Local Driving Tips: Junction in Maynooth at Garda Station on the Kilcock Road.

As this junction is controlled by traffic light right of way generally isn’t an issue however it can become quite tricky at times especially during rush hour traffic and when schools finish.

Things you need to watch out for if you are coming from the Maynooth Square direction are:

1. Make sure you get into your correct lane position in good time.

If you are going straight towards the Castle or turning left going up towards the Train Station then approach in the left lane. If you are following the road round heading towards Kilcock direction make sure you don’t turn into the filter lane too early or you risk the possibility of a collision with oncoming traffic. Don’t worry if the lights are still red for turning right and you are blocking up traffic behind wanting to go on straight, there is nothing you can do except wait for your green filter arrow.

1. If you are the first car in the queue at the red lights and they turn green please make sure there are no pedestrians still looking to cross late, if the pedestrian has already started to cross the road then yield to them, remember a green light means “proceed with caution”.
2. If you are the first car in the queue and turning left at the red lights, when they turn green please make sure you have a quick glance over your left shoulder and left wing mirror to ensure a cyclist hasn’t slipped up on the inside.
3. If you are turning right towards Kilcock direction remember the yellow box rule i.e. you can only enter a yellow box if you can clear it without stopping. The one exception is that you can stop in it if you turning right and your exit is clear. Please don’t enter the yellow box if traffic is backed up ahead of you going to Kilcock. You run the risk of the traffic lights changing colour and you blocking up the junction.

Things you need to watch out for if you are coming from the Kilcock Road direction are:

Make sure you get into your correct lane position in good time.

If you following the road round to the left heading into main street then stay in the left lane and watch for the green filter arrow to allow you to proceed. If you are going straight towards the Train Station or turning right to go towards the Castle direction make sure again that you don’t enter the filter lane to early. Also be aware of traffic exiting from Pound Lane.

1. If you are going straight towards the Train Station wait till you have a main green light and then proceed with caution, be very wary of pedestrians making a late dash to cross and of traffic coming from the Train Station direction. You do have right of way but that doesn’t always mean other road users will obey!
2. If you are turning right up towards the Castle direction and you have a green light you must yield right of way to the traffic coming from the Train Station direction, whether that traffic is turning left towards the Castle direction or going straight on towards the Kilcock direction. You can now proceed if the road is clear

Things you need to watch out for if you are coming from the Train Station direction are:

1. If turning left and the light is green ensure there is nothing on your left hand side blind spot before proceeding left. As always scan across the junctions for pedestrians as you will be driving across a pedestrian crossing.
2. If going straight towards Kilcock direction scan left and right as you proceed on the green light. Again be wary of pedestrians crossing ahead. Pedestrians are unpredictable, as drivers we were once pedestrians too!!
3. If turning right heading up towards the Square, proceed with caution on the green light. Be particularly cautious to ensure traffic coming from the Square direction and Kilcock direction has come to a full stop; sometimes you can get people trying to “beat the orange lights”. Also as before be wary of pedestrians because again you will be driving across a pedestrian crossing.

 Things you need to watch out for if you are coming from the Castle direction are:

1. Get your correct lane position early, if going left you are in the left filter lane, if going straight towards the Square or turning right towards the Train Station you are in the right hand lane.
2. If you are turning left and the light is green is on, after checking to see that there are no pedestrians still crossing and checking your left hand side blind spot for cyclists you can proceed with caution.
3. If turning right towards the Train Station and the light is green you do have right of way over traffic coming from other directions. Please ensure junction is clear of pedestrians before.
4. Now the tricky one. If you are going straight and the light is green remember the yellow box rule i.e. you can only enter a yellow box if you can clear it without stopping. Please don’t enter the yellow box if traffic is backed up ahead of you going towards the Square direction. You run the risk of the traffic lights changing colour and you blocking up the junction. This last case is something we see regularly and is caused by the traffic being backed up due the red traffic lights at the Square. Be patient and the traffic will move.

If there is anything you are unsure of above or if there are similar junctions you’d like to discuss just leave a comment below

As a learner driver the Liffey Valley Bridge in Celbridge is one of the more intimidating road scenarios, especially during rush hour traffic. Here is some advice on dealing with this tricky situation.

You must know who has right of way!

Traffic coming from Lucan Road

• Traffic coming from the Lucan road has right of way over traffic turning right to go onto the Newcastle road from Celbridge town
• Traffic coming from the Lucan road has right of way over traffic turning left from the Ardclough road into Celbridge town or going straight onto Lucan Road
• Traffic coming from the Lucan road has right of way over traffic coming from the Newcastle road into Celbridge

Traffic coming from Celbridge Town

• Traffic coming from Celbridge town (St Raphael’s side) road going towards the Lucan road has right of way over all other traffic
• Traffic coming from Celbridge town turning left to cross the bridge must yield right of way to traffic coming from the St Raphael’s road direction
• Traffic coming from Celbridge town going straight towards St Raphael’s road must yield right of way to traffic coming from the St Raphael’s road direction and also traffic coming across the bridge and going left towards St Raphael’s

Traffic coming from Newcastle Road

• Traffic coming from Newcastle Road must yield right of way to traffic coming from their right on the Lucan Road coming into Celbridge
• Traffic coming from Newcastle Road must yield right of way to traffic coming from Celbridge town and going onto the Ardclough Road
• Traffic coming from Newcastle Road has right of way over traffic exiting from Ardclough Road.

Traffic coming from Ardclough Road

• Traffic coming from Ardclough Road must yield right of way to all traffic coming from the Lucan Road, the Newcastle Road (if turning left) and coming from Celbridge town (if going straight).

Other tips:

1. Approach the junction cautiously in a low gear that matches your speed, more than likely second gear or first gear
2. Do not assume just because you have right of way that other drivers will obey the rules of the road!!!!! Proceed with caution
3. If you stop on the hill in traffic, apply your handbrake and change into first gear. To ensure you don't roll back make sure you find th ebite point before releasing your handbrake

With the cost of fuel spiralling towards the unthinkable €2 per litre mark (at the time of writing 1 litre of petrol is €1.63 and diesel at €1.54 per litre) it’s good to know that we can reduce our fuel bills by up to 20% using Eco-Driving techniques.

Eco driving is a style of driving that contributes to road safety while also reducing fuel consumption.

Improvements can be made with a simple change in attitude to driving. By planning ahead you can be more prepared for potential hazards and slow your vehicle using engine braking (by easing off the accelerator) therefore avoiding the need for harsh or late braking, both of which lead to higher fuel consumption.

To ensure a better performance from your vehicle, make sure it is serviced regularly. This will improve the vehicle economy and indeed reliability. You should check your tyre conditions weekly ensuring there is no wear and tear and also ensure they are inflated to the recommended pressure. Under inflation can increase fuel consumption as well affecting the vehicles handling.

Before your journey, clear unused clutter from the car thereby reducing excess weight and remove roof racks or bicycle racks when not being used. Don’t start your engine till you are ready to leave and, avoid over revving and try to pull away smoothly. Do not leave your engine running unnecessarily, if you are going to be stationary for a few minutes you should switch off your engine till ready to move again.

Once driving you should choose your speed wisely, you can save money by lowering your speed, vehicles travelling at 80kmh use up to 30% more fuel to cover the same distance travelling at 60kmh. Make sure not to travel so slowly that you are inconveniencing other road users! Use you accelerator smoothly, avoid rapid acceleration where possible and use engine braking or “accelerator sense” when slowing down. Driving smoothly can reduce fuel consumption by up to 15%. It also pays to only use air conditioning when necessary and keep windows closed when driving at higher speeds to reduce drag.

Effective route planning can help you to avoid busy times of the day and traffic hot spots therefore reducing time spent stopped or in lower more uneconomical gears.

When put together some of the eco driving techniques mentioned can add up to a considerable amount of money saved through improved fuel economy.