Entering a Dual Carriageway

I decide to write this blog after having to deal with two incidents of cars forcing their way onto a dual carriageway. Over a period of a week I was forced to slow down to allow other drivers out in front of me. I also witnessed it happening to another driver in front of me on another occasion. In this case not only did they pull out and cause the driver on the carriageway to brake hard they then proceeded to move out to the right lane and stay there for about 5 kilometres.
Dual carriageways are becoming more common on main roads, and if used correctly they do help traffic move faster and more safely, but there are a number of special points to take into account.
Firstly I will give a few general pointers about using a dual carriageway.
Use lanes properly; stay to the middle of your lane until you need to move to another one. Lane markings do two things, both of them very important. They ensure that the available space is used to the best advantage. They also provide a guide for  the safety of the traffic. Your driving should be planned so that you follow a course without sudden changes. You should never move from one lane to another without good reason. Weaving in and out or straddling lines is bad driving. Remember that you should only overtake on the right ( except in a few special circumstances covered in the rules of the road ).
If there is a large amount of slow moving traffic  in the nearside lane, there is no need to go back into that lane each time you overtake. It might be better to stay in the right-hand lane  than to zig-zag in and out. However you must be sensible about this. Don't hog the right- hand lane and prevent others from overtaking you. If the person behind you wants to overtake you, you could make matters worse by infuriating them and encourage them to overtake you on the left. Remember even if you are already at the maximum speed, it is not your duty to stop others going faster by staying in the right-hand lane.

Entering a dual carriageway.

If entering a dual carriageway from a slip road, which leads into an acceleration lane, you should use this extra piece of road to adjust to the carriageway traffic and its speed before you become part of it.
You must yield to traffic already on the carriageway, taking your place only when there is a suitable gap in the left -hand lane of the carriageway.
If you have to wait for a suitable gap, then wait in the acceleration lane, and don't force your way into the traffic stream or drive along the hard shoulder. When you have joined stay  in the left lane  until you have time to judge the speed of the traffic already on the carriageway.
Your drive along the slip road and the acceleration lane should be timed so that you can match the speed on the left lane of the carriageway.  Ideally you should be able to slip into the traffic without losing your speed.  Keep a good eye on your mirrors and  just before joining check your bind spot by giving a quick glance over your shoulder. Remember that early observation and awareness means you  will find it easier to blend in smoothly with the other traffic.
Generally the slip roads on a dual carriageway are shorter than that of a motorway, so you must be more alert on your approach.
 As you approach and pass a slip road be always  aware of traffic about to join the carriageway.
If you are already on a dual carriageway travelling in the left lane and a vehicle is approaching on the slip road, if traffic allows you should move over to the right lane and let them enter easily. This is usually appreciated by truck drivers who are less able to adjust their speed to blend in with the traffic flow.
Use your MSM and also PSL routine before joining the carriageway.
MSM = Mirror - Signal - Manoeuvre
PSL  = Position - Speed - Look

I hope that this is of interest and helps someone out there on the roads.
Declan Duignan
www.duignan.ie

Tyres: Why you check them on a regular basis.

Correct tyre pressure is vital to your safety on the road. Under-inflated tyres affect handling and grip, potentially causing irregular or unpredictable vehicle behaviour. They are also much more likely to suffer from a dangerous blowout, especially on high-speed motorway journeys.
 By keeping your tyres at their correct pressure, your running costs are also reduced. Under-inflated tyres require a bigger force to make them turn, so your car uses more fuel. Additionally, tyres which are not set to their correct pressure wear out more quickly. So, to benefit from lower fuel bills, longer tyre life, increased safety and reduced CO2 emissions, make sure you check your tyre pressures at least once a month.  You should also check them before a long journey, or if you are carrying extra weight in your vehicle
The most basic inspection, which should be carried out at least once a month, is simply checking that your tyres are properly inflated.
Tread depth and tyre condition are also important, remember that the minimum tread depth is 1.6 mm but you should change your tyres before they reach this stage. All tyres are fitted with tread wear indicators which is a little bar connecting the ribs of the tyres. When any of them become visible it is time to replace your tyres.

Performance labelling

A new EC regulation requires some tyres to have performance labels, with the aim of encouraging people to purchase tyres with superior environmental and safety performance, and also encourage tyre manufacturers to produce tyres whose performance exceeds the minimum requirements specified in EU Regulations.
This regulation requires that tyres manufactured from 1st July 2012 for cars, light commercial vehicles and heavy trucks and placed on sale from 1st November 2012, carry a label showing the tyre's wet grip, fuel efficiency and noise performance. The tyre labels are similar to the labelling already in use for household goods such as washing machines and dishwashers.  Each tyre will be given a performance rating from A-G excluding D to avoid an average performing tyre.
Declan Duignan
www.duignan.ie

Driving hazards at this time of year

 Sun Blindness or Sunstrike

Sunstrike can occur at any time during the day, but is most likely during sunrise or sunset, when the sun’s rays hit your windscreen at a low angle.
To avoid a crash, follow the simple guidelines shown below.

Reducing the danger of sunstrike

• Be prepared for possible sunstrike when driving at sunrise or sunset, especially when turning or driving towards the sun.
• Be especially careful in the autumn and winter months, when sunstrike is more likely to occur because the sun is lower in the sky.
• Keep your windscreen clean, inside and out. Dust and dirt on the windscreen can make the effects of sun blindness much worse.
• Check your windscreen washer container and top up if necessary.
• Always carry a cloth in your car for cleaning the windscreen.
• Wear sunglasses when driving with the sun in your eyes.
• Use your car's sun visors to block the sun.
• If you experience sunstrike, it may be best to pull over and wait for a few minutes until your eyes adjust or visibility improves. Remember if you can't see where you are going: Stop.
• Be careful if snow has fallen and the sky is clear – sunlight shining on snow can cause 'snow blindness', which produces similar effects to sunstrike.

For more information on driving safely check out my website. www.duignan.ie
Declan Duignan

Hazards for this time of year

Be careful when driving in bright sunlight at this time of  the year. You may suddenly find your vision of the road ahead very diminished. This can happen early in the morning or early evening when the Sun is low. Slow or stop if necessary and remember that if can't see where you are going then don't go: Stop. Before you start your journey make sure windows are clean inside and out. Check the water in  the windscreen washer container and top if necessary. Always have a cloth for cleaning the window on the inside, and use heater controls to keep the window from misting up.

Replacing Light bulbs

You know when one bulb blows a few more are going to go within a few weeks. Well this is the case with me anyway. Now I don't have a problem with this as their life span should be similar.
What really annoys me is the time it now takes to replace one of those bulbs. I am pretty sure that the so called engineer or designer that designed the lamps and their positioning has never had the pleasure of replacing a bulb once the units are on the car.
Now this is not a new problem, I owned a Fiat Punto and you needed the wheel brace to open a bolt when you wanted to replace a brake light bulb. I think it took about a half an hour to replace a brake light bulb on a Fiesta. This was a major problem when you had someone doing a driving test and the bulb blowing just before the test. It is a bigger problem now as the driving tester won't take someone out on a test if the two side brake lights are not working.
Anyway the reason for my gripe tonight is I am just after replacing a headlight bulb on a Peugeot 308 passenger side. It was cold and freezing and you would need to be double jointed to get at the bulb. No right view so you can't see what you are doing, and then trying to get the clips off. When it is finally removed you now have to figure out where the groove is for the bulb to sit back into. You might say why didn't you look at it as it was coming out, that would have been a good idea. The only problem with this; you can't look and contort yourself at the same time. Again about a half hour's work.
Ok so maybe I am getting too old for this or my hands are not as flexible as they used to be, but I am still of the opinion that the design is what the problem is.
Let me know if you agree or disagree, I will be interested in your opinion.
Declan Duignan
www.duignan.eu

Road Design on Boyle to Sligo Road At Castlebaldwin
Now I am not an engineer, but I am someone who uses the roads quite a lot. I have travelled on the Boyle to Sligo (N4)every week over the last few years. I was delighted when Sligo County council or the NRA started to work on the the section after Castlebaldwin on the Sligo side. It is definately a major improvement on the road that was already there. I think it is due to finish shortly as they are working on the sides and generally tidying up.
But here comes my gripe: When coing from Sligo there is a turn off to the right and on the main carraigeway there is an arrow for straight ahead and an arrow to turn off right. So far so good you might say, but there is no room for a car to move out to the right they are still on the main carraigeway. Now what really is annoying is that there is a massive amount of a hard shoulder on the left. So why could they not have made the road with a lane to turn right and use some of or all of the hard shoulder for traffic going straight on? Who is getting paid to do a design like this?
Some years back when the Curlew bypass was built a similiar problem existed. If you were coming from Carrick-on-Shannon towards Sligo and wanted to turn off for Ballyfarnon you had to move out to the overtaking lane and wait in it to turn right, if traffic was coming from Sligo. A lethal situation. It took a few years for them to change the layout of that juntion, all they needed to do was to change road markings.
Maybe the same designer is involved with this road design at Castebaldwin.
Declan
www.duignan.eu
Road design at Castlebaldwin

Be aware of the Silent Killer

A new silent killer is now on our roads, it is the new electric cars. When moving off from a parked position and especially in carparks there will be no noise from the electric cars. This can pose a major danger to pedestrians as the walk through the carpark. Just think of you pushing a trolley with wonky wheels and your children running around you, and suddenly a car starts moving out of a space; no warning of an engine starting. I know you could say that the driver should be looking out for me and mine but this is not always the case. Maybe by next year some standards should be in force so that all electric cars will have some form of audible sound before they stat to move.
International standards, which have already been drawn up by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, are expected to be turned into legally binding regulations by the end of next year.

The move comes as the popularity of fuel-efficient hybrid and electric cars grows, as motorists look to tackle soaring petrol and diesel costs.

According to the latest industry figures there are currently 2,353 electric and 128,165 hybrid cars – such as the best selling Toyota Prius – on Britain’s roads. I am not sure what the figure here is in Ireland at the moment. 

Research carried out last year by TRL, formerly the Government’s Transport Research Laboratory, found taking into account the number of vehicles on the road, pedestrians were more likely to be hit by an electric car than a conventional one.

It also found electric and hybrid cars were quieter than conventional vehicles in the first five metres after a standing start, such as at a pedestrian crossing.
Declan Duignan
www.duignan.eu