Good idea. But why are you in that position in the first place?????

The problem IS that everyone does NOT know how to navigate a roundabout correctly. And REALLY I don't expect everyone to do it perfectly........the roundabouts are accidents WAITING TO HAPPEN. There are 2 possible solutions - 1) Eliminate roundabouts and replace them with traffic lights. Some will say, that is TOO expensive. I would say that ONLY one accident with hospitalizations would make the traffic lights worthwhile. Also, all those sight-blocking landscaping and landscaping costs could be eliminated. 2) Merge the 2-lane traffic BEFORE the roundabout and have ONLY one lane inside the roundabout. Every driver in the US knows how to merge from 2 lanes to one lane. Some would say that it would SLOW down traffic. To that, I would say, "So what? We are mostly ALL retired." Also, traffic MAY ? move even faster because there will NOT BE any CONFUSION by a driver once inside the roundabout. I would be interested in a study comparing the time advantage or disadvantage of a 2-lane roundabout versus a 1-lane roundabout.

...

Oh my! What a nightmare. Imagine being northbound on Buena Vista & seeing a car coming straight at you! Scary

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.

I completely agree with you.

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

What was the over/under on this thread?

It’s not finished……..:1rotfl:

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

The 3:00 car overtakes the car already in the RAB. DON'T DO THAT!

Why would someone slow down in the RAB? To check their mirrors? They are in a turn and might only see flowers.
Even so, the 3:00 car overtakes the car already in the RAB. DON'T DO THAT!

If a driver on the road today expects anyone to use their turn signals or believes that anyone is going to follow their turn signals they need much more experience.

But in any case, the 3:00 car overtakes the car already in the RAB. DON'T DO THAT!

Seems like all of that is following too closely and inattentive driving. DON'T DO THAT!

As others have suggested, just merge two lanes of traffic to one through the RAB then expand back to two only to merge again at the next RAB. And some think we have traffic problems now!

These are examples of impossible physics, unsafe driving, inexperience, or some combination of the three. They may speak to the expected level of driving skills but none expose an inherent flaw of the RAB or signage.

We don't say that roads are unsafe because someone traveling 55mph might be hit by someone behind them traveling mph. Instead we say that the driver traveling 85mph was in the wrong.

We don't say that red lights are unsafe because rear-end crashes happen at signaled intersections. Instead we say that drivers need to pay more attention.

Unfortunately, we *do* take away flashing yellow turns because a crash has occurred when a driver did not look hard enough to see oncoming traffic. That was still the driver's fault and not a flaw with the intersection. But if we are going to cater to the least common denominator then we'll soon be back to someone carrying a light and walking in front of the horseless carriage.

Huh? I am confused. So, the developer needs to design the roadways to make certain no one crashes at an intersection? How bout those who never drove a roundabout watch a video on how to do it? Easy to do! Pick up your phone and watch!

None of those crashes would have occurred. A rule of a RAB is to yield. Yield means to let other road users GO FIRST. Easy! Allow any vehicle in front of you to GO FIRST!

I often drive in foreign countries, and in areas of my own where I do not know the roads as well as locals or directions etc. and mangae quite competently, but as I said in another post, if you find navigating a roundabout far to stressful and complicated, why are you still driving?
Apart from yielding to enter if needed, the lane discipline is the same as at any crossroad or T junction, so you will probably get confused, stressed etc. at them as well.
Time to give up the license.

Thanks again, But waiting a few seconds for a gap and yielding are the rules of a RAB. I have been to other countries as well and had no problems. The RAB in the Villages are NOT the same as in other countries. They are MUCH SMALLER and are designed to be driven slowly.

Again - not understanding the situation and making up a reply that does not follow the example... wrong three times in a row.

There is no overtaking.

The inside lane car exits directly in front of the outside lane car that is not exiting.
Inside lane car is in front of outside lane car.
Inside lane car crosses into path of outside lane car. Crash happens.

you forgot the "go back north" part
smh

In TV you are driving because there is no public transportation. All other alternatives are either too expensive or cumbersome. Golf carts can’t go everywhere and some places are too far for electric carts. Although some people narrow their world and get by with golf cart paths.

Crash does not happen. A driver is supposed to recognize the other vehicle needs to cross over his path. You leave a gap and slow down to allow them to do it. Yield! That is the rule of a RAB.

This is not rocket science! At any intersection cars pass over the paths of other cars.

When you are at a red light, do you see those who have a green light CROSSING your path?

When you are a stop sign, do you see a vehicle CROSS OVER YOUR PATH?

That is what an intersection is!!! Vehicles CROSSING PATHS.

In a RAB, there are no stop signs or red lights. You are supposed to allow others to CROSS YOUR PATH.

How hard is that? Apparently, it is 13 pages hard. Incidentally, I love ALL the beautiful flowers in the center of the roundabout. Too bad that the driver's eyes are so BUSY worrying about the actions of other drivers to notice the expensive flowers.

OK, I believe you, but would it not be simpler to just have only one lane inside the roundabout? And do the merging before getting to the roundabout.......easy peasy, as they say.

I agree about ALL the difficulties surrounding driving in a roundabout.

I don't stop before entering a RAB if I can clearly see there are no cars in site, in either lane, as I approach the RAB. Yielding works really really well in that scenario.

Sounds like the World's friendliest city does NOT have a friendly transportation system designed around retired people with age-normal physical limitations.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around a "RAB within a RAB" that someone mentioned up-thread. This, of course, is not something we would see here in the US. I believe it was in a foreign country that this crazy RAB is located.

This is the scenario why I "hang back" when in the RAB. I vary my speed so I am NEVER EVER beside another vehicle.

I have had one experience in all these years that scared the hell our of me. I did, however, avoid an accident because I JAMMED on my breaks and so did my carJAM on the breaks. Between the two of us, that accident was avoided. The scenario is when I was in the outside lane ready to exit at my first exit. Some person in the inside lane sped up to exit in front of me IN MY LANE. What a turkey!!!!! If I had not jammed on my breaks, there would have been a collision. The person was in the inside lane and should have STAYED in that lane to exit but NO, that person had to exit into the outside lane in front of me. I don't even think that person realized there was almost a collision. He/she went on their merry way, fat, dumb and happy!

Don't you feel like you are banging your head against a wall?

The only time you yield or stop is before entering to traffic from left, not in the roundabout.
In the roundabout it should be a continuous flow, and no one should have to stop, yield, or give way at all except in an emergency.
As for roundabouts in TV being smaller than anywhere else, thousands of them in UK and Europe are way smaller.

Watch video in link. Interesting
I lived near some years ago, and used it regularly on way to work.
It's actually a brilliant system, and works well.
There are two in UK using that system.
Maybe TV is not ready for it yet!
You may spot that the mini roundabouts are just a painted circles, no raised centers.
There are many roundabouts with just that painted circle at junctions all over UK.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHVF1rnUKHw

You 100 % yield when you are in a RAB. Whether it is slowing down, leaving a gap, or stopping before entering. Please post any literature or video that states you DO NOT YIELD in a roundabout. Please post any literature or video that states a roundabout is continuous flow and not a replacement for a standard traffic light.

I have been to Europe and never saw a RAB smaller than the Villages. Some on the side streets were the same size.

Let’s see if I read this right.

A non resident visitor to Europe appears to call a resident a liar.

Or in kinder terms telling him he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.