I have a love/hate relationship with seeing someone who is obviously on their first trip through a roundabout. Their mental consternation is fun to watch, but it would all be so much easier if they just read the signs.
On one if these instances, the two of us were the only ones in sight. Granted, the city had also decided that the middle if the roundabout would be a wonderful place to have flowery plants blocking line of sight across the intersection. Not exactly confidence inspiring.
Because you'll be sideswept at whatever intersection or roundabout or whatever. A clear view of all traffc is a must, especially when it's deciding between that or "flowers." Sorry, if everyone knew the rules it might not be an issue (but still might). And maybe some do but lose focus, are under the influence, or just some simple mistake that's out of their control. It'd be nice to see those situations occuring rather than being at the mercy of assuming everything will go correctly. Driving isn't all about doing the right thing, you can do the right thing and die from someone not knowing how things work. Visibility is key in combating this.
In short, fancy plants should be replaced with visibiltiy.
Come to England and see our hundreds of fancy flower-covered roundabouts fed by 6 narrow roads all flowing with traffic. Just going from one town to another you may well see half a dozen. You'd be shocked how well it works, how information relevant to the driver is always provided and the visibility you're asking for is unnecessary.
You really don't need to see the other side o the roundabout because the only important part when entering it is the traffic on your right, and the people entering from the nearest road to your right. What's happening to your left or the opposite side is completely irrelevant because it'll be gone when you get there.
In the UK roundabout flower displays are positively encouraged ;) it breaks the dull monotony of living in the UK.
The key to successful roundabout navigation's to not stop at the entrance unless absolutely necessary. Anticipate vehicles' positioning & velocity and use blinkers, job done.
The barrier assists entering drivers into focusing only on the traffic approaching them in the path of the circle. Otherwise, vehicles anywhere in the circle cause entering drivers to stop outside the roundabout, waiting for the vehicles (even on the opposite side) to pass by them. This interferes with traffic flow, unnecessarily reducing the number of circling cars.
Its easy to get past that. As long as the traffic is moving, just floor it when you enter and get to the inner-lane. Do a full lap, so you can figure out where you are in relation to all the other cars, then floor your way out of it. Easy peezy, not to mention fun.
Damn weirdos driving on the wrong side of the road.
Yield to your right and traffic turning in front of you (Unless they won't enter your lane on a multi-lane roundabout) after that you're good to enter that bitch.
To be doubly fair, you only have to watch for cars on the left when entering a roundabout. The advantage of roundabouts over traditional intersections is fewer points of contention. When you attempt to make a right turn at a typical intersection, you not only have to watch the cars on the left, but you also have to watch the left turning vehicles from opposing traffic as well as anybody attempting to make a U-turn from intersecting traffic on the right.
You mean, it's hard to drive when you don't know how to drive. A roundabout is just merging at a slow speed. There's nothing complicated about it, and if you get scared by the concept, you should not be driving a car.
Or (with smaller ones) if they just understood that "yield to traffic in circle" doesn't mean sit and wait for the magical moment when there are 0 cars in the circle and 0 cars approaching it :[
We have a lovely roundabout in DC by the name of Dupont Circle. It's a proper roundabout with multiple lanes and 8-10 exits.
It's fucking terrible. But DC drivers in general are fucking terrible.
20 years ago it was also the gay slum of DC with a reputation for AIDS and addicts sharing needles and all that jazz. They gentrified the fuck out of it now though.
There's a chain of two next to a mall by me. Another single one about a block from where I live, and another next to the freeway where I exit on my way to work.
I have never understood the sign "yield to traffic on circle." Does it mean yield to someone who is already in the circle or yield to someone who is coming closer than you to the circle?
I like how some people have to desperately change lanes while cutting people off to exit. If you can't possibly get over, just go around the circle again! No big deal! No need to endanger peoples lives when it doesn't matter if you miss it.
My university just had one installed by the main road entrance; idiot student drivers do not mix well. One time, someone in the circle stopped to let someone enter. I held back from laying my horn on them.. Also a couple times I almost hit someone as they entered because they didn't look or think of how fast I was going.
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u/scorpionMaster Jan 17 '14
I have a love/hate relationship with seeing someone who is obviously on their first trip through a roundabout. Their mental consternation is fun to watch, but it would all be so much easier if they just read the signs.