Drove through an accident in one of the Villages' traffic circles yesterday.

[Taltarzac]

It looked like one of the lawn care trucks with a trailer had hit a small white SUV. The SUV left side hood was pushed up to look like it opens sideways rather than towards the front windshield.

This one inside the Belvedere/Buena Vista traffic circle at about 12:40 p.m. June 23, 2010.

I suppose no one was actually hurt in this accident though as there was nothing about it in today's Villages Daily Sun.

These traffic circles still make me extremely nervous even though I have been driving here in TV since July of 2005.

[JimJoe]

Roundabouts are safe when they are one lane only. When they are two lane the confusion begins. Who has the right away.. inside lane or out..

[rockaway]

Two lane roundabouts are very simple.

Entering the roundabout in the right lane you can make the first right
turn or continue straight.

Entering the roundabout in the left lane you can continue straight or
continue around.

Any car already in the roundabout has the right of way.

The paperwork at the district office should be handed out to every
new homeowner or renter plus it's availability advertised every day
in the Daily Sun.

[dillywho]

Roundabouts are much safer when drivers obey the posted 20mph speed limit. How many drivers do you see that don't even bother to slow down at all, much less to 20?:cus:

[JimJoe]

Two lane roundabouts are very simple.

Entering the roundabout in the right lane you can make the first right
turn or continue straight.

Entering the roundabout in the left lane you can continue straight or
continue around.

Any car already in the roundabout has the right of way.

The paperwork at the district office should be handed out to every
new homeowner or renter plus it's availability advertised every day
in the Daily Sun.

I dont think two lane roundabouts are safe. What happens when both vehicles choose to go straight and the first one reaches their exit and turns right in front of the second vehicle as it is going straight to get to its exit?
For example:
If car one enters from the south, goes half way around and exits going north going straight per your example, and car two enters from the east and does the same to exit going west, if car one enters from the center lane and car two enters from the right lane, who has the right a way at the northern exit of the round about? I think most people think the car on the outside ( car 2) has the right away at the north corner to continue to their exit and exit going west, but I think the rules state that car 1 on the inside lane that crosses over in front of car 2 to exit going north has the right of way and there lies the problem.
The other problem is in two lane roundabouts that since the vehicles are traveling in a tight circle, longer vehicles on the inside tend to crowd the right side of their lane to avoid the center curb, and longer vehicles on the outside lane tend to crowd the center lane with the rear of their vehicle naturally as they turn.

What is wrong with making it simple and have single lane roundabouts?

[Taltarzac]

...While the lawn care vehicles were in the inside lane. It looked like the lawn care truck and trailer must have been trying to cross the outside lane to turn right and struck the white SUV.

I do often notice outside lane vehicles going much too fast and crossing the track of right turning inside lane vehicles.

[The Great Fumar]

Two lane roundabouts are very simple.

Entering the roundabout in the right lane you can make the first right
turn or continue straight.

Entering the roundabout in the left lane you can continue straight or
continue around.

Any car already in the roundabout has the right of way.

The paperwork at the district office should be handed out to every
new homeowner or renter plus it's availability advertised every day
in the Daily Sun.

SIMPLE !!???
The only thing simple are the people who designed these rouinabouts..They are based on a European design that covers a much larger space...............Small roundabouts are only meant for single lane traffic...

Be careful out there !!! fumar

[Bogie Shooter]

Here we go again.
The last thread on roundabouts had about a gazillion posts.

[RichieLion]

:duck:
I remember a new Villagers posting here who said he goes around the round-abouts saying "Please don't kill me, Please don't kill me". I think his name was Vinnie.

Nobody ever agrees on on proper procedure in the round-abouts; not everyone is on this blog and not everyone on the roads in the Villages is a Villager; so I think it boils down to be careful, give way when in doubt, and chant Vinnie's refrain.

[cashman]

Roundabouts are dangerous if they are two lane.

Repeating the rules over and over accomplishes nothing. Most drivers will not heed to, understand or care about the rules.

If we don't change to a one lane approach those in charge are negligent and should be held responsible for damages and God help us death.

[army one]

I agree with you Fumar, the only simple thing about the roundabouts are the ones who designed them. When I was in Europe the roundabouts were very large. The only rule that you were concerned with is you could only exit a roundabout in Europe from the right lane. You could enter the roundabout from any lane but to exit you had to work your way to the right lane to exit no matter if you were going to take the first , second, third or do the U-turn thing.

The biggest problem here is that everyone has a different opinion of how to navigate the roundabouts. By going to a system of one lane only in the roundabouts the confusion would be gone.

I guess I'd better give up on the idea, after all, this is just like all government reasoning, if it is logical, reasonable and/or sensible It will never happen.

[joannej]

If you are in the inside lane and cannot get access to the right hand lane, go around the circle (roundabout) again, get into the right hand lane when you can with your blinker on, then make your turn, so cars behind you see that you are exiting. I use my turn signal all the time going around the circles here in TV.

[Whatever]

Too many times I have seen contractors, moving vans, landscapers, etc. who have no concern for Villagers driving as if the were on a speedway or obstacle course. I would like to see our local constabulary out there more often and more visible.

In addition, being on the cell phone while going around the curve only exacerbates the situation. It seems foolish to point at the design of the roundabout when the carelessness and care less attitude of the driver is to blame.

[Rag Bagger]

They do an amazing job of speeding up traffic at intersections.

It ain't that tough, if you are in the outside lane and there ia an inside lane you may have to exit at the next right turn. There are white lines that follow the next exit. Some are solid some are dashed. If it is solid you must exit. If if is dashed you may continue around the circle but only if there is no traffic in the inside lane because that inside lane can exit too. If you want to keep going around to 180 or 270 or 360 it's best to get to the inside lane then switch to the outside lane when you meet the exit quadrant that you want.

Always drive defensively most don't understand the concept. I personally never parallel another car in the round-about. I stager my car and make sure I am well ahead of the car behind me before I put on the turn signal and exit. I have on ocassion gone all the way around to avoid what seemed like a driver who was not going to do the right thing.

[paulandjean]

I have no problem. I have a gas pedal and a brake.Just drive thru on the defensive side.

[Bogie Shooter]

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27457&highlight=roundabout
There are 123 posts.

[bluedog103]

Whew, glad we got that all figured out! Now we just have to educate the other umpteen gazillion people out there who don't live in TV and don't know the proper way to negotiate a roundabout, but who may cruise here someday. Yikes!
Gotta be a better way.

[Talk Host]

Boy, we sure do go round and round and round about the round-abouts. :ohdear:

[tile guy]

I have gotten use to these crazy things you call round a bouts.
Everyone as mentioned has different theory on the way they should be driven.
At times to keep people from taking an outside turn from an inside lane I just simply sneak over into the middle at create my own one lane circle, it works every time and no one is any worse off.

But to me, only in my opinion of course, I think if you turning off of a circle you should be in the outside lane, you can't do on the interstate exit then why should it be any different in the circle.
I have dozens of customers discussing on this subject and it's fun to listen to all the many approaches taken.

[golf2140]

All this because there was an accident. There are hundreds of accidents in the tri-county area monthly.

[Pturner]

By George, I've got it! All this talking around the issue boils down to one simple misunderstanding. Here's the scoop:

When we say stagger, we are NOT referring to how you react naturally after six beers. We simply mean take turns!

That should solve the whole problem of accidents in the roundabouts.

Thanks, Mrs. Traphagen.

[Barefoot]

Boy, we sure do go round and round and round about the round-abouts. :ohdear:

True, but isn't it better than endlessly talking about dog doo? :024:

[islandgal]

Here's Sumter County's brochure about navigating the roundabouts:

http://sumtercountyfl.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DID=77

[Taltarzac]

Here's Sumter County's brochure about navigating the roundabouts:

http://sumtercountyfl.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DID=77

I guess these rules do not apply if there is an accident in the roundabout? I had to manuever around these in the traffic circle as I suppose they were waiting for the cops to take the various measurements and the like.

A Villages Community Development District pick-up was pulling up behind the lawn care vehicles when I weaved through the circle. There were other vehicles waiting their turn too which would have had to taken this obstacle course of various vehicles in that traffic circle.

[Avista]

I always try to stagger. Problem comes when two cars are side by side. Everyone follows different rules. I agree with those who say one lane roundabouts would be the safest.

[cashman]

Constantly talking about rules gets us nowhere because people do not follow rules. If we have one lane roundabouts we don't need all these rules that nobody follows.

Do people follow the rules on speeding, on red lights, or on stop signs?
They do not.

One lane is the only answer to our roundabouts because human beings are driving in them.

When dealing with human beings who are driving in roundabouts, set it up so they don't have any options then they don't have to think.

[swrinfla]

I was probably a few minutes behind Taltarzac. Two or three Sumter County Sheriffs, one or two Community Watch vehicles. A Cadillac SUV (Escalade?) with some major damage.

An hour or more later, I came the other way and passed a truck carrying the damaged Escalade away.

I couldn't decide whether to blame the accident on the roundabout or just careless driving. I'm frankly inclined to the latter!

Yes, roundabouts require great caution, but I'm convinced that if you follow Sumter County's guidelines (see islandgal's post) to the letter and pay close attention, you'll be okay!

SWR
:beer3:

[SALYBOW]

As I went through the roundabouts on the few times I was driving, I sang "Nearer My God to Thee." Just in case. :sing:

[Bogie Shooter]

Constantly talking about rules gets us nowhere because people do not follow rules. If we have one lane roundabouts we don't need all these rules that nobody follows.

Do people follow the rules on speeding, on red lights, or on stop signs?
They do not.

One lane is the only answer to our roundabouts because human beings are driving in them.

When dealing with human beings who are driving in roundabouts, set it up so they don't have any options then they don't have to think.
How do you propose that we get from two lanes down to one at the rab?

[pooh]

We have two lanes because that was the only way the county would allow them to be....with the housing density we have here. I'm not sure that larger ones are any safer. Had to navigate them on Cape Cod when we lived in MA....if only I had known the mantra then, "Please don't kill me"....I might have felt better... ;)

[Barefoot]

I'm convinced that if you follow Sumter County's guidelines to the letter and pay close attention, you'll be okay! SWR :beer3:

I think that reading the Sumter County Guidelines is even lower on the priority list for most peeps than reading the appliance guide for the fridge. Members of TOTV can't even agree on how to drive the roundabouts. Then add tourists and newbies and construction workers and visitors, :boom:

Go slow, forget about your cell phone, stay away from other cars, drive defensively.

[Taltarzac]

I was probably a few minutes behind Taltarzac. Two or three Sumter County Sheriffs, one or two Community Watch vehicles. A Cadillac SUV (Escalade?) with some major damage.

An hour or more later, I came the other way and passed a truck carrying the damaged Escalade away.

I couldn't decide whether to blame the accident on the roundabout or just careless driving. I'm frankly inclined to the latter!

Yes, roundabouts require great caution, but I'm convinced that if you follow Sumter County's guidelines (see islandgal's post) to the letter and pay close attention, you'll be okay!

SWR
:beer3:


I was wondering if there were a worse accident in one of the circles would they have to block it off for through traffic all together?

I have sometimes had to slow down dramatically in the Buena Vista/El Camino Real traffic circle because of pedestrians crossing from Savannah Center towards Glenview Country Club. This seems to happen about once every other month to me and I do not drive in the Villages when the Savannah Center has various performances.

[swrinfla]

Yes, they'd have to re-direct traffic. Indeed, in this instance anyone wanting to enter Winifred from southbound Buena Vista or eastbound Belvedere had to continue south on Buena Vista and go all the way around the Rainey Trail circle. Not a big deal.

But, if the accident had blocked the entrance to Winifred, then there'd have been some inconvenienced folks, as there's no other way in!

SWR
:beer3: