 and after = right lane. Using that logic then, you should be in the right hand lane for the above roundabout.

Out of curiousity, what is your reasoning for answering (a)?

Zzippy

padi89 wrote: »

Anyway if you are going towards Oranmore from Tom Hogans you should enter the roundabout in the right hand lane but not hog this lane all the way from Ballybane

Wrong.

malice_ wrote: »

I would disagree here and answer (b). The reason being that the roundabout isn't a straight cross shape. I was taught to always treat roundabout exits like the hands of an analogue clock. Up to 12 = left lane. 12 and after = right lane. Using that logic then, you should be in the right hand lane for the above roundabout.

Out of curiousity, what is your reasoning for answering (a)?

Wrong again. You were taught wrong.

If you are taking the 1st or 2nd exit at a roundabout you should be in the left lane. If you are taking the 3rd or subsequent exits you should be in the right lane.
In both cases mentioned above, the exit being taken was the 2nd exit, so you should be in the left lane.

Webbs

malice_ wrote: »

I would disagree here and answer (b). The reason being that the roundabout isn't a straight cross shape. I was taught to always treat roundabout exits like the hands of an analogue clock. Up to 12 = left lane. 12 and after = right lane. Using that logic then, you should be in the right hand lane for the above roundabout.

Out of curiousity, what is your reasoning for answering (a)?

For simple roundabouts like this you can think of it as as 'cross junction'. In other words if you are going straight on then you stay in the left hand lane you would only use the right hand lane if you are turning right. I think you probably misunderstood whoever taught you (it should be upto and including 12 use Left lane, after 12 right lane)

galah

the best one is still the magic roundabout (or roundabout of doom...) - it's pretty well signposted for a Galway road - it is rather clear which lanes to use to go where - and people STILL manage to mess it up. I've seen people cut across three lanes on that roundabout because they changed their mind, people going through red lights (although it is beyond me why some idiot thought that lights in a roundabout are a good idea...), people cutting other people off, creeping too far into the roundabout and blocking lanes...

It's soooo annoying...

Galway drivers are the worst...

Malice

Zzippy wrote: »

Wrong again. You were taught wrong.

If you are taking the 1st or 2nd exit at a roundabout you should be in the left lane. If you are taking the 3rd or subsequent exits you should be in the right lane.
In both cases mentioned above, the exit being taken was the 2nd exit, so you should be in the left lane.

Sorry Zzippy, I'm going to have to disagree with you . The problem with the Rules of The Road and your statement about exits is that they assume roundabouts which are neatly cross-shaped. In reality this is not always the case! Imagine a Y shaped roundabout e.g. the one at Seapoint in Salthill. If you come down past Salthill Church to go out to the prom, you should be in the right-hand lane because it's a right turn. Or, say you're coming down Bishop O'Donnell road and you're going straight down the hill. You should be in the right-hand lane.

Webbs wrote: »

For simple roundabouts like this you can think of it as as 'cross junction'. In other words if you are going straight on then you stay in the left hand lane you would only use the right hand lane if you are turning right. I think you probably misunderstood whoever taught you (it should be upto and including 12 use Left lane, after 12 right lane)

Nope, I didn't mis-understand and the point is the roundabout being discussed (the GMIT one) isn't cross-shaped. There is no straight line between the Merlin Park side of the Dublin Road and the GMIT side of Dublin road.

kayos

Zzippy wrote: »

Wrong.



Wrong again. You were taught wrong.

If you are taking the 1st or 2nd exit at a roundabout you should be in the left lane. If you are taking the 3rd or subsequent exits you should be in the right lane.
In both cases mentioned above, the exit being taken was the 2nd exit, so you should be in the left lane.

Sorry zzippy but I do believe you are wrong. If the exit you are taking is anything past 12 o'clock, i.e. straight ahead, you need to be on the inside of the roundabout.

So coming from town to the Western Motors roundabout and heading to Oranmore you should be on the inside of the roundabout! If you are one of those drivers that stays on the outside you really should read the rules of the road again!
http://www.rulesoftheroad.ie/rules-for-driving/junctions-roundabouts/roundabouts.html

cornbb

kayos wrote: »

Sorry zzippy but I do believe you are wrong. If the exit you are taking is anything past 12 o'clock, i.e. straight ahead, you need to be on the inside of the roundabout.

So coming from town to the Western Motors roundabout and heading to Oranmore you should be on the inside of the roundabout! If you are one of those drivers that stays on the outside you really should read the rules of the road again!
http://www.rulesoftheroad.ie/rules-for-driving/junctions-roundabouts/roundabouts.html

Agreed. It goes by "o'clock" positions rather than "1st, 2nd, subsequent". Assuming you are entering the roundabout at the 6 o'clock position, then you need to be in the left lane for any exits up to and including the 12 o'clock position. Take the right lane for any position thereafter.

I see people getting this wrong at the Seapoint roundabout in Salthill all the time, very annoying.

padi89

Zzippy wrote: »

Wrong.

Wrong! Right back at ya!:D