best laugh this week!!!

Blonds are excused.


.

Having spent 27 years in law enforcement I think that I can shed some light on all of this. The most probable reason for the number of accidents in the area is that the average driver here is old. I have investigated countless accidents where seniors drive into the side of malls, buildings and into parked cars. I have also observed some contractors here operating in a fashion less than reasonable or prudent.

From the law enforcement viewpoint this was a rather minor accident which did not involve serious injury or death. The insurance company of the white pickup truck will be responsible to pay out the damage. In the department where I worked the investigating officer of the accident was required to fill out a news release which included all operators info, circumstances of the accident etc.

All media by law had the right to the information and could do what they desired with it. All news media has bias in what and how news is reported. Some local newspapers wanted all the information on local people and others were only interested in fatalities

Regarding the working of radar on Morse and Buena Vista...be careful what you wish for. Very often those who had made the complaint are the first to be caught in the resulting crackdown.

Lucky Driver
 

Just drove thru circle at Buena Vista and Tall Trees La.

I was struck by the thought that the driver who went thru the pump house earlier this week was lucky he/she did not try going thru the brick pump house in that circle.

Repair would have consisted of a power washing!!

The pump house that is damaged was block construction With siding on the outside.

Never mind.....
 

Faked out again.:shocked:......Never mind.....:D

OK...I think I have it figured out ???
 

I found this "never before seen footage" of the accident in the roundabout...

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bj_1KcGLwFQ[/ame]

YIKES!

I assume that video was not the same accident that everyone is speaking about. As Tony said, well over 100 posts on this incident, and not one picture?

There are some folks who are not currently down there that might like to see what all of the fuss is about. I'm not really in that group since my home is not right there, but I guess I would have thought that someone would have posted a picture...it is not that difficult........

Frank

Not the same one...
 

No, the video is NOT the same roundabout accident, as everyone is discussing. I thought it was funny and it seemed to be appropriate for this thread....

But, I agree, you would think a couple photos would have been forthcoming....

Not really that much to see....just a building with a big hole. No big deal at all.

How many traffic circles in TV are that big?

That is the real problem here. The traffic circles are not designed for two lane / three quarter turn left lane exits.

When I moved here in 2001 we only had the circles at Springdale, El Camino Real/Buena Vista and El Camino Real/Morse Blvd. We never had a problem. Evey one stayed in the right lane and got off at their exit. They are all small circles and do not really rate the left lane / right lane scenario.

In 2005 or thereabouts, the newbies had a different idea and everything got screwed up. Everyone thought they were more experienced in round abouts and we had to change the rules.

But I do not think that the new rules are not right for our community.

I Will never make a right turn from a left lane and FEEL SAFE. It is against all of the rules of traffic that I was taught. Therefore, I will stay in the right hand lane and go through three exits to get out of the exit. I will either keep my eye on the people in the left hand lane or straddle the line so I am not cut off.

I am easy to recognize. I am the motorized cart with the yellow flag. Just kidding.

Z

So let me get this straight. You admit to breaking driving laws since 2001.
You won't make a right turn from the left lane which is correct if you go
3/4 around but you will make a left turn from the right lane which is
illegal on any type of road, roundabout or straight.

By the way the "Newbies" did not change anything. Just pick up the
pamphlet at TV office that the police have put out you may learn something.

You say you stay in the right lane and keep an eye on the left lane so
you will not be cut off. So I guess in your mind it's ok for you to cut
everyone else off.

That is exactly what I've been saying and exactly how I feel about these roundabouts.

First of all there where no "rules" in 2001. Everyone stayed in the right lane and exited from the right lane.

At what point did I say I would make a left turn from the right lane? That would be insane.

So who yields to who when the right lane is continuing on to go straight through and the left lane makes a right turn?

Hi rockaway...

This is how I see it... When a driver enters a roundabout, why should it matter how far the driver travels in that right lane to make an exit? Is it any less safe to remain in the right lane and leave the roundabout at the third exit? How about leaving the roundabout at the 2nd exit or the 1st exit and all from the right lane.What does it matter where the driver entered???

Basically, this way to navigate the roundabouts is like having a single lane roundabout. The inside lane is what makes these roundabouts dangerous and unsafe. As a driver is exiting the roundabout from the inside lane, a driver proceeding around the roundabout in the right lane could easily be hit by the driver exiting from the inside lane. Rules of the road state that the driver on the right has the right of way. That would make the driver exiting from the inside lane guilty of causing an accident.

You said "Therefore, I will stay in the right lane and go through 3
exits to get out of the exit.

When you go to the third exit in a roundabout in the right lane you have
made a left turn from the right lane.

You are lucky you have gotten away with that all this time without
being T boned by someone in the left lane legally trying to continue
straight.

The rules are really simple it amazes me that so many people have
trouble grasping the concept.

1) When entering the roundabout in the right lane you can do 2 things
A) Exit a the first right exit
B Continue straight

2) When entering the roundabout in the left lane you can do 3 things
A) Continue straight
B) Exit at the third exit point
C) Continue around completly

Round and Round We Go
 

There are rules of the road. Included in those rules are rules for negotiating roundabouts. Those rules are available in the form of a brochure and are clearly explained. It is up to us to know these rules.

It makes no difference what we feel the rules should be. It is what the rules are that count. By applying our own rules we endanger the lives of our fellow drivers and passengers. We also run the risk of being cited for a moving violation, points, and an unpleasant increase in our insurance premium.

There is one unwritten rule that has no adverse effect on others and that is to "stagger". If I am in the inside lane with the intent of exiting in that lane, and there is a vehicle on my immediate right, I slow enough so if he intends to improperly proceed around to the next exit, I can let him safely pass in front of me.

BTW, there was a deputy parked inside a roundabout today. They may be paying more attention to the potential problems in roundabouts.

The driver on the right has the right of way on all roadways. That's easy then...the driver in the right lane has the right of way and the driver in the inside (left) lane has to yield. BTW, I was taught never to make a right turn from the left lane. That is dangerous.

Downeaster
You are a breath of fresh air in this maddening thread.
At least some of us get it.

I'm am sorry to say that I don't think that Coffeebean will ever
get it. I really hope that she does not get injured or injure
someone else in her travels in TV.

I grasp the concept very well and understand EXACTLY what is expected of a driver in a roundabout. I DO NOT AGREE with the legal way to navigate these roundabouts. It is asking for trouble to be in the left (inside) lane and exiting any where in that roundabout. Doesn't matter if it's the 1st, 2nd or 3rd exit...it is still extremely dangerous to exit from the left lane, even when remaining in the left lane to exit. There are drivers in the right lane continuing along the roundabout and the driver in the left lane will cause a collision when they wind up driving right in front of a car in the right lane. That is why I drive strictly in the right lane. I can easily see a car in the left lane making an exit, therefore, I can slow down and allow that driver to exit the roundabout. I always yield to drivers in the left lane as they exit the roundabout. At least, I can see them and not be hindered by a driver's blind spot.

:agree:

I just realized...this discussion is going on in two different threads...this one and the thread titled, "Golf Cart & Auto Drivers". Hmmm. Had me a bit confused for a minute.

Coffeebean Are you just trying to be contrary or is it that you really
cannot grasp the concept.

I would like to no what other traffic laws you my choose
to disobey because you don't agree with them
Stop signs, traffic lights speed limits?

There is one unwritten rule that has no adverse effect on others and that is to "stagger". If I am in the inside lane with the intent of exiting in that lane, and there is a vehicle on my immediate right, I slow enough so if he intends to improperly proceed around to the next exit, I can let him safely pass in front of me.

This is part of what I do not understand...
How is it improper for the guy in the right lane to proceed if he just entered the roundabout and wants to go straight and I entered the roundabout one entrance before for him into the left lane and now I want to exit to go straight. To me it seems that the right lane should be for right turns only.

I like the stagger idea, but as you say it is an unwritten rule.

Same story every year. Traffic complaints, this last until April / May then the problem goes away

Thats not all that has some people comfused.

:agree:

Even the "unwritten rule" is written, though not as well as you wrote it, Downeaster.

The brochure states, "Do not overtake other vehicles or bicyclists within the roundabout." In other words, stagger.

This past Fri I stopped 2 confused people on their cart as they were about to exit Canal St onto 466A with their cart.

herbaru,

Your question can be answered here http://www.districtgov.org/PdfView/P...9;&ql=standard

The key word here is caution. But herbaru makes a good point. If both parties want to go straight and each one is in a different lane and the one in the left lane got onto the roundabout at the entrance before the the one in the right lane, there could be an accident unless someone is paying attention. But who would be at fault? They were both in the correct lane.

Hi HM...
Caution is key, so true. Here's how the brocure addresses making a proper turn from the inside lane: "EXITING: As you exit the roundabout, be aware of vehicles traveling on the outside of the circulatory roadway that may continue to circulate around the roundabout."

Here's to being careful and following the rules!

I'm trying to grasp the concept. I was observing drivers in the roundabouts today. It came to me that drivers have to yield to all cars in the roundabout, including the folks in the inside (left) lane even if they are entering the roundabout in the right lane. That is the only way the roundabouts can remain safe for everyone. Only problem is, folks enter the roundabout in the right lane even when there is a car proceeding in the inside (left) lane and that is what makes these roundabouts unsafe and risky. I can see how this should work using the inside and outside lanes as long as everyone yields to any driver who is already in the roundabout.

I will begin using the inside lane to go to the third exit and hopefully will feel comfortable doing so.

The inside lane is also used for the 2nd and 4th exits.

.

Right lane driver did not yield......got watch those types.

I beg to differ...
If the brochure states:
EXITING: As you exit the roundabout, be aware of
vehicles traveling on the outside of the circulatory
roadway that may continue to circulate around the
roundabout.

Outside of the circle is the RIGHT lane right?
Lets now put in RIGHT LANE instead of OUTSIDE

EXITING: As you exit the roundabout, be aware of
vehicles traveling on the RIGHT LANE of the circulatory
roadway that may continue to circulate around the
roundabout.

Who is suppose to be aware of whom?
Reads to me that Left (inside) lane is about to exit and needs to be aware of the vehicles traveling in the Right (outside) lane.

Not allowed to beg.

"Not allowed to beg." 'Is that creely the case!'

Reading these "roundabout" threads is disturbing. I posted the following on another thread:

Please, folks, read, study and understand the rules for negotiating roundabouts. There is a fund of misinformation out there. This one says it should be this way and another says it should be another but the real answer is in the rules as clearly presented in the in the brochure provided at this site:


http://www.districtgov.org/PdfView/P...9;&ql=standard

It is in pdf form so may take a minute to load. Be patient. Print it. Study it. Remember, it is your responsibility to know the rules as they apply in Florida. I, too, have negotiated some of the aforementioned, roundabouts, rotaries, traffic circles, as well as others in the UK. But we are in The Villages, Florida so lets all get on the same page.

BTW, the lack of signs as well as confusing arrows and striping do nothing but add to the confusion.

The more I read on this and other "roundabout" threads the more concerned I become.

That link does not work.