[Laker14]

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?

Originally Posted by laker14

since we haven't heard from the op since the op, i'm thinking this was either a troll, or he has realized he messed up.
.

Originally Posted by rhood

actually, there was no accident and i didn't hit anyone. Just wanted opinions which were all over the place. Rab's can be crazy with a lot of variables and i can understand why they scare a lot of folks.
They are sure a lot better than stop lights at every intersection.

bingo!

[Quixote]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

Answer----when it is NOT turning "right" from the left hand lane. If you were going straight thru the RB (ie: 180 degrees in the right lane), then anyone in the left lane must have already been in the RB, probably going 270 from the entrance straight across from you or going straight through from the first exit to your left. In either case, that driver is correct in using the left lane to go either 180 or 270 and then exiting. If there is a 2 lane exit he does not need to change lanes. By description, it sounds like you entered the RB while a car was coming around from your left in the inner lane, in which case this was 100% your fault. You may not enter a RB when traffic is coming in EITHER lane.

This seems a pretty clear explanation of the rules of driving the roundabouts. Unfortunately, IMHO, the nature of the roundabout is flawed, and no matter how much signage and how much drivers are aware of these rules, accidents are still going to happen. And it sure doesn't help when the guidelines of some roundabouts are different from those of other roundabouts. One doesn't have to be a newcomer or a snowbird to be confused by these inconsistencies.

Originally Posted by Byte1

Once again, the best way to make sure EVERYONE agrees on how to handle a circle/round about is to make them ALL one lane. Sure it slows everyone down, but it also makes everyone safer. Every rule, other than those pertaining to circles state that you don't make a right turn from a left lane, in front of a vehicle traveling straight or a left turn from the right lane in front of a vehicle traveling traveling straight. This totally makes the rules of the road contradictory, unsafe and difficult for out of towners that may have never traveled through intersections with RABs. Logic (and normal rules of the road) would dictate that the person on the outside lane in a circle would ALWAYS have the right of way and that anyone in the left lane, wishing to make a right turn would have to move over to the right lane well before making the turn. One sole lane in a circle would make the traffic slow down AND make it safer. Other than those taking a short cut through the Villages to avoid the lights on the highways, no one needs to be in a hurry in the Villages.

I agree. Yes, it would slow traffic for persons who primarily don't need to be in a rush to get most anywhere. Yes, it would replace the roundabout problem with the merge problem prior to drivers reaching the roundabout, though again, IMHO, the merging issue is less of a potential problem than what now exists in the roundabouts.

And then you have those people who live in their own world, not cognizant of anyone else. Some years ago a friend and another man simultaneously walked out of a drugstore here in TV and witnessed an accident in the parking lot. One car was pulling out of the lot, while another was backing out of a parking spot and backed right into the side of the car that was leaving. The wife (?) of the driver who was first backing out jumped out of the car and started screaming at the driver of the other car. The other driver wisely did not respond to her but simply called 9-1-1.

The deputy was barely out of his vehicle when the woman started screaming at him. Her view was what right did that driver have to pass by just as the car she was in was backing out? The deputy could see quickly what he was dealing with and turned to my friend and the other man and asked if they had witnessed the accident, and if so, would one of them be willing to be a witness. Both replied yes to both questions. The other man then told the deputy that if it would help, he was the retired chief of police of [a small city in] Illinois. You'll do fine, the deputy said, and my friend left.

If this can happen in a straightforward situation in a parking lot, it's hard to imagine the complexities of roundabout accidents!

[djlnc]

Parking lots are my greatest fear - ranking even higher than roundabouts. When you are backing out of a space you can't always see to the sides because of the vehicles parked next to you. You have to back out slowly, and depend on anyone who is driving down the aisle is paying attention and not speeding.

[grayesun]

Want to avoid most roundabout incidents...1) don't ever travel MORE than 90 degrees in the outer lane, 2) don't ever travel LESS than 180 degrees in inner lane. If I mistakenly have to go more than 90 in outer lane, I always assume someone in inner lane will be exiting, possibly right in front of me...and slow way down.

[deputydoc]

So based on what you just said, if you are in the left lane in a RAB, then you can never leave. Kind of like a trap

[Red Rose]

What's the big rush in these roundabouts? That's the real issue.

[shut the front door]

Originally Posted by Babubhat

You need a video camera. Other bone head hit us in rear in round about and still disputed fault with video. Disgusted. They are inexpensive and a must.

Sheriff rules nothing if not witnessed it

Not true here in FL. Almost every accident reported on the other site ends with the officer issuing a citation for a violation that he didn't witness.

[Spalumbos62]

Originally Posted by Get real

So many subject matter experts who think their opinion is the only right one. This site should allow political discussion and ban traffic circle bickering. Jeez.

I agree, but then again there will be that one, maybe two people that think they are right and the rest of the world are idiots. It's really a shame this overly passive aggressive behavior isn't monitored, it makes it very hard to ask a question, just one darn question w/o being treated rudely.
Yeah, roundabouts, especially two lane ones are hard, it's not a natural thing to be in the right lane and yield to the person on your left making a right ....so I guess the answer is you lay back, crawl through and say your prayers. We all know that won't work. Oh well.....

[Marathon Man]

Originally Posted by Byte1

Once again, the best way to make sure EVERYONE agrees on how to handle a circle/round about is to make them ALL one lane. Sure it slows everyone down, but it also makes everyone safer. Every rule, other than those pertaining to circles state that you don't make a right turn from a left lane, in front of a vehicle traveling straight or a left turn from the right lane in front of a vehicle traveling traveling straight. This totally makes the rules of the road contradictory, unsafe and difficult for out of towners that may have never traveled through intersections with RABs. Logic (and normal rules of the road) would dictate that the person on the outside lane in a circle would ALWAYS have the right of way and that anyone in the left lane, wishing to make a right turn would have to move over to the right lane well before making the turn. One sole lane in a circle would make the traffic slow down AND make it safer. Other than those taking a short cut through the Villages to avoid the lights on the highways, no one needs to be in a hurry in the Villages.

I completely disagree. For one thing, suggesting something that will never be implemented is not the best way. The best way is for everyone to take about three minutes of their time and learn the proper way to navigate a two lane roundabout. It's not rocket science. But it seems that too many folks would rather complain about their existence rather than learning to drive properly in them.

[Foxtrot]

Did the car exiting have their turn signal on? If yes, your fault, if not, his fault. Very simple.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Marathon Man

I completely disagree. For one thing, suggesting something that will never be implemented is not the best way. The best way is for everyone to take about three minutes of their time and learn the proper way to navigate a two lane roundabout. It's not rocket science. But it seems that too many folks would rather complain about their existence rather than learning to drive properly in them.

Again - this requires that everyone care about learning it. That everyone seek out instructions to learn it. That everyone be able to comprehend what they've learned, when they learn it. That everyone be capable of carrying out the instructions that they've learned once they've learned it. That everyone NOT be distracted while attempting to carry out those instructions.

This includes "the other guy" and "the people on the bicycles" and "the golf carts who share the exit while crossing it on the outside perimeter of the circle." And of course, it includes you.

The only way this can happen is if EVERYONE knows, cares, and follows the rules. Unfortunately you get random person who doesn't live anywhere near the villages, needing to drive down Morse Boulevard for whatever reason one day, having no idea that a traffic circle is even coming up, let alone how to navigate it.

You get ONE of those people - and you have an accident.

You get ONE person who has decided that putting a "street legal" sign on the back of a non-street legal golf cart gives them the right to drive on the traffic circles on the outside lane while attempting to make a three-exit turn.

You get ONE person who forgets to look in his mirror while riding his bike around the circle from the outside lane.

You get ONE person whose phone rings just as they're entering the circle, and they decide to answer the phone instead of paying attention to what they're doing.

There are dozens of possibilities of "that one person" doing something that everyone else doesn't expect. That's why "everyone should just learn the rules" is a ridiculous, unreasonable, and unrealistic expectation.

[melpetezrinski]

So, the bottom line is to:
Follow RAB rules
Drive defensively
Try NOT to have a car next to you in a RAB.

Here is the reason why and a possible/plausible contrarian perspective to everyone saying OP would be at fault.

OP was heading north on Buena Vista and at RAB saw no cars to the left, proceeded at 15 mph in outer lane to continue heading north on Buena Vista. Driver at fault was traveling south on Buena Vista, entered RAB seconds earlier at a speed of 35 mph in the inner lane to take 3rd exit. Due to significant speed differences, both drivers were side by side (OP in outer lane, driver at fault in inner lane) when speeding vehicle made their exit, cutting in front of OP and causing an accident.

[golfing eagles]

Well, even if we got everyone to learn the rules (which seems impossible given that half the posts in this thread are plain wrong) and the RBs were perfectly choreographed, it would just take one pack of rabid cyclists blowing through the yield sign in one group to upset the whole applecart.

[VApeople]

Originally Posted by Spalumbos62

I guess the answer is you lay back, crawl through and say your prayers. We all know that won't work.

That's how I drive and it works for me.

[Number 10 GI]

Originally Posted by Get real

So many subject matter experts who think their opinion is the only right one. This site should allow political discussion and ban traffic circle bickering. Jeez.

Big difference between the two. Politics is opinion and traffic circle driving is dictated by law, not opinion.