You should NEVER EVER stop in the round-about. If there is a car beside you and you can't make the exit, continue on around and make your exit on the next time around.

Some of the worst offenders I have seen are the contractors pulling trailers. They always stay in the right lane no matter where they are going. Watch out for them!

The roundabout at Camino Real and Morse where it turns into Paige Place is another problem area. I was in the outside lane on Camino Real going around to go straight on Paige when a car passed me on the inside and cut me off to turn on Paige. Remember that Paige is a single lane. I laid on the horn as I had to stop in the roundabout and was flipped off for my effort.

left-staight-right
 

What if you're in the outside lane wanting to go sraight thru the roundabout and a car in the inside lane right beside you wants to exit to the right? Many times cars have cut in front of me exiting as I was prepared to go straight? I've yielded to them but who has the rightaway?

I apologize in advance if the following paragraph gives someone a headache...;)

I'd still like to see an answer to Dr B's question ... If you imagine the roundabout as a clock and Inside Ivan enters at 6 o'clock in the inside lane intending to exit at 12 o'clock and Outside Ollie enters in the outside lane at 3 o'clock intending to exit at 9 o'clock, they both can hit 12 o'clock at the same time and they both think they have the right of way. Obviously someone must have the "Right of Way" (and yes, I know, you can still get killed even though you have it, but still, it should be defined somewhere) I don't understand DandyGirl's response, because I don't understand why someone entering in the outside lane would "need to give right of way" to someone in the INSIDE lane... I personally just do what Dr B does - I try to make sure nobody's beside me when I exit at 12 o'clock, but with The Villages becoming more populated, this sometimes is difficult. (I used to just use the outside lane for my "straight thru" runs, until it dawned on me, I'm just making myself into an Outside Ollie and i can still get creamed at the 3 o'clock exit by an Inside Ivan who entered at 9 o'clock)..

To all who are driving and trying to do the right thing - do not stop in the roundabout! I have seen this when people are "afraid" someone might enter and not yield. It might mean you get rear-ended! Be ready to brake if necessary but don't stop in anticipation!

This is exactly the reason that some people are confused. The very first rule, and arguably the most important, is to yield to ALL traffic that is already in the circle before you enter. So the scenario you paint could not happen if they were yielding properly.

See previous response. Can't happen if you yield to ALL traffic.

It is actually very simple - do not enter the roundabout if EITHER one of the lanes in front of you, as you enter, has a car in it. And yes I have seen people enter when only ONE of the lanes is clear. It must be both lanes clear to enter. Then your scenario can not happen. Hope this helps. Just study the diagram given earlier. It is very clear.

If there is indeed a car on the inside of you then they must have entered on the inside of you (right?). So in that case they can not take the immediate right. Again, see the diagram.

Perfect answer Kathie!

:agree:
Excellent suggestions, and I also agree that driving extremely defensively is the only way to go here in The Villages (or anywhere, really). I have avoided several accidents recently because I would rather YIELD to someone in the wrong than get hit being in the right! :pepper2::pepper2:

I can only assume it's new residents or part time residents who are confused and not sure of where they want to go.

Just let 'em go! much better to allow somebody to get where they want to go than get hit. so what? maybe next time they won't do it.......

I learned something today...
 

Russ - thanks. :bowdown: I have never heard (or at least never processed) that you shouldn't enter the roundabout when somebody is in either lane approaching you - that should alleviate the problem (If we can get everybody to do it :undecided:)

KathyI's rules are good, too. - if nobody's near you when you try to turn, it's pretty hard to get clobbered...

As I think about this, I think in the future when I want to go straight thru the roundabout, I'm gonna try to be in the inside lane. That will force me to use Russ's rule about not entering when either lane is occupied and will give me the option of making another revolution with no worries if somebody does come up beside me and I'm not feeling good about whether they're gonna exit with me or keep going around...

I love it when a plan comes together :pepper2: