Seems simple! But you might be surprised that there are motorists out there that have difficulty grasping the concept of maneuvering their vehicle around a circle! Three times recently Lil Sis and I have almost been in a crash because of the failure of other drivers to yield the right of way to us. All three times I was already in the circle. The first time a young woman in a mini van with children in the back drove, without even a glance in my direction or slowing her van, cut me off. There were young children in the back and if I hadn't braked (abruptly) I would have gone right into the side of the van. She got the hooorrrnnn. The second time I was travelling around a two lane roundabout. I'm in the left lane with a large SUV next to me in the right lane. This guy without warning comes left, over into my lane cutting me off. I thought they were going to take the front right off Lil Sis. I swerved left, jammed the brakes and they got the hoooorrrnnn. The third time, today, was much the same as the first, at the same roundabout and another (or maybe the same) mini van but no children, they too got the hooorrrnnn. So I thought if I posted these few simple rules for driving around a roundabout those of you who are not sure might gain some insight on these intimidating circles. And perhaps the rest of us might not have to over use our brakes and horns.
We have only recently, in the last 5 yrs, had a few of these naughty European inspired roundabouts pop up here in beautiful Coweta Co. GA. The latest one was just opened at the intersection of 2 state highways that was struggling before during certain hours as a 4 way stop signed intersection. All of ours are single laners and have worked quite well for us.
Two lane roundabouts just seem stupid to me. It's not like you are going to be in the roundabout for an extended period of time to warrant multiple lane changes. Just seems like it leads to more confusion and increased chance for an accident.
Since there are mostly just the two of us round about supper time I have to yield to Dollie because she has the food and thinks she owns the kitchen which is also the dining room in this small house. There is no easy way to go round the table since the back side is against a wall. At least we agree it really is "supper time" and not a late dinner like the snooty people call it. We went to our daughter's family Sunday after 6pm for dinner. At least I didn't have to drive a round about way to get to their house. The new mulilane super by-pass that by-passes the by-pass around the interstate is finally open and I just went round about 65 MPH for under three miles. So far all corners are square. Many cities in the part of Florida where we lived have those roundy-bouts for the snooty folks to get to the BBQ joints and country clubs faster for dinner. The rounded bouts did seem confusing to most but I used the sidewalks and fancy flower garden areas to avoid getting hoooorrrnnned.
For the most part they work fine here too but on those occasions when you get the confused motorist blindly driving through it can be maddening. And the two lane roundabouts...RRR...are EXTREMELY confusing! You should see how they have the lanes marked, some of the lines come out of a curb part way around the about??? It's a circle, shouldn't the line go continuously around circle?
Round abouts are confusing yet I meet other drivers at 4-way stops who have no idea what the rules are or who has the right of way. It's always their turn no matter how long I've been waiting. I did a fake "didn't see you almost rammed the side of your Prius" several times not far from the house because at a simple 3-corner stop the go as soon as the car ahead of them at the stop sign goes. It's enough to make a grown man hoooorrrnnned.
Courtesy of good 'ole Google Earth, here's an overhead of the roundabout we frequent the most in our city. 'North' is as the top. Most of the time, we're entering from the south and heading west. How would like to live in one of those houses right next to it?
That is a dangerous one; it puts through lanes across the inner (circled) lanes. So far, most of the ones we've had installed up here are single-lane, but the first double-laned ones were totally redesigned so that the outer approach lane ONLY takes you right, and it has a yield sign; the inner approach goes into the inner lane, yield sign for it, but some feel since they exist they don't have to yield or even pay attention.
Round abouts in the USA are a modern invention for people of all ages still mentally living in the horse and wagon era.
I got dizzy just looking at this one. I could spend all vacation trying to get to the other side of town. Imagine all the corn someone could grow on that waste land.
^^ That looks way over-complicated to me. Take for instance that secondary artery road that runs up and down on the right side of the pic. Assuming north us up, let's say you're on that road going north, and want to go south on the highway. You have to negotiate TWO roundabouts to get on the highway, instead of just making two left turns the way it probably used to be..... Edit: Found it on Google Earth, and the reason they made it so complicated - it's on the way to the airport. LOL
