Dual Carriageways and Galway City Drivers...

Malice

cornbb wrote: »

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

Part of the problem with that particular roundabout is the chronic parking problems which lead to people parking all along the right lane past Supermacs. Often you can't actually get into the right lane! :mad:

Either way, this debate just goes to show how people can have differing perceptions of the correct way to do things on dual carriageways and roundabout. Throw the whole merging, lack of consideration, lack of indicators etc. into the mix and it's no surprise that people have problems with them!

kayos

cornbb wrote: »

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.

Its not just wrong its bloody dangerous! Its dangerous for those on the inside lane and exiting when drivers like this cut across them. Its dangerous for people entering the roundabout as well. Drivers like this should be dragged out of their cars and the car crushed as they simply dont understand the rules of the road at all! How anyone can actualy think its right to be in the outside lane for a exit thats at say 5 o'clock simply because its the second exit baffles me.

Thing is there are nearly more roundabouts in galway city where you see this then there is standard cross style. The clinic roundabout, western motors, tom hogans, motorpark, need I go on?

Malice

kayos wrote: »

How anyone can actualy think its right to be in the outside lane for a exit thats at say 5 o'clock simply because its the second exit baffles me.

Hold on, I'm confused here. Let's take the Seapoint roundabout again. Assume you're driving from the Aquarium side and you want to take the right to go to Supermacs. Are you saying people are wrong to be in the right lane in that instance?

July

I'm with Zzippy on this one!

1st or 2nd exit stay in left lane. Anything after that, right lane.

Edit: Am open to being wrong about this (doesn't happen very often!) due to the number of people on the 6/12 o'clock side. Maybe I should look for a refund from my driving instructor!
Whichever is the correct way to tackle a roundabout, the RSA or whoever makes the rules of the road don't make it clear enough. Telling us what to do at a cross-shaped roundabout, with only one lane at each exit, isn't very helpful considering the amount of roundabouts that don't conform to that - some examples already given are at Salthill, Bohermore and Galway Shopping Centre.

kayos

malice_ wrote: »

Hold on, I'm confused here. Let's take the Seapoint roundabout again. Assume you're driving from the Aquarium side and you want to take the right to go to Supermacs. Are you saying people are wrong to be in the right lane in that instance?

If your coming from the Aquarium and want to go to supermacs, park beside the aquarium and walk as parking in Salthill is pants and any way Salt and pepper is nicer than supersmacks :P.

But seriously in your case yes you would want to be on the inside of the roundabout i.e. the Right hand lane.

July

s_carnage wrote: »

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!!!

This happens as well at the traffic-light roundabout. Say you've come from Dunnes Terryland and going to the Galway Shopping Centre (2nd exit). If you're at the top of the left hand lane waiting for the lights to change, there are two lanes of traffic to your right. Very often, the car in the middle lane (to your right) cuts across the left hand lane on entering the roundabout.

Robbo

July wrote: »

I'm with Zzippy on this one!

1st or 2nd exit stay in left lane. Anything after that, right lane.

The fun starts when the road markings say otherwise or there are exits that aren't real exits. Like coming down Bishop O'Donnell Road from the crossroads at Threadneedle Road...

cornbb

July wrote: »

Edit: Am open to being wrong about this (doesn't happen very often!) due to the number of people on the 6/12 o'clock side. Maybe I should look for a refund from my driving instructor!
Whichever is the correct way to tackle a roundabout, the RSA or whoever makes the rules of the road don't make it clear enough. Telling us what to do at a cross-shaped roundabout, with only one lane at each exit, isn't very helpful considering the amount of roundabouts that don't conform to that - some examples already given are at Salthill, Bohermore and Galway Shopping Centre.

The instructions they give apply to a roundabout with any number of exits though.

For a roundabout with only 3 exits, it makes no sense to only use the left lane, as there will only be 2 exits. Yet 90% of the drivers I encounter going through the Salthill roundabout will use the left lane for all exits. Why else would they provide 2 entrance lanes if we were only supposed to use one of them?

Zzippy

OK, they seem to have changed that rule since I did the test - well it is over 10 years ago! It used to be 1st and 2nd exits LH lane no matter where they were situated, and 3rd and subsequent exits RH lane...
I'm always going right at that roundabout into Ballybrit anyway, so you won't have me annoying ye taking the wrong lane :P

snubbleste

July wrote: »

This happens as well at the traffic-light roundabout. Say you've come from Dunnes Terryland and going to the Galway Shopping Centre (2nd exit). If you're at the top of the left hand lane waiting for the lights to change, there are two lanes of traffic to your right. Very often, the car in the middle lane (to your right) cuts across the left hand lane on entering the roundabout.

Ah, but that's a special magic roundabout where anything goes. You should know that if you want to take the Quinncentenial Bridge exit from Terryland, you may take any lane that takes your fancy. There is no point queuing up in a longer lane!

Malice

kayos wrote: »

If your coming from the Aquarium and want to go to supermacs, park beside the aquarium and walk as parking in Salthill is pants and any way Salt and pepper is nicer than supersmacks :P.

But seriously in your case yes you would want to be on the inside of the roundabout i.e. the Right hand lane.

Sorry, on reflection, I mis-read your initial post. I would call the left lane the inside lane and the right hand lane the outside lane but I won't get into a debate on that .

Agreed on the parking too but I wouldn't recommend either Salt N' Pepper or Supermacs. Maybe after a feed of pints in Krcma though....

snubbleste wrote: »

Ah, but that's a special magic roundabout where anything goes. You should know that if you want to take the Quinncentenial Bridge exit from Terryland, you may take any lane that takes your fancy. There is no point queuing up in a longer lane!

I got a lift into town from work a couple of years ago from someone who told me that they always took the left lane because it was less built-up than the other two and someone always let's them into the correct lane anyway.

Needless to say I haven't gotten a lift off them since!

Cole

cornbb wrote: »

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

This drives me nuts! I thought for a while that I was the only driver in Galway who actually used that right hand lane, as I don't think I have seen anyone yet to use that roundabout correctly.

I can understand a bit of confusion at the GMIT one, for example, but simple logic should be obvious at the Salthill one.

When I see a car use that right lane, I'll know it was one of you lot!

kayos

Zzippy wrote: »

OK, they seem to have changed that rule since I did the test - well it is over 10 years ago! It used to be 1st and 2nd exits LH lane no matter where they were situated, and 3rd and subsequent exits RH lane...
I'm always going right at that roundabout into Ballybrit anyway, so you won't have me annoying ye taking the wrong lane :P

I learned to drive over ten years ago and thats how I was thought. So I think your driving instructor needs lesons

The rules of the road book has a lot to answer for in this respect, it is missleading. But when the old one, the one with dodgy picutes of toy cars on a piece of paper, was printed the idea of having more than 4 exits from a roundabout was alien.

topper75

cornbb wrote: »

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:

Yes, experienced this last night. Some kind of Celtic Tiger pup who needs a slap. Of course the remedy is simple. Hold your speed (if you are at 100kph already) no matter what he does as you are performing your overtake. For extra effect start fiddling with your rear-view mirror to let him know that you are aware of his presence and enjoy watching him get worked up! This pup eventually passed me when I got room to move back to the left land and finish my overtaking and he continued to perform some mental maneuvres heading on towards Clarenbridge sweeping over a solid line in a dip/bend to go past a truck and car.

Right-lane hogging is inconsiderate too. The right lane is not one big turning lane as some people imagine. It is an overtaking lane.

DeadSkin

Tis not just a Galway problem, it's nationwide.

The majority of drivers in this country are just obsessed with "I must pass out that f*cker in front of me" attitude.
What we need is a more visible presence of Traffic Corps on the roads.

tonyhiggins

Most asshole move I have encountered to date was last night on Merchants Rd. Taking the right at McDonaghs (the Arts Festival box office now) and coming down to the junction where it meets cars coming from Victoria Hotel direction, a guy in a big car came up on the left side as I waited for a break in traffic at the line (and I had just arrived at it) and proceeded to barge out into the traffic while I gave him my best "WTF!!!" look and he smugged back. Last time I checked there was only one lane there and a line where you yield to traffic! Net gain from this asshole manoeuvre? He got ONE place ahead of me in the line of traffic going from that junction all the way out the Lough Atalia rd.

I stuck to his bumper for the whole time we were stuck in that jam mouthing insults at him, laughing at him etc and felt somewhat less aggrieved

The Queen

Left lane
left lane
left lane
LEFT LANE!!!!!

Apparently, on a dual carriageway, if it's weather/traffic/conditions permitting, you're supposed to go 100kmh. That's what my crazy driving instructor told me when I was getting lessons!

DeadSkin

tonyhiggins wrote: »

I stuck to his bumper for the whole time we were stuck in that jam mouthing insults at him,

Yeah that was a very smart thing to do, I stick right up his a$$, that'll show him. If someone crashed into the back of you, chances are you would've hit right into the back of him.

laughing at him etc and felt somewhat less aggrieved

Now this I agree with. Any time I feel the road rage comin' out at gobsh!tes on the road, I either stick my tongue out at them, blow them a kiss or laugh and point, confuses the sh!t outta them.

Bass Cadet

The Queen wrote: »

Apparently, on a dual carriageway, if it's weather/traffic/conditions permitting, you're supposed to go 100kmh. That's what my crazy driving instructor told me when I was getting lessons!

Yes, That's what dual carriageways are built for in the first place, being able to achieve the maximum allowed speed, safely. Drive in the left lane, overtake in the right

galah

oh, and while we're whingeing - can someone please tell the rest of Galway that the Tuam Road out past the city limits is a 100 km/h road, and there's no need to do 50 on a clear day, slowing everyone down???

I'm sick of all those idiots going so slow in the mornings because they didn't see the sign (or any other stupid reason)...

Bloody hell.

s_carnage

galah wrote: »

oh, and while we're whingeing - can someone please tell the rest of Galway that the Tuam Road out past the city limits is a 100 km/h road, and there's no need to do 50 on a clear day, slowing everyone down???

On the way out now to tell them. Anyone anything else to add?? ;)

minxie

s_carnage wrote: »

On the way out now to tell them. Anyone anything else to add?? ;)

yeah...
tell them lights and little things called indicators are magical when used.....

galah

also, headlights actually do have a function, and should be checked regularly.

Ronanom

I usually drive at the limit or slightly above on most dual carraigeways so I'll usually stay in the right lane unless a car is coming up fast behind me in which case I'll pull in and let him overtake or if there is no other cars in sight ahead I'll also pull in.

topper75

Ronanom wrote: »

I usually drive at the limit or slightly above on most dual carraigeways so I'll usually stay in the right lane unless a car is coming up fast behind me in which case I'll pull in and let him overtake or if there is no other cars in sight ahead I'll also pull in.

How kind of you to pull in from the right lane!!

And what is stopping you from staying in?

Where did you learn to drive? - go back and get a refund.

Malice

Ronanom wrote: »

I usually drive at the limit or slightly above on most dual carraigeways so I'll usually stay in the right lane unless a car is coming up fast behind me in which case I'll pull in and let him overtake or if there is no other cars in sight ahead I'll also pull in.

Ok, assuming you're not in mainland Europe or the USA or any other country that drives on the right, why would you stay in the right lane while driving on a dual carriageway?

Ronanom

malice_ wrote: »

Ok, assuming you're not in mainland Europe or the USA or any other country that drives on the right, why would you stay in the right lane while driving on a dual carriageway?

Like I told you, I always drive at the limit so it saves me having to keep changing lanes when coming up behind people who are doing less than 80kmph in the left lane.

Ronanom

topper75 wrote: »

How kind of you to pull in from the right lane!!

And what is stopping you from staying in?

Where did you learn to drive? - go back and get a refund.

What's stopping me from staying in would be plenty of people driving under 80kmph on a busy DC or Motorway - constant changing lanes is a lot more hazzardous imo.

Malice

Ronanom wrote: »

Like I told you, I always drive at the limit so it saves me having to keep changing lanes when coming up behind people who are doing less than 80kmph in the left lane.

Do you understand the concept of keeping left and that basically you shouldn't sit in the right-hand lane like that?

padi89

Ronanom wrote: »

Like I told you, I always drive at the limit so it saves me having to keep changing lanes when coming up behind people who are doing less than 80kmph in the left lane.

:mad: It does not matter what speed you are doing, you are completely in the wrong, your type of driving gets on my tits, your probably a lovely bloke though