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 !

The reason you won the Battle of Britain.

When using the roundabouts, I go by a simple philosophy.

"Everyone is trying to run into me."

I then act accordingly.

'Defensive driving' is wholly inadequate to explain how I approach these free-for-all zones.

'Paranoid defense driving' is much more accurate. :p

Officer Wills might need a refresher course on FL license plates....:). The Police have no interest in most things unless there is physical contact or injuries. They don't see non-enforcement as part of the problem.

We have only been here a few weeks so we are figuring out how to deal with the roundabouts. We are in Osceola Hills, so to drive north on Morse or Buena Vista we go through a lot of roundabouts. I have decided to do it like this.

If I plan to go straight through the next roundabout, I drive at 35 mph in the left lane. When I reach the roundabout, I get in the inside lane, go past the first turn that goes to the right, and then take the next exit to continue on Morse or Buena Vista.

At first I was always staying in the right lane to go around the roundabout, but since I drive slowly, I was afraid of someone on my left cutting me off. Being in the left lane, I now don't have to worry about that.

Of course, if I plan to turn right at the next roundabout, I drive in the right lane before the roundabout and then just turn right. I guess everyone does it this way.

bikeman: I have another opinion as to why the sheriff refused your
request. He was faced with a "he says she says" scenario what did you expect the sheriff to do?

There has been more than sufficient discussion about round a bouts here in The Villages so your group should be aware of the dangers.

Agree.

Imagine if you could simply call a LEO and sic that officer onto somebody at your whim with no physical evidence.

Not to even mention, going through the effort to post a photo of someone's license plate/vehicle and asking others to identify them (without any proof of what really happened) smacks of being pretty creepy and potentially a libel case for the auto driver.

And if they did/do find out who this person was/is, especially after already calling law enforcement who took no action, exactly what is the intent of the biker group once they have the info?

Pretty weird and creepy in my book.

Before you enter every circle there is a sign showing you which lanes you should use depending on which lane you enter the circle. If you enter in the right lane you can turn right or go straight through. If you enter in the left lane you can go straight or turn left. A number of times I've almost been in an accident because someone in the right lane enters the circle and turns left. Watch the eastbound cars on Stillwater entering the circle at Morse. 80% of them end up turning left even though a car in the left lane had the right to go straight. Putting up those green signs before the traffic circles was a waste of time and money.

Also when westbound on Stillwater and you approach Buena Vista there are two lanes. The right lane is right turn only since there is no straight street exit. That right turn will take you north on Buena Vista. The left lane is for the traffic circle and will lead you to BV southbound. I've seen almost everytime a car in the right lane not make the right turn, but will enter the traffic circle sometimes driving parallel to the car in the left lane.

Right lane Stillwater at Buena Vista add this painted arrow to road surface.

http://cache2.asset-cache.net/gc/172...%2FPLuYw%3D%3D

Left lane at Stillwater arrow indicated straight traffic headed into the traffic circle.

http://l7.alamy.com/zooms/4bdbd75a9f...-on-d5290c.jpg

I think there had to be some benefit. Many motorist actually read road signs.
What would you suggest in place of the signs?

When entering a roundabout, I always assume the person on my right, might go three quarters around to make their turn and then drive accordingly.

By keeping far enough behind the person on my right, has saved me from getting into an accident. I slipped up once and the person on my right, was forced to go to the next roundabout, as they realized they had made a mistake.

Florida is a state where even if your not at fault, your insurance will go up. :(

It pays not to be in a rush and to drive defensively.

I should follow my own advice. :smiley:

Yes, that is exactly what I will to do when driving in the inside lane of a roundabout. If a person in the outside lane is in front of me, I will not assume they are going to turn right.

Exactly. :thumbup:

And that is the reason I have gotten in the habit of using my turn signal (right hand) when on the inside lane and plan on exiting in the left lane, on the other side of the roundabout.

I don't trust that outside lane driver is going to turn right and in fact, the dotted line separating the lanes in the roundabout in a lot of areas allows them to go straight (continue around the circle) legally.

However, if they go straight and I'm turning...things could turn out badly. :(

It's so simple! Just watch the lines on the road. You never cross a solid white line, you only cross a dotted line when it is clear. If "they" would just post signs to that effect, then maybe not so many accidents.
However, I also do not trust the other drivers and drive defensively watching for those who won't/don't pay attention to the lanes and lines.

And you should not make that assumption.

As we all know, someone entering in the right lane who intends to take the second exit will correctly pass the first exit. To me, that is really no different than someone incorrectly passing two exits.

Keep a close eye on all other cars, and use turn signals.

Ah, but the lines are part of the problem. Look at this picture of the Morse/Stillwater RAB. If you follow the broken lines, there is no reason why a driver in the outside lane cannot go 3/4 of the way around. There is also no reason someone can't enter in the outside lane, transition to the inside lane in the RAB, and exit in the outside lane. The lines are broken. It's much better to pay attention to the signs before the RAB that designate how you must proceed depending on which lane you are in entering the RAB.

I was told some time ago that the vehicle in the inside lane ( Left) has the right away at all times in a round a bout.

Is this true ?

I don't think you should be concerned with who has the right of way. You should be concerned with surviving.

If you are in the right lane and there is a car slightly ahead of you in the left lane, be aware that he might cut you off.

If you are in the inside lane and there is a car slightly ahead of you in the right lane, be aware that he might cut you off.

If two vehicles are driving side-by-side, the bigger vehicle has the right of way, in my opinion. If the two vehicles are the same size, the older beat-up one has the right of way, if the guy in the newer vehicle has any sense.

:agree:








"Right-of-way by size" and "right-of-way by value."

Not bad rules to go by. :thumbup:

Perhaps things have changed since you were last there. The signs clearly indicate that those entering the circle in the right lane can turn left. The reason is simple there is not way a car entering the circle can go straight through. The arrows also do not prohibit someone in the right lane from turning left at that circle.

///

Use your turn signal when you going to exit! It's that little stick on the side of the steering wheel that goes up and down. I've driven from Santo Domingo to Route 44 and have seen one other driver use a turn signal to indicate that are going to exit.

If you look at the roundabout brochure, it specifically states that you should “Never change lanes in a roundabout”. This means that if you are going 3/4 around, you should enter a gate in the visitors lane. The statement is written in red on the brochure. If you follow the lines that show a left hand turn, (3/4 around), you’ll see the line going into the visitors’ gate.

I always stagger vehicles and assume that when I exit right from the center lane that an outside lane vehicle may continue in the rotary even though I have the right a way. On the lighter side. I always assume nobody knows what they are doing....including myself. My neighbor chimes in with he just takes up both lanes.

When traveling south on Buena Vista to enter Hillsborough Trail, you are allowed to be on the left/ inner lane to then switch to the outer lane while in the roundabout to then enter the residents gate. A Sumter County engineer who was asked if this is legal says it’s ok to switch in the roundabout if markings allow it.