Roundabouts ?

How can there possibly be so many different views on this.
You should try getting around Galway's only traffic light roundabout - the headford road. In fact, I know from peronal experience (not me mind) that your insurance does not cover you on this roundabout unless someone is clearly in the wrong and ploughs into you. A garda told us this. As soon as the insurance companys hear that this is the roundabout in question they slap a 50/50 decision on it.

If there are 2 lanes in and 2 lanes out at 12O'clock, then you can be in either lane, as long as you exit at 12 o'clock in the same lane.

Don't think this is in the rules of the road, but seems to be common practice when the 6 o clock to 12 O'clock route is the "main road".

Problems I experience with this though.
- if you're on the inside lane & your outside lane "roundabout partner" enter the roundabout together, you need to watch that they don't decide to exit on the (your) inside lane.
- if you're on the outside lane, you're inside lane round about partner could be going for the 3 o'clock exit (some people always take the inside lane no matter what).
- if you're on the outside lane, with no roundabout partner, someone entering at 9 O'clock could assume you're exiting at 3 O'clock and not realise you're about to cut across him.

My god, it's a jungle!

The British Highway code (and I trust them more than Irish driving instructors) states that "In all cases watch out for and give plenty of room to
traffic crossing in front of you on the roundabout, especially vehicles intending to leave by the next exit" which implies that the left hand lane is only to be used for the first exit and if you use it for travelling to the 2nd exit you have to give way to those in the right hand lane that may cross in front of you. This is borne out by the picture located at

[broken link removed]

When my mother approaches the roundabout I mentioned, she straddles the two lanes. I don't know whether this is out of playing it safe or just carelessness

tiger said:

If there are 2 lanes in and 2 lanes out at 12O'clock, then you can be in either lane, as long as you exit at 12 o'clock in the same lane.


My god, it's a jungle!

Click to expand...

I'd consider that pretty dangerous Sinead. You should set her straight before she ends up in an accident.

If Sineads mother were in front of me in the bloody Headford Rd Roundabout I'd avoid her like the plague as i normally avoid that bloody roundabout when its busy , and therefore there would be no accident

Thankfully she doesn't drive too much, usually only short trips. I had to drive to Limerick once and she was at home praying to St Martin or St Jude or someone for the day. (No disrespect to Limerick or its people!)


My sister drove back from Galway behind my father once and said she was terrified everytime he went round a roundabout! He's not a lucky bag licencee either, he passed his test in the normal way, then passed another few tests between lorries and buses and whatever else.

Isn't it a condition on passing your test and getting your full Licence in Ireland to totally forget everthing that you have been taught by your instructor and rules of the road LOL

Damn, still cant do smilies...

When I got my licence in the post it said "Tear along the dotted line" so I do.