Roundabout on Donegal town bypass

blue shimmering

muffler wrote: »

Well I do as every roundabout seems to have different traffic management arrangement.

I think the safest is to stay in the right lane for the first two exits and the left for all other exits - but when in the left lane going onto the roundabout to remember that the person on your left has right of way! You have to watch you mirrors very carefully and give way even if you think your right because whats the point in being right if you are maimed or dead?

The rule book says first two exits stay in the right lane and unless it is marked on the road that you can do otherwise you are not following the rules and could possibly cause an accident. My comment would be mirrors, mirrors, mirrors on roundabouts and also in other road situations!

smashey

blue shimmering wrote: »

I think the safest is to stay in the right lane for the first two exits and the left for all other exits - but when in the left lane going onto the roundabout to remember that the person on your left has right of way! You have to watch you mirrors very carefully and give way even if you think your right because whats the point in being right if you are maimed or dead?

The rule book says first two exits stay in the right lane and unless it is marked on the road that you can do otherwise you are not following the rules and could possibly cause an accident. My comment would be mirrors, mirrors, mirrors on roundabouts and also in other road situations!

I thought the first two exits were accessed from the left lane.

muffler

smashey wrote: »

I thought the first two exits were accessed from the left lane.

Dont EVER approach a roundabout when blue shimmering is driving along side you in the other lane

Essexboy

donegalgirl28 wrote: »

My answer is the best one.

Usually, roundabouts have 3 exits, so the rule there is you want to take the first or second exit you keep in the left lane, you wanna take the third (last one) you keep in the right lane. However! If there are two exits and you want to go to the second one (the last one) you stay in the right lane. To go left you stay in the second one. This is the most safest way to drive and causes less traffic. (Only if everyone obeyed that rule).



/thread

This is the common sense approach. See
"When taking the last exit or going all the way around the roundabout, signal and indicate to the right-hand lane. Stick to the right throughout unless you need to switch lanes to exit. As with the middle exits, indicate at the exit before the one that you want to exit on."
http://www.drivingexpert.co.uk/roundabouts.html

extopia

Thanks for quoting those UK Rules of the Road, Essexboy. :mad:

As it happens, however, our own rules are in agreement on this one.

il gatto

Standard procedure on a roundabout with two entrance and exit lanes and two encircling lanes is to use the left lane entering the roundabout, the outer lane on the roundabout and the left lane exiting for the first two exits. For third or fouth exit, enter on the right hand lane, indicate right and travel around on the inner lane. On passing the last exit before yours, indicate left and move to the outer lane before exiting.
The use of the inner lane for the second exit is usually in heavy traffic in a dual carriageway scenario where it helps traffic flow m or if the left outer lane is blocked by backed up traffic spilling back from the first exit. There's no point exiting on the right lane, only to cut back in in front of people who exited on the lest lane. As the HSA site says "Where conditions dictate otherwise, you may follow the course shown by the broken red line". This indicates that it is not standard procedure.
Roundabouts were conceived as means of controlling traffic in a fluid manner rather that U.S. style crossing intersections which restrict traffic flow. The U.S. is now moving towards roundabouts also. They also have older "traffic circles" which bizaarly gave traffic entering the right of way. Sounds lethal to me. The fluid nature of roundabouts means it's very hard to give precise rules or for drivers to always perform the necessary actions with perfect accuracy. It leads to crashes and close shaves, but the fact that vehicles are travelling so slowly means most accidents are non fatal and often only a ding. That safety feature is why roundabouts are the approved juntion at busy intersections.
God I'm sad. I've just written three long paragraphs on traffic management, which I have zero interest in.:(

donegalgirl28

Essexboy wrote: »

This is the common sense approach.
"When taking the last exit or going all the way around the roundabout, signal and indicate to the right-hand lane. Stick to the right throughout unless you need to switch lanes to exit. As with the middle exits, indicate at the exit before the one that you want to exit on."
http://www.drivingexpert.co.uk/roundabouts.html

That's exactly what I've been saying.

donegalgirl28 wrote: »

you want to go to the second one (the last one) you stay in the right lane.

extopia wrote: »

As it happens, however, our own rules are in agreement on this one.

Eh? Whatever happened to

extopia wrote: »

Unfortunately, though, your answer is incorrect. Check the rules of the road, I really don't see why people are having trouble with this.

:P:P

muffler

There's an undercurrent in the last couple of posts and its called

ROAD RAGE

blue shimmering

muffler wrote: »

Dont EVER approach a roundabout when blue shimmering is driving along side you in the other lane

Hi, sorry folks I got the right and left mixed up and to be honest I am still laughing - I meant to say, stay in the Left lane for the first two exits and in the right one for all other exits. Then watch all your mirrors and make sure to give way to the right going on to the roundabout and to the left when on it - this is where the mirrors come in!

Really sorry everyone for confusing you all but after all there was a new American president elected today and I was just practising for him! Only joking and sorry to the moderators for making the mistake above!

muffler

No need to apologise at all. We all make mistakes.

I couldnt resist taking the proverbial however when I seen your post

extopia

donegalgirl28 wrote: »

That's exactly what I've been saying.

Essexboy's quote refers to leaving a roundabout. This thread is about which lane to use to enter the roundabout. (Note that the UK rules on which lane to use on entering a roundabout are not the same as ours).

It's not correct to use the right lane for the second exit, unless road signs indicate otherwise, the left lane is blocked, or you're directed to do so by a garda or other traffic warden.

It is wrong to assume that the second exit is the LAST exit. The last exit in the roundabout in question is actually the third exit, i.e. the road you are entering from.

I'm not posting about this anymore. But next time I'm at that roundabout and the many other three-exit roundabouts in Donegal, I'll be extra vigilant given all the confusion there seems to be about this issue.

muffler

extopia wrote: »

But next time I'm at that roundabout and the many other three-exit roundabouts in Donegal, I'll be extra vigilant given all the confusion there seems to be about this issue.

Nah, you'll be grand unless blue shimmering is around

sesswhat

extopia wrote: »

There's no mystery here, lads, it's simple enough. Second exit means left hand lane. That's the rule.

Except the Rules of the Road don't even mention 'Second exit'.

They advise what to do when

1. Making a left turn
2. Going straight ahead
3. Taking any later exits

In their diagram, 'straight ahead' and 'second exit' may amount to the same thing but this is not always the case.

What if you were approaching this roundabout from the bypass and going right towards Donegal. 'Going straight ahead' at this roundabout would be the first exit towards Ballyshannon.

So you are not making a left turn and you are not going straight ahead. Are you taking a 'later exit'? If so the rules say:

- Signal right and approach in the right-hand lane.
- Keep to the right on the roundabout until you need to change lanes to exit the roundabout.

Where does that leave your personal 'Second exit means left hand lane' rule?

extopia wrote: »

(By the way, if you illegally use the right hand lane

The rules of the road may refer to law, specifically when it says what you must or must not do, but otherwise its rules constitute advice and are not laws.

il gatto

I hate the roundabout at Ballyshannon. Slows everything down. When they spent so much bypassing the town and building the bridge, you think they'd have made a slip road/underpass arrangement so the traffic on the main road wouldn't have to crawl through the roundabout. Actually, the roundabout the Sligo side of Bundoran is a bit of a nuisance as well. Alot of cars don't seem to expect it and you can see them hitting the brakes hard when they run in a bit too hot.
The Tullyearl roundabout is far better than that ridiculous arrangement that used to be there. More than once I nearly hit the central reservation at night. It covered acres and was very hard to see in the dark, especially if it was wet. It probably caused numerous accidents.
Sligo didn't get a rounabout until the dual carriageway opened back in the late nineties. It seemed the county manager didn't hold with them:D He obviously felt his own opinion counted for more than numerous safety studies carried out by professionals.

Macroom Man

extopia wrote: »

Essexboy's quote refers to leaving a roundabout. This thread is about which lane to use to enter the roundabout. (Note that the UK rules on which lane to use on entering a roundabout are not the same as ours).

It's not correct to use the right lane for the second exit, unless road signs indicate otherwise, the left lane is blocked, or you're directed to do so by a garda or other traffic warden.

It is wrong to assume that the second exit is the LAST exit. The last exit in the roundabout in question is actually the third exit, i.e. the road you are entering from.

I'm not posting about this anymore. But next time I'm at that roundabout and the many other three-exit roundabouts in Donegal, I'll be extra vigilant given all the confusion there seems to be about this issue.

Note that the UK rules on which lane to use on entering a roundabout are not the same as ours
Road deaths in the UK are almost half those here so why not use the same rules as a country with a far better safety record?

blue shimmering

extopia wrote: »

Essexboy's quote refers to leaving a roundabout. This thread is about which lane to use to enter the roundabout. (Note that the UK rules on which lane to use on entering a roundabout are not the same as ours).

It's not correct to use the right lane for the second exit, unless road signs indicate otherwise, the left lane is blocked, or you're directed to do so by a garda or other traffic warden.

It is wrong to assume that the second exit is the LAST exit. The last exit in the roundabout in question is actually the third exit, i.e. the road you are entering from.

I'm not posting about this anymore. But next time I'm at that roundabout and the many other three-exit roundabouts in Donegal, I'll be extra vigilant given all the confusion there seems to be about this issue.

Exactly right but to be honest I have just a many problems in Dublin with roundabouts and people not knowing which lane they are supposed to be in as I do in Donegal.....even if you know where you are going in Dublin once they see a DL registration they assume you are lost or don't know the rules of the road and just cut in front of you, nearly causing an accident so saying you will watch in Donegal is wrong - WATCH ALL THE ROUNDABOUTS!

Tullyearl was much worse the way it was before they changed it to a roundabout - then it was extremely dangerous and I didn't use it unless I really had to, that was if I had to go to Ballyshannon, Pettigo.....even DUBLIN!

muffler

Macroom Man wrote: »

Note that the UK rules on which lane to use on entering a roundabout are not the same as ours
Road deaths in the UK are almost half those here so why not use the same rules as a country with a far better safety record?

Stick to the topic. This has nothing to do with the UK.

smashey

http://www.rulesoftheroad.ie/rules-for-driving/junctions-roundabouts/roundabouts.html

sesswhat

smashey wrote: »

http://www.rulesoftheroad.ie/rules-for-driving/junctions-roundabouts/roundabouts.html

Like I said before the Rules of the Road are not laws, and they are vague when it comes to any 'non-standard' roundabout. The only way to remove any ambiguity would be to use correct signage and correct markings at every roundabout.

Muffler mentioned the Dry Arch roundabout earlier. If you followed the rules of the road coming from Ballybofey, you would not be able to turn left towards Letterkenny using the right approach lane. Fair enough although many people do. You would also not be able to turn right towards Derry at all, because there are no arrows that signify turning right. The arrow in the right approach lane is a straight arrow only. It is a legal requirement to obey the road markings so by law everybody using this lane would have to go into the service station opposite.

smashey

Yes, but the placing of arrows supersedes the rules. So, in the absence of arrows the rules of the road should be applied.

blue shimmering

sesswhat wrote: »

Like I said before the Rules of the Road are not laws, and they are vague when it comes to any 'non-standard' roundabout. The only way to remove any ambiguity would be to use correct signage and correct markings at every roundabout.

Muffler mentioned the Dry Arch roundabout earlier. If you followed the rules of the road coming from Ballybofey, you would not be able to turn left towards Letterkenny using the right approach lane. Fair enough although many people do. You would also not be able to turn right towards Derry at all, because there are no arrows that signify turning right. The arrow in the right approach lane is a straight arrow only. It is a legal requirement to obey the road markings so by law everybody using this lane would have to go into the service station opposite.

When in the centre of the roundabout (in the right lane) approaching the roundabout you must watch your mirrors and just be careful - you do not have right of way into the lane on your left so have to wait for traffic that is on your left to pass first and when safe to do so then go into the left lane to exit! Sometimes you may even have to stop to do this (not advisable) or go around the roundabout a second time, I just think roundabouts are dangerous and complicated anyway and the best advice is to be careful, if your not sure just air on the side of caution and give way!

I will have to take a look for the arrows you refer to on the Dry Arch Roundabout because I always approach it from the letterkenny town side when going home and its the third exit to Ballybofey (not counting the service station) and when coming in it is the first exit I take so I stay in the left lane - simple...but oh how so complicated!

By the way I have never had an accident, thank goodness and think it is mainly due to being careful and giving way even if I feel I am right - no point in being right if you are dead or someone else is killed!

muffler

blue shimmering wrote: »

I will have to take a look for the arrows you refer to on the Dry Arch Roundabout because I always approach it from the letterkenny town side when going home and its the third exit to Ballybofey (not counting the service station)

Im telling you folks. Avoid blue shimmering like the plague if you see him at a roundabout

sesswhat

smashey wrote: »

Yes, but the placing of arrows supersedes the rules. So, in the absence of arrows the rules of the road should be applied.

Yes and my points are that the rules relating to roundabouts are not clear for every situation, and people don't obey them anyway.

Meanwhile any arrows are often painted by people who don't have a clue, you can't see them under a queue of traffic until its too late, and people don't obey them anyway.

Signs that would tell you well in advance what lane to use would be useful, so we obviously have no truck with that sort of thing here (and people wouldn't obey them anyway).

In short, our only defence is common sense and the knowledge that we can expect anything to happen. (I never had to think about these things when driving a JCB around London:))

sesswhat

muffler wrote: »

Im telling you folks. Avoid blue shimmering like the plague if you see him at a roundabout

You don't believe in going for the NCT then;)

smashey

sesswhat wrote: »

(I never had to think about these things when driving a JCB around London:))

Nobody's going to argue with a JCB.

smashey

muffler wrote: »

Im telling you folks. Avoid blue shimmering like the plague if you see him at a roundabout

FAIL. :pac:

muffler

sesswhat wrote: »

You don't believe in going for the NCT then;)

**ck it, forgot about that. Well actually I didnt I though it and the filling station were both off the same exit.

Apologies blue shimmering.

muffler

smashey wrote: »

FAIL. :pac:

You enjoyed that didnt you?