Series of Sharp Bends - Right

Series of Sharp Bends (Right First) signs appear on winding sections where the initial bend is to the right, common throughout Irish mountainous regions.

Locations include descents on the Healy Pass, sections of the N71 through West Cork, the Glengesh Pass in Donegal, parts of the Wicklow Mountains routes, and coastal roads in Kerry.

Right-hand initial bends often have worse visibility due to roadside structures, hedgerows, and terrain on the inside of the curve creating blind spots for subsequent bends.

A series of sharp bends begins with a right-hand bend.

Right bends typically offer less visibility than left bends due to obstacles on the inside of the curve.

Reduce speed to 40-50 km/h before entering the first bend and maintain this speed throughout the series.

Do not accelerate between bends—each bend restricts visibility for the next.

Right-hand bends tempt drivers to drift toward the center line; resist this and maintain strict left-side positioning.

Use second gear for sustained control and engine braking on descents.

Dangerous driving charges apply to excessive speed through multiple bend sections: 5 penalty points, fines to €5,000, imprisonment up to 6 months, and disqualification for minimum 2 years.

Right-hand bend series have particularly high collision rates due to restricted visibility.

Cutting corners or crossing the center line often results in head-on collisions with oncoming vehicles on their correct side, establishing clear fault: dangerous driving causing death charges carry up to 10 years imprisonment.

Courts impose severe penalties for marked hazard violations.

Multiple consecutive bends starting with reduced-visibility right bends represent advanced hazard assessment.

Theory questions test understanding that right bends often have worse visibility than left bends and that bend series require sustained reduced speed.

Practical tests assess initial speed reduction to 40-50 km/h before the first bend, sustained low speed throughout without accelerating between bends, strict lane discipline avoiding center line drift, smooth steering without corrections, and appropriate gear selection.

Any mid-bend braking or position corrections result in Grade 3 failure.

Speed requiring braking in bends results in Grade 2 faults minimum.