Hey boys and girls. This last year past I lived in Ghana, (that’s west africa, they have lots of roundabouts, the biggest one in the capital is called “circle” A problem with the roundabouts that sometimes occurs is gridlock, that is no body can move because everyone is blocking someone else’s exit. When I was in costa rica they had roundabouts with traffic lights, which to me defeated the purpose of a roundabout. Here we have a few, in some places they’re far superior to stops, some places where we have lights with light traffic I wished we have roundabouts. What I don’t wish for is roundabouts at extraordinarily complex intersections, an example might be United BLVD and Mary Hill Bypass. This intersection is huge, busy, and insanely complex involving around 12 lanes of traffic. In this case, please leave the lights.
The traffic circles in Washington DC are some of the most dangerous and aggravating places to drive in the city. And believe me driving in DC is no picnic! Everyone I know avoids the circles like the plague. I’ve driven into circles and seen rather sedate drivers around me snap like Jeckle and Hyde. They stop steering and start aiming!
add this one to the list.
i don’t think either stop signs, OR rotaries are bad.
i think the drivers are terrible.
some of the examples are the exact problem. lack of observing the speed limit, lack of right of way and discourteous behavior.
i feel these are the true problems with traffic. roundabouts and stop signs are simply where it happens that you are seeing it, but it is happening everywhere.
how many times have you seen a cop sitting by a rotary, watching someone enter at 30, 40 or 50 mph? they DON’T do anything. enforcement is the answer. slow down the ignorant and innattentive.
I find them scary so when I am driving and I encounter one, I close my eyes.
You’ll buy a more fuel efficient vehicle.
The driver on the right has the right of way is a very common misconception and leads to a lot of accidents. The driver on the right has the right of way ONLY in case of a tie. FIFO is the primary rule.
A problem with the roundabouts that sometimes occurs is gridlock, that is no body can move because everyone is blocking someone else’s exit.
That is typical of a rotary vs a modern round-a-bout. A round about works much better.
i don’t know how it is worded in your state/province, but in Mass. it is that the traffic ON the rotary has the right of way. so that means, the cars on the RIGHT must yield.
this is exactly opposite from the other rule, at an intersection, when two cars arive simultaneously, the car to the right has the right of way.
so people forget the two rules, and act like idiots at rotaries.
BTW; what is the difference between the two?
i don’t know how it is worded in your state/province, but in Mass. it is that the traffic ON the rotary has the right of way. so that means, the cars on the RIGHT must yield.
I haven’t had the pleasure of driving one, but I think in New Jersey the driver ENTERING has the ROW over the driver IN the rotary! Of course, NJ also forbids you to fill your own gas tank, so who knows…
I too, would like to know the distinction between rotary, traffic circle, and roundabout. I keep having the old Yes song “Roundabout” go through my head with the words “I’ll be your ro-o-o-o-o-tar-y…”.
In Kingston, NY the traffic circle at State 28, I-587 (one of the shortest interstates in the country), I-87/Thruway, and Washington Ave. was recently rebuilt from 600 foot diameter to 200 foot, in an attempt to slow down traffic and reduce the horrendous accident rate. I guess it’s reduced accidents somewhat, but tractor trailers have to use both lanes because the radius is so small, and woe to you if you get stuck in the inner lane – you won’t get out until “rush hour” is over.
My 2 cents: it’s not that they’re unfamiliar with a rotary/roundabout/circle, it’s that most American drivers are morons. If I had a nickel for every time my heart skipped a beat as some broad yakking on the cell phone with one hand while applying makeup with the other aimed her SUV at me, I could retire a very rich man.
Rotaries
Rotaries are much more common in Massachusetts
than in other parts of the country.
A rotary is an intersection of roads coming
together from several directions that allows
drivers to continue through the intersection
without stopping at a STOP sign or a traffic
signal. There are yield signs at the
entrance to a rotary. There is a physical
barrier (the Central Island) in the center of
the intersection that forces traffic to travel
around it. Big rotaries are designed to handle
traffic traveling at up to 40 miles per
hour.
Rotary Traffic Rules
Traffic moves in a counter-clockwise direction around a rotary. You must always yield the
right-of-way to vehicles already in the rotary (unless directed differently by local signs or
police officers) and to pedestrians. You should use your turn signals in the same way as
any other intersection: travel through the rotary and, when you are ready to exit, use your
right turn signal.
Choosing a Lane
If the rotary has a single lane, you must enter from the right lane of the road you are coming
from and exit onto the right lane of the road you intend to travel on.
well. in Mass, the vehicle ON the rotary has the right of way,and speeds up to 40 mph are expected! no wonder they #@$%^&!
my my my.
i never thought laws could be so stupid. there is NO wonder in my mind now why so many people are confused.
copied from NJ motor vehicles website.
Traffic Circle
There are no set rules for driving into, around and out of a traffic circle in New Jersey. Common sense and caution must prevail at all times. In most cases, the circle?s historically established traffic flow pattern dictates who has the right-of- way. If a major highway flows into and through the circle, it usually dominates the traffic flow pattern and commands the right-of-way. Traffic control signs, such as stop or yield signs, at the entrances to the circle also govern which motorist has the right-of-way. Never enter a traffic circle without checking all signs and determining the intentions of the motorists already moving within the circle.
Whenever a motorist is in doubt concerning who has the right-of-way in a circle, he/she should exercise extreme caution and remember the basic rule governing any uncontrolled intersection: The vehicle to the left yields the right-of-way to the vehicle approaching from the right.
two completely seperate ideas on how to use rotaries, one says traffic ON the rotary has the ROW, the other says ‘normal traffic flow’ dictates who has right of way. gee who knew. give it the gas. and lots of it.
A rotary is the supersize, XXL, mega-jumbo version of a roundabout. A true roundabout is not much larger space-wise than your average 4-leg intersection. A Massachusetts (and presumably all across New England) rotary is larger than most normal interchanges. A roundabout measures about 100-130 feet in diameter for a one-lane roundabout. The Rt 3/Rt 4 rotary in Chelmsford (I grew up there) is ~1000 feet in diameter. The circulating speed on a roundabout – the speed at which you go through – should be 25 or less. The circulating speed on a rotary is close to normal driving speed of ~40 mph.
The engineering principle behind a roundabout or a rotary – yield control on entry (yield to circulating traffic) – is the same for both. Now whether or not people understand what a red downward equilateral triangle, measuring 30 or 36 inches on a side, with the letters Y-I-E-L-D printed across the top means is another matter entirely.
Not including a temporary increase in crashes due to the novelty of changing a 3- or 4-leg signalized intersection into a roundabout, which is caused by unfamiliarity, studies have shown that roundabouts decrease both the number and the severity of crashes once drivers get used to the operation.
I’ve yet to see the rotary that’s SAFE.
Keep in mind that rotaries are not the same as round-a-bouts.
More than implementing ‘roundabouts’ traffic pattern through out US, which is exorbitantly expensive and time consuming, I would suggest we should get rid of the tolls on our highways, bridges, tunnels etc., This, in my opinion will save lot of gas. The revenue for the state or city can be offset my negligible increase in local taxes. And all the toll collectors can be offerred jobs in State and local offices.
You’re right. Mea Culpa. Maxima Mea Culpa.
Sincere apologies.