How to Navigate Roundabouts
 

Here is a nice brochure for visitors and new residents of The Villages Florida on navigating the Roundabouts.

TOTV Team

Thanks, admin. Even doing "as they say", I always assume someone is likely to hit me, so I watch every vehicle/person/bike/cart/whatever that is anywhere near me.

A good read. The first time a person navigates them they can be frightening but after a day or so they are easy. It is very simple..... slow down, be courteous, and watch those around you.

Wow THANKS!!! I printed this out for when company comes. Much easier then trying to explain.

I picked up one of these brochures near the entrance at Seabreeze a few weeks ago.

Roundabouts
 

Why do some roundabouts have two lanes at 6:00 o'clock and 12:00 o'clock and other roundabouts only have one lane?I think that having one lane at 6 and 12 o'clock is safer.

If I understand your question properly, I believe the one lane segments lead to one lane intersecting roads if you exit there.

Beware!!! This SUV will kill someone soon...
 

This SUV tried to run over one of our cyclist the other day. Going north on Buena Vista by the Savannah center round about, our group after stopping to let other cars clear, started north again. That is when this SUV came up from behind us in the left lane and crossed in front of our lane to turn right on El Camino Real just missing the lead rider by inches, and mean inches. Had he not turned his from wheel to the right just a little, he would have been hit. No telling what injuries might have occurred if the contact had happened. Fortunately, the last cyclist had a camera going and we were able to get the license number. We called the Sumter County police, and officer Wills, to report the incident. We were not looking to ticket the driver, but to let him/her know that crossing two lanes at a high rate of speed is jeopardizing the safety, and maybe the life of these cyclist. The officer refused to help even after giving him the license number. I wonder if the same officer would have shown any interest if this SUV had collided with the bicycle? I guess someone has to be injured before this officer would help with the situation. If you know this person, please notify them that what they did was totally wrong, and could have cost someone their life just to make the turn 5 seconds earlier. They never stopped, or even acknowledged any wrong doing. Even after giving the Sumter County officer the license number he refused to do anything telling me that Florida license plates has 6 numbers/letters not 5. I know that vanity plates in Florida can have less than 6. I am not sure why he chose not to pursue this problem, or at least make a call telling them they are now being watched and should be more considerate of cyclist. Here is a picture of the SUV. Please let me know if you know this person. License # SJE IT
Thanks for caring,
Attachment 58250

If there had been a collision, the officer would have had something to investigate.

"make a call telling them they are being watched" Are you kidding me?

That is an interesting comment. Do the traffic laws apply to groups of vehicles or do they only apply to individual vehicles?

I drive a car and really try to obey the laws. If I am with a group of cars and the sign says STOP, then each of us has to stop. Just because the first car stops and then proceeds forward, it does not mean the following cars do not have to stop.

Did each of the individual bike riders stop at the intersection before going forward?

I think we know the answer to that....

Are you saying that he intentionally tried to mow you down? I don't think so. As I understand it, unless you were exiting right onto El Camino, you were in the wrong lane and cutting across his exit. If he did not, he should have been signaling that he was exiting. The SUV is not allowed to change lanes once in the roundabout or stop. Vehicles already in the roundabout have the right of way. Vehicles are not required to stop there to see what bicyclists might do, either. Anyone should always signal their intent when exiting, as well. Do the bikers just cruise on around until their exit and then keep going out of the roundabout or do they signal that they are exiting? If not, they should.

I don't ride bicycles anymore, and I don't know the practices of the group in question. What I can say is that, from my experiences here in TV, the bicyclists are very clear with their signals in rotaries. I would also say that they use the proper lanes in the rotary, given their plans to exit. I try to be extremely cautious about them in the rotaries, particularly because of the difficulty in observing those on recumbent bikes. If I could only get them to use 2x4 flags instead of those dinky orange triangles. It would be much easier to see them.

I think it is called "lane discipline" stick to your lane and you will be fine. Here in the UK we have "orbital" roundabouts where you get one main roundabout with six to eight small roundabouts around it. Each small roundabout has two or three lanes on and off. They really are fun !