[auntbarbie]

We moved here 14 years ago, and were given a pamphlet entotled “ A Guide to Navigating Roundabouts in Sumter County.” It fully explains every possible instance that might happen when driving around one. It shows that when driving in the left hand lane, and intending to exit on the right, you should put your right turn signal on and exit from the left lane. It doesn’t say so in the pamphlet, but we were told that the left lane actually has the right of way, and drivers in the right lane intending to continue around should use extreme caution. Sounds crazy, but that’s what we were told.

[Marathon Man]

https://www.districtgov.org/communit...t-02-08-12.pdf

use the link above. It tells you everything you need to know.

[ithos]

Originally Posted by Laker14

think this horse is dead yet?

Not until you go to

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...ption&t=337830

and select "No email notification"

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

You can intentionally misunderstand all that you like but ir doesn't change the markings, the guidelines, or the safe way to do things. Except for taking the first exit from tje right lane, I (always?) aim straight out of the circle regardless of the lane I am in - it's just the way the circles are laid out. I discontinue my left turn and I find myself out of the circle in the lane I am supposed to be in.

Check the signage at those circles that exit to a sing lane. If they are all like the one at Pinellas and Morse the signs will indicate that only the right lane from the road opposite the single lane exit is allowed to take that exit. No ambiguity, no changing lanes, no merging, just follow the indicated traffic pattern.

EDIT: Just checked the signage for Paige Place and it is the same as the Pinellas circle - only the right lane of El Camino is allowed to continue to Paige Place.

But if you're coming from 441, heading to Paige Place, you are required to travel on the inside lane to get there. You're not allowed to change lanes while you're in the circle, so you can't be in the right lane from El Camino - since you were in the left lane when you entered the circle. People making a "third exit" or 3/4 way around the circle are required to be on the inside lane. And they have to exit to a single lane exit there.

People like to say it's easy - but it's not easy. That particular circle can be pretty scary because there's also a golf cart path that follows the traffic circle completely around it, without tunneling underneath. It crosses incoming/exiting circle traffic from all four sides.

As for pushing the red button in the residents only lane to the person who commented on it - many visitors don't know that the red button will raise the gate. They don't even know there's a red button, until they get to it. And many of them will cross to the visitors' gate, which is what they're supposed to do once they exit the circle. If they're coming from Paige Place they'll already be in the correct lane to exit out of the circle to the visitor's gate on Morse. But if they're not, they will have to shift to that left lane at the exit itself - unless they know in advance that they can ignore the big "RESIDENTS" marking on the pavement before they get to the gate.

[Rheinl271]

Unless it is a single lane for a left which is most of the roundabouts. If there is a car coming around in the roundabout 90 degrees to you when you approach the roundabout he IS most likely going right. Could be a u turn but rare. YOU need to yield.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

But if you're coming from 441, heading to Paige Place, you are required to travel on the inside lane to get there. You're not allowed to change lanes while you're in the circle, so you can't be in the right lane from El Camino - since you were in the left lane when you entered the circle. People making a "third exit" or 3/4 way around the circle are required to be on the inside lane. And they have to exit to a single lane exit there.

...

Yes, and....?

Coming from 441 you go 270 degrees to exit on Paige Place. As you wrote, you will do this using the inside lane. When you reach Paige Place there is only a single lane - take it. No conflict with other traffic, no merging, no changing lanes, just the inside lane exiting at the 270 degree point. On other circles there are two lanes to choose from and you need to pick the correct one - the single lane on Paige Place makes this circle even easier to use.

[bagboy]

Originally Posted by YeOldeCurmudgeon

I don't know how you can make a judgment on this without actually seeing what happened. From what is being described, I would say that the person on the inside lane should already have been in outside lane since they knew or probably knew they were going to exit. Not only that, but how can you absolve someone who cuts in front of an ongoing vehicle? Weren't they paying attention? However, that is only based on what we're being told. We need to see it to make a definitive judgment. Guess we would have to hear both sides and then ask questions which is what I think a judge would do.

I can't find the Oh Brother emoji...

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

Yes, and....?

Coming from 441 you go 270 degrees to exit on Paige Place. As you wrote, you will do this using the inside lane. When you reach Paige Place there is only a single lane - take it. No conflict with other traffic, no merging, no changing lanes, just the inside lane exiting at the 270 degree point. On other circles there are two lanes to choose from and you need to pick the correct one - the single lane on Paige Place makes this circle even easier to use.

If someone comes in to the circle from Morse heading north, with Paige as the first exit around the circle, and you had already entered the circle from the inside lane coming from 441 - you won't see each other. They'll be JUST starting to accelerate by the time you're almost to them. If they're going especially slow or had to wait last second for a passing golf cart (because sometimes they don't stop even if they should) - you could easily end up heading to that same exit at the same time. They have a right to be in the outside lane coming from the exact opposite direction as you, and you had a right to be in the inside lane. You get to the first exit, and have to merge with them onto that exit.

I mean - this kind of thing happens every single day over there. Sometimes there are accidents, and sometimes people just "figure it out."

[duhbear]

Originally Posted by rhood

I was going straight through a roundabout and a car exiting from the left hand lane turned right in front of me to exit. I had no option but to hit that car. WTF, since when do you turn right from the left hand lane in front of another car?

Take a look at this brochure

https://www.districtgov.org/communit...t-02-08-12.PDF

And make sure you check the lane sign before entering the RAB

[fdpaq0580]

O. M. G.
Since so many think they are right and everyone else is wrong, I believe getting rid of the RB's and going back to traffic signals would be best for all concerned. The simple common sense needed to navigate traffic circles safely, is obviously NOT common. Or so it seems.
😕🚦🚥

[Rsenholzi]

Originally Posted by rhood

I was going straight through a roundabout and a car exiting from the left hand lane turned right in front of me to exit. I had no option but to hit that car. WTF, since when do you turn right from the left hand lane in front of another car?

Sounds like you didn’t yield the right of way. Go look at the laws for traveling through a roundabout. A car going half way or 3/4 should be in the center lane of the roundabout. In order to exit, they must cross the outside lane. Cars entering the roundabout are supposed to yield right of way to the cars in the roundabout, meaning you must stop and proceed with caution. If you don’t you are at fault , not the person in the roundabout

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

If someone comes in to the circle from Morse heading north, with Paige as the first exit around the circle, and you had already entered the circle from the inside lane coming from 441 - you won't see each other. They'll be JUST starting to accelerate by the time you're almost to them. If they're going especially slow or had to wait last second for a passing golf cart (because sometimes they don't stop even if they should) - you could easily end up heading to that same exit at the same time. They have a right to be in the outside lane coming from the exact opposite direction as you, and you had a right to be in the inside lane. You get to the first exit, and have to merge with them onto that exit.

I mean - this kind of thing happens every single day over there. Sometimes there are accidents, and sometimes people just "figure it out."

What you are describing is a case where the car entering from Morse does not yield to the traffic already in the circle. The solution to that is to yield properly; otherwise, there will be conflicts and accidents. If the circle is constructed or landscaped in such a way that there are blind spots then that is a safety issue that should be addressed.

[Jeanne wilson]

Roundabouts should only have one lane, not two. If they built them that way you would not have accidents. In Ohio we have many and they are all one lane. It doesn't make sense to have two lanes.

[Two Bills]

Originally Posted by Jeanne wilson

Roundabouts should only have one lane, not two. If they built them that way you would not have accidents. In Ohio we have many and they are all one lane. It doesn't make sense to have two lanes.

Don't ever think of driving in UK or Europe.
3-4 lane roundabouts, and in some cases, traffic moving in clockwise, and counter clockwise directions in them!

[mikeycereal]

The OP incident reminds me of what almost happened to me in a roundabout while driving home on Morse on 1/31.

In the pic below, I am the blue car in the left lane on Morse entering the roundabout. The black car that I drew is the person who entered the roundabout. I am totally legal to stay in that lane and make the exit to continue on Morse, as this original pic indicates a correct move by the blue car.

That black car entering needs to yield to me if going into the roundabout, but does not need to yield to me if turning right into Morse and staying on the right. He came pretty close to me as he was entering the roundabout and not turning right. That driver almost hit me.

So to prepare for that not happening in the future I will use my right turn signal when exiting so the other driver sees and doesn't just jump in there too quick. In these situations the other driver is entering to move into a gap when the right roundabout lane is open, but they still need to watch for the driver in the inside roundabout lane.

I realize there's not much signal courtesy out there, but to avoid someone hitting me like in this situation I'm going to save myself the hassle of getting hit and use the signal. A signal is not needed when continuing inside the roundabout.

Foresake the turn signal all you want when no one is around, but I'm not trusting these drivers to anticipate my moves on the road when they are around me. When someone has the right of way in these situations not all other drivers may know that.

For those who say why not have stop signs instead, roundabouts are considered safer than traditional intersections because they have fewer points of conflict.

How to use a Roundabout