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.
Once I figured that out, she parralel parks every time now with a 4" space between car and curb ... one pull up to the meter.
I'm familiar with the GOAL concept .. (Get Out And Look)
A few years ago, when my commute was exactly a hundred miles long, there were six roundabouts along the way. If you do them without people waving angry fists at you, you’re far too slow.
The only one I've experienced is out in Cranberry/Mars on 228 in the area where Red Robin, Chik-fil-a and Smokey Bones are located. I hate it. Out there you get lots of Volvos with NPR stickers...
Funny!
Down here it’s Escalades and Lincoln Navigators that likely get 16 MPG yet have Obama bumper stickers slathered all over them.
IIRC when I was driving in Germany the rule was to yield to incoming traffic when in a roundabout.
Anyway, this writer is of Dave Barry caliber, especially the part about the Volvo with the NPR sticker.
“That used to be me!” - priceless
Probably the same people who design roads for PENNDOT. Come to SW Pennsylvania and you will see:
I like roundabouts and I hate stoplights. Roundabouts seem much more efficient. But yes American drivers have no clue how to use them.
I wonder where, in Atlanta, this roundabout is?
Could be in a place where stopping might be deadly.
I guess I am an exception, I love round abouts. In my opinion they are the best way ever to move traffic through an intersection.
I do not understand how the idea can be so foreign to many Americans.
The British have moved traffic around round abouts for damn near a 100 years
In this country, we have had them for damn near 200 years.
Hell, If you look at the county seats in most southern counties and else where, Courthouse Square IS a round about. Only bigger.
I worked in Bristol for about 6 months in 2003. The initial drive from Heathrow on a Sunday (after the business-class redeye)on the M4 definitely got my attention.
And, no, it isn't less disruptive to continue on at cruising speed and force those wanting to get off at the next exit ramp to suddenly brake and hold up a much larger volume of traffic behind them.
It is nothing more than the "hurray for me and to hell with you" attitude on display.
A typical Pittsburgh attitude, I might add, in a neighboring county where the "courtesy clown" problem is far more prevalent.
I negotiated lots of circles in South Jersey growing up. The trick don’t stop,just keep moving. There is a small circle in downtown Gettysburg the befuddles the tourists. I just keep on cruising. Zip. I’m home free.
Theyve started putting some of these in ohio,we just use the one hand on the horn one finger out the window method,crude but it works.
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