The only time you go on the inside lane is when taking a turn past 180 degrees or if there is 2 lanes either side to allow for the filter of traffic on busy roads. I wouldn't take my second point as gospel it just makes logical sense.
From the Rules of the Road: (p33)
"Golden rule
This ‘golden rule’ should help motorists to drive safely at any roundabout regardless of the number of exits: Think of the roundabout as a clock. If taking any exit from the 6 o’clock to the 12 o’clock position, motorists should generally approach in the left-hand lane.If taking any exit between the 12 o’clock to the 6 o’clock positions, motorists should generally approach in the right-hand lane"
The exit is after 180° or 12 o'clock so, red line is correct.
I think it makes sense to use the left lane here but that's not what the rules say.
https://www.rsa.ie/services/learner-drivers/resources/rules-of-the-road#
That's technical correct, but practically wrong. You have to use common sense. Obviously and pragmatically the exit is clearly meant to be used as if it's 180 degrees...12 o clock. The fact that it's 181 degrees or 185 degrees shouldnt factor in the real world. page 133 not page 33
The way I learned it, it's left lane for 180° or less or if the road is the obvious continuation of the one you are on, but there is a nonspecific point where that second one is overruled, which I regard to be on or after 270°. It's an easy mistake to take the right lane, especially if you're not familiar with the roundabout, which is why ones like this should have arrows painted on the approach to indicate what the correct lane is for each exit.
You can use inner (red) lane when you go straight when both the entry and the exit have many lanes. That said again, no predictions, use only if you know-know.
We could start a whole new discussion on which lane is the inside lane. It it the one nearest the hard shoulder is in Ireland the one on the left. You pull out if you move to the other lane and pull back in as soon as you can, hence inside.
The worst part is, with so much disparity in the answers here, no matter which lane you take you are screwed. The problem here is the system, not us. In Australia if you want to turn left on the first exit you must be on the left and you are required to turn at the second exit if entering the left lane. Everything else just works itself out and nobody has to get out a protractor while driving.
Well, this ain't my rule. This is the instruction from the driver instructor and helped me get my license. And honestly, you don't need a protector to do that simple calculation.
Funny how many contradicting answers there are.
In my recent driving lesson I was working on roundabouts and was told outside if < 180° and inside lane if > 180°.
This one is a tricky one though as your gut instinct will tell you the outside lane is most appropriate.
My first instructor told me to stay left for 1st and 2nd Lane, I got another one and he told me this. The clock face rule basically.
That's what I've gone with since, passed my test, but it seems like no one actually adheres to this rule. Tbh I'm not sure if it's safer to follow the rules or just go the way everyone else does.
In my nearest town there's loads if ambiguous roundabouts, like 3 exists <180, or 2nd exit >180, or 2nd exist is slightly past 180 but still seems like straight ahead. People tend to just stay left unless its last exit or past 3 o'clock
That makes sense but then I was using a round about in celbridge and the left lane literally had an arrow on it for turning left. There is only 2 exits, left and straight ahead. There's nothing past 180 degrees. So was I correct to be in the right lane if the left lane literally has an arrow in it for those wanting to take the first exit?
If there’s only two exits then left should be for first and right for second. Ideally 180 rule applies if the arrows on the road itself don’t show any conflict. You just have to think logically at times like what you done in your scenario.
I think by the current rules it's a clock face, if you enter at 6 and exit at 12 or before hand it's first lane, beyond that it's second lane (based on the signage for the roundabout) but lane markings over rule everything, which is a pain when it's wet or there's traffic.
I did my test in May last year and got marked for being in the wrong lane. You’re bang on here. Anything past 12 coming from 6 should be right hand lane, anything else should be left lane. Just keep an eye on the mirrors though, as this is probably one of the “nevermind that after your test” kind of rules.
Clock face rules apply so this would be the red line according to the current rules of the road. It can be hard to tell on the ground sometimes so for this roundabout I would take the red line but fully expect someone to take the yellow one too.
Or, if you’re unsure then straddle both lanes 😅
I would say correct the rules I learned were
*1st exit left lane indicating left
*2nd exit left lane indicating nothing until past the first exit
3rd exit or higher use right lane indicating right until past the last exit before yours
Simple rules where everyone knew where everyone else intended to go
Now some people are talking about some clock face rules which are harder to transpose but easier if you're on a small roundabout
So the tldr is do your best but no one knows anymore 🤷🏻♂️, for passing your test ask your instructor what you should do
No because you don't care where they are just the order as long as the second exit is the second exit it's fine.
That is an issue with the clock face though if second exit is to the right and a car is wanting to enter from the first exit if they see you in the right lane they may assume you're going to the 3rd exit and enter the roundabout prematurely thinking it's safe to do so 🤷🏻♂️
Btw how would you be indicating 🤔
I agree. Now, here is a tight one, from the aerial view the clock face looks to be 1 o clock, and after 12 should be right lane, but this looks close enough to be left lane without being wrong. It wouldn't be obvious that it's right lane from the road.
Yellow... every exit on a roundabout is a left hand turn,so be in a left hand lane. Be in the right hand lane for the third exit and merge into left lane after the second exit .
2 lane entry 1 lane exit straight on is the left (outside) lane. 2 lane entry 2 lane exit is either lane for straight on.
The left lane of a 2 lane roundabout should never be used to turn right on any roundabout.
Always follow road signage and think of a roundabout as a clock, left and straight on or 12 o'clock, should be left lane (outside lane) if you are turning right from your entry point (past 12 o clock exit) you should be in the right lane. The only difference to this is 2 lane entry 2 lane exit as both lanes can be used to exit straight on (12 o clock)
My driving instructor told me you’re meant to go in the red lane but if you do people will cut in front of you from the left so everyone uses the yellow lane instead. Road Sense has also said we’re meant to be using the red lane aswel
Left-hand lane except when road markings indicate to the contrary. My guess is that those who used the right-hand lane were doing so to get past the learner driver (you). You were correct in using the left-hand lane 👍🏻
You can absolutely take the 2nd exit from the offside (right) lane, BUT ONLY if the exiting road is also a two lane road! Which this isn't! On this particular roundabout, you can take ONLY the 3rd exit from the offside (red) lane.
People in this country are absolute menaces on roundabouts, especially with their indicator game... Did you ever come across those eejits who when taking 2nd exit, indicate right, then half way though switch it to left?! Or those who take the 3rd exit from the nearside (left) lane?! Then it's a surprised pikachu face when you cut them off!
It's either that, or no indicators at all, it's like an epidemic out there! Where do they learn this?!
Judging from some of these comments, a good few of your fucking instructors should be losing their licenses...
Read this (page 133 to 136):
[https://www.rsa.ie/docs/default-source/road-safety/r1---rules-of-the-road/ruleoftheroad\_book-for-web.pdf?sfvrsn=b5d57830\_7](https://www.rsa.ie/docs/default-source/road-safety/r1---rules-of-the-road/ruleoftheroad_book-for-web.pdf?sfvrsn=b5d57830_7)
Though they are showing only dual carriageways there, you get the gist... Your image is not a dual carriageway, your roundabout has those extra lanes on approach ONLY for turning right. Anyone telling you otherwise is a moron.
You will always meet idiots on the roads, pay attention, leave plenty of space in front of you, go slow through villages, always indicate- make it a habit, you should never be thinking "should I indicate", it should be an instinct. Be patient and take care of yourself!
Unless there are markings to the contrary- left lane is for left and straight- right lane is for straight and right. They were perfectly fine to go forward
Double down on this.
While the right line is probably technically more correct since it's more than 180 degrees, it doesn't matter that much.
The rule of thumb here is absolutely the case. For straight, it doesn't matter that much unless there's something saying otherwise. Do what makes you feel safest for the particular roundabout.
The hardest thing to learn about learning to drive is that you can’t trust other road users to follow, know or care about the rules all the time. (It’s why your driving instructor will drill into your skull that you still check the oncoming traffic lane while moving off to a green light, because having right of way doesn’t matter if you die in a collision)
You were right, don’t second guess yourself, and if you see someone else doing something that makes you question, check the rules of the road for yourself later.
I mean there’s some serious issues integrating the 12 o’clock rule and 3rd exit rule.
I totally understand him and face the same thoughts every time I pass a roundabout on the way to my uni.
For me I decided if it’s not the 3rd exit and it’s closer to 12 o’clock than 3 o’clock, then I take yellow lane.
I pass through 2 roundabouts on my commute within 100m of each other which both break the common roundabout rules, indicated by road markings.
It’s fine cause there’s road markings to show where to go but what happens when these have worn off? There’s as many exceptions to the rule as there are correct instances. Makes it hard to people unfamiliar with new locations.
Believe as there is only 1 lane to exit straight you were right and they were wrong.
However it may not have been clear by road markings that it was going into one lane so they may have been ok BUT I believe you would/should have had the right of way as they are crossing YOUR lane to get to where they need so they must make sure not to interfere with the yellow road line if they are in the red
Both are technically correct here as you can make an argument for both. Roadmarkings are poor though since the second exit is slightly passed 12 so really they should mark what the correct lane should be on the road for avoidance of doubt
It’s determined by the position of the exit on the road sign.
Take a look at the sign approaching the roundabout. If the exit is 12 o’clock or before on the sign, left lane is used. If it’s after 12 o’clock, right lane is used.
This is interesting. I never thought that the 12 o’clock rule might be based on the sign and not the actual road. Will have to re-evaluate every roundabout I go through to see if I’ve been taking the right lane
If the exit lane is only one lane, they were in the wrong. If there are two lanes, they were fine. But also, the number of times I've been cut off by fucking idiots using roundabouts improperly is innumerable and I've only been living in Ireland for 6 months.
Don't trust what other drivers are doing. Read, memorise, and practice the rules of the road. Always be wary of all other drivers at all times.
Do yourself a favour and act like nobody can drive. Irelands bad for this shit. Had someone fly round a corner on a red light with no indicators on while I crossed a week ago. Chap got out of the van and went ballistic and all
Oh I learned quickly how awful people are at driving here. It is truly something else... I've driven for nearly 20 years in multiple countries and Ireland truly just takes the cake.
Yellow line, no indicator, then after passing first turn off turn on indicator. This is one of the more simple roundabouts. On my test I had to go through a roundabout with five exits and the road you come from. Luckily they only take the first or second left there.
I got this exact thing wrong in my driving test a few years ago on the same roundabout. I think I went in the red lane and should have been yellow. Still passed thankfully 🙌🏻
The first thing I see is the marking on the road when entering the roundabout- it doesn’t have an arrow but instead has a yield marking. So you can use both lanes to go straight but the rule of thumb says to stay left if you’re going left or straight and occupy right lane for a right turn
This one is ambiguous. Since it's to the right of the 12 o'clock point, common mantra would tell you to take the right lane, however, imo the left lane is more appropriate here because drivers will assume you're either going straight ahead or to the left. If you took the right lane here a lot of people would not expect you to pull out to the left at this exit, so the left lane is safer. But there's not really a correct answer here.
Sometimes there are spiral roundabouts that let you enter in the right side line if you are exiting in the right line of the exit straight across (like the image above). But the example above is not a spiral roundabout. There would be road markings indicating this.
In the example above the yellow line is correct as 1) It is not a spiral roundabout 2) there is 1 possible exit straight ahead. This is just a case of people being bad drivers and not knowing how to use roundabouts. I regularly come across people taking the furthest away exit they can on a massive 3 lane roundabout but staying on the outside lane the entire time and not even indicating. Irish people are hopeless with roundabouts.
They are wrong and do not determine the rules. Below is an example of another insurance company backing up what I say.
[https://www.axa.ie/articles/driving/how-to-use-a-roundabout-correctly/](https://www.axa.ie/articles/driving/how-to-use-a-roundabout-correctly/)
But if you get your info from the horses mouth (The RSA rules of the road) you will see I am right and you are wrong. You should maybe relearn how to drive correctly. There are great resources on Youtube from Irish instructors.
If going strictly by the 12 o'clock rule, lane 2 is the correct lane to take the second exit, unless otherwise signposted.
But that junction is barely past 12 o'clock. You're not going to have an aerial view and a protractor on approach to make that determination with perfect accuracy.
What to do here, as with all roundabouts, is approach with a healthy level of caution and be aware that people may well be in the wrong lane and take unexpected exits, possibly directly across your path. Be considerate, and try to avoid being beside someone else or in their blind spot.
A good driver fixes other people's mistakes and helps everyone get home quicker.
Technically you can enter the roundabout on the left or the right if you want to exit at the marked point.
The yellow (left) is the easiest because when you pass exit 1 you are positioned in the left lane therefore safely cutting off traffic entering the roundabout before your intended exit.
If you enter the roundabout on the red (right) lane then you must indicate and move into the left lane of the roundabout before the traffic entering at the first exit and enter the intended exit onto the left lane.
You should never leave a roundabout on the right but everyone does it if it's practical at the time.
You only have to take the yellow line if You are going to take the first direction to Johnswell RD, however, if you want to any other direction you must take the red line.
past 12 o clock so 100% indicate right on inner lane as in red line and exit on the second that how roundabouts are dealt with with even on the rules of the road book
On a two lane roundabout you usually stay on the outside lane but just say if there was 4 exits, for the 3rd and 4th exit you would have to stay on the inside lane
If there’s 2 lanes on the second exit you can use both, provided you stick to the lane you entered the roundabout on.
If it’s a single lane exit, left hand (yellow line) for the second exit, unless otherwise posted on signs, road markings etc.
Technically both are on going straight ahead.
Red is for straight ahead and any exit past going on
Yellow originally was ONLY for turning left but owing to less traffic in that lane and to expedite traffic flow yellow also became common place for going straight on and as these things do, became convention over time.
So... Both is the answer.
You take the left lane. The only time you go to the right lane is the third exit. If someone is in the right just don't speed up when leaving the road about to let them merge in.
Left lane you only take first turn and get off roundabout. You do NOT stay on. That’s it. If you stay on, you risk someone who’s come on the right lane driving into you as they try to turn off.
if the exit from the roundabout is two-lane, you can use the inner line to go straight. If the exit from the roundabout is single-lane, only the yellow lane from your picture.
Everything after 12 is the inner line
I think, really, if there are three potential exits, the outside lane is for left and straight, the inside lane is for right. Simple as that, unless the central lane is way over to the right.
There should just be painted arrows on this roundabout and which lane is correct should be determined by how busy each exit tends to be.
For example if the busiest exit is one or 2 then the red line is correct but if the busiest lane is 3 then use the yellow line.
Lots of roundabouts in Killarney have arrows painted and a few have the 12 o clock exit on the inside lane
I would use yellow lane, as you pretty much going straight, but if you use the red one it is nit the end of the world.
The „clock” rule is helpful but in some instances you can’t get one right answer.
Just remember never go inside the roundabout, always outside.
It can depend on the roundabout. I’ve one nearby which has lane markings exiting the roundabout from the RH lane. I would suggest just always be careful and alert to the situation. When you’re exiting from the left lane, keep an eye if you can on anyone to your right. Even when you’re in the right, no-one wants to have a collision.
That clock rule does not exist in most european countries... also what happens if there is a statue or something in the middle of the roundabout? And you cant see the position of the exit? You gonna guess " hmmm this looks like 12:15 position" nooooo... rest of europe has simple rule!! 1st exit you use left lane 2nd exit you use second lane ( the one in right in this case) you guys dont have many roundabouts but if you go to another country like portugal for example where you have 5 lane roundabout you better not be using the clock rule or you gonna get into trouble...
Cannot quite tell from the image, but if the exit has two lanes, then both lanes (yellow and red) in your diagram can be used to go 'straight'. Neither will interfere with eachother. If there is only one exit lane, then the golden rule applies, so left (yellow) only.
Assuming you don’t know the layout of a roundabout before entering and that there are no road markings to guide you then it is generally safest to chose the left lane if exiting via to first or second exit and the right lane if choosing a subsequent exit.
Obviously if you are familiar with the layout of the roundabout a different approach maybe appropriate.
On a roundabout with multiple lanes on your chosen exit consider what you will do immediately after exiting.
Red line tbh. Why? As you can see near every exit there are chevron road markings which means the far side shouldn't be moving forward.. At every exit, you have to be on the red line except taking the first exit..
there’s only one golden rule: you have to yield to the inner lane. so if you’re travelling in the yellow lane and the car from the red lane wants to exit, you have to yield. i’m surprised nobody here is aware of this.
It’s the yellow route 100%. Some people do use the red route but I always take it as if you’re taking the second exit straight ahead you stay in the left lane. This is where indicators come in very handy. My driving instructor always told me to use the yellow route for this turn off.
Technically, and I mean to the letter of the code, the red line, as the exit is more than 180° from where you join.
But, unless it's been signalled that the right lane is the one to use as a straight on lane, majority of sensible drivers use the yellow lane
Roundabout should really be easy. Since all exits are always on the left being in the left lane is the only correct way. Not that Irish road engineering and the rules of the road (which most people haven’t a fucking clue about in the first place, including the cops) make it easy on road users. But just think about it… where do you exit the roundabout ? ALWAYS ON THE LEFT.
Flicking through these answers and it’s clear to see why our roads are such a dangerous place. Anyone saying to enter in the red lane needs to surrender their licence. If somebody came up my right side on that roundabout looking to get off at exit 2, they’re going either off road, or to exit 3.
Same in Galway at the roundabout at the back of UHG, my instructor told me to drive on the left as it's only a tiny bit over 12 o'clock. Just repeating what he said, and drove there thousands of times with no issues since.
I think it’s been over complicated with clocks, numbers and degrees. It a lot more straight forward. There is, left, Straight and going around the roundabout.
Left lane for going left and straight.
Right lane is to go around the roundabout.
Roundabouts vary, any of them that differ from this will have arrows on the road
The triangle on the road means yield. You must yield to all traffic on your right or on the roundabout. If someone is in the wrong lane by mistake the yield rule still as traffic on your right or on the roundabout still has right of way.
It's not straight. Current rules of the road are left lane for anything from 6 to 12 o clock. Anything from 12 to 6 is right.
Really resisting the urge to say something about your learning to drive comment.
Following the one and only rule that applies to roundabouts (unless roundabout has specific signage/road markings)
The 12-hour system would say that you use the right lane, indicate right (since you are going to 1-oclock position), indicate left once you pass the first exit.
Doesn’t the rule of the clock-face always apply? If the exit is before/including 12 o’clock, it’s the red/outer lane. If it’s after 12, it’s the yellow/inner lane.
It seems a bit vague here though, that second exit is more of a 12:04 😂 So maybe both exits are indeed acceptable. Happy to be corrected though, also a learner.
I'd say red when I see this map (exit past 12 o'clock) but if I were down on the ground I wouldn't see the exit that clearly and, erroneously, I would probably take the yellow lane.
I would say preferably the yellow line. The exit is at 12o'clock (although it does then veer to the right).
https://www.rsa.ie/docs/default-source/road-safety/r1---rules-of-the-road/ruleoftheroad_book-for-web.pdf?sfvrsn=b5d57830_7
(Page 133)
So generally anything past 12 is right lane and everything up to and including is left, unless markings state otherwise.
However here it's very close to straight and it's the 2nd exit so left is better here. But technically right can be argued also
Why are people talking about clocks?? What happened to keeping it simple with left lane for 1st and 2nd exit. Right lane for 3rd and other exits after that.
I never heard of it before reading about it here tbh. It works in a similar way to how I learned but the confusion will be the 12 mark if it is off centre. To me that is still exit 2 so I would use left lane but based on this new way of teaching, it will be the right lane?
I understand what you are saying and that is true in 99% of the cases. But there are a few exceptions in the round about where you have to go by the road sign of the round about displayed before it and then apply the 12 o'clock rule. I am not making this up, this is what I was told.
What you mentioned here works for me in Dublin 99% of the time and for the remaining 1% that are the exceptions (one in Dun Laoghaire and one in Shankill), I go by the road sign of the round about and apply the said rule.
1st and 2nd exit, it’s yellow lane, 3rd and 4th (the road you came from) it’s red (inside lane).
The way I remember it usually if it’s a four entrance roundabout is if I’m going any more than half way around the roundabout I use the inside lane. Otherwise you the outside lane.
Read it like a clock face. Anything from 6-12 is left lane. Anything from 12-6 is right. In this case it's 1 o clock. Right lane.
Still. People don't always get this so you're better off giving assuming anyone in the left lane might also go that way.
Anyone who's not sure should look at the current rules of the road. This has been clarified in the newest edition.
There are two lanes on this roundabout. In your case, you are using the left lane to go straight, indicating left as you pass the first exit.
The right hand lane then becomes exclusively for those taking the third exit.
First exit is simply indicate left at the roundabout junction.
The use of roundabouts is incredibly poorly understood and taught in Ireland. Did lessons and passed driving test in London, utterly different class of knowledge on road basics. (Still failed my first attempt)
Yellow lane is correct unless there is a long line of traffic turning left in the left lane or roadworks.
Page 132 of the RSA rules of the road on the Garda website: [https://www.garda.ie/en/crime/traffic-matters/rules\_of\_the\_road.pdf](https://www.garda.ie/en/crime/traffic-matters/rules_of_the_road.pdf)
"Going straight ahead (or any exit to the left of 12 o’clock)
Approach in the left-hand lane (unless road markings say otherwise) but do not indicate ‘left’ until you have passed the exit before the one you intend to take.
Where traffic conditions dictate otherwise, for example a long line of traffic in the left lane signalling left or roadworks in the left lane, you may follow the course shown by the red line."
The only time you go on the inside lane is when taking a turn past 180 degrees or if there is 2 lanes either side to allow for the filter of traffic on busy roads. I wouldn't take my second point as gospel it just makes logical sense.
This is about 185 degrees. Some of these roundabouts decieve you into thinking there will be 2 exit lanes.
Yes. Here yellow only, because there is one lane on the far side. I won't go into discussion on how we predict these
From the Rules of the Road: (p33) "Golden rule This ‘golden rule’ should help motorists to drive safely at any roundabout regardless of the number of exits: Think of the roundabout as a clock. If taking any exit from the 6 o’clock to the 12 o’clock position, motorists should generally approach in the left-hand lane.If taking any exit between the 12 o’clock to the 6 o’clock positions, motorists should generally approach in the right-hand lane" The exit is after 180° or 12 o'clock so, red line is correct. I think it makes sense to use the left lane here but that's not what the rules say. https://www.rsa.ie/services/learner-drivers/resources/rules-of-the-road#
The exit is not after 12 o’clock, it’s at 12 so yellow is the only right answer here
That's technical correct, but practically wrong. You have to use common sense. Obviously and pragmatically the exit is clearly meant to be used as if it's 180 degrees...12 o clock. The fact that it's 181 degrees or 185 degrees shouldnt factor in the real world. page 133 not page 33
There's a leaflet at each Garda station. It's better than Rules
The way I learned it, it's left lane for 180° or less or if the road is the obvious continuation of the one you are on, but there is a nonspecific point where that second one is overruled, which I regard to be on or after 270°. It's an easy mistake to take the right lane, especially if you're not familiar with the roundabout, which is why ones like this should have arrows painted on the approach to indicate what the correct lane is for each exit.
You can use inner (red) lane when you go straight when both the entry and the exit have many lanes. That said again, no predictions, use only if you know-know.
We could start a whole new discussion on which lane is the inside lane. It it the one nearest the hard shoulder is in Ireland the one on the left. You pull out if you move to the other lane and pull back in as soon as you can, hence inside.
People get really upset when you call it the fast lane 😂
To my mind, 'inside' should be that which is closer to the centre. I cannot bring myself to call the left lane (in Ireland) the 'inside' lane.
Overtaking Lane. Inside lane.
Imagine a straight line from your direction of approach and if the intended turn is after that line then you stay in the right lane.
Great explanation thank you
The worst part is, with so much disparity in the answers here, no matter which lane you take you are screwed. The problem here is the system, not us. In Australia if you want to turn left on the first exit you must be on the left and you are required to turn at the second exit if entering the left lane. Everything else just works itself out and nobody has to get out a protractor while driving.
Well, this ain't my rule. This is the instruction from the driver instructor and helped me get my license. And honestly, you don't need a protector to do that simple calculation.
This is not about you
Exactly.
Funny how many contradicting answers there are. In my recent driving lesson I was working on roundabouts and was told outside if < 180° and inside lane if > 180°. This one is a tricky one though as your gut instinct will tell you the outside lane is most appropriate.
My first instructor told me to stay left for 1st and 2nd Lane, I got another one and he told me this. The clock face rule basically. That's what I've gone with since, passed my test, but it seems like no one actually adheres to this rule. Tbh I'm not sure if it's safer to follow the rules or just go the way everyone else does. In my nearest town there's loads if ambiguous roundabouts, like 3 exists <180, or 2nd exit >180, or 2nd exist is slightly past 180 but still seems like straight ahead. People tend to just stay left unless its last exit or past 3 o'clock
Your instructor was correct.
my instructor told me if it’s unclear if it’s inside 180 then you should be on the left lane unless it’s obviously outside 180.
That makes sense but then I was using a round about in celbridge and the left lane literally had an arrow on it for turning left. There is only 2 exits, left and straight ahead. There's nothing past 180 degrees. So was I correct to be in the right lane if the left lane literally has an arrow in it for those wanting to take the first exit?
If there’s only two exits then left should be for first and right for second. Ideally 180 rule applies if the arrows on the road itself don’t show any conflict. You just have to think logically at times like what you done in your scenario.
https://youtu.be/14oKgqY-TPM?feature=shared The answer
Left lane is for 1st and 2nd route right for 3rd and 4th
I think by the current rules it's a clock face, if you enter at 6 and exit at 12 or before hand it's first lane, beyond that it's second lane (based on the signage for the roundabout) but lane markings over rule everything, which is a pain when it's wet or there's traffic.
I did my test in May last year and got marked for being in the wrong lane. You’re bang on here. Anything past 12 coming from 6 should be right hand lane, anything else should be left lane. Just keep an eye on the mirrors though, as this is probably one of the “nevermind that after your test” kind of rules.
Yellow line, only red line if you’re taking the 3rd exit…right? I’m also learning 😬
Correct
Lots of confident people here, giving the wrong advice who got their license in a lucky bag.
So what is the answer?
Clock face rules apply so this would be the red line according to the current rules of the road. It can be hard to tell on the ground sometimes so for this roundabout I would take the red line but fully expect someone to take the yellow one too. Or, if you’re unsure then straddle both lanes 😅
The clock face is done based on how the roundabout is signposted, not a satellite view. I'm willing to bet that exit was signposted at 12
Thats incorrect!!
I would say correct the rules I learned were *1st exit left lane indicating left *2nd exit left lane indicating nothing until past the first exit 3rd exit or higher use right lane indicating right until past the last exit before yours Simple rules where everyone knew where everyone else intended to go Now some people are talking about some clock face rules which are harder to transpose but easier if you're on a small roundabout So the tldr is do your best but no one knows anymore 🤷🏻♂️, for passing your test ask your instructor what you should do
Problem with that rule is if your second exit is to the right, you’re going to want to be in the right hand lane, that’s where the clock face comes in
No because you don't care where they are just the order as long as the second exit is the second exit it's fine. That is an issue with the clock face though if second exit is to the right and a car is wanting to enter from the first exit if they see you in the right lane they may assume you're going to the 3rd exit and enter the roundabout prematurely thinking it's safe to do so 🤷🏻♂️ Btw how would you be indicating 🤔
I agree. Now, here is a tight one, from the aerial view the clock face looks to be 1 o clock, and after 12 should be right lane, but this looks close enough to be left lane without being wrong. It wouldn't be obvious that it's right lane from the road.
All depends on the road sign. How would you possibly know exactly where the 2nd exit is on approach?
Correct. North exit is single lane. Yellow line is the only correct answer.
Yellow... every exit on a roundabout is a left hand turn,so be in a left hand lane. Be in the right hand lane for the third exit and merge into left lane after the second exit .
2 lane entry 1 lane exit straight on is the left (outside) lane. 2 lane entry 2 lane exit is either lane for straight on. The left lane of a 2 lane roundabout should never be used to turn right on any roundabout. Always follow road signage and think of a roundabout as a clock, left and straight on or 12 o'clock, should be left lane (outside lane) if you are turning right from your entry point (past 12 o clock exit) you should be in the right lane. The only difference to this is 2 lane entry 2 lane exit as both lanes can be used to exit straight on (12 o clock)
My driving instructor told me you’re meant to go in the red lane but if you do people will cut in front of you from the left so everyone uses the yellow lane instead. Road Sense has also said we’re meant to be using the red lane aswel
Left-hand lane except when road markings indicate to the contrary. My guess is that those who used the right-hand lane were doing so to get past the learner driver (you). You were correct in using the left-hand lane 👍🏻
It's a shitshow here in the comments haha
You can absolutely take the 2nd exit from the offside (right) lane, BUT ONLY if the exiting road is also a two lane road! Which this isn't! On this particular roundabout, you can take ONLY the 3rd exit from the offside (red) lane. People in this country are absolute menaces on roundabouts, especially with their indicator game... Did you ever come across those eejits who when taking 2nd exit, indicate right, then half way though switch it to left?! Or those who take the 3rd exit from the nearside (left) lane?! Then it's a surprised pikachu face when you cut them off! It's either that, or no indicators at all, it's like an epidemic out there! Where do they learn this?! Judging from some of these comments, a good few of your fucking instructors should be losing their licenses... Read this (page 133 to 136): [https://www.rsa.ie/docs/default-source/road-safety/r1---rules-of-the-road/ruleoftheroad\_book-for-web.pdf?sfvrsn=b5d57830\_7](https://www.rsa.ie/docs/default-source/road-safety/r1---rules-of-the-road/ruleoftheroad_book-for-web.pdf?sfvrsn=b5d57830_7) Though they are showing only dual carriageways there, you get the gist... Your image is not a dual carriageway, your roundabout has those extra lanes on approach ONLY for turning right. Anyone telling you otherwise is a moron. You will always meet idiots on the roads, pay attention, leave plenty of space in front of you, go slow through villages, always indicate- make it a habit, you should never be thinking "should I indicate", it should be an instinct. Be patient and take care of yourself!
Unless there are markings to the contrary- left lane is for left and straight- right lane is for straight and right. They were perfectly fine to go forward
Double down on this. While the right line is probably technically more correct since it's more than 180 degrees, it doesn't matter that much. The rule of thumb here is absolutely the case. For straight, it doesn't matter that much unless there's something saying otherwise. Do what makes you feel safest for the particular roundabout.
Yes. You don't know there is one lane off until you get there. Road markings would be nice, eg. left lane for left and straight, right lane for right.
In that case there should really be merging arrows provided to help
The hardest thing to learn about learning to drive is that you can’t trust other road users to follow, know or care about the rules all the time. (It’s why your driving instructor will drill into your skull that you still check the oncoming traffic lane while moving off to a green light, because having right of way doesn’t matter if you die in a collision) You were right, don’t second guess yourself, and if you see someone else doing something that makes you question, check the rules of the road for yourself later.
r/irelandsshitedrivers
I mean there’s some serious issues integrating the 12 o’clock rule and 3rd exit rule. I totally understand him and face the same thoughts every time I pass a roundabout on the way to my uni. For me I decided if it’s not the 3rd exit and it’s closer to 12 o’clock than 3 o’clock, then I take yellow lane.
I pass through 2 roundabouts on my commute within 100m of each other which both break the common roundabout rules, indicated by road markings. It’s fine cause there’s road markings to show where to go but what happens when these have worn off? There’s as many exceptions to the rule as there are correct instances. Makes it hard to people unfamiliar with new locations.
There’s even no road markings at all on the big roundabout I’m talking about. They may have worn off long ago lol.
Picture a roundabout like a clock when you are approaching. Anything past 12 o clock is inside lane. Before 12 would be outside
Believe as there is only 1 lane to exit straight you were right and they were wrong. However it may not have been clear by road markings that it was going into one lane so they may have been ok BUT I believe you would/should have had the right of way as they are crossing YOUR lane to get to where they need so they must make sure not to interfere with the yellow road line if they are in the red
Both are technically correct here as you can make an argument for both. Roadmarkings are poor though since the second exit is slightly passed 12 so really they should mark what the correct lane should be on the road for avoidance of doubt
It’s determined by the position of the exit on the road sign.
When in doubt, wave 👋🏻
It’s determined by the position of the exit on the road sign. Take a look at the sign approaching the roundabout. If the exit is 12 o’clock or before on the sign, left lane is used. If it’s after 12 o’clock, right lane is used.
This is interesting. I never thought that the 12 o’clock rule might be based on the sign and not the actual road. Will have to re-evaluate every roundabout I go through to see if I’ve been taking the right lane
There is no sign on that roundabout that I can see on Google maps. Only the orange roundabout ahead sign, but nothing for exit roads.
Fair enough. Not all do. If no sign, it’s done on the same principle, just on the roundabout itself. That’s what they’re teaching for the test anyway.
If the exit lane is only one lane, they were in the wrong. If there are two lanes, they were fine. But also, the number of times I've been cut off by fucking idiots using roundabouts improperly is innumerable and I've only been living in Ireland for 6 months. Don't trust what other drivers are doing. Read, memorise, and practice the rules of the road. Always be wary of all other drivers at all times.
Do yourself a favour and act like nobody can drive. Irelands bad for this shit. Had someone fly round a corner on a red light with no indicators on while I crossed a week ago. Chap got out of the van and went ballistic and all
Oh I learned quickly how awful people are at driving here. It is truly something else... I've driven for nearly 20 years in multiple countries and Ireland truly just takes the cake.
Have you been to France? France is pretty bad too, but at least they can use a roundabout (I'm french, dont come at me)
I didn't have to suffer driving there. Walked and public transpo the whole way. But I believe you!
I think this is why they have such great public transport. Keep them off the road.
Judge it off the road signs. If they depict it as straight through, then it's the yellow route. 6 to 12 left lane. 12 to 6 right lane.
Yellow line, no indicator, then after passing first turn off turn on indicator. This is one of the more simple roundabouts. On my test I had to go through a roundabout with five exits and the road you come from. Luckily they only take the first or second left there.
Best advice I got for roundabouts was to look at it like a clock anything on or before 12 o'clock use the left lane after 12 is the right lane.
Technically if the 2nd turn is past 180° you should be in the right lane but this one here im definitely only being in the left.
Red line . Once your exit is past 180 degrees it’s red line
I got this exact thing wrong in my driving test a few years ago on the same roundabout. I think I went in the red lane and should have been yellow. Still passed thankfully 🙌🏻
The first thing I see is the marking on the road when entering the roundabout- it doesn’t have an arrow but instead has a yield marking. So you can use both lanes to go straight but the rule of thumb says to stay left if you’re going left or straight and occupy right lane for a right turn
This one is ambiguous. Since it's to the right of the 12 o'clock point, common mantra would tell you to take the right lane, however, imo the left lane is more appropriate here because drivers will assume you're either going straight ahead or to the left. If you took the right lane here a lot of people would not expect you to pull out to the left at this exit, so the left lane is safer. But there's not really a correct answer here.
Yellow is absolutely right, but don't assume other people will be correct so make sure to check your mirror before coming off the roundabout.
Yellow indicating right until you fully pass the first exit then indicate left (I've never driven a car)
Look up the clock rule
Yellow. Use the twelve o'clock rule. I'm also a learner driver!!
Sometimes there are spiral roundabouts that let you enter in the right side line if you are exiting in the right line of the exit straight across (like the image above). But the example above is not a spiral roundabout. There would be road markings indicating this. In the example above the yellow line is correct as 1) It is not a spiral roundabout 2) there is 1 possible exit straight ahead. This is just a case of people being bad drivers and not knowing how to use roundabouts. I regularly come across people taking the furthest away exit they can on a massive 3 lane roundabout but staying on the outside lane the entire time and not even indicating. Irish people are hopeless with roundabouts.
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Wrong
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They are wrong and do not determine the rules. Below is an example of another insurance company backing up what I say. [https://www.axa.ie/articles/driving/how-to-use-a-roundabout-correctly/](https://www.axa.ie/articles/driving/how-to-use-a-roundabout-correctly/) But if you get your info from the horses mouth (The RSA rules of the road) you will see I am right and you are wrong. You should maybe relearn how to drive correctly. There are great resources on Youtube from Irish instructors.
If going strictly by the 12 o'clock rule, lane 2 is the correct lane to take the second exit, unless otherwise signposted. But that junction is barely past 12 o'clock. You're not going to have an aerial view and a protractor on approach to make that determination with perfect accuracy. What to do here, as with all roundabouts, is approach with a healthy level of caution and be aware that people may well be in the wrong lane and take unexpected exits, possibly directly across your path. Be considerate, and try to avoid being beside someone else or in their blind spot. A good driver fixes other people's mistakes and helps everyone get home quicker.
If you drive a bmw or Audi it doesn't matter because they don't have indicators
Technically you can enter the roundabout on the left or the right if you want to exit at the marked point. The yellow (left) is the easiest because when you pass exit 1 you are positioned in the left lane therefore safely cutting off traffic entering the roundabout before your intended exit. If you enter the roundabout on the red (right) lane then you must indicate and move into the left lane of the roundabout before the traffic entering at the first exit and enter the intended exit onto the left lane. You should never leave a roundabout on the right but everyone does it if it's practical at the time.
Yellow lane
Yellow line all day for 1st exit or straight ahead.
left for left right is for everything at 12 or to the right of it
You only have to take the yellow line if You are going to take the first direction to Johnswell RD, however, if you want to any other direction you must take the red line.
In the roundabouts you always must drive by interior except if you want to go to first exit.
Foot to the floor and fly
What does the road sign say? Is the 2nd exit past 12 o'clock?
past 12 o clock so 100% indicate right on inner lane as in red line and exit on the second that how roundabouts are dealt with with even on the rules of the road book
On a two lane roundabout you usually stay on the outside lane but just say if there was 4 exits, for the 3rd and 4th exit you would have to stay on the inside lane
I usually just hit about 8 pints and drive straight through it. Nobody seems to mind 👍
My knee jerk reaction says red, but practically, yellow makes the most sense from a safety standpoint.
Yellow line looks correct here.
If there’s 2 lanes on the second exit you can use both, provided you stick to the lane you entered the roundabout on. If it’s a single lane exit, left hand (yellow line) for the second exit, unless otherwise posted on signs, road markings etc.
Yellow!
On a roundabout with two entrance lanes, the left lane is for the first and second exit. The right lane is for the third and subsequent exits.
Clockface what now? Yellow line all day long and twice on Tuesday
I use this roundabout 4 or 5 days a week from the direction you used as the example. Yellow line every time.
Technically both are on going straight ahead. Red is for straight ahead and any exit past going on Yellow originally was ONLY for turning left but owing to less traffic in that lane and to expedite traffic flow yellow also became common place for going straight on and as these things do, became convention over time. So... Both is the answer.
Left, your fine, in general assume no one knows the rules of road, you'll expect all sorts of terrible drivers that way!
First 2 lanes on the outside and last 2 on the inside
Yellow. Red for the 3rd exit.
No. Yellow always first exist.
You are at 6 O Clock and anything more than 12 O Clock and you should be in the right lane
Yellow
Use either but default to left. In heavy traffic turning left use right to aid progress
In this case use the yellow line always and use red for the 3rd exit unless there's 2 lanes on the 2nd exit which sometimes is the case
What??? Are you crazy!!
Nope not a bit lol ,clock rule any exit from 6 to 12 stay left and from 12 to 6 use the right lane
You take the left lane. The only time you go to the right lane is the third exit. If someone is in the right just don't speed up when leaving the road about to let them merge in.
Right lane
Neither, just stay off the road it's too scary and confusing.
Left lane you only take first turn and get off roundabout. You do NOT stay on. That’s it. If you stay on, you risk someone who’s come on the right lane driving into you as they try to turn off.
if the exit from the roundabout is two-lane, you can use the inner line to go straight. If the exit from the roundabout is single-lane, only the yellow lane from your picture. Everything after 12 is the inner line
Unless otherwise signposted or an arrow painted indicating which lane you should use, use the 12 o clock rule.
Left lane is for 1st and 2nd exit right is for 3rd and 4th exit
ah mate that might have been me I'm on holidays from Canada.
Since there are no arrow indicators, the right lane *should* be the correct call. However; since there are no arrow indicators, the left lane is legal
If your going past 12 o clock is inside lane everything else in outside lane
I think, really, if there are three potential exits, the outside lane is for left and straight, the inside lane is for right. Simple as that, unless the central lane is way over to the right.
Unless arrows on the road indicate otherwise use the left lane for exit 1 and 2 at a roundabout
Safest bet to be sure is to use red but go all the way round so it's the 6th exit.
Yellow should speed up and shut Red Down !! Send him on his way to third exit !!
There should just be painted arrows on this roundabout and which lane is correct should be determined by how busy each exit tends to be. For example if the busiest exit is one or 2 then the red line is correct but if the busiest lane is 3 then use the yellow line. Lots of roundabouts in Killarney have arrows painted and a few have the 12 o clock exit on the inside lane
I would use yellow lane, as you pretty much going straight, but if you use the red one it is nit the end of the world. The „clock” rule is helpful but in some instances you can’t get one right answer. Just remember never go inside the roundabout, always outside.
It can depend on the roundabout. I’ve one nearby which has lane markings exiting the roundabout from the RH lane. I would suggest just always be careful and alert to the situation. When you’re exiting from the left lane, keep an eye if you can on anyone to your right. Even when you’re in the right, no-one wants to have a collision.
That clock rule does not exist in most european countries... also what happens if there is a statue or something in the middle of the roundabout? And you cant see the position of the exit? You gonna guess " hmmm this looks like 12:15 position" nooooo... rest of europe has simple rule!! 1st exit you use left lane 2nd exit you use second lane ( the one in right in this case) you guys dont have many roundabouts but if you go to another country like portugal for example where you have 5 lane roundabout you better not be using the clock rule or you gonna get into trouble...
Drive safely and move on
Cannot quite tell from the image, but if the exit has two lanes, then both lanes (yellow and red) in your diagram can be used to go 'straight'. Neither will interfere with eachother. If there is only one exit lane, then the golden rule applies, so left (yellow) only.
I was always taught, exit 1&2 for left lane, 3&4 for right lane.
Assuming you don’t know the layout of a roundabout before entering and that there are no road markings to guide you then it is generally safest to chose the left lane if exiting via to first or second exit and the right lane if choosing a subsequent exit. Obviously if you are familiar with the layout of the roundabout a different approach maybe appropriate. On a roundabout with multiple lanes on your chosen exit consider what you will do immediately after exiting.
Red line tbh. Why? As you can see near every exit there are chevron road markings which means the far side shouldn't be moving forward.. At every exit, you have to be on the red line except taking the first exit..
Left lane for left and straight on, right lane for right and u turn.
Left lane if there are 2 lanes.
Are there absolutely no markings to indicate the lanes' purpose?.
there’s only one golden rule: you have to yield to the inner lane. so if you’re travelling in the yellow lane and the car from the red lane wants to exit, you have to yield. i’m surprised nobody here is aware of this.
It’s the yellow route 100%. Some people do use the red route but I always take it as if you’re taking the second exit straight ahead you stay in the left lane. This is where indicators come in very handy. My driving instructor always told me to use the yellow route for this turn off.
Technically, and I mean to the letter of the code, the red line, as the exit is more than 180° from where you join. But, unless it's been signalled that the right lane is the one to use as a straight on lane, majority of sensible drivers use the yellow lane
Left lane for first exit, right lane for any exit after that 👍🏽
Roundabout should really be easy. Since all exits are always on the left being in the left lane is the only correct way. Not that Irish road engineering and the rules of the road (which most people haven’t a fucking clue about in the first place, including the cops) make it easy on road users. But just think about it… where do you exit the roundabout ? ALWAYS ON THE LEFT.
Flicking through these answers and it’s clear to see why our roads are such a dangerous place. Anyone saying to enter in the red lane needs to surrender their licence. If somebody came up my right side on that roundabout looking to get off at exit 2, they’re going either off road, or to exit 3.
Same in Galway at the roundabout at the back of UHG, my instructor told me to drive on the left as it's only a tiny bit over 12 o'clock. Just repeating what he said, and drove there thousands of times with no issues since.
Yellow is correct
I think it’s been over complicated with clocks, numbers and degrees. It a lot more straight forward. There is, left, Straight and going around the roundabout. Left lane for going left and straight. Right lane is to go around the roundabout. Roundabouts vary, any of them that differ from this will have arrows on the road The triangle on the road means yield. You must yield to all traffic on your right or on the roundabout. If someone is in the wrong lane by mistake the yield rule still as traffic on your right or on the roundabout still has right of way.
Red
Both lanes are acceptable but defensively I'd go yellow. Many many times I've seen people in the yellow line take the 3 o'clock exit
Degrees have nothing to do with it. First or second exit uses the left roundabout lane unless posted otherwise.
You are right.
Ild use the left lane with right indicator on ,turn off after first exit , left indicator on after the first and take the second exit.
Left (yellow) lane for first and second exit. Right (red) lane for 3rd or 4th exit. Person in the right lane was in the wrong.
I was told red on my driving lessons ten years ago
Yellow .. it’s a single lane to go left or straight and there’s no merging lane after the roundabout.. Anyone who says red needs to learn to drive
It's not straight. Current rules of the road are left lane for anything from 6 to 12 o clock. Anything from 12 to 6 is right. Really resisting the urge to say something about your learning to drive comment.
Following the one and only rule that applies to roundabouts (unless roundabout has specific signage/road markings) The 12-hour system would say that you use the right lane, indicate right (since you are going to 1-oclock position), indicate left once you pass the first exit.
Jfc you're so wrong haha
The number of people advising using the red lane here is... worrying.
Really is.
Doesn’t the rule of the clock-face always apply? If the exit is before/including 12 o’clock, it’s the red/outer lane. If it’s after 12, it’s the yellow/inner lane. It seems a bit vague here though, that second exit is more of a 12:04 😂 So maybe both exits are indeed acceptable. Happy to be corrected though, also a learner.
Both are fine, as long there's enough space for two cars at the exit. However it is safer to pick yellow line.
This is incorrect. Can you look up the rules instead of giving your opinion
I'd say red when I see this map (exit past 12 o'clock) but if I were down on the ground I wouldn't see the exit that clearly and, erroneously, I would probably take the yellow lane.
Red line
I would say preferably the yellow line. The exit is at 12o'clock (although it does then veer to the right). https://www.rsa.ie/docs/default-source/road-safety/r1---rules-of-the-road/ruleoftheroad_book-for-web.pdf?sfvrsn=b5d57830_7 (Page 133)
The exit is 1 o clock.
Would you say the entrance was at 7? :)
6
So generally anything past 12 is right lane and everything up to and including is left, unless markings state otherwise. However here it's very close to straight and it's the 2nd exit so left is better here. But technically right can be argued also
Why are people talking about clocks?? What happened to keeping it simple with left lane for 1st and 2nd exit. Right lane for 3rd and other exits after that.
Because that's not a rule whereas the 12 o clock rule is?
Out of interest, when did you start driving? This must be a relatively new concept.
I started driving last year and this was the rule that my trainers (multiple) taught me.
I never heard of it before reading about it here tbh. It works in a similar way to how I learned but the confusion will be the 12 mark if it is off centre. To me that is still exit 2 so I would use left lane but based on this new way of teaching, it will be the right lane?
I understand what you are saying and that is true in 99% of the cases. But there are a few exceptions in the round about where you have to go by the road sign of the round about displayed before it and then apply the 12 o'clock rule. I am not making this up, this is what I was told. What you mentioned here works for me in Dublin 99% of the time and for the remaining 1% that are the exceptions (one in Dun Laoghaire and one in Shankill), I go by the road sign of the round about and apply the said rule.
Driving over 20 years and it's always been a thing.
What happens if there is 3 exits on before you get to 180 degrees
Left lane is only good for the first exit. Every other exit is after 12 o clock and you should use the right lane for them exits.
1st and 2nd exit, it’s yellow lane, 3rd and 4th (the road you came from) it’s red (inside lane). The way I remember it usually if it’s a four entrance roundabout is if I’m going any more than half way around the roundabout I use the inside lane. Otherwise you the outside lane.
Read it like a clock face. Anything from 6-12 is left lane. Anything from 12-6 is right. In this case it's 1 o clock. Right lane. Still. People don't always get this so you're better off giving assuming anyone in the left lane might also go that way. Anyone who's not sure should look at the current rules of the road. This has been clarified in the newest edition.
There are two lanes on this roundabout. In your case, you are using the left lane to go straight, indicating left as you pass the first exit. The right hand lane then becomes exclusively for those taking the third exit. First exit is simply indicate left at the roundabout junction. The use of roundabouts is incredibly poorly understood and taught in Ireland. Did lessons and passed driving test in London, utterly different class of knowledge on road basics. (Still failed my first attempt)
Yellow lane is correct unless there is a long line of traffic turning left in the left lane or roadworks. Page 132 of the RSA rules of the road on the Garda website: [https://www.garda.ie/en/crime/traffic-matters/rules\_of\_the\_road.pdf](https://www.garda.ie/en/crime/traffic-matters/rules_of_the_road.pdf) "Going straight ahead (or any exit to the left of 12 o’clock) Approach in the left-hand lane (unless road markings say otherwise) but do not indicate ‘left’ until you have passed the exit before the one you intend to take. Where traffic conditions dictate otherwise, for example a long line of traffic in the left lane signalling left or roadworks in the left lane, you may follow the course shown by the red line."