...

The roundabouts actually will function smoothly if people would simply follow the signs posted. But too many simply think they KNOW how to navigate the roundabouts, a good example being the poster above who states you should stay in the outside lane all the way around. WRONG WRONG. Read the signs, read the brochure. Examine the diagram posted earlier in this thread.

The other major factor, as stated above, is to never enter a roundabout beside another car already there. BOTH lanes must be clear before entering the roundabout. It's not rocket science. You can do it safely with a little awareness.

And for those who wish they were one lane. Not going to happen. Two lanes were a requirement by the county for TV to be built with the density it has. So you might as well learn to navigate them the way they were designed.

Not to beat this dead horse more than necessary, Mike. But it is clear the signs don't make sense to many, many people. I was there for a month, I studied the signs, and I've read what all these folks have said. They are very confusing.

These are the same people who do not understand what a stop sign, yield sign, speed limit sign, etc. means!

For more information:
59 posts https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...d-bouts-56807/

46 posts https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...dabouts-56058/

173 posts https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...t-signs-48589/

50 posts https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...ut-post-49102/

That's what I thought, too.

The outside lane = straight or right turn and the inside lane = straight or left turn sounds easy. But it doesn't take into consideration someone doing exactly the same thing from your 3 o'clock position, assuming that you entered at 6 o'clock.

Speed
 

The diagram is correct...thanks for that post. That being said, the speed for the roundabouts is 20 mph, not the 35-50 some are going before getting there. Please, please, please slow down or simply leave earlier.:eek:

If the one entering from three o'clock is going to exit at twelve o'clock he stays in the right lane. If he is planning to exit at nine o'clock he should not enter if it will conflict with someone in the either lane (he has no way of knowing where the one in the left lane is going to exit).

The same rules apply regardless of where you enter.

I would be interested in what you would suggest to make the signs more clear. To me, they show two lanes entering the roundabout and show what each lane can do. So, you have to be in the correct lane as you enter in order to go where you desire coming out of the roundabout.

Besides being in the correct lane, the other critical factor in navigating the roundabouts is to NEVER enter if there is traffic in either lane approaching you. Just because the outside lane is clear doesn't make it OK to enter into that lane.

Today I saw a lady start to exit at the wrong street. So she stopped and backed into the roundabout, then went to the next exit. Glad I wasn't behind her. Some people have no idea that there are other people on Earth with them.

Exactly. :agree: I don't think that part of the equation is mentioned enough.

So if the first car enters at 3:00 and exits at 12:00 that means it was going in circles for 9 hours.

Roundabout signs
 

Every roundabout has a green sign just before you enter. Right lane to turn right or go straight, left lane to turn left or go straight. 20 Mph speed limit sign also, well before entering. Pretty simple.

The key is for the entering car to "yield to BOTH traffic lanes" inside the traffic circle.

All yield signs should have a sign below that that states "YIELD TO BOTH LANES"

that should clarify it.

Can't answer that question as I got dizzy going in circles and lost track of time.

To the OP. According to those clearly placed signs you did right as long as the driver entered at the same point you did (bottom) of circle. Both lanes can exit at top. or vise versa. Right lane cannot go 3/4 around in this situation. Sorry thats what is clearly posted! Sorry I just watched one this morning go straight through the circle..entered in the right lane, changed lanes and changed lanes so he didn't have to navigate in a single lane. This will get you killed or a severally damaged vehicle if the situation was right. He did this at several circles....you know who you are if you're reading this. Or...maybe there is more than one if a bunch of you are going "hey thats me". I did force him into a single lane at one point :) Made my day cause I caught up with him and rode through in the left lane right next to him keeping him in his lane :) Teach by showing HAH.

Anyway back to the original post. Folks....I drive the circle correctly and will navigate in the left lane from top to bottom or as a lot say "straight through". If you cut in front me or cause an accident please be aware...you will be held at fault. Everyone who is behind a wheel of a vehicle needs to learn the laws, if you don't know, don't understand, stop by the sheriff's annex and they'll instruct you, give you a pretty little flyer. Its the drivers responsibility to know what they're doing behind the wheel.

And yes the idiot factor has gone up tenfold in the last month.

This roundabout issue will always be a problem and they will always be
unsafe do to the many drivers from different places who never saw a roundabout till they came to TV and also to some point the age of the drivers. I believe the end to this issue is to make the rounderabouts for one lane of traffic and not two. During the busy months we all may have to wait a little but I believe the traffic through the roundabouts will flow better and safer. I'm just saying........

Maybe we should recognize the fact a lot of newer people have never seen a roundabout. They haven't had time to visit the Sheriff's office and have no idea there is a brochure and they have not discovered TOTV. Maybe we can cut them a little slack and stay in the right lane if we are exiting at 180 degrees. Causing an accident that is avoidable makes no sense to me even if I am not at fault (technically).

57 opinions and counting...........................

Wait a minute! You can't count what I said as an opinion.....

on 12/6 GOODGRIEF WROTE "I did force him into a single lane at one point Made my day cause I caught up with him and rode through in the left lane right next to him keeping him in his lane Teach by showing HAH."

So if he is at fault, did you expect him to repair your automobile???

That may have been a very expensive lesson for YOU!

The No Fault provision is essentially an agreement between the Insurance Companies and the Florida Legislature. Under the provision, Insurance Companies are required to provide a certain level of coverage for their insured if they are involved in an automobile accident, regardless of fault. In exchange, a victim of an auto-accident can only bring a claim against an at-fault party if they have sustained a permanent injury.

Your thinking is right, but not everybody who comes up beside you in the outside lane is thinking.

I always wait until there are no cars in either lane in the circle to my left before entering. But what's happened various times is that if I enter the rotary in the inside lane intending to go straight (thru) it, a car in the outside lane and slightly beside or behind me decides to cut to the left in front of me or almost t-boning me as I'm about to exit at 12 o'clock. That's why I use the outer lane for entering at 6 o'clock and exiting at 12 o'clock....some bozo often enters at 6 or 3 o'clock intending to exit at 9 o'clock and they cut across your straight-bound exit at 12. It's a heart stopper when they decide to turn left from the right (outer) lane.

Not all that simple. If you enter the inside lane at 6:00 and are going to take the 2nd exit and someone enters the outside lane at 3:00 and wants to take their second exit, they are going to be on your right when you want to turn right. You'd better be aware that they are there and be very careful before exiting the round about.

While I agree that care must be taken in this situation ... the person entering at 3:00 would be at fault should they cause an accident as they would have crossed the dashed white center line without a clear right of way.

If you look at it that way, The person on the left has also crossed a dashed white center line.


There are two white dashed center lines at each entrance and exit. One that continues around the round about and another that goes to the street on is exiting to.

In my opinion, this problem could be solved by restricting use of the outside lane to vehicles using the first exit.

While that is true, it would simply move the problem to the streets approaching the roundabout. Imagine the jockeying for the left lane before the roundabout, especially during the high season. Do you think those that are blocked from the right lane by other traffic are going to turn right and not try to go straight ahead? And, if people can't/won't follow the directions on the signs, or wait until both lanes are clear before entering the roundabout, what makes you think they will honor the right/outside lane must turn right rule?

Really, the only thing you can do is to navigate them properly and watch out for those that are unwilling to follow the rules of the road, same as you do elsewhere

It is not a matter of how I look at it ... it is a matter of legal right of way. A dashed white center line may be crossed ONLY if it is "clear". If a person entering a roundabout in the inside lane crosses a dashed white line into the path of a vehicle, they would be at fault. Just as a vehicle in the outside lane making a "left" crosses a dashed white line, into the path of a vehicle in the inside lane (who is legally exiting the roundabout) .... they would be at fault.

Their are roundabouts in TV that have solid white lines at entrance / exit points. In this case the outside lane NEVER has a legal right to cross that solid line. This forces a vehicle in the outside lane to legally remain there and turn at the first exit. The Springdale roundabout is one example of this.

Naturally, all of this is "legalities" ..... and you can be completely in the legal right of way and be involved in an accident caused by the uninformed, careless and clueless. I watch people all around me while in a roundabout like a hawk, ALWAYS use a blinker when exiting and NEVER take for granted anyone around me will do what they are "legally" required to do.

Can't happen. That second car (the one at 3:00) could not enter the circle since they MUST yield. You already said the car at 6:00 was in the circle.

This is the whole problem in a nutshell. You must yield to ALL traffic before entering. Don't see why people keep putting up scenarios that involve someone not following rule 1.

Now Russ, you know the answer to that question. :D

This whole roundabout talk is just a circle! It won't change folks. Learn it, live it or die from it. It's your choice!

After reading an unbelievable 70 posts on this, yes some of them mine, I think I've found the nib of gist, as they say. (Well someone said it.)

Early on someone said TV was required to build two lane round abouts because of the county. As I look at how small they are, and how the turns are allowed, this seems to be the problem. They should be single lane and that would avoid all confusion. (But apparently it isn't possible.) I just reviewed several of them on Google Maps, and as it clearly shows you can enter at 6 oclock in the right lane, and keep going on north, but the person in the inside lane coming around toward you can turn right into 3 oclock from that left lane. That is still crazy, and as many people has advised, the only thing you can do is make sure no one is coming when you enter. Of course, what do you do when two cars enter together from 6 oclock and the right hand car plans to go straight and the left hand guy intends to turn right from the left lane.

Mr. Chairman, I move all discussion on this issue cease and we move to an immediate vote...and discuss other sillier subjects. "Is there a second?"

[QUOTE=OldDave;591416
Of course, what do you do when two cars enter together from 6 oclock and the right hand car plans to go straight and the left hand guy intends to turn right from the left lane.
[/QUOTE]

Sorry, you still don't understand. In the example above with two cars entering at 6 o'clock, the car on the inside lane CANNOT exit at 3 o'clock. That car has only two choices, exit at 12 o'clock (straight through) or continue around to exit at 9 o'clock.

But your point about not entering the roundabout until there is not traffic coming from you left in either lane is spot on and perhaps the most critical to safely navigate them.