Navigating Roundabouts
 

I have often wondered why a definitive explanation was never available. Well it is, for Sumter County anyway.

Here it is: http://www.districtgov.org/images/Wh...INAL070908.pdf

I believe this is much the same as most localities.

Caveat!!! Don't count on everyone observing these instructions. Most Villagers have their own interpretation of "Roundabout Etiquette" or the lack thereof.


DC

Re: Navigating Roundabouts
 

Check out this site about roundabouts.

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/eesc/CAE/des.../mpg_index.htm

Re: Navigating Roundabouts
 

The information contained in the Olympia video surfaces here from time to time. Please be careful, as the information contained in it does not apply to the round-a-bouts in the Villages. Additionally, the rules for the round-a-bouts here seem to vary from location to location.

Re: Navigating Roundabouts
 

The rules for roundabouts seem to vary from individual to individual as well....

Re: Navigating Roundabouts
 

Vehicle requirements to navigate in the Roundabouts should consist of reinforced roll cage, 6 point seat belt, HANs (Head And Neck restraint) device. Rosary, Bible, or whatever else makes you feel safe. I can only imagine the traffic conditions come winter time. :yikes:

F16

Re: Navigating Roundabouts
 

Lets not forget your own personal Paramedic...

Re: Navigating Roundabouts
 

By all means, Donna! I think roundabouts are a breeze... drive around the circle at high speed in the right land and save the left lane for swerving out of the way. ;D

Re: Navigating Roundabouts
 

I lived in NJ, the state of the original highway "circles." After years of accidents and complaints, NJ started removing the circles about 25 years ago. I was fascinated when I moved to TV that they were here. The same problems from NJ have emerged here. Very few drivers believe that those on the circle have the right of way. According to the Olympia site, they improve on congestion. Why do I find that so hard to believe?

Re: Navigating Roundabouts
 

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...IMG_0171-3.jpg
The Villages Florida
Smalldog Sez If you value your day and Vehicle hog the dividing line so some immature individual doesn't get all twisted and try to cut in front of you >:(
any horn blowers should be signaled with the Hawaiian good luck symbol ;D

Re: Navigating Roundabouts
 

I've not had a bit of trouble in the roundabouts,
however I tend to drive slow, safe, and be plenty patient with those in a hurry.
As noted above, I think many individuals have their own interpretations of what's proper.

Now I've driven the european centrums, and I thought they were much wilder.
I'd close my eyes and hit the gas there!!!

Re: Navigating Roundabouts
 

Did they replace them with those wonderufl "jug Handles" ;D

Re: Navigating Roundabouts
 

Talk Host, for the uninitiated maybe you would explain what a "jug handle" is. As a former (twice) resident of the Garden State I am very familiar with them but hesitate to try to describe them with out graphics and I wouldn't know how to do that here.
BTW, I like roundabouts better for keeping traffic flowing. I am very familiar with there use in the UK as they are used extensively there. Over there they are all familiar with them and understand how to use them. That's not to say they don't have their share of idiots!

DC

Re: Navigating Roundabouts
 

downeaster,
I'm not a NJ-ite but have driven there. From an outsider perspective, a jughandle seems to be a way to take 3 rights (via a curve - the handle) in order to make a left turn.

Re: Navigating Roundabouts
 

Yes, they did use jug handles. On most major highways, there are no left turns. One must make a right turn into a "jug handle" which then curves around and across the road from which you would have made a left turn. Sounds complicated, but it did seem to work. There seemed to be fewer accidents than that which had occured on the circles.

Re: Navigating Roundabouts
 

It would really be great if everyone in The Villages was aware of and adhered to the proper roundabout etiquette. The following url is a link to the Sumter County Roundabout Brochure which is standard in the State of Florida.

It should be distributed to every Villages resident.

http://www.districtgov.org/images/Wh...INAL070908.pdf

Re: Navigating Roundabouts
 

The first roundabout hereabouts (West Chester, Ohio, suburb of Cincinnati) is being completed as I type, well not at five in the morning, but you know what I mean.

I am somewhat concerned about it because it is our way to leave our development and also it is in the area close to the high school and those kids and us Beckett Ridgers aren't used to roundabouts. School opens about the same time the roundabout will be finished.

Hope we survive to drive the roundabouts in TV. Hope the kids do too, to run the world in the future.

I came across this post and thought "finally a definitive answer"... But, after reading the brochure, I'm just as confused as ever. There are some traffic circles (Buena Vista at Old Camp for example) where the paint in the circle indicates that you must merge out of the inside to the outside lane. I asked a Deupty about it and he just kind of shrugged and said he finds them very confusing, too.

Hello DC:
 

My wife and I lived in Maine for almost 20 years (woked for the VA at Togus). Never ever heard the term "round a bout" till we moved here. Everyone I knew in Maine called them rotarys.
I still refer to them by that name.

Roundabouts, rotery's, or traffic circles are all the same thing and actually very simple. And IF everyone followed the rules work very well and keep traffic moving.
1. The person already in the circle always has the right of way.
2. Move to the correct lane before you enter the circle.
3. Going only 90 degrees on the circle ALWAYS enter from the right lane, stay in the right (outside) lane and take the first exit from that lane.
4. Going 270 degrees on the circle ALWAYS enter from the left lane, stay in the left lane (inside) and exit from the inside lane. Remember "everyone follows the rules" so if someone is entering from your next to last exit and only going 90 degrees, your inside lane exit works fine.
5. Going 180 degrees you may enter from either lane and exit from either lane. Just stay in the lane you chose to use. DON'T switch lanes in the circle.

Cony rotary is the #1 accident site in Maine.
 

SABRMnLgs,

The Cony roatry is the #1 accident site in Maine. The only two accidents I have had as an adult (been driving 43 years) was in the same exact place on the Cony rotary.

I refuse to use the Augusta rotaries. I go many miles out of my way to avoid them.

BTW-Cony HS has been razed and Hannaford is building a flagship store in that location. What were they thinking?

Dirigo (from Vassalboro)

I love roundabouts and find them easy to use.

The save time and fuel by not having to sit unproductively at lights or stop signs.

They reduce congestion imposed by stop lights and stop signs. Packing all the cars and trucks together, as caused by lights and stop signs, leads to both vehicle and pedestrian accidents.

They are safer in that you only have to worry about traffic coming in from your left rather than from both sides as well as coming directly at you. Also no worry about those people who like to run red lights.

Of course, you have to exercise caution in all driving conditions including roundabouts and it certainly helps to read the guidelines to know proper roundabout etiquette.

Dirigo
 

As a former Mainer,the "rotary" that I remember best is not in Maine but in New Hampshire. It is on US1 in Portsmouth. Before the NH Turnpike was opened US1 carried a lot of traffic. However, it was rather large and that meant more opportunity to maneuver. There was also a large New Hampshire state liquor store off that rotary. (For the uninitiated, liquor in NH is sold only at state owned stores at very attractive prices.)
BTW, the first time I heard the term "round about" was in England. They are used extensively there. Some are very small.

I am with you on this one. The roundabouts or Rotaries as often called are great. They had them in Japan when I was stationed there. But man you have to use them correctly. it is a yield not a stop sign for entering the rotary. i just about got ran over this weekend at the one on Odell and Morse on the south end by 466a. riding my bike into the circle, one of those salespersons in a big S.U.V decided they didnt have to stop. So as she entered without looking at me or my direction, and almost hitting me, i punched the side of her truck real hard. Think i got her attention along with the possible buyers in her vehicle. what a way to show The Villages to new people.