RSA Roundabouts ad?

alexlyons

Seriously, wtf?

I've seen it a few times now and it's just ridiculous. It was on between the news and craig doyle (put all comments about that in the other thread please) so they're hardly targeting the 16/17 young, new and up and coming drivers.. anyone who has there license should know how to use a roundabout, and anyone who doesn't have there license, doesn't need to know. Are they seriously admitting that few people in this country know the rules of the road?

Gary ITR

alexlyons wrote: »

Are they seriously admitting that few people in this country know the rules of the road?

Yes they are and I'm bloody glad they are finally doing a useful ad

Skid

Have you been on the roads lately? Lucky if 1 in 4 drivers have a clue about roundabouts.

They need more of this, don't like how they assume every roundabout has 4 entries/exits at 3,6,9 and 12 o'clock. Need a lot more ads which cover all types of roundabouts, but it's a start.

Basq

Onkle wrote: »

Yes they are and I'm bloody glad they are finally doing a useful ad

Agree completely..!

It's an absolute disgrace, from personal experience, on how few people know the rules of the road. God forbid they learn to use their fecking indicator when leaving a roundabout.

Fair fecks to the RSA for doing it!

SkidMark wrote:

Need a lot more ads which cover all types of roundabouts, but it's a start.

How about one to inform people that you don't proceed into a yellow box junction unless you're sure you can clear it. That's a big one!

EDIT: Gonna keep an eye on this thread as it might be best suited to Motors but we'll see how it goes here.

number10a

It's a bad sign of the state of driving in this country that we need to have this ad. But that's the thing. We really do need this ad!

The amount of people that do not know how to use a roundabout is actually unbelievable. And don't get me started on Nordies and roundabouts!!

alexlyons

SkidMark wrote: »

Have you been on the roads lately?

I take it thats a rhetorical question, but yes, I have, I've driven from dublin to dingle and dublin to schull in the last 2 weeks, plus about another 300km on top of that. and yes, people can't indicate when on roundabouts

I agree that not many actually adhere to the rules of the road, but in all fairness, if you put down a picture of almost any roundabout in the country with arrows all around it, any gobsh1te will tell you what lane to be in. The main thing is indication as I said, which is only touched on at the very end.

I agree that they need to educate people, but I'm not sure that ad has really hit the nail on the head, but ye I suppose it's a start. Current drivers need a reminder and the ad is probably the cheapest, but better testing of the entire rules would be a much better use of any further serious expenditure.

As for the only useful RSA ad, I completely disagree, the speed kills ads which AFAIK were at least supported by them were very good, especially the radio ones that you here when driving, they really get you thinking about your speed.

alexlyons

basquille wrote: »

How about one to inform people that you don't proceed into a yellow box junction unless you're sure you can clear it. That's a big one!.

again, what happened to people actually learning them and being tested so they have a very decent knowledge of them? I think every ten years at the bare minimum, a substantial theory test on the ROTR would be well worth it, plus, without being discriminatory, a retest for all motorists over the age of X as some people can experience slow reflexes and reaction times, which frankly, I don't think a medical covers adequately, there needs to be real world tests in the driving environment

Basq

alexlyons wrote: »

I agree that not many actually adhere to the rules of the road, but in all fairness, if you put down a picture of almost any roundabout in the country with arrows all around it, any gobsh1te will tell you what lane to be in. The main thing is indication as I said, which is only touched on at the very end.

I'm not sure about that. I've encountered plenty of drivers who will either approach in the wrong lane and / or continue to go the whole way around the roundabout in the left-hand lane. Unaware of what the right-lane is for obviously!

alexlyons wrote: »

I agree that they need to educate people, but I'm not sure that ad has really hit the nail on the head, but ye I suppose it's a start. Current drivers need a reminder and the ad is probably the cheapest, but better testing of the entire rules would be a much better use of any further serious expenditure.

As I've said before.. everyone on the road (not just drivers since the DTT was introduced) should go through the same Theory Test set down to every new driver nowadays. There's no reason why they shouldn't.. it's not something to be embarassed about. But you sit down someone in their 50's or 60's and ask them to do the theory test.. I'd say you'd be suprised how many competent and experiences elder drivers would fail it.

alexlyons wrote: »

again, what happened to people actually learning them and being tested so they have a very decent knowledge of them? I think every ten years at the bare minimum, a substantial theory test on the ROTR would be well worth it, plus, without being discriminatory, a retest for all motorists over the age of X as some people can experience slow reflexes and reaction times, which frankly, I don't think a medical covers adequately, there needs to be real world tests in the driving environment

Notice my paragraph above, which I wrote before I saw this!

Agree 100%!

EDIT: OK, gonna move this to Motors I think!

jimmyw

Maybe its for all the people who got their licence on the amnesty back in 1979 ;):rolleyes:. I thought by passing the driving test you should know this. Maybe they forget;).No harm to remind folks I suppose!

alexlyons

basquille wrote: »

I'm not sure about that. I've encountered plenty of drivers who will either approach in the wrong lane and / or continue to go the whole way around the roundabout in the left-hand lane. Unaware of what the right-lane is for obviously!

No, I agree that there are people who haven't a clue about the lanes, but indication is the main problem with the majority of motorists, which as I said, isn't mentioned enough in the ads

basquille wrote: »

As I've said before.. everyone on the road (not just drivers since the DTT was introduced) should go through the same Theory Test set down to every new driver nowadays. There's no reason why they shouldn't.. it's not something to be embarassed about. But you sit down someone in their 50's or 60's and ask them to do the theory test.. I'd say you'd be suprised how many competent and experiences elder drivers would pass it.


Notice my post above, which I wrote before I saw this!

Agree 100%!

I'm not saying older people wouldn't pass it, just that there should be a practical test as well, which I think is what you were agreeing with...?
Ye it'd be a pain in the ass having to re-sit the ROTR test every few years, but plenty of people need it, and tbh I'd be up for a re-sit of the practical test for all ages who don't achieve a certain mark in there first practical, or who take more than say 2 attempts to get it, and once you achieve the certain mark in the practical test, your exempt for 10 years or similar, then come the age of X you have to sit it every 3 or similar, decreasing the gap between tests relative to the older the person is. Also, if you were to dip below the certain mark that exempted you from more frequent tests, you are no longer exempt until you achieve that mark. that should be for both the practical and theory/ROTR.

I suppose I am more against the actual need for the ad, rather than the ad itself.

bad2dabone

it's about time they made it clear to the retards on the road who cannot use roundabouts.
Many people haven't a notion how roundabouts work, I hope this as runs for some time to try and educate the muppets.

stripysocks85

Question regarding Blanchardstown roundabout beside the M50:

When leaving Blanchardstown, I stay in right lane if I want to go M50 Southbound. But when I get close to this 3rd exit for M50 southbound, there are 2 lanes of traffic to my left & crossing over is impossible. How am I meant to approach this safely? I didn't think crossing lanes at a roundabout was safe, but should I just 1] Stay in middle lane or 2] Stay in right lane, but cross over before I get to the exit?

CR 7

alexlyons wrote: »

Seriously, wtf?

I've seen it a few times now and it's just ridiculous. It was on between the news and craig doyle (put all comments about that in the other thread please) so they're hardly targeting the 16/17 young, new and up and coming drivers.. anyone who has there license should know how to use a roundabout, and anyone who doesn't have there license, doesn't need to know. Are they seriously admitting that few people in this country know the rules of the road?

I did my test in Charleville, which has no roundabouts and therefore doesn't test you on using one, if I hadn't learnt in a town that did have roundabouts, I would have had no instruction. You could argue that instructors should teach this too, and every centre should test them, but it'd drive up waiting times, and instructors are teaching you to pass the test, and nothing else.

jaffa20

People know how to use a roundabout properly but just don't out of pure laziness. So in fairness, the op has a point imo. I don't think the amount of money spent on the campaign ad will help things. An ad on how to use a motorway would be more justified seeing as it is something that is not even taught to a learner driver.

Cerocco

As someone who drives for a living I have seen some really shocking driving out there. Roundabouts are the bain of my life. People don't know how to use them, it's plain and simple. I even once saw a driver drive the wrong way around a roundabout in Portlaoise.

I know i'm going to be hung, drawn and quartered for my next statement but I shall put it out there. The worst offenders are women and elderly drivers. I'm a woman myself but I have to say from my wealth of experience on the roads these are the worst offenders. I'm sorry women and elderly folk but i'm just sayin what i'm seein.

I just had this discussion with a friend recently, I think everyone should re-sit the driving test every 10 years to get out of bad habits and remind us all of the rules of the road.

FGR

That ad is all well and good for a standard Roundabout however Ireland is riddled with 3 exit and 5+ exit monstrosities that very few people can figure out.

The rules of the road are normally pretty clear - 1st exit stay on left lane and indicate left, 2nd lane stay on left lane and indicate after having passed the 1st exit. 3rd and subsequent stay on right.

Why can't people apply this logic to those other roundabouts? Normally I see people take the "clock" approach and stay in the left if even the 10th exit (!) is "Before 12 o'clock" and indicate right if the 2nd exit is past 12!

The amount of accidents on roundabouts must be pretty high.

T83

Cerocco wrote: »

I know i'm going to be hung, drawn and quartered for my next statement but I shall put it out there. The worst offenders are women and elderly drivers.

I've been sans car for two weeks now and for longer distances ive had to ask my mother to pick me up and drive me someplace... she gets to a roundabout, approaches bang on centre between the two lanes, eventually moves to the left lane right before the beginning, as she's going around it she'll drift back across to the right lane, then indicate left and cruise back across the left lane... and all to take the 1st exit off the roundabout.

She's not elderly by any stretch of the imagination... but she is a woman
Oh, and she'll throw a strop when I try to correct her "I know how to drive *hmph*"... ive taken to looking at the floor with bright red cheeks when she takes roundabouts now, and I thought we werent meant to be embarassed by our parents anymore when were in our 20's...?

FGR

Now now! Mother knows best! :P

daveharnett

alexlyons wrote: »

they're hardly targeting the 16/17 young, new and up and coming drivers.. anyone who has there license should know how to use a roundabout, and anyone who doesn't have there license, doesn't need to know. Are they seriously admitting that few people in this country know the rules of the road?

There's no need to target 17yos. They know how to use roundabouts. In my experience, young learner drivers are much more likely to maneuverer and signal properly than other drivers.

Del2005

ForegoneReality wrote: »

That ad is all well and good for a standard Roundabout however Ireland is riddled with 3 exit and 5+ exit monstrosities that very few people can figure out.

The rules of the road are normally pretty clear - 1st exit stay on left lane and indicate left, 2nd lane stay on left lane and indicate after having passed the 1st exit. 3rd and subsequent stay on right.

Why can't people apply this logic to those other roundabouts? Normally I see people take the "clock" approach and stay in the left if even the 10th exit (!) is "Before 12 o'clock" and indicate right if the 2nd exit is past 12!

The amount of accidents on roundabouts must be pretty high.

It's the instructors fault for bringing in the clock to roundabouts. If they couldn't teach someone to count the exits on the roundabout they shouldn't have let them drive.

At least with the ad being shown it may get some people back to doing roundabouts correctly and then they can move onto multi lane roads.

alexlyons

daveharnett wrote: »

There's no need to target 17yos. They know how to use roundabouts. In my experience, young learner drivers are much more likely to maneuverer and signal properly than other drivers.

hence why i said they're hardly targeting them..? as in, it wouldn't make sense to. The reason for saying that was based on the timing of the advert, which is an expensive slot when virtually none of that age group would be watching tv on rte 1

marious

for me personally its a disgrace that some of the basic rotrs have to be advertised on tv I saw one with overtaking as well... (how to do it safely or how to do it at all) I thought... jeez has to be worse than I thought n the roads

Cabaal

Cerocco wrote: »

I just had this discussion with a friend recently, I think everyone should re-sit the driving test every 10 years to get out of bad habits and remind us all of the rules of the road.

Fully agree, would get alot of clueless people to cop the hell on

Saruman

I wrote to them about 2 years ago and requested they do a campaign like this. I also suggested they paint lines on all roundabouts to indicate lanes as morons in the left approach lane then cut across thinking the two approach lanes magically disappear and its "fair game" on the roundabout itself. They declined my second suggestion saying pretty much "people should know better".

My most recent brush on a roundabout was on the N52 Tullamore bypass. I was taking the third exit (going right) and was in the right approach lane, some woman in the left approach lane of course moves over to the right forcing me to slam on the brakes and beep in disgust only to have her take the first exit (going left) so she was not even going straight through :rolleyes:

marious

have to mention theres a lot of roundabouts that are actually too hard to even go around them they're so small, talkin about white painted circles 7 by 7 feet

marious

Saruman wrote: »

I wrote to them about 2 years ago and requested they do a campaign like this. I also suggested they paint lines on all roundabouts to indicate lanes as morons in the left approach lane then cut across thinking the two approach lanes magically disappear and its "fair game" on the roundabout itself. They declined my second suggestion saying pretty much "people should know better".

we all know they don't know better

johndaman66

T83 wrote: »

my mother to pick me up and drive me someplace... she gets to a roundabout, approaches bang on centre between the two lanes, eventually moves to the left lane right before the beginning, as she's going around it she'll drift back across to the right lane, then indicate left and cruise back across the left lane... and all to take the 1st exit off the roundabout.

She's not elderly by any stretch of the imagination... but she is a woman

Trust me your mother is not alone T83. I regularly see these antics at roundabouts on a daily basis even though on many days I am now only on the road for a short spell. Apart from slowing progress and traffic flow these antics cause considerable furstration to myself anyway and other drivers also I'm sure. No doubt accidents have being caused by this behaviour also.

Peoples incompetence/ carelessness when using roundabouts is surely my number one pet hate on the road. Another poster suggested laziness which I would agree is a major root cause but think too further distinctions need to be made.

1) Laziness on the part of those fail to learn the rules pertaining to roundabouts in the first place or in the case of others who would not necessairly be using roundabouts too often perhaps in cerain cases, fail to keep themselves familiarised with the rules.

2) Then there are those who know the rules/ half know the rules but fail to apply them in practice out of pure laziness/ couldn't care less attitude.

There are also those who will almost use absolutely whichever lane is the quietest regardless of their intended exit

On indicators I would suggest not using them at all as oppossed to using them incorrectly. On a considerable number of occasions I have seen people indicate as if they are coming off the roundabout and then proceed on around past that exit:mad:

Haven't seen the ad but can almost second guess that it shows a simplistic roundabout with four enterances exits at 90 degree to one another and can second guess also that it fails to dispell this clock notion that many people seem to have in their heads

Saruman

johndaman66 wrote: »

Haven't seen the ad but can almost second guess that it shows a simplistic roundabout with four enterances exits at 90 degree to one another and can second guess also that it fails to dispell this clock notion that many people seem to have in their heads

That is exactly what it shows but since this simple layout confuses the poor simpleton of an Irish driver then it is better than nothing.
There is no mention of the stupid clock notion at all.

araic88

I am a learner driver waiting to do my test and was recently using a roundabout from a different direction than I'd usually be approaching from (though i don't use it much anyway). It was late at night and the road was pretty empty. I wanted to go straight through so was in the outside lane and indicated after passing the first exit
BUT
I didn't realise it was an altered roundabout and I should've been on the inside lane. I very nearly hit just about the only other car on the road at the time who was booting it through, also going the same way.
I had a full licenced driver with me but they didn't know about it being altered either so there's sweet f*ck all they can do anyway!

I think the RSA has the right idea starting ads like this one but they need to advance them from the most basic rules of the road that you learn for your theory test before ever even sitting in a driver seat.

OR they could spend the money on massive signs when coming up to altered roundabouts because my passenger and I were seriously oblivious to that one!!!

Guy:Incognito

alexlyons wrote: »

anyone who has there license should know how to use a roundabout,

Yes, they should..................

Sids Not

Its just ignorance and laziness imo...its the "why should i bother when no one else does.." attitude of irish drivers....its our own fault people...:o

oh...and the gardai dont help either..;)

jimmycrackcorm

I wonder if everyone knows how to use the Walinstown roundabout ith it's three lanes? There's not much in the Rules of the Road to explain that one....

Guy:Incognito

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

I wonder if everyone knows how to use the Walinstown roundabout ith it's three lanes? There's not much in the Rules of the Road to explain that one....

The best way to use the roundabout and it works fine if everyone does it is to divide the number of lanes coming on at the part your using (3 in each I think, with Ballymount having 2) by the amount of exits (6) so if your comign from greenhills, use the left lane for Ballymount and Walkinstown Ave, middle lane for the road down towards Superquinn (cant think of the name of the road) and Cromwellsfort Rd and the right lane for Peters Rd and Greenhills rd.

_Kaiser_

The ad is a good idea in itself, but I don't know how much good it'll do...

Personally, aware as I am of the idocy that goes on with them, I use the "err on the side of caution" approach, so if the roudabout is one of these new ones that's marked with 2 lanes but only really wide enough for one (unless you wanna use the kerbing as the inside lane), I'll sit in the middle at the entrance to it (stops people almost drifting into the side of you as they go round) and indicate in plenty of time as I approach and prepare to leave it thereby letting all the eejits get used to the idea before I move.

On a normal "full size" roundabout I'll use the "correct" lanes, but there's an awful lot of these "lane and a bit" ones springing up that often also have very tight angles at the exits (eg: the 2 new ones outside Navan that cross the M3 on the Dunshaughlin side), so I will take whatever measures I deem safest to avoid an incident.

Although truth be told, given that as well as not indicating, most of the people I meet on roundabouts don't give you an inch either - I'd prefer if they were abolished entirely in favour of proper signalled junctions.

Saruman

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

Personally, aware as I am of the idocy that goes on with them, I use the "err on the side of caution" approach, so if the roudabout is one of these new ones that's marked with 2 lanes but only really wide enough for one (unless you wanna use the kerbing as the inside lane)

Awful lot of these appearing at the moment :rolleyes:

Del2005

araic88 wrote: »

I am a learner driver waiting to do my test and was recently using a roundabout from a different direction than I'd usually be approaching from (though i don't use it much anyway). It was late at night and the road was pretty empty. I wanted to go straight through so was in the outside lane and indicated after passing the first exit
BUT
I didn't realise it was an altered roundabout and I should've been on the inside lane. I very nearly hit just about the only other car on the road at the time who was booting it through, also going the same way.
I had a full licenced driver with me but they didn't know about it being altered either so there's sweet f*ck all they can do anyway!

Just to clear this up for me. Are you referring to the outside lane as the one nearest the left hand side of the road? If not then you where in the wrong lane for going straight on, unless there where 2 exits before the straight on exit.


That's another problem we have. No one seems to use standard rules for naming the lanes of a road, if there are any?

It shouldn't mater if you know the roundabout or not, I know learners are more nervous but that's where the licensed passenger is supposed to help. The rules are 1st or 2nd exit left lane, any subsequent exit right lane. It would be helpful if councils placed advance warning signs on altered lane roundabouts so people have time to change from standard lanes with road to spare, not when you barely catch a glimpse of a faded arrow showing you're in the wrong lane 2m from the roundabout entrance.

araic88

Del2005 wrote: »

Just to clear this up for me. Are you referring to the outside lane as the one nearest the left hand side of the road? If not then you where in the wrong lane for going straight on, unless there where 2 exits before the straight on exit.

Sorry yes I meant that I was on the left hand side and wanted to go straight through which meant exiting at the second exit.