What is it with the roundabouts?!

Black_Knight

workaccount wrote: »

Tell me what happened exactly.
Was this in Galway?


grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr :mad::mad::mad:

I'd go f8ckin mental if someone tried to claim off me for their stupidity.

Dont want to get into the nitty gritty details, but someone came across into my lane cutting me off, jumped on the brakes to no avail. She said nothing really, more or less she wouldnt do anything and leave it at that. I said id take her number and get on to her after I access the damage. All good, went away. 5 mins later I get a call from the guards to call down about it.
Guard was telling me, 99% of the time, if you get them from the back or even the backside, its your fault! Insurance company backed this up with a claim.
Whats a real kicker is, I suggested getting her number! So she in turn took mine. If I met her again:mad::mad:!

Twas in galway alright.

biko

Art_Wolf wrote: »

Problem is the vast majority of drivers do not follow this - a huge amount try to guess what you are doing in the left hand lane and decide to take the right land in the hope you are going to take the first exit, allowing them to ease in and take the second exit. Indeed this is where I would say the majority of accidents occur as they speed off to get in front of the left hand lane driver.

Maybe that uncertainty over what I am doing would make them pause and not attempt such dangerous driving - uncertainty has proven to make people more cautious drivers.

Anyway if people do not follow the system then there is obviously a problem and until such time that the system is understood I feel allot safer on the road broadcasting my intentions. Real world, knowing you were in the right is great but does not help if your car is out of action until you get your claim sorted and garage fixes the car.

Even though I agree with the first bold the way I see it is that it is you being the problem. If the inside car speeds off at the rbt you hang back and slot in behind them inside the rbt. Once you reach your exit you blink and turn.

Some rbts are 1-lane and some 2. Do you do this at every rbt or just Terryland?

Second bold, just because other may not follow some rules doesn't mean you can't. Start doing things right instead. Follow the ROTR.

Art_Wolf

I dont actually do it at Terryland - I generally do it on the Tuam road roundabout just before it turns into Bothermore, heading into the city... though that could also be because of that first exit always being blocked up *shrugs*

July

Art_Wolf wrote: »

TBH I actually do this, because when I did not a fair few times I narrowly avoided a crash as the person on the inside attempts to take the second exit. I would have assumed it was actually good practice. Then again I was similarly drilled in the 12/after 12, left/right lane setup and feel it is much better to indicate to let people know what you are actually intending to do. A flashing light is better then nothing to attract someone's attention.

Indicating right when in the left lane is not good practice, it's WRONG!

workaccount wrote: »

I think it is actually the correct thing to do.(will have to check the ROTR) I was actually taught this by my instructor albeit he was fairly rubbish.

I used to always do it but stopped after reading others complaining about it.

I'm glad you stopped.

workaccount wrote: »

You're probably thinking too much. Just drive your car the right way (alertly) and hope someone doesn't do something stupid.

Someone like you? The right way to drive your car is by the rules of the road.

workaccount wrote: »

If they're indicating right in the left lane at all then they're most likely a decent driver....the dumb f8cks will be the ones not indicating at all. So just assume they're taking the second exit and go about your own business.

Anyone who is in the left lane indicating right is the 'dumb f8ck'. Someone in the left lane who's going straight ahead is perfectly correct not to be indicating at all (until they pass the first exit).

workaccount wrote: »

What kind of world do we live in!

One where people make up their own rules while driving, clearly.

biko wrote: »

Art_Wolf, workaccount et al
Don't indicate right in the left lane when you intend go across the Rbt.
Bad practice which confuses everyone else.
"Is he indicating right but means left? Is he confused where he's going? Is he drunk?"

Don't blame the system - there is a system ROTR that you are not following, thus adding to the problem. Follow the ROTR and don't second guess other drivers.

+1

Art_Wolf wrote: »

Problem is the vast majority of drivers do not follow this - a huge amount try to guess what you are doing in the left hand lane and decide to take the right land in the hope you are going to take the first exit, allowing them to ease in and take the second exit.

How can you possibly know what is going on in other drivers' heads? That's what indicators are for and that's why they should be used correctly!

Art_Wolf wrote: »

Anyway if people do not follow the system then there is obviously a problem and until such time that the system is understood I feel a lot safer on the road broadcasting my intentions.

Ironically, if you're using your indicator incorrectly, you're not broadcasting your intention at all!

Art_Wolf

July wrote: »

How can you possibly know what is going on in other drivers' heads? That's what indicators are for and that's why they should be used correctly!

Because they pull into the right lane coming up to the roundabout and then attempt to ram me so they can make the second exit. I have not actually seen this *not* happen at a single busy roundabout in Galway so far.

Yes I understand I am not following the rules of the road and yet with the rules not being understood by most, apparently not enforced by any guards (just from reading the start of this thread) and complicated by inexperienced drivers I feel I have a greater chance of coming off a roundabout in one piece by indicating where both lanes of traffic on the roundabout can see - that I am not intending to take the next exit.

padi89

Art_Wolf wrote: »

Yes I understand I am not following the rules of the road and yet with the rules not being understood by most, apparently not enforced by any guards (just from reading the start of this thread) and complicated by inexperienced drivers I feel I have a greater chance of coming off a roundabout in one piece by indicating where both lanes of traffic on the roundabout can see - that I am not intending to take the next exit.

Well if your not following the rules of the road and you have admitted this then why do you expect everybody else to, why not have a free for all? Your not exactly setting a good example for others to follow............
You can't expect for people to bend the rules for your safety, its like people that expect special treatment because the have a baby on board sticker :P

If your in the left lane of a two lane entry to a roundabout and your indicating right to me it says:
A) Your lost, you know your in the wrong lane and would like to get into the right lane for turning right.
Your too lazy to join the que in the right lane for turning right so il just go completely around indicating
In other words you are going to cut me off in both circumstances.

aoraki

If your in the left lane of a two lane entry to a roundabout and your indicating right to me it says:
A) Your lost, you know your in the wrong lane and would like to get into the right lane for turning right.
Your too lazy to join the que in the right lane for turning right so il just go completely around indicating
In other words you are going to cut me off in both circumstances.

Exactimundo.

If you are in the left lane indicating right and intending to take the 2nd exit on a standard 4 exit roundabout, that is wrong on so many levels. That's just going to cause complete confusion for the drivers around you.

I drive on the left lane then go round the roundabout to turn right at the eye cinema roundabout (Ffrench roundabout?), if i am coming from college road at rush hour as you get the idiots turning the right lane and roundabout into a carpark because they won't use the two bloody lanes outside the eye.

Its actually safer to do this as you sail up the left around the traffic and straight down the merging lane, your not sat on the roundabout praying someone doesnt come into your backside

Webbs, while i can understand your frustration at the traffic sometimes in Galway city, what you're doing there is still wrong. And just because the traffic isn't moving to your satisfaction is not a valid excuse to do it. There's a good reason that the right hand lane is backed up going on to that roundabout, and that's because those drivers, or "idiots" as you referred to them as, know that if they are turning right (ie 3rd or 4th exit) they are supposed to be in the right lane. That's the rule. I suspect your primary reason for going all the way around the roundabout in the left lane is that you can't be arsed queueing. What happens if the car in the right lane want's to take the 3rd exit and go straight into the left lane(merging lane) of the third exit. If you're hareing up on left one of ye is going to slam on the brakes and there will be expletives of the vilest nature exchanged! And who's in the wrong there? - you, cos you've no business being in the left lane after the 2nd exit.

I know these things are small transgressions, and 95% of the time nothing bad happens. But all these small trangressions, such as roundabout antics, indicators being used on a whim, driving down bus lanes, lane hogging on dual carraigeways, they are just indicators of the piss-poor standard of what passes as "driving" in this country. :rolleyes: I mean, for the love of jeebus, the Rules of the Road are not some unintelligible script - they are actually quite straightforward.

po0k

MargeS wrote: »

How come they have ad campaigns about how to overtake safely, but not on the one issue that turns up on boards regularly..... how to navigate roundabouts that do not have nice simple exits at 6,9,12 & 3

Because most people don't try to use roundabouts at 100Kmph

Mrs OBumble

aoraki wrote: »

...There's a good reason that the right hand lane is backed up going on to that roundabout, and that's because those drivers, or "idiots" as you referred to them as, know that if they are turning right (ie 3rd or 4th exit) they are supposed to be in the right lane. That's the rule.

I'm not so sure: I understood that the law was that if you're taking exit 3 or more, you approach in the right land, but once in the roundabout, you signal left when passing the exit before the one you want, check the blind spot and when safe move into the left lane to take the exit.

Of course your average roundabout is a mighty small place to do all this ... and the law is strangely silent about what to do if there's someone in the way ;-)

IMHO, the real problem is that roundabouts are a fine traffic management tool for volumes up to a certain level, but traffic in Galway is now so heavy that regular intersections controlled by lights are needed. But the roads have now been built with these massive roundabouts and it will take a lot of dollars to change 'em.

As a pedestrian, there's one behaviour that I'd really like to change: sometimes when I'm trying to cross a four-lane road at a roundabout, someone tries to be nice and stop to let me cross. The problem is that there's no guarantee that the driver in the other lane will also stop (most don't, so I'm not willing to risk it) - and if they're leaving the roundabout to enter dual-carriageway, it's highly likely that the person behind is travelling too fast so either rear-end the nice person, or swerves out to avoid them. Either way, it's not pleasant. So please .. if you learn nothing else from this thread, learn not to stop unexpectedly on roundabouts!

spurscormac

The worst behaviour I've ever seen at a roundabout was as I came from the Quincentennial Bridge, in the right lane, hoping to head up the Sean Mulvoy road one morning.
Lights were green as I approached & there was a car in front. He slowed right down & I was getting annoyed thinking what the f*%k is this guy doing. Next thing he stops at the green light thats on the actual roundabout to let a passenger out. :eek:

While I will admit that I have broken certain rules in my time, I have never in my life seen such a stupid thing to do on the road.

aoraki

I'm not so sure: I understood that the law was that if you're taking exit 3 or more, you approach in the right land, but once in the roundabout, you signal left when passing the exit before the one you want, check the blind spot and when safe move into the left lane to take the exit.

I agree JustMary, and that's what I meant, you are supposed to be in the right lane approaching the roundabout if your intention is to take any exit after the second exit. And you're right, you should ALWAYS indicate and check your blind spots before making any sort of manoeuver. Follow the ROTR. But in Galway you have to be extra-vigilant on the roundabouts purely because of the way they are mis-used. When I got to Galway I quickly learned to make allowances for the "Numpty Factor", particularly on roundabouts.

Art_Wolf

JustMary wrote: »

Either way, it's not pleasant.

One of the major reasons I have so far not taken up cycling to work..

cL0h

aoraki wrote: »

.... older experienced drivers who *should* know better. ....

Irish Drivers over 50 are not required to indicate by law.

Or so it seems.

galah

neither are mummies in their SUVs or anyone with an 08 reg, apparently...

richiepoorman

Having read some of issues about drivers and roundabouts i have to agree with most of your observations,having driven in the uk for many years they are some differences between drivers here and there.

On approach to a roundabout why do so many drivers indicate right when they are going straight on (or second exit) when clearly this is wrong, also most drivers dont indicate when exiting a roundabout at which ever exit they chose to leave at, i think this is an issue all over the country, i am always amazed at how many people dont understand when you say leave at 1st exit for example, "Do you mean left" is the normal reply, come on!!!!!!.

workaccount

What I've noticed alot in recent times is people coming from the dual slip from headford side onto the roundabout with lights....they keep coming when the light is orange and then a few will take a chance when the light goes red.

I was stopped just before that entrance at the lights and was going up Sean Mulvoy road. Idiots kept coming when my light was green. I could have drove into them....I started beeping and some ass girl looks at me as if she has done nothing wrong.

aoraki

i am always amazed at how many people dont understand when you say leave at 1st exit for example, "Do you mean left" is the normal reply, come on!!!!!!.

Heehee! Yeah, I've witnessed that myself on a couple of occasions! If they have problems counting then I don't hold out much hope for them ever mastering the whole driving thing

On a side note, there seemed to be an upsurge in driving numptyness last week :rolleyes: - probably due to it being race week I suppose.

fozzle

Oh god, I hate galway roundabouts with a passion - maybe it's cos there's so bloody many at once, but I don't think I ever see so much crappy roundabout driving as in Galway.

On the whole "indicating right in the left lane" thing, a good friend of mine is Latvian and her dad and brother are instructors so she's a good driver. She ranted and raved about the Irish inability to use roundabouts for months. Was in the car with me one day while I was learning and chewed me out of it for doing the roundabout wrong. I didn't. Seems in Latvia you're meant to indicate left (they're on the other side of the road so it'd be right here) when you're entering a roundabout - feck knows why. I've been over there and it's true - that's how they do it.

Not saying it's only foreigners doing it by anymeans - almost every time I've come close to being smooshed on a roundabout it's been a brand new jeep - not typically the motor of choice for anyone just here for work. But I do think that a re-education campaign would be worth it. Need the RSA to explain roundabouts to my aunt for a start - she takes the right hand lane (and indicates right) for the second exit and hurls abuse at anyone who gets in her way. Drives a jeep - what a suprise.

workaccount

fozzle wrote: »

Need the RSA to explain roundabouts to my aunt for a start - she takes the right hand lane (and indicates right) for the second exit and hurls abuse at anyone who gets in her way. Drives a jeep - what a suprise.

Have you explained to her that shes actually in the wrong?

Cole

richiepoorman wrote: »

Having read some of issues about drivers and roundabouts i have to agree with most of your observations,having driven in the uk for many years they are some differences between drivers here and there.

It is a pleasure driving in the UK compared to Ireland.
I think the standard of driving is poor in Ireland generally, but Galway is definitely the worst example.

Since I moved here, I have often tried to figure out why it is so bad...lots of inexperienced student drivers? Appalling Garda presence? etc.

I think a lot of drivers are just following each others bad habits and have started to believe that what they are doing is correct. e.g. turning right at roundabouts, while in inside lane...nearly eveyone does it here.

CrowdedHouse

richiepoorman wrote: »

On approach to a roundabout why do so many drivers indicate right when they are going straight on

I agree with you but it's easy to see why people get confused due to the half -arsed design/engineering/construction of most roundabouts the exits are rarely directly opposite each other.

aoraki

Since I moved here, I have often tried to figure out why it is so bad...lots of inexperienced student drivers? Appalling Garda presence? etc.

Yeah, I hear ya, I've been trying to work that out myself - still no closer to figuring it out. The standard of driving in Galway is easily the worst I've come across so far. To be honest, I don't think it's down to student drivers. Of course, some of them do contribute to the numptyness, but that's purely the laws of averages. In my own experience, most of the cases of godawful driving I've witnessed where carried out by older drivers who should know better.

However, you're spot on about one thing - the Garda presence on the roads in Galway is truly APPALLING. Admittedly I've only lived here a few years, but I've yet to see somebody being pulled over for driving like a twat. As always it will take a bad accident/fatality for them to act and be seen to be enforcing the road laws.

workaccount

CrowdedHouse wrote: »

most roundabouts the exits are rarely directly opposite each other.

Why would they need to be?

Why should the design of roundabouts influence a persons ability to use the correct lane or use indicators anyway.

DeadSkin

Most drivers on the roads here are obsessed about getting in front of the car ahead and they'll do anything to get there, a$$holes.

If we had a proper traffic corps on the roads, peoples shitty road habits would change. I mean a traffic corps as in that's their sole responsibility, keeping the roads safe.

bindybandy

The roundabouts are a constant nightmare to navigate and it seems no matter whether you follow the rules or not to survie them it's Russian Roulette one way or another:) I think it's best to follow the rules but watch the other cars around you like a hawk I suppose and least you'll come out in one peice.

My own pet peave at the moment is the amount of near misses I've seen and experienced myself leaving the tesco roundabout to head up the Sean Mulvoy Road. The road markings are a bit worn but as far as I can tell, the outside lane has just a "straight on" arrow on it and the inside one has both the "straight on/right" arrow on it. So it would seem fair enough you can drive in either lane to exit towards the S Mulvoy road? Well, very often I see people in the outside lane try to cross over to either head on into town or Tescos cutting off cars in the process in the other lane and unless you jam on the brakes to allow them to corss you will have a crash.
I've learned to always stick to the left lane here to avoid this pitfall but it's amazing the amount of people that think it's fine to do it even if the other car is indicating left trying to exit.
In Galway it would seem there is an attitude of "that's where I want to go so I'm going to turn here no matter what". I've seen people time and time again in the most inner lane hold up traffic trying to cross three lanes to get into Tesco's rather than use common sense and just go round the roundbaout and approach in the correct lane the next time!

Webbs

CrowdedHouse wrote: »

I agree with you but it's easy to see why people get confused due to the half -arsed design/engineering/construction of most roundabouts the exits are rarely directly opposite each other.

Roundabouts are not designed just to be the perfect cross, thats like complaining that roads aren't in straight lines!
Have you never driven in Britain, there roundabouts have exits coming off at all angles, they are meant to enable free flow of traffic (doesn't work in galway as the roundabouts on the whole are too small to cope with volume of traffic), god the Hanger Lane Gyratory in london has a million and one exits.
If you want perfect straight lines America is the place to drive not Europe.

po0k

Webbs wrote: »

Roundabouts are not designed just to be the perfect cross, thats like complaining that roads aren't in straight lines!
Have you never driven in Britain, there roundabouts have exits coming off at all angles, they are meant to enable free flow of traffic (doesn't work in galway as the roundabouts on the whole are too small to cope with volume of traffic), god the Hanger Lane Gyratory in london has a million and one exits.
If you want perfect straight lines America is the place to drive not Europe.

Bóthar Mór.
Fsckin Christ.

padi89

Cole wrote: »

I think a lot of drivers are just following each others bad habits and have started to believe that what they are doing is correct

Nial > Head

Just take a look at the roundabout at the Huntsman, the exit towards the Eye has two lanes but everyone merges off the roundabout into one :rolleyes:...oh dear...

snubbleste

padi89 wrote: »

Nial > Head

Just take a look at the roundabout at the Huntsman, the exit towards the Eye has two lanes but everyone merges off the roundabout into one :rolleyes:...oh dear...

Is that not because the inside lane ends after 100m or so outside the G hotel and those choosing the inside lane will need a motorist in the outside lane to let them in?

johndaman66

If the driving standards in Galway are worse than Limerick they must be pretty woeful up there. Indicators?? what are they? All too used to seing drivers on roundabouts hap-hazardly using indicators. If they use an indicator at allin the first instance they may be just as likely to flick on their right indicator as left indicator on any part of the roundabout. Worse than not using an indicator on a roundabout is using it incorrectly, i.e. indicating left as if coming off roundabout and then preceeding on around it...fcuking lethal. Then theres those who are on outside lane and cut right into the inside momentairly as they are just too lazy and sloppy to position car properly on the roadabout...also fcuking lethal. If you ask me its a lot to do with drivers being just too lazy, inconsiderate and stupid to use roundabouts properly...Its not rocket science either like. Then again talking about ROTR and enforcement etc. I don't see the guards have any better behaviour or attitudes on the road also (just as bad I have seen on a number of occassions) either...and I'm excluding emergencies, so where would you be going?