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In 2003, I wrote articles for our Calumet Grove website. I interviewed the Sumter and Marion County sherriffs; also the Florida Highway Patrol. They all said that we are supposed to drive into the traffic circles in the right lane and stay in the right lane until whichever point on the traffic circle we turn right. All three officers told me that "It is NEVER legal to turn right from the left lane. Likewise, it is NEVER legal to turn left from the right lane...so we must "merge" from the golf cart lane into the automobile traffic lane to turn left on the streets where golf carts and cautomobiles share the road. And, vice versa with automobiles merging into the right (golf cart lane) before the corner.
That's why TV is doing all the merging of "golf cart lanes" iwith "automobile traffic lanes" before corners where golf carts and automobiles share the road.
They explained that European traffic circles are much bigger than our aat TV. In Europe they may get into the innner circle but change lanes to the outer circle before turning out. Remember Chevy Chase driving again and again around the inner lane of the traffic circle in "European Vacation"? He couldn't get out of the inner lane because he needed to merge into to the bumper-to-bumper traffic of the outer lane before he could turn out of the traffic circle.
BUT...the way THEY (TV?) painted the lanes on Buena Vista at the Stillwater traffic circle flies in the face of everything I've written in my first two paragraphs.
This is a scary issue that causes a lot of finger gestures currently. I believe I'm right, but I could be right with a crunched bumper or worse? This needs to be clarified OFFICIALLY with well-designed signs at EVERY traffic circle!!!!
On the "golf cart path at Churchill/Belmont/Pimlico" is a sign that says "no car traffic". The next sign tells the "golf cars" to go right. Huh?
May I suggest that we try for learer terminology? "Automobiles" always drive on roads; not on "golf cart paths". Sometimes "golf carts" share the roads with "automobiles". "Golf cart paths" are NOT for automobiles.