Posted on 05/23/2013 4:54:56 AM PDT by Notary Sojac
The city of Atlanta (Motto: “Home of the airport where you changed planes last Christmas”) has installed a roundabout at a rather busy intersection near my house. This is highly entertaining if you’re watching from a safe distance, such as a nearby restaurant patio, or possibly South Carolina. But actually driving in this roundabout is the closest most Atlantans come every day to serious injury, or at least a rather large fender dent.
We all know it’s true: Americans aren’t fond of roundabouts. In fact, a new survey says 93 percent of Americans would rather stub their toe on furniture in the middle of the night when trying to locate the bathroom than drive through a roundabout. Admittedly, the facts of this survey are highly disputed, primarily because I just made it up. But there’s no arguing that we’d rather have a traditional intersection, which is more dangerous, but less confusing. For those of you thinking that roundabouts aren’t that confusing, just remember: this is the country that bought a million PT Cruisers.
Fortunately, I’ve prepared a few tips on how to successfully negotiate a roundabout. I recommend printing this out and storing it in your car. That way, when a roundabout approaches, you can take your eyes off the road and frantically search for it as you drive through, thereby becoming the best driver in the roundabout.
Tip #1: Yield to traffic inside roundabout. This should go without saying, which is why I’ve decided to mention it. When you’re approaching a roundabout, you must yield to cars currently inside it. Note to Scion tC drivers: “yield” does not mean “downshift and floor it.”
In reality, most drivers don’t have a problem with this. Usually, people are more than willing to yield to drivers inside the roundabout, and drivers near the roundabout, and schoolchildren at recess several blocks from the roundabout. They do this as they stare into the sky, hoping a traffic light will suddenly appear and tell them to proceed. Which leads us to…
Tip #2: Be assertive. Whenever I approach the Scary New Atlanta Roundabout, I always seem to be stuck behind a Volvo 240DL. This means two things: one is that we will sit at the roundabout entrance for the next nine minutes in case someone from two counties over should consider driving through later in the afternoon. And two: as we wait, I will be staring at an NPR bumper sticker.
Yes, it’s true that you have to yield to traffic in the roundabout. But you also have to push your way in if there’s an opening, like when you’re leaving Dodger Stadium with everyone else in the middle of the seventh. And for God’s sake, when you get inside…
Tip #3: Don’t yield to traffic outside the roundabout. Once our NPR-loving friend in the 240DL gets into the roundabout, the real fun begins. As he approaches each entrance, he sees a waiting car and thinks: That used to be me! So he stops to let the other driver go, disrupting the flow of traffic. The sole exception is if the other driver is in a Scion tC, in which case he’s already forced his way into the roundabout and may be rolled over on the other side with techno music blaring.
Really, folks: once you’re in the roundabout, continue until your destination. And when you get there…
Tip #4: Signal your way out. Most drivers believe there’s no roundabout turn signal protocol. Actually, that isn’t strictly true: many drivers put their left turn signals on as they go through the roundabout since they are, technically, moving left. This is approximately as helpful as a NASCAR driver putting on his left turn signal for an entire race.
In actuality, you should use your right turn signal before leaving a roundabout, thereby giving waiting drivers the opportunity to enter. Otherwise they’re stuck making assumptions about when you might leave. And in the world of roundabouts…
Tip #5: Don’t assume. Assumptions lead to 86 percent of all roundabout collisions, according to the same company who did that poll about toe-stubbing. The main roundabout assumption is that a driver will leave before he’s good and ready.
Just a refresher: when I’m in a roundabout, it is my God-given right to exit wherever I want. In fact, I can drive around in circles for weeks, challenging anyone to enter at their own risk, sort of like a foe in an early Super Mario game. At least, that’s how most drivers think, displaying the same level of entitlement that a 13-year-old girl might get from having an iPhone.
Feel free to share other roundabout tips. Surely, there are a few I don’t know. After all, I’m new at this whole roundabout thing – and most of my experience comes from following a Volvo 240DL.
I remember when I lived in England in 1975 there was a super round-about that had one giant roundabout at the center of a circle of smaller round abouts (5 or 6). Each entry into the round about complex had a pull-off car park
with a big sign that mapped out how to negotiate it.....
The single lane roundabouts near me have the concrete curbs worn down from so many vehicles banging over them. They’re not big enough for larger vehicles (such as street maintenance trucks), which is probably by intent.
LOL! Thanks for the morning chuckle!
You want excitement, pull up to a roundabout in Italy and if you have to stop and yield for traffic soon you’ll have vehicles that were once behind you pull up to the side of you like at the starting line of a road race!
Haha! Good humor ping. Thanks for posting.
Must have been - interesting - when combined with the ‘wrong side of the road’ thing.
My first relationships with roundabouts came in Washington DC. I understand they were meant to confuse an invading army. They certainly do an effective job of confusing invading commuters.
Greensboro has recently added roundabouts in several locations, some downtown and some in the burbs. I actually saw one woman, stop, watch for a few minutes and then backup to the nearest place she could turn around. I don’t understand how a woman that can backup can be intimidated by a roundabout.
Rotaries are the epitome of driver ed;
Y'gutt'a look and think ahead as to what you want to do .. place yourself in line for that act .. and once in ... you're committed.
Rotaries are for intelligent people.
If a rotary (or roundabout) baffles you ... I'd suggest a bus or cab ...
It was a bit intimidating, even for the locals.
I never did too bad with the left hand side thing, even in cities. It was when I was out on a two lane road in the country and had to move over the right side for one reason or another (passing parked car, etc.) was hard because I sometimes found myself staying on that side out of habit....hard to break.
You should see the way they try to negotiate the roundabout in Corinth, Mississippi. Its a royal cluster.
What I’ve always found hard in this country is negotiating a left hand turn in parts of New Jersey where they love to use what they call a “jug ear”....a good thought, making two rights after an intersection on a jug ear to execute a left turn. Trouble is they (NY) seems to like to hide theses damned things in the bushes and don’t put signs out until you’ve damned near passed them.
(NJ) not (NY)
Heh! It also kinda reads like Patrick F McManus’s The Grasshopper Trap.
I hate these things, while in them I’ve almost gotten nailed many times by a person entering it who forgot that I had the right of way.
One time I was behind an elderly lady as she started to enter one. I then looked to the left and saw a vehicle about to enter it and knowing I had plenty of time and room, I then accelerated and headed forward. Unfortunately, the dumb lady ahead of me stopped while she was half way in and I rear ended her.
Thankfully there wasn’t any damage but when I asked why she had stopped insteading of continuing into it she said “I didn’t know what the guy on the left was going to do....” Sheesh!
“Big Ben...Parliament...”
LOL My wife feels the same way about Volvo drivers.
They put a roundabout down my way. I must admit —it works.
The intersection was a true danger, there was an accident there almost every day. Serious accidents. Since the roundabout the accident rate has practically ceased., and when there is one it’s not serious.
Of course the truckers hate it.
Roundabouts are OK as long as you’re playing a little Boots Randolph to get you in the mood.
Again ... look ahead.
Every crossroad is a jug handle (or could very well be) ... if you're taking a left on Main .. get in the right hand lane for the left.
If it's hidden by trees and bushes ... no one drives that road anyway ... /8^)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.