Learning to navigate roundabouts
Reading this thread has been very interesting... My opinion is that the reason folks don't know the proper driving procedures for navigating a roundabout is because they were never taught how. Who was required to navigate through a roundabout, when they took their driving test? How many questions are on the drivers exam, concerning roundabouts or who might or might not have the right of way ?? Exactly...no one! But, how many know the rule for a 4-way stop ???
I was in England, just before the holidays. Just getting out of Heathrow, I probably drove through 8 to 10 roundabouts to get to the M25.... Oh, by the way, you enter on the left side and go around clockwise. Many have 5 to 6 exits and anywhere from 3 to 5 lanes of traffic and they are very busy. I must tell you, it's an exciting adventure, if you have not driven on the left side of the road for a while!
Someone commented that the arrows for both lanes indicate straight. That would be a huge problem in a roundabout and hence, people wouldn't necessarily know which lane to be in to exit. In all the roundabouts I have been in, in Europe, the outside land is always marked with a right turn arrow. If there are 2 lanes to exit to, then the next inner lane has a straight/right turn arrow. I cannot remember the lane markings in TV, since it's been a couple years since I was there. However, the lane markings could have a big impact on how people drive in the roundabouts... If nothing else, most people know which lane to be in, given the markings. We did learn that in Drivers Education... :-) I have to believe people would do the right thing, if they knew what that was. As for the people not yielding, looking, stopping, etc. they would do that no matter a roundabout, 4-way stop, traffic light, blinking light, whatever... Some people are just plain bad drivers.
I'm planning to be there within about a year, so I hope you guys get this figured out and fixed, before I get there...
Just my 2 cents on roundabouts and I love 'em. They kinda get my Mario Andretti blood flowing!
|