Roundabout situation on N3

Ginger83

I have a question about the roundabout at the end of the N3 dual carriageway at Whitegate. I don't have a photo but maybe some of you know it.

So coming from Kells through Carnaros I approach the roundabout. There's 2 lanes and I stay in the right lane as the exit to Cavan is at 2 o clock. A taxi comes around in the left lane to take the same exit and beeped at me.

Who is in the wrong?

Citrus_8

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058301405/roundabout-situation-on-n3

Based on a car position, it can look like the second exit is at a 2 o'clock. But looking from the middle of the road perspective, it's nearly exactly 12 o'clock. I don't know. To me 12 o'clock perspective is often tricky.

Deeec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058301405/roundabout-situation-on-n3

I think you are right using the right lane here. As far as I remember at that roundabout there is no exit after the cavan rd exit - so coming from kells its the 2nd exit, motorway is the 1st exit. Taxi should have only used the left lane if turning left to motorway or taxi is coming off from motorway and heading to cavan. I think you are correct with the way you approached it.

Ginger83

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120738605#Comment_120738605

I was on the old N3. As I enter the roundabout the exit for Cavan is at my 2 o clock.

Anyone coming from Dublin on the motorway, their exit to Cavan on this roundabout is at 12 o clock.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120738679#Comment_120738679

Why are you talking about something that has absolutely nothing to do with roundabouts? It doesn't matter if the roundabout has two exits or ten, the rules don't change.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120738605#Comment_120738605

The sign on approach tells you the exit and their positions.

Citrus_8

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120764776#Comment_120764776

Rarely. Only the large roundabouts have such signs. Plenty of roundabouts without them, though.

Deeec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120764750#Comment_120764750

Jees your tetchy - did you get out the wrong side of the bed today.

Are you going to offer any practical advice to the op.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120764984#Comment_120764984

I'm tetchy because I thought anyone still referring to 1st, 2nd and 3rd exits when discussing the rules of the roundabout is surely having us all on and having a laugh.

Because I'd like to assume anyone on the roads the I have to share with surely knows it is the clockface position of the exits that decides the lane to approach in. Maybe my assumption is wrong.

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120765189#Comment_120765189

If you think every driver on the road follows the clockface you would be wrong in that assumption.

A lot of drivers learned the 1st... 2nd... 3rd and while there was an ad campaign theres not nearly enough signage about lanes to force the clockface change onto them.

Then factor in all the non standard roundabouts without signs just hard to see markings on the road itself.

Pete_Cavan

It's the same problem at that roundabout coming from Cavan heading for Dublin. Most drivers use the left lane to join the roundabout even when they will be using the third exit (the first being the local access road and second being old N3 to Kells).

I think many people think that the left lane on the roundabout is for accessing the left lane on the dual carriageway and the right lane on roundabout is for the right lane on the dual carriageway and that the previous exits don't play a part in lane selection on the roundabout. A lot of people are clueless about many aspects of driving.

Ginger83

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120766060#Comment_120766060

I would say that my view of it is different to yours because of 2 reasons.

From Cavan to Dublin at this roundabout the Dublin exit is at 12 o clock which would suggest left lane but there is also 2 lanes on approach and 2 lanes on exit which would suggest either lane.

Pete_Cavan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120767596#Comment_120767596

What does it matter that the Dublin exit is at 12 o clock? To use that exit, you have to first pass two other exits and there are no exits after it (unless doing a u-turn). I'm open to correction here but I'm pretty certain that in this situation, the right lane should be used for the Dublin exit when coming from Cavan.

Citrus_8

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120768640#Comment_120768640

ROR p. 133 suggests that a left lane should be used for a 12 o'clock exit, except if the first lane has a long lane of vehicles showing a left turn signal or the lane is blocked. So a preference for 12 is always the 1st lane, if not otherwise shown on the road by arrows or road signs.

ROR pdf can be found here:

https://www.rsa.ie/services/learner-drivers/resources/rules-of-the-road

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120768640#Comment_120768640

This has to be trolling? It was mentioned just a few posts ago that roundabout rules are not based on the number of exits.

Ginger83

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120768640#Comment_120768640

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120768941#Comment_120768941

I've often seen people entering this roundabout in the right hand lane and then switching lanes on the roundabout to exit into the left hand lane on the dual carriageway. What would happen if there was a vehicle in the left lane heading for Dublin? I wonder how insurance companies view this?

XsApollo

How many lanes are on the exit coming off the roundabout? 1 I presume?

we’re you indicating at all? I don’t indicate unless am going well around the roundabout, I wouldn’t indicate right for an exit at 2’clock I’d do the same thing I would do for a 12 o’clock.

if you are on the inside lane and you then have to cross a lane to get to the exit then are you not supposed to take due care when crossing a lane?

basically the taxi is on the outside lane and therefore owns the lane I presume, wether they are right or wrong,

if you stayed in the left lane then you wouldn’t have that problem,

now the taxi could of done the same thing to a car that was coming from 3 exits back ( so the exit you are talking about was that cars 9 o’clock ) and was taking that exit and if the taxi did the same thing then the car on the inside still needs to be careful crossing the lane to get the exit, even tho that car was doing the right thing.

the taxi was an ass.

personally I don’t go around the out outside of cars on a roundabout.

im not 100% on the rules but if you were in the left lane you wouldn’t of had that problem.

Ginger83

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120772578#Comment_120772578

There is 2 lanes entering and 1 exiting and I indicated right on entering. I would never enter a roundabout in the left lane if I'm exiting after 12 o clock.

The taxi effectively tried to overtake me on the roundabout.

Citrus_8

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120772509#Comment_120772509

Not sure about Ireland. Sometimes insurance companies disagree with the logics of the ROR, even. In the country I am from, it is the driver who is changing the lane in the roundabout, has to make sure there's no vehicle in the lane it is intended to moving to.

XsApollo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120772745#Comment_120772745

So did you cut the taxi off while changing lanes to get your exit?

taxi should of been leaving you space , if the taxi is on your outside you can’t cut across in front of them if you are changing lanes.

Ginger83

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120773581#Comment_120773581

I am very familiar of this situation on this roundabout so I was watching the taxi all the way so I actually increased speed as soon as I seen the taxi was not taking the first exit or I wasn't going to make the exit.

I was asking what lane should be used?

XsApollo

Well you asked who was in the wrong ,

probably you were in the correct lane if road markings or signs don’t say otherwise, but it also doesn’t give you right of way if there is traffic on the other lane.

few roundabout around here with exits just after 12’o clock I would stay in the left just to avoid that situation and claim the road.

Ginger83

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120774527#Comment_120774527

Is it not wrong to use the left lane? Let's say it was a driving test?

XsApollo

maybe they were in the wrong on how they joined , but once they are in the lane it’s theirs basically.

it doesn’t give you right of way to change lanes in front of them.

if you did pull across in front of them and ye hit each other, I don’t think the insurance will be looking at what lane the other car joined the roundabout on, will be more the fact that you were changing lanes and pulled in front of them.

I’m not saying you did that by the way, I’m just thinking if the other car beeped then sounds like they had to slow down or something.

XsApollo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120774589#Comment_120774589

Well I don’t know the roundabout , but road markings and signs might let it be ok. If there are no sign or roadmarking then they would be in the wrong.