[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by Byte1

The signs ONLY show you how you can exit the RB, but not which vehicle must yield. And there is NO law that says you cannot continue around the circle in the right lane. If you miss your turn for some reason, you are allowed to continue around until you get to your destination exit.

Since you seem so well versed in the law, please point to the Florida statute(s) that supports your assertion.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by Byte1

Normally, I agree with you. In this case, I don't. As former law enforcement, if I was required to give one of the other a ticket for an accident in a RB, it would be the one that turned in front of the other vehicle. Just because the sign says how to exit the RB, it does not say which vehicle has the right of way because it is assumed that anyone taking a drivers test for a license knows that one does not turn in front of another car. I understand the confusion, but anyone that is in the inside lane that assumes that the outside car going on to the next exit is going to yield for them as they turn in front of them, is easily asking for a collision. You must slow down until it is safe to exit from the left lane for a right turn. Not only is that law, but it is also common sense. I am not a former Florida officer, so if they have a different law, I would be interested in reading it.

As others have argued that exiting a RAB requires a right hand turn, it is more accurate to say that staying in the RAB requires a left hand turn. Straighten the wheel and you will find yourself outside the circle. Do this at just the right time and you will find yourself on one of the exit roads. The lane markings also support that exiting is natural and continuing in the outside lane is the exception.

So, given physics, steering wheel position, lane markings, and signage, just who is turning in front of who in your scenario?

[Byte1]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

Since you seem so well versed in the law, please point to the Florida statute(s) that supports your assertion.

show me one that supports what you say. I am very interested, seriously.

[JMintzer]

Originally Posted by Byte1

Normally, I agree with you. In this case, I don't. As former law enforcement, if I was required to give one or the other a ticket for an accident in a RB, it would be the one that turned in front of the other vehicle. Just because the sign says how to exit the RB, it does not say which vehicle has the right of way because it is assumed that anyone taking a drivers test for a license knows that one does not turn in front of another car. I understand the confusion, but anyone that is in the inside lane that assumes that the outside car going on to the next exit is going to yield for them as they turn in front of them, is easily asking for a collision. You must slow down until it is safe to exit from the left lane for a right turn. Not only is that law, but it is also common sense. I am not a former Florida officer, so if they have a different law, I would be interested in reading it.

You are not "turning in front of another car"...

The lane directions aren't a "just because". They are instructions on how to navigate the r-a-b.

If you gave someone a citation after being hit from the right, going straight thru a r-ab, it would be tossed out.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by Byte1

show me one that supports what you say. I am very interested, seriously.

I’ll go with the law requiring you to yield to vehicles in the circle and the signage prior to the circle for now. Will find the traffic laws when I am on a better platform.

[Byte1]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

As others have argued that exiting a RAB requires a right hand turn, it is more accurate to say that staying in the RAB requires a left hand turn. Straighten the wheel and you will find yourself outside the circle. Do this at just the right time and you will find yourself on one of the exit roads. The lane markings also support that exiting is natural and continuing in the outside lane is the exception.

So, given physics, steering wheel position, lane markings, and signage, just who is turning in front of who in your scenario?

Good question. Do you also go straight on a winding road? If you are following a road around a mountain and you go straight off the side, are you traveling straight or turning?

[Babubhat]

Laws are meaningless without enforcement

[Byte1]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

I’ll go with the law requiring you to yield to vehicles in the circle and the signage prior to the circle for now. Will find the traffic laws when I am on a better platform.

Ok, I'll follow the law when someone shows me the law. Until then, I will yield to the person that is about to cause an accident. The signs at the entrance to the RB do not stipulate right of way. Only how to exit the RB properly. There IS a yield sign at the entrance to the RB, which means you must yield to vehicles already in the RB before proceeding. Technically, you can exit from the RB from either lane, at any given point in the RB.

[JMintzer]

Originally Posted by Byte1

The signs ONLY show you how you can exit the RB, but not which vehicle must yield. And there is NO law that says you cannot continue around the circle in the right lane. If you miss your turn for some reason, you are allowed to continue around until you get to your destination exit.

Are you aware of the laws regarding a solid line vs a dotted/dashed line separating the lanes?

In regular traffic, you are not supposed to change lanes where the line is solid. Yes, you can change lanes at a dotted/dashed line, but only when safe.

The car in the inside lane does not have to cross any lines to continue thru the r-a-b. The car in the outside lane MUST change lanes in order to continue going around. Hence, THEY are the ones who must yield to the inside lane traffic.

I can only explain it to you. I can't "understand" it for you...

[djlnc]

Originally Posted by Byte1

Technically, you can exit from the RB from either lane, at any given point in the RB.

Jeez...all the money they wasted on those signs...

[Byte1]

Originally Posted by JMintzer

Are you aware of the laws regarding a solid line vs a dotted/dashed line separating the lanes?

In regular traffic, you are not supposed to change lanes where the line is solid. Yes, you can change lanes at a dotted/dashed line, but only when safe.

The car in the inside lane does not have to cross any lines to continue thru the r-a-b. The car in the outside lane MUST change lanes in order to continue going around. Hence, THEY are the ones who must yield to the inside lane traffic.

I can only explain it to you. I can't "understand" it for you...

Good point (even if a bit snarky) . Obviously, the solid line in each turn is to prevent the inside left turning vehicle from crossing over to the right exiting lane. Meaning, the inner veh that is exiting must stay in the left lane when exiting so as not to encroach on right lane veh exiting. That does not prevent the outer/right lane vehicle from continuing around the circle. The solid lane is on the left side, not the right side. The dashed lane on the right side allows the right lane to continue. But, you DO make a very good point that no one else has mentioned about the lane changes. BUT, as you know traffic laws state that one that wishes to make a turn must yield to traffic continuing straight. Remember, all traffic wishing to enter RB has to pass a yield sign, whereas there are NO yield signs in the circle for those wishing to exit. Like I said before, I drive defensively, NOT according to my having the right of way. I am going to make every effort NOT to collide with another vehicle, regardless of which vehicle having the right of way. If you wish to claim the right of way and cross over into another veh's path, then you are taking a chance that someone is going to be injured.
Just a side point; when you approach a four way traffic light where the green turn arrow has gone out and there is a green light for both you and the oncoming traffic, you are allowed to make a left turn from the turn lane, but you do not have the right of way to turn into oncoming traffic that also has a green light. I know, not pertinent to the actual subject of RBs.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by fdpaq0580

"Everyone? "
I have seen a few that didn't.

I didn't when I first came to the Villages, and people were telling me here on this website that you had to be in the inside lane in order to take a left in the roundabout. It made no sense to me at all. Because I'd never experienced roundabouts with more than one lane. We had single-lane traffic circles up north, where you go "around" (since it's a circle), and then exit to your RIGHT, once you get to the exit where you want to exit. That was always the explanation, verbally and in text. You exit to your right. Always.

And here, even with multi-lane roundabouts, you are still exiting to your RIGHT. But a 3/4 turn around the circle is called a left exit, and you're exiting to your left.

I can see how it can be confusing to newcomers or people who are reading these threads who haven't even come here yet. I can see it because it was confusing to me, and it's OBVIOUSLY confusing to many other people as well. If it wasn't confusing, there wouldn't be so many threads every year about how people are confused.

These threads about the confusion have been posted since long before I ever started posting, have existed in threads I haven't posted in even after I joined, and no doubt will continue to be posted long after I'm gone. So no, it's not a me thing.

Now, I know what everyone means, but I translate what they say, into what they mean. And they have a problem with the translation even though the translation is the more accurate statement: You exit to your RIGHT, no matter which exit you are taking. You enter whichever lane you enter. If you're taking your first exit, you must enter in your right lane, and exit to your right, into the right lane. If you're taking your second exit, you can enter from either lane, but must remain in that lane until after you exit the circle. If you're exiting 3/4 around the circle, you must enter the circle in the inside lane, remain in that lane, and when your exit approaches, you exit to your right, while in the inside lane.

You cannot exit to your left. There are no left exits. There's 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4 turns around a circle, with exits off to the right of each exit point.

[Gator_Girl]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

You aren't allowed to change lanes WHILE you are in a roundabout. That's against the rules. If you're going 3/4 of the way around the circle, you are required to enter on the inside lane. And you are required to exit from the same lane. The person coming in from the next entry point ahead of you should be watching for you, because YOU have the right of way. If you cut them off to turn, then it's their fault, because they were supposed to wait until you had passed the exit (or exited) before they entered.

100% correct

[JMintzer]

Originally Posted by Byte1

Good point (even if a bit snarky) . Obviously, the solid line in each turn is to prevent the inside left turning vehicle from crossing over to the right exiting lane. Meaning, the inner veh that is exiting must stay in the left lane when exiting so as not to encroach on right lane veh exiting. That does not prevent the outer/right lane vehicle from continuing around the circle. The solid lane is on the left side, not the right side. The dashed lane on the right side allows the right lane to continue. But, you DO make a very good point that no one else has mentioned about the lane changes. BUT, as you know traffic laws state that one that wishes to make a turn must yield to traffic continuing straight. Remember, all traffic wishing to enter RB has to pass a yield sign, whereas there are NO yield signs in the circle for those wishing to exit. Like I said before, I drive defensively, NOT according to my having the right of way. I am going to make every effort NOT to collide with another vehicle, regardless of which vehicle having the right of way. If you wish to claim the right of way and cross over into another veh's path, then you are taking a chance that someone is going to be injured.
Just a side point; when you approach a four way traffic light where the green turn arrow has gone out and there is a green light for both you and the oncoming traffic, you are allowed to make a left turn from the turn lane, but you do not have the right of way to turn into oncoming traffic that also has a green light. I know, not pertinent to the actual subject of RBs.

You actually believe that the solid lines are only for the inside lanes and that the outside lanes can do whatever they wish?

Yes you can cross a dashed line. But ONLY when safe. If there is a car there you DO NOT have the right of way to cross that line.

In most r-a-bs the two lanes drop to one (the outside lane disappears) as you pass the 12:00 position, going to the 9:00 exit. The inside lane has the right of way in that situation.

One would think a former LEO would know this simple rule...

[JMintzer]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

I didn't when I first came to the Villages, and people were telling me here on this website that you had to be in the inside lane in order to take a left in the roundabout. It made no sense to me at all. Because I'd never experienced roundabouts with more than one lane. We had single-lane traffic circles up north, where you go "around" (since it's a circle), and then exit to your RIGHT, once you get to the exit where you want to exit. That was always the explanation, verbally and in text. You exit to your right. Always.

And here, even with multi-lane roundabouts, you are still exiting to your RIGHT. But a 3/4 turn around the circle is called a left exit, and you're exiting to your left.

I can see how it can be confusing to newcomers or people who are reading these threads who haven't even come here yet. I can see it because it was confusing to me, and it's OBVIOUSLY confusing to many other people as well. If it wasn't confusing, there wouldn't be so many threads every year about how people are confused.

These threads about the confusion have been posted since long before I ever started posting, have existed in threads I haven't posted in even after I joined, and no doubt will continue to be posted long after I'm gone. So no, it's not a me thing.

Now, I know what everyone means, but I translate what they say, into what they mean. And they have a problem with the translation even though the translation is the more accurate statement: You exit to your RIGHT, no matter which exit you are taking. You enter whichever lane you enter. If you're taking your first exit, you must enter in your right lane, and exit to your right, into the right lane. If you're taking your second exit, you can enter from either lane, but must remain in that lane until after you exit the circle. If you're exiting 3/4 around the circle, you must enter the circle in the inside lane, remain in that lane, and when your exit approaches, you exit to your right, while in the inside lane.

You cannot exit to your left. There are no left exits. There's 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4 turns around a circle, with exits off to the right of each exit point.

And there it is... Pedantic nonsense...