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.
XTC referenced the Swindon Roundabout in the song “English Roundabout”
People rushing round with no time to spare
I’m so dizzy, I’m neither here nor there
In this traffic jam, I just want to shout
Let me off o’ this
English roundabout (oh, oh, oh)
English roundabout (oh, oh, oh)
English roundabout (oh, oh, oh)
English rounda
And all the the horns go ‘beep! beep!’
All the people follow like sheep
And all the lights and sound
Making my head go round, round
(Oo-oo, oo-oo)
(Oo-oo, oo-oo)
Everyone is cursing under their breath
I’m a passenger, I feel close to death
Hopeless situation, I have no doubt
Stop the madness
English roundabout (oh, oh, oh)
English roundabout (oh, oh, oh)
English roundabout (oh, oh, oh)
English rounda
And all the cars go ‘brum! brum!’
And in my ears I feel a hum
The neons blind my eyes
All those tempers rise, rise, rise, rise
(Oo-oo, oo-oo)
(Oo-oo, oo-oo)
(Oo-oo, oo-oo)
(Oo-oo, oo-oo)
Cars and buses go puffing out their smoke
Roll my window down, I begin to choke
I have had enough, I just want to get out
Let me off o’ this
English roundabout (oh, oh, oh)
English roundabout (oh, oh, oh)
English roundabout (oh, oh, oh)
English rounda
Round-round, round-round, round-round, round-round
Round-round, round-round, round-round, round-round
Round-round, round-round, round-round, round-round
Round-round, round-round, round-round, round-round
A roundabout needs two lanes and plenty of space in order to function well. If you don't have enough room for that, stoplights will work better.
From our local newspaper -
Town recognized for new roundabout
The Northern/Hardy Roundabout in Oro Valley was selected as the Outstanding Small Project of the Year by Arizona's chapter of the American Public Works Association.
The five-way roundabout traffic circle at West Hardy Road and North Northern Avenue was completed in the summer of 2010 for about $800,000.
The project will be recognized at an award banquet March 30.
I remember reading actual original purpose was to serve as defensive points in DC. Look at a map of DC. Put a company of troops into spots like Logan Circle, Dupont Circle, etc, with cannons (or, later, machine guns), and you pretty much dominate movement within the DC area.
They are starting to put round-a-bouts in El Paso, funny since most there can’t drive to begin with.
Loved it. My husband and I lived in New Zealand almost 7 years. The first couple of years, their roundabouts were a bit terrifying, but soon, we were zipping through them at 50 mph with everyone else. A few years ago, waiting in my dentist’s chair, I was able to watch through the window the new roundabout in Las Vegas. It was quite exciting and entertaining, and did involve at least 1 PT Cruiser. I avoided the new roundabouts because the locals didn’t know how to drive through them and they were too much an accident hazard. The tourists are hazard enough, thanks. One of our family’s favorite movie lines is from a crashed, Australian truck driver- “Who put in the roundabout?”
And roundabouts do, in fact, work marvelously for a more highly skilled driving populace.
Driving?
I take it you’ve never been to Italy.
” The fact is that the average European is better than the average American at a couple of things that come to mind: one is cooking, and the other is driving.”
Given the choice between lunch in London or Lubbock I’ll take Texas, thank you.
Several times.
Aw, come on... Isn’t there a “Judi Dench’s Fish & Chips” on every corner there?
Wait, maybe that’s London - isn’t that the same basic premise though?
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.