How to Use A Roundabout

enda1

Yeah a google maps link would help a lot. The answer depends on the situation.

LordSutch

Iwannahurl wrote: »

I am not familiar with UK roundabout rules.

But imagine Welsh, Irish or Dutch motorists and cyclists navigating the first example below (in the Netherlands) versus the same people trying to cope with the second (Galway's own Circus of Horrors).

Now I'm confused, I thought UK roundabouts had the same rules as here? and as for Welsh (UK drivers) & Irish drivers on Dutch roundabouts on the wrong side of the road

Help!

redz11

Vertakill wrote: »

I'm still looking for the roundabout gurus to tell me what lane one should use to go 'straight' (3rd exit) on this roundabout.

http://maps.google.ie/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Newbridge,+Ireland&aq=&sll=53.422628,-8.305664&sspn=9.40978,19.709473&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Newbridge,+County+Kildare&layer=c&cbll=53.208417,-6.74162&panoid=BQjsoJ2t95DnQqrwC692Ug&cbp=12,235.09,,0,25.27&ll=53.208359,-6.741722&spn=0,0.019248&z=16

Not that I consider myself to be a "roundabout guru", but I did respond to this in Post # 280.

jaffa20

huh, what's with the ambigious responses. Straight through=left lane unless road markings indicate otherwise!

Iwannahurl

LordSutch wrote: »

Now I'm confused, I thought UK roundabouts had the same rules as here? and as for Welsh (UK drivers) & Irish drivers on Dutch roundabouts on the wrong side of the road

Help!

I think some earlier posters made the point that UK rules are different, and the OP's roundabout is in Wales I believe.

In Ireland the rule is that there are no rules! :rolleyes:

The point I was attempting to make regarding hypothetical Welsh and Irish people driving or cycling in the Netherlands is that if they encounter a roundabout or other junction it is likely that they will find a better design that will allow them to negotiate the junction more easily and safely. This is what the Dutch are trying to do -- make their roads safer by being more 'forgiving'. They call it Sustainable Safety.

In Ireland we bung in large multi-lane roundabouts because they're cheap and can accommodate high traffic volumes, give "planning" permission for shopping centres and residential estates in the immediate vicinity, let motorists fight it out among themselves, and let the cyclists and pedestrians go p:ss up a downpipe.

Maruney

salamander27 wrote: »

If I am in the right hand lane on a round about I exit onto the right hand lane if there are two lanes. If there is only one lane to exit onto then I let any car in the left lane to exit and merge into the lane carefully, indicating, using mirrors and checking blind spots etc....

Thats exactly what I think is correct!
Whats the right hand lane exiting the roundabout for if everyone merges left to exit?

If there are 2 lanes entering and 2 lanes exiting why not enter in the right land, (to go straight through) and exit in the right lane.

LordSutch

As a driver of some twenty+ years that just seems plane wrong to me, the picture seems to imply that you take the 3rd exit from the inside/left lane? http://maps.google.ie/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Newbridge,+Ireland&aq=&sll=53.422628,-8.305664&sspn=9.40978,19.709473&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Newbridge,+County+Kildare&layer=c&cbll=53.208417,-6.74162&panoid=BQjsoJ2t95DnQqrwC692Ug&cbp=12,235.09,,0,25.27&ll=53.208359,-6.741722&spn=0,0.019248&z=16

Surely that's wrong :rolleyes:

Iwannahurl

redz11 wrote: »

Not that I consider myself to be a "roundabout guru", but I did respond to this in Post # 280.

Do you have any comment on the roundabout technique advocated on the three driving school websites below?

http://www.drivingtesttips.ie/Irish-...-Tutorials.php (Last three videos, bottom of page)

http://www.lireland.com/theory/roundabouts.htm

http://www.driveskill.ie/Roundabouts.htm

Mr. Presentable

Maruney wrote: »

Thats exactly what I think is correct!
Whats the right hand lane exiting the roundabout for if everyone merges left to exit?

If there are 2 lanes entering and 2 lanes exiting why not enter in the right land, (to go straight through) and exit in the right lane.

How would you know there are two exit lanes the first time you use the roundabout? If you don't know, you should be in the left lane, thus, unless it's marked, you always use the left lane going straight through. Of course, if there's traffic you won't see road markings until you are at the junction...........

redz11

Iwannahurl wrote: »

Do you have any comment on the roundabout technique advocated on the three driving school website below?

http://www.drivingtesttips.ie/Irish-...-Tutorials.php (Last three videos, bottom of page)

http://www.lireland.com/theory/roundabouts.htm

http://www.driveskill.ie/Roundabouts.htm

My comment would be that, yes, unfortunately, there is misinformation out there. But I will take the directions of the RSA (as quoted many times already on this thread) over guidance provided on the websites of some private driving schools.

LordSutch

Iwannahurl wrote: »

I think some earlier posters made the point that UK rules are different,

I will check that out next week when I am driving in Northern Ireland, so its not just the Miles Vs Kilometres that are different, its the roundabouts too! Oh, and the Orange in the traffic light sequence (after red).

muckwarrior

Maruney wrote: »

Thats exactly what I think is correct!
Whats the right hand lane exiting the roundabout for if everyone merges left to exit?

If there are 2 lanes entering and 2 lanes exiting why not enter in the right land, (to go straight through) and exit in the right lane.

If there's a dual carriageway either side of the roundabout then the right hand lane is for overtaking.

Maruney

jaffa20 wrote: »

huh, what's with the ambigious responses. Straight through=left lane unless road markings indicate otherwise!

Like I wondered earlier, so why are there 2 lanes exiting if you must keep left going straight through?

I just cant understand why someone would change to the left lane when their lane dosen't end.
See the graphic below explaining it how I think it should be done, but from my experience car 2 (red) will merge left to exit where car 1 (blue) is below even though their lane does not end.
How is that correct and the graphic below incorrect. (Im aware its not an Irish roundabout below)

muckwarrior

Maruney wrote: »

Like I wondered earlier, so why are there 2 lanes exiting if you must keep left going straight through?

I just cant understand why someone would change to the left lane when their lane dosen't end.
See the graphic below explaining it how I think it should be done, but from my experience car 2 (red) will merge left to exit where car 1 (blue) is below even though their lane does not end.
How is that correct and the graphic below incorrect. (Im aware its not an Irish roundabout below)

You should enter on the left, thereby exiting on the left. Entering on the right to go straight through is wrong, entering on the right and exiting on the left is doubly wrong.

Vertakill

redz11 wrote: »

Well, judging by this sign just back the road, the third exit is straight ahead. So as per the Rules of the Road, and unless there were road markings indicating differently, I would take the left lane unless it was blocked, in which case I would take the right lane.

See it's really, really not that difficult!

LordSutch wrote: »

As a driver of some twenty+ years that just seems plane wrong to me, the picture seems to imply that you take the 3rd exit from the inside/left lane? http://maps.google.ie/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Newbridge,+Ireland&aq=&sll=53.422628,-8.305664&sspn=9.40978,19.709473&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Newbridge,+County+Kildare&layer=c&cbll=53.208417,-6.74162&panoid=BQjsoJ2t95DnQqrwC692Ug&cbp=12,235.09,,0,25.27&ll=53.208359,-6.741722&spn=0,0.019248&z=16

Surely that's wrong :rolleyes:

This is my point. There are no road markings OR signs indicating the correct lane.
So, going by the clock system, you MAY deem that exit as 12 o clock/straight ahead. When, in fact, it's closer to 1 o clock than 12.

And correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't that mean (according to the RotR), that you should be taking the the right hand lane as you approach, seeing as it's the 3rd exit AND it's passed 12 o clock?

I take the right hand lane anyways.

cornbb

muckwarrior wrote: »

You should enter on the left, thereby exiting on the left. Entering on the right to go straight through is wrong, entering on the right and exiting on the left is doubly wrong.

Look at the road markings on the graphic above - in this case, the OP is correct. Enter on the right, exit from the right.

Maruney

muckwarrior wrote: »

You should enter on the left, thereby exiting on the left. Entering on the right to go straight through is wrong, entering on the right and exiting on the left is doubly wrong.

So your saying car 2 (red) is wrong?
I dont see how entering on the right and exiting on the right is wrong when going straight through a roundabout like this.

BigEejit

Vertakill wrote: »

Oh wow, a supervisor... well that's that decided then!



You never know, stranger things have happened.



On a lighter note, what lane would you two take if you were taking the 3rd exit here?

http://maps.google.ie/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Newbridge,+Ireland&aq=&sll=53.422628,-8.305664&sspn=9.40978,19.709473&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Newbridge,+County+Kildare&layer=c&cbll=53.208417,-6.74162&panoid=BQjsoJ2t95DnQqrwC692Ug&cbp=12,235.09,,0,25.27&ll=53.208359,-6.741722&spn=0,0.019248&z=16

Either one, as per the sign
http://maps.google.ie/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Newbridge,+Ireland&aq=&sll=53.422628,-8.305664&sspn=9.40978,19.709473&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Newbridge,+County+Kildare&layer=c&cbll=53.208417,-6.74162&panoid=BQjsoJ2t95DnQqrwC692Ug&cbp=12,235.09,,0,25.27&ll=53.208359,-6.741722&spn=0,0.019248&z=16

tobsey

Vertakill wrote: »

This is my point. There are no road markings OR signs indicating the correct lane.
So, going by the clock system, you MAY deem that exit as 12 o clock/straight ahead. When, in fact, it's closer to 1 o clock than 12.

And correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't that mean (according to the RotR), that you should be taking the the right hand lane as you approach, seeing as it's the 3rd exit AND it's passed 12 o clock?

I take the right hand lane anyways.

If the road was empty then I'd use the left lane. If the left lane was full and there was more room in the right lane I'd use that. I still think the left lane is the correct one, or at least the more correct one.

muckwarrior

cornbb wrote: »

Look at the road markings on the graphic above - in this case, the OP is correct. Enter on the right, exit from the right.

As I said earlier, "unless markings say otherwise". So yeah it would be ok in the case of the graphic, but that graphic is British, the rules here state you should stay to the left.

muckwarrior

Maruney wrote: »

So your saying car 2 (red) is wrong?
I dont see how entering on the right and exiting on the right is wrong when going straight through a roundabout like this.

Assuming it's a standard dual carriageway the right hand lane is an overtaking lane. You shouldn't be using it as a driving lane.

I come across this scenario all the time at the Ashtown roundabout heading towards blanch. I go straight through the roundabout from the left lane exiting on the left, then try to overtake only to find the right lane full of traffic that has exited from the roundabout from that lane and stayed there.

complicit

My understanding is one should always change from the right to the left lane immediately after the exit prior to the exit you are taking . If you exit in the right hand lane , you may collide with someone in the left hand lane , such as someone who entered the roundabout at the exit prior to your intended exit .

Of course when changing from the right lane to left lane , you must give way to anyone already in the left lane

LordSutch

tobsey wrote: »

If the left lane was full and there was more room in the right lane I'd use that. I still think the left lane is the correct one, or at least the more correct one.

Even though its the 3rd or 4th exit?

tobsey

LordSutch wrote: »

Even though its the 3rd or 4th exit?

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's straight on. I'm not turning right so I should be in the right lane! In the original example the driver was turning RIGHT therefore right lane and signal. Order of exits has nothing to do with it.

PeakOutput

Vertakill wrote: »

I take the right hand lane anyways.

bloody celica drivers

Zubeneschamali

muckwarrior wrote: »

Assuming it's a standard dual carriageway the right hand lane is an overtaking lane. You shouldn't be using it as a driving lane.

It's clearly marked as a "straight-on or right" lane, so the red car is fine.

muckwarrior

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

It's clearly marked as a "straight-on or right" lane, so the red car is fine.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=70444065&postcount=15

LordSutch

Looks like total confusion still reigns

Half of us are certain the right lane is correct, the the other half the left lane, with no sign of agreement after three hundred+ posts.

Zubeneschamali

LordSutch wrote: »

Half of us are certain the right lane is correct

Yes, tell us why again?

rickyjb

Wow, this thing is still going stong:pac:

It's still the left lane btw, if you enter using the right lane and someone is (correctly) using the lane beside you starting off you'll end up cutting them off when you take the exit as there's only one lane. Which is obviously dangerous. There's no proper reason to use the right lane bar this "12 o'clock" rubbish.