[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by l2ridehd

Roundabout rules are so very simple. If folks follow them there should never be an accident. There are only 4 and they work.

1. The car in the circle ALWAYS has the right of way. No matter which lane they are in, you do not enter until they are by you.
2. If going 90 degrees enter from the right lane and exit from the right lane.
3. If going 180 degrees enter from either lane and exit from the lane you entered. Enter right, exit right, enter left, exit left.
4. If going 270 degrees always enter from the left lane and exit from the left lane.

If everyone follows those rules there would be no accidents. There are a couple places where they remove the inside lane and force you into the right lane, but if rule 1 is followed that is not an issue either.

bump

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by jrheydt

I don't see what the problem was unless you were on the inside lane and attempted to exit from the inside lane. I usually stay in the outside lane and are especially careful of those who want exit from the inside lane where you can get cut off.

John

If you stay in the outside lane and exit at the third opportunity....you are cutting off those who exiting at the second exit. This assumes you both enter the roundabout at the same point. If you enter in the outside lane and stay there to the third exit.....you are an accident waiting to happen.

[EdV]

Face it, two lane roundabouts are a stupid idea to begin with. And with over twenty of them in a relatively small geographic area populated by tens of thousands of senior drivers with diminished driving skills and reaction times, it borders on ridiculous.

If you really want to fix the problem you should ban together to approach your county reps to get these “killer” roundabouts rebuilt. Barriers could be placed so that the right lane can only be used for a right turn and traffic could proceed in that lane without having to even stop. The left lane would be used for all other exits and would be a single lane only.

The mouths of the exits would need to be widened some to allow tractor trailers to negotiate the roundabouts, but there is already enough landscaping in these roundabouts to accommodate this as far as I can see.

I don’t believe that this change would result in more congestion at the roundabouts. After all, the way it is now, you must wait funtil both lanes are free of any traffic before you can enter the roundabout, even if you are just making a right turn.

[GlendaW]

Our summer home is in the roundabout capitol of the world, Hamilton County, Indiana. It's just north of Indianapolis and is where all the suburbs are. I think the town of Carmel, which is beside our town, claims to be the actual capitol but there are roundabouts throughout the county there. I think they're great but they do throw people who have never seen one off the first couple times they drive through one. I also never enter a roundabout when there is a car coming my way even when it's on the inside lane. The right lane can be confusing on some because it sometimes makes you turn when you want to continue on the roundabout to the next street.

[NJblue]

Originally Posted by EdVinMass

Face it, two lane roundabouts are a stupid idea to begin with. And with over twenty of them in a relatively small geographic area populated by tens of thousands of senior drivers with diminished driving skills and reaction times, it borders on ridiculous.

If you really want to fix the problem you should ban together to approach your county reps to get these “killer” roundabouts rebuilt. Barriers could be placed so that the right lane can only be used for a right turn and traffic could proceed in that lane without having to even stop. The left lane would be used for all other exits and would be a single lane only.

The mouths of the exits would need to be widened some to allow tractor trailers to negotiate the roundabouts, but there is already enough landscaping in these roundabouts to accommodate this as far as I can see.

I don’t believe that this change would result in more congestion at the roundabouts. After all, the way it is now, you must wait funtil both lanes are free of any traffic before you can enter the roundabout, even if you are just making a right turn.

Or, a much cheaper solution would be to use the police patrols that are used to give tickets to golf carts that are going a couple of MPH too fast and have them instead give tickets to those who improperly use the roundabouts. I suspect that most of the problem is not diminished reflexes but the "I'll do it the way I want because it makes sense to me" mentality of the drivers. If they received a ticket or a warning about their error, they may start to obey the guidelines and the problem would be solved.

[LittleDog]

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter

If you stay in the outside lane and exit at the third opportunity....you are cutting off those who exiting at the second exit. This assumes you both enter the roundabout at the same point. If you enter in the outside lane and stay there to the third exit.....you are an accident waiting to happen.

Don't quite understand your rationale. lf i am in the outside lane how am I cutting off anyone wanting to exit unless they try to exit from the inside lane. Either there in front of me in the outside lane or in back of me.

John

[Bogie Shooter]

I give up!

[NJblue]

Originally Posted by jrheydt

Don't quite understand your rationale. lf i am in the outside lane how am I cutting off anyone wanting to exit unless they try to exit from the inside lane. Either there in front of me in the outside lane or in back of me.

John

The point is that they are supposed to exit from the inside lane if they entered the inside lane to begin with. Once you are in the roundabout you are not supposed to change lanes - hence the only way to exit if you are in the inner/left lane is to cross over the outer lane at the exit. This should never be a problem if those who are in the outer/right lane followed the rules. It is people who enter the outside lane and then fail to exit at one of the first two exits that are in violation and are the ones cutting off those who are following the rules.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter

I give up!

You are right Bogie.

If only people would get that diagram. YOU CAN EXIT from the inside lane. And you are supposed to if you are going three quarters around and you entered on the inside lane.

[EdV]

Originally Posted by NJblue

...... If they received a ticket or a warning about their error, they may start to obey the guidelines and the problem would be solved.

No it won’t, not any more than handing out speeding tickets stops people from speeding. Instead of trying to fix ignorance, indifference, or obstinance, fix the road and make it idiot proof.

[NJblue]

Originally Posted by EdVinMass

No it won’t, not any more than handing out speeding tickets stops people from speeding. Instead of trying to fix ignorance, indifference, or obstinance, fix the road and make it idiot proof.

I disagree. Speeding is not based on ignorance of the law. It is quite apparent that those who violate the roundabout rules are not aware that what they are doing is wrong. Once they get a ticket they will learn quite quickly.

[OCsun]

Originally Posted by EdVinMass

No it won’t, not any more than handing out speeding tickets stops people from speeding. Instead of trying to fix ignorance, indifference, or obstinance, fix the road and make it idiot proof.

Since I will most likely be one of the idiot's! We have one lane roundabouts in my hometown and they seem to work just fine. So, just to give everyone a fair warning, I will be practicing on the roundabouts the last two weeks of September when we come to TV to contract for our new home. Look out for the women who will be in the left hand lane going round and round because she still is not sure when she is supposed to exit! Maybe I should just sign up for a roundabout 101 driving lesson.

[NJblue]

Originally Posted by OCsun

: Look out for the women who will be in the left hand lane going round and round because she still is not sure when she is supposed to exit! :

Well, at least if you are in the inside/left lane you are entitled to go around as many times as you want. Just don't do it from the right lane.

[EdV]

Originally Posted by NJblue

I disagree. Speeding is not based on ignorance of the law. It is quite apparent that those who violate the roundabout rules are not aware that what they are doing is wrong. Once they get a ticket they will learn quite quickly.

Enjoy your dream.

[John_W]

I wish the police would just camp out at the Buena Vista/Bailey Trail traffic circle. Everyday I travel on Bailey Trail and when I reach the Buena Vista traffic circle I normally proceed to the inside lane because to go north on Buena Vista it will be my third exit. In the two months I've lived here not a single day has gone by that a car in the outside lane didn't also go to the third exit alongside me. If I had wanted to go straight on Bailey Trail, which becomes Odell Circle, I would of collided with the car in the outside lane.

As a consequence if I go straight on Bailey Trail to Odell, even though I have the right to use the inside lane because it is my second turn, I will only use the outside lane.