[VApeople]

Originally Posted by Davonu

Roundabouts fit The Villages just fine.

I completely agree with you.

We have been here 7 years and have never had even a semi-serious problem dealing with a roundabout.

[JoMar]

What was the over/under on this thread?

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by JoMar

What was the over/under on this thread?

It’s not finished……..

[Velvet]

Workers seem inevitably to treat the roundabouts as a short race track, people from out of the area are not used to such small roundabouts, or in which direction they go. People on meds, or who are having a medical problem suddenly, drive unpredictably sooo… drive defensively. Leave yourself an out, never let anyone hit you.

[coffeebean]

Originally Posted by Randall55

I have not seen anyone driving clockwise in the roundabouts. Thanks to you, I will expect it!

Is it really that much shorter than doing it correctly? I really don't see the point.

I think that comment was a joke. I have seen a woman driving in the wrong direction.........once and I never want to see that occur again. That is a very scary scenario.

[jimmy o]

Originally Posted by Randall55

This is why I IMAGINE I am at a red light when I approach a roundabout. You wait until the roundabout is clear, then you proceed.

I have seen far too many drivers approaching round abouts thinking they always have a green light to go. These people scare me and I immediately slow down. We all have been driving for decades. How do some not understand that at an intersection you must stop and yield?

Most traffic intersections have stop signs or red lights forcing a driver to stop. The rules do not change for roundabouts. Before you enter, you YIELD. In a roundabout, similar to a stop sign, it only takes a few seconds.

Sorry but yield is not necessarily a stop. It can also be a “slow down” if a car is already passing by, or a drive right in if no cars are around.

[Randall55]

Originally Posted by jimmy o

Sorry but yield is not necessarily a stop. It can also be a “slow down” if a car is already passing by, or a drive right in if no cars are around.

If someone is in the inner circle, it is best to stop before entering. I do not see how it would be safe to keep moving while trying to leave a gap. The villages roundabouts are a only a few feet deep.

You are taking a big risk by assuming the exiting car will not speed up to cross over. Or, it will slow down sufficiently allowing you to pass. For me, too tight of a space to proceed without stopping. The stop only takes a few seconds. Those few seconds may save my life.

Reading the posts of near hits makes me more determined to stop before entering. Living here 19 years, I have never had a near accident in a RAB and I intend to keep it that way.

[Two Bills]

Many posters mention that the roundabouts are small.
With roundabouts, size is not a factor.
Roundabouts are nothing more than road junctions, with their own navigation procedure, just as a four way, or a junction with traffic lights have theirs.
No one complains crossroads, or T junctions are to small. Why worry about size of roundabouts, they are all junctions.
There is plenty of room if the laid down navigation procedure is followed.
Here in UK. and Europe many roundabouts have no raised central area, just a painted circle, and a roundabout sign.
Some have multiple exits, with traffic flowing in both directions and mini roundabouts within the main roundabout.
Learn the priorities, and navigation procedures, and they are a very efficient and safe way of regulating traffic flow.
All you need to remember is, be in the correct lane when approaching roundabout, yield to all lanes of traffic to your left that are IN the roundabout before entering, stay in lane until you exit.
If in doubt as to which exit you need, always take the inner lane, as you can circle roundabout safely until you see your correct exit.
Directional signals are a big help prior to exiting.
So simple!

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by Davonu

Wow. You want to see massive backups and delays, just implement both of these “solutions” in The Villages.

There have been many traffic studies done comparing signalized intersections and roundabouts. Roundabouts win almost every time, when traffic and other variables are properly considered. Roundabouts fit The Villages just fine.

If roundabouts, "fit The Villages just FINE", why then, do we have TWELVE pages of controversy about the subject? The problem has been discussed off and on for YEARS. Maybe if we were all born in England and used roundabouts when we started driving at age 16, then 100% of us would be unconsciously familiar with them and we would have NO controversy. But, for the average US driver, they NEVER encounter roundabouts until they come to The Villages and are asked to practically re-learn how to drive (difficult at over age 60).
I do believe that 15 years ago when roundabouts 1st appeared that the traffic density was SO LOW that roundabouts were functional. Today they don't work WELL because the traffic density is TOO HIGH for them to be useful. As I said before they are accidents waiting to happen and a great headache for older drivers.

[Two Bills]

Originally Posted by jimjamuser

If roundabouts, "fit The Villages just FINE", why then, do we have TWELVE pages of controversy about the subject? The problem has been discussed off and on for YEARS. Maybe if we were all born in England and used roundabouts when we started driving at age 16, then 100% of us would be unconsciously familiar with them and we would have NO controversy. But, for the average US driver, they NEVER encounter roundabouts until they come to The Villages and are asked to practically re-learn how to drive (difficult at over age 60).
I do believe that 15 years ago when roundabouts 1st appeared that the traffic density was SO LOW that roundabouts were functional. Today they don't work WELL because the traffic density is TOO HIGH for them to be useful. As I said before they are accidents waiting to happen and a great headache for older drivers.

Twelve pages of controversy?
Too many Sinatra's, wanting to do it "My Way!"

If you have a problem understanding something as simple as navigating a roundabout, you should jack your driving license in, whether over or under 60 years of age!
If you can navigate a normal crossroad, or T junction what is the problem?
The lane discipline on approach and in it, is exactly the same.
All you have to learn, and adhere too, is do not enter, but yield to any vehicles in roundabout to you left, and enter when clear to do so, and stay in that lane.
How hard is that?

I'm 84 and trying to learn Spanish this winter.
That is what you call hard!

[Maker]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

And once again, that is WRONG!!!! My advice is NOT faulty and my criticism of bad drivers is valid. Once again, this thread demonstrates that probably 1/2 of the drivers are clueless as to the proper method of navigating a RB, the post I'm responding to is a perfect example.

In the scenario he describes, the only way a crash happens at 12:00 is if the car entering the RB at 3:00 does not allow the car in the inner lane to pass far enough ahead, or enters and speeds around faster than the car in the inner lane. The fault is entirely upon the driver entering the RB at 3:00, NOT the design of the RB and NOT the car in the inner lane. Once again, this is not rocket science

Yet if it's "bad advice" or "clueless people" then with the car entering at 3:00 is following your advice 100%. Car is following the printed map directions 100%. Cars are never next to the other car at any point.

How do you fail to see that the cars can crash?

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by Maker

Yet if it's "bad advice" or "clueless people" then with the car entering at 3:00 is following your advice 100%. Car is following the printed map directions 100%. Cars are never next to the other car at any point.

How do you fail to see that the cars can crash?

How *can* they crash?

The car currently in the RAB will proceed to exit at 12:00. The car at 3:00 will wait for the car currently in the RAB to pass the 3:00 position. This puts the car currently in the RAB at the point where it will cross the outside lane to exit. The crash can only occur if the car entering at 3:00 accelerates rapidly to impact the car currently in the RAB before he completely exits. DON'T DO THAT! Don't accelerate to over 20mph in order to overtake the vehicle that has just gone past you.

[Maker]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

And yet, as the previous posts show, there are those for which it will never sink in. The correct procedure has been laid out dozens of times in this thread alone, yet people go on posting wrong info. The lack of understanding of navigating the RBs is frightening just on the computer screen----the actions of these posters in the RBs are just plain dangerous

And their advice is 100% correct (in their minds) but only for 80% of the time (in reality) because they refuse to consider the big picture.

[Maker]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

How *can* they crash?

The car currently in the RAB will proceed to exit at 12:00. The car at 3:00 will wait for the car currently in the RAB to pass the 3:00 position. This puts the car currently in the RAB at the point where it will cross the outside lane to exit. The crash can only occur if the car entering at 3:00 accelerates rapidly to impact the car currently in the RAB before he completely exits. DON'T DO THAT! Don't accelerate to over 20mph in order to overtake the vehicle that has just gone past you.

How can they crash?

Way #1
The 3:00 car enters the rab already moving. Trivial to reach 20mph. Car did yield (was not required to stop) since they are watching traffic, see just that one other car in the inside lane, and safely enter the rab not next to that car with spacing.
The inside car exits across the path of the 3:00 car.

Way #2
Both cars traveling with a reasonable gap between them. Car on the inside lane slows down to make the exit "safer" by checking their mirrors. Then exits in front of outside lane car.

Way #3
Car in outside lane is not from the entitled TV population and is expecting a car in the inside lane to USE TURN SIGNALS, and they fail to do so.

Way #4
There is a third car in the inside lane. First car exits rab, and the car in the outside lane brakes to avoid a collision. The car following the outside lane exits very close the back of the car braking because they expected that car to move at the same speed. Exiting car brakes to avoid hitting the rear of that breaking car. But there is a 4th car, it's in the outside lane. Reaction time kicks in and by the time they brake to avoid the mess ahead, that 3rd car exits, crashing into them.

All cars are following all signs, all posted how-to-drive maps, all recommended "safe" advice from our keyboard experts.

BUT
If the outside lane must exit at every side road. (barriers prevent going around)
The only way to go around (pass a side road) is via the inside lane.
There would be none of this endless debates. Crashing at the rab exits would not be possible in any scenario because there would be no lane with vehicles to crash with.

[Randall55]

Originally Posted by Two Bills

Many posters mention that the roundabouts are small.
With roundabouts, size is not a factor.
Roundabouts are nothing more than road junctions, with their own navigation procedure, just as a four way, or a junction with traffic lights have theirs.
No one complains crossroads, or T junctions are to small. Why worry about size of roundabouts, they are all junctions.
There is plenty of room if the laid down navigation procedure is followed.
Here in UK. and Europe many roundabouts have no raised central area, just a painted circle, and a roundabout sign.
Some have multiple exits, with traffic flowing in both directions and mini roundabouts within the main roundabout.
Learn the priorities, and navigation procedures, and they are a very efficient and safe way of regulating traffic flow.
All you need to remember is, be in the correct lane when approaching roundabout, yield to all lanes of traffic to your left that are IN the roundabout before entering, stay in lane until you exit.
If in doubt as to which exit you need, always take the inner lane, as you can circle roundabout safely until you see your correct exit.
Directional signals are a big help prior to exiting.
So simple!

When you factor in quite a few drivers do not know the area and therefore which lane to be in, some have never driven a roundabout, some are more concerned about lining themselves up with the resident gate, some are nervous and confused, some have reached the age where their reaction skills have diminished, and some have no idea what the word yield means, the RAB is too tight to maneuver. Thanks for your wise suggestions, but I am still going to stop before entering. It takes a few seconds to check your surroundings. Not a big deal.