Use of indicator at roundabouts

mobpd

can someone please confirm if it is correct in ireland that when approaching a roundabout and you want to go straight ahead that you should indicate right??? Its just that this is not the rule in other countries and I have seen loads of people coming up to roundabouts in the left hand lane (correct if you going straight on) but with right indicator flashing - is very confusing - I always give them a bit of leeway in case they really intend to go round the outer lane to turn right....

slade_x

mobpd wrote:

can someone please confirm if it is correct in ireland that when approaching a roundabout and you want to go straight ahead that you should indicate right??? Its just that this is not the rule in other countries and I have seen loads of people coming up to roundabouts in the left hand lane (correct if you going straight on) but with right indicator flashing - is very confusing - I always give them a bit of leeway in case they really intend to go round the outer lane to turn right....

Yes you dont indicate at all, until you are passed the exit that you do not intend to take then you indicate left, to go straight relative from when you got onto the roundabout

Illkillya

The way I understand it, there are two rules of thumb:

1) If the exit you are taking is after "12 O'Clock", then you can indicate right.
2) If the exit you are taking is the third or subsequent exit, then you can indicate right.

Othwise I don't see any reason for indicating right.

leeroybrown

Any government produced guides I've seen on the subject are actually unclear/confusing as they use the example of a roundabout wit four exits and describe the exits as left, straight and right. While a large percentage of roundabouts are like this, the ones that good signalling is most important on are the bigger, more complex that are not adequately described.

Guy:Incognito

I had a girl in a micra with L plates in front of me on the belgard road today doing exactly that. I was behind her in the left lane. She had been driving very slow, but i wasnt in any hurry and was lictening to the radio so i sat behind her. Anyway, as we came up to the roundabout she indicated right and went kind of straight (as in across the lanes not following the lane around) so i assumed she was turning right and sped up a bit to normal speed in the left lane, when she then switched to indicating left and drove straight.

I was actually kind of worried for anyone else who might encounter her and confused as to why sheindicated right and went straight. Driving through the lanes instead of followin the curve of them added to the incompetency.

I really hate people who drift across lanes on roundabout without a care for othersbecause they are too lazy/unaware of whats going on around them to steer with the line of the lane.I find old people do this a lot.

ZENER

In my experience most people indicate right entering the roundabout and don't indicate at all on exiting or just don't bother indicating at all - usually women in 4X4' or mpvs couldn't be arsed using the indicators.

ZEN

AMurphy

Based on my experience, the best indicator to use on a RA is your right foot, aka "The Accelerator."

Squirrel

The worst is people in the left lane going right, especially at the Spawell Roundabout 'cos you think you have a gap but they keep coming around, I saw a crash because of that a while back.

Hagar

AFAIK you are supposed to indicate left just before joining a roundabout and leave the left indicator on until you pass the last exit prior to the one you want to use. At this point you indicate right.

Seth Brundle

Hagar wrote:

AFAIK you are supposed to indicate left just before joining a roundabout and leave the left indicator on until you pass the last exit prior to the one you want to use. At this point you indicate right.

quite incorrect! Nobody will know where you are going and when you do want to come off you indicate that you are travelling around it more?

DubTony

Here's the deal on a straight-forward 4 exit 3-6-9-12 roundabout.

Going straight on ... keep in left lane. DO NOT INDICATE
As you past the last exit before your turn indicate left.
Take the exit.
Cancel the indicator.

Any thing else? Why not use the search feature and read the 74 gazillion threads about driving on roundabouts.

Hagar

Holy Sh1t. I forgot I'm in France where we drive on the right.

I'll get me coat. ( Get's coat, indicates right, heads off into the sunset )

30-6shooter

:mad: I hate retards that cant use roundabouts, no wonder theres always crashes on them when ppl cant even indicate where they`re going. Indicate 1 way then go another way. The worst though has to be ppl that stop when at every roundabout even tho theres nothing coming. Usually women :rolleyes:

Hagar

I'm not a retard, I made an honest mistake as I already pointed out.
The version I gave is quite the norm if you drive on the right as I do.

m_stan

this indicating right thing when going straight through a roundabout is one of the most common errors out there (along with no indication whatsoever). It highlights the number of people who've had no professional driving instruction. Any driving school would teach you the correct way. Doing it incorrectly causes accidents and general confusion for other cars using the road.

Plus it REALLY REALLY annoys me !

This all goes back to the terrible system we have where any old fool can get into a car and drive with no instruction or training whatsoever. And if you fail your test what do you do ? Drive away !!!

If the government is serious about road safety they need to fix this badly broken system.

mike65

m_stan wrote:

If the government is serious about road safety they need to fix this badly broken system.

This subject is like a broken record on this forum!

God knows roundabouts are'nt rocket science but it would help if they were beter designed, the Kinsale Rd disaster being a fine example, and its so busy its something of a rugby scrum to arrive at the intended exit in the correct lane esp if driving somthing abit slow like a non-turbo diesel van.

Mike.

layke

Illkillya wrote:

The way I understand it, there are two rules of thumb:

1) If the exit you are taking is after "12 O'Clock", then you can indicate right.
2) If the exit you are taking is the third or subsequent exit, then you can indicate right.

Othwise I don't see any reason for indicating right.

Correct, this drives me bannanas.

My advice, try and keep a distance form those people.

As for the government, they keep slapping up speed bumps everywhere. My shocks are crying and my chassy is scratched to bits. I pity anyone in a porche or any lowered car for that fact.

I think the best thing they could do is do a few ads with driving tips in them. Education is the best policy and TV will have the widest target audience.

Cucullan

I hate people who drift lanes too really annoying you'd swear roundabouts were hard to use. How simple is this
First exit, stay in left lane indicate left approaching roundabout
Second exit, again left lane indicate left after passing first exit
Third or more exits, right lane indicating left after passing exit before your exit.
Not exacly rocket science but still so many people don't know it through lack of knowledge of the rules of the road. 2 minutes would learn it.

lazylad

mobpd wrote:

can someone please confirm if it is correct in ireland that when approaching a roundabout and you want to go straight ahead that you should indicate right??? Its just that this is not the rule in other countries and I have seen loads of people coming up to roundabouts in the left hand lane (correct if you going straight on) but with right indicator flashing - is very confusing - I always give them a bit of leeway in case they really intend to go round the outer lane to turn right....

You dont indicate to go straight ahead! You just approach the roundabout in the left hand(outer)lane, when you pass the first exit indicate left! Thats the only way to do it most people who intend to go straight on and are in the right hand lane and dont indicate at all and who are too hesitant really do my head in!

HotRodDub

First of all I know how to use a roundabout, as should most people, and yes people in Micra's you are allowed to use them correctly also.

But the funny thing I find is that there are certain roundabouts I use on my way to and from work each day that I have to use incorrectly otherwise I'll get wrecked. This is especially the case in some roundabouts where I am going straight ahead if I stick to the left lane someone on the right lane will try to beat me to my exit. I know that with these roundabouts in question 90% of the traffic is either going left or straight ahead and it would make sense to have road marking arrows on the lanes to make the left lane for turning left and right lane for going straight ahead and turning right, but until that happens I'll have to keep using it incorrectly!!

Hagar

The idea that you don't have to indicate when going straight makes no sense to me. The purpose of indicators is to indicate your intention to turn. Is everyone else supposed to know where you got on the roundabout and where you intend getting off?

If you get on at the "bottom" of a roundabout and intend getting off at the "top" how is a motorist who gets behind you at the "left" supposed to know where you got on and what are you up to? You're just another vehicle to him and unless you indicate left before you leave the roundabout he is only able to guess at what might be your intention.

Indicate right joining a roundabout and leave your indicator on until you change it to "left" before you leave the roundabout. IMHO that is the only way other motorists can tell your intentions for the whole of the time you are on the roundabout.

NeMiSiS

http://www.2pass.co.uk/roundabout.htm
TK

lazylad

HotRodDub wrote:

First of all I know how to use a roundabout, as should most people, and yes people in Micra's you are allowed to use them correctly also.

But the funny thing I find is that there are certain roundabouts I use on my way to and from work each day that I have to use incorrectly otherwise I'll get wrecked. This is especially the case in some roundabouts where I am going straight ahead if I stick to the left lane someone on the right lane will try to beat me to my exit. I know that with these roundabouts in question 90% of the traffic is either going left or straight ahead and it would make sense to have road marking arrows on the lanes to make the left lane for turning left and right lane for going straight ahead and turning right, but until that happens I'll have to keep using it incorrectly!!

Yes that is really annoying. I work at a place where there is a roundabout where most people use the right hand lane to go straight ahead and dont use an indicator to take the exit. The result, they pull right in front of me taking the exit! Its ridiculous!!! Then they make it out as if they were right!!!!
There's a roundabout outside wexford, today I was coming from enniscorthy going straight ahead,this eejit on the right lane this eejit in a jeep stopped for an ambulance to enter the roundabout when it wasn't even on it. If i wasnt as far behind as i was i was straight into it. IT was some dope who kept stopping and speeding up. A few minutes later, a van pulled out in front of him almost into him. I was delighted!

mackerski

Hagar wrote:

The idea that you don't have to indicate when going straight makes no sense to me. The purpose of indicators is to indicate your intention to turn. Is everyone else supposed to know where you got on the roundabout and where you intend getting off?

If you get on at the "bottom" of a roundabout and intend getting off at the "top" how is a motorist who gets behind you at the "left" supposed to know where you got on and what are you up to? You're just another vehicle to him and unless you indicate left before you leave the roundabout he is only able to guess at what might be your intention.

Indicate right joining a roundabout and leave your indicator on until you change it to "left" before you leave the roundabout. IMHO that is the only way other motorists can tell your intentions for the whole of the time you are on the roundabout.

What you describe goes against the ROTR and make no more sense. Unless I'm misreading your advice, you think drivers should always indicate right approaching the roundabout. Why? An indicator is only useful if it tells other drivers something they don't already know, and the one guaranteed rule of roundabouts is that you have to drive onto them.

There are a few absolutes of roundabout use:

1. Always indicate left when the next exit is the one you want to take. When taking the first exit, indicate left as you approach the roundabout.

2. Indicate right on approaching the roundabout only in specific cases. Texts differ on how they like to describe this, some talking about doing it if leaving at or after the third exit, others preferring to take the half-way point as the divider (which to me is more logical, since it makes more sense on three-arm roundabouts). The principle here is that, while approaching the roundabout, you're informing traffic that you're going most of the way around. While on the roundabout, you keep the right indicator on until your exit is next, then you switch to the left indicator. Keeping the right one on doesn't tell motorists a lot (unless they saw where you joined), but it does at least guarantee that you don't want the next exit.

3. Correct lane use depends on the number of exits. On the most usual roundabout design, with two lanes feeding in and a "crossroads" layout, it's left for left, right for right and either for straight. The guiding principle here is to to get you closer to the centre the further around the roundabout you go, and to keep cars for different exits from colliding (which is also one of the goals of correct indicating). The number of lanes feeding out of the roundabout can also be relevant here, though you usually get as much space as you had at the entrance, even if it narrows soon after.

Germany doesn't recognise anything other than indicating right before your exit (mirrored from our left). I'm not sure whether this is because roundabouts are so novel or because they know the public can't keep any more information in their heads (and there's some evidence of that...). Though they also don't really do big roundabouts like we do.

Dermot

NeMiSiS

For your driving test they should make you go round the Red Cow round about twenty five times.. wheh wheh wheh
TK

Seth Brundle

NeMiSiS wrote:

For your driving test they should make you go round the Red Cow round about twenty five times.. wheh wheh wheh
TK

The red cow roundabout is nothing - its busy but not technically difficult. Try the walkinstown roundabout instead!

Hagar

My mind is made up. I'm never going to indicate again.
That's it, never. Why should I be the odd one out?

Just to get some value out of my indicators I'll just stick on the hazards now and again when I'm double parked.

BlueShaun

Hagar wrote:

AFAIK you are supposed to indicate left just before joining a roundabout and leave the left indicator on until you pass the last exit prior to the one you want to use. At this point you indicate right.

jebus! did u get ur licence in the 50s or something?

Even if you reverse that procedure, its still wrong.

Pet Hate, people who just go the whole way round in the outside lane. Reach t3 and want to exit, and that car u thought had to go by t2 is still there, leaving u trying to cut across a lane of traffic that shouldnt exist.....

Hagar

BlueShaun wrote:

jebus! did u get ur licence in the 50s or something?

Even if you reverse that procedure, its still wrong.

Pet Hate, people who just go the whole way round in the outside lane. Reach t3 and want to exit, and that car u thought had to go by t2 is still there, leaving u trying to cut across a lane of traffic that shouldnt exist.....

Hagar wrote:

Holy Sh1t. I forgot I'm in France where we drive on the right.

I'll get me coat. ( Get's coat, indicates right, heads off into the sunset )

I know this is a deadly boring thread but you should read on a bit before you jump in.

0utshined

Hagar wrote:

The idea that you don't have to indicate when going straight makes no sense to me. The purpose of indicators is to indicate your intention to turn. Is everyone else supposed to know where you got on the roundabout and where you intend getting off?

If you get on at the "bottom" of a roundabout and intend getting off at the "top" how is a motorist who gets behind you at the "left" supposed to know where you got on and what are you up to? You're just another vehicle to him and unless you indicate left before you leave the roundabout he is only able to guess at what might be your intention.

Indicate right joining a roundabout and leave your indicator on until you change it to "left" before you leave the roundabout. IMHO that is the only way other motorists can tell your intentions for the whole of the time you are on the roundabout.

Hagar's method makes the most sense to me and if it were in place it would cause a lot less confusion. If you're taking the first left then indicate left going into the roundabout otherwise indicate right going in and left after the exit before the one you're taking.

When someone enters a roundabout with no indicators and intends to drive straight through there's nothing to distinguish them from someone who cba using indicators and is going to take whatever exit they feel like.

seamus

0utshined wrote:

Hagar's method makes the most sense to me and if it were in place it would cause a lot less confusion. If you're taking the first left then indicate left going into the roundabout otherwise indicate right going in and left after the exit before the one you're taking.

But then you're removing a signal.

Indication is for the benefit of other road users, to help them make decisions, which in turn aids their progress. Look at it this way;

You have two cars approaching a four-exit, two-lane roundabout, coming towards eachother. Both drivers are in the left-hand lane and want to go straight. Let's say driver A reaches the junction 1 second before driver B, and enters the junction.

Using the conventional system, Driver A doesn't indicate. Driver B sees this, knows that Driver A is probably going straight through, and goes. Even if Driver A just didn't bother indicating, Driver B will probably still have enough time to go, as he has entered the roundabout at the time when Driver A is only halfway across.

Using the system you outline above, Driver A indicates right as he enters the roundabout. Driver B sees this indication and he must wait, as he doesn't know if Driver A is going right or straight through. Even though he would have time to go, as outlined above, chances are he won't because there is a good chance that Driver A is actually turning right. Driver A will be leaving the roundabout by the time Driver B actually enters it.

Now take a busy Dublin roundabout with twenty cars at each entry point and watch the delay grow.

Ultimately both systems fall down at the same point - the drivers. Even in the system you favour, someone who just couldn't be arsed indicating delays everybody.

I would argue that for the current system, people will enter the roundabout even if someone just didn't bother indicating. In your system, if someone enters the roundabout without indicating, no-one will risk going at all, since they can't even guess at where the guy is going. More delays.