[Buzz Bowman]

I've driven round-a-bouts in Europe, Central and South America, Bermuda, Caribbean and this great country of ours and I've always had no question on how to navigate through them even when they drive on the left side of the road in other countries. I've thought about your dilemma in TV and i make this observation......you have created two lanes in your round-a-bouts. One single lane as other posters have suggested is your answer IMHO. I can only think of one other location ( i'm sure there's many more) where there is more than one lane....that's in Paris! My God! I close my eyes as we enter the round-a-bout circling the Arc De Triomphe not wanting to observe the mayhem! I think one lane will end this post for good and the popcorn will have to be popped for other long winded posts.
Respectfully, buzz

[asianthree]

but they have pretty flowers in the middle

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by mac9

The trick is to NEVER be next to another car and to ALWAYS signal your intent...oh yeah, and pray a lot!

Even posters on TOTV disagree on the correct way to drive a rotary! All you need to know is .... NEVER be next to another car, and don't expect others to follow the rules.

[GaryW]

Originally Posted by Indydealmaker

Here is a diagram from that brochure. It is correct.
Attachment 3504

This is how it is done, IF you are making the first right after entering the circle you need to be in the right lane, if you are making the 2nd or 3rd right then you need to be in the left lane entering the circle. If a car enters the circle in the left or inside lane, and makes the 2nd right and there is a car in the outside or right lane and decides to keep going around the circle and hits the car on the inisde, you will get a ticket for doing just that. Just seen it this weekend and talked with the FHP.

Now the only problem to that theory is for commercial vehicles such as large trucks, mixer trucks, tractor trailers and so on. If they enter on the inside lane, then the traffic on right lane will be in blind spot. SO YOU MUST BE CAREFUL when entering the circle. ALSO it is a yield to enter the circles, for the life of me can understand whey people stop and sit there and look when no one is coming. If someone is that confused, maybe time to stop driving..

[JoeC1947]

[QUOTE=GaryW;524389]This is how it is done, IF you are making the first right after entering the circle you need to be in the right lane, if you are making the 2nd or 3rd right then you need to be in the left lane entering the circle.

WRONG!

[Bill-n-Brillo]

Originally Posted by JoeC1947

WRONG!

Refer back to the illustration in Indy's post #8 - you can enter the roundabout in the right lane as well as the left lane to make the 2nd right.

Bill

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

If you are exiting the round about from the left had lane be very aware of what's on your right. You might have the right of way but you'll be sitting there with a smashed car, or worse, saying, "I was in the right.

Better yet change lanes before you get to the exit. Think of the round about as a straight section of roadway with two lanes. You need to check the lane you are about to change into.

I come from Massachusetts, one of the few state to have round abouts, (or rotaries as we call them). The whole thing is just being very aware of other cars around you. Plan a head if you know where you're going. If you don't know where you're going another loop around may be the safer choice.

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by Dr Winston O Boogie jr

If you are exiting the round about from the left had lane be very aware of what's on your right. You might have the right of way but you'll be sitting there with a smashed car, or worse, saying, "I was in the right.

Better yet change lanes before you get to the exit. Think of the round about as a straight section of roadway with two lanes. You need to check the lane you are about to change into.

I come from Massachusetts, one of the few state to have round abouts, (or rotaries as we call them). The whole thing is just being very aware of other cars around you. Plan a head if you know where you're going. If you don't know where you're going another loop around may be the safer choice.

In the left hand lane.

[JoeC1947]

Forget about what's legal. When taking the first or second exit the safest lane is the outside lane. The inside lane should be used for taking the third exit and should be avoided if taking the second exit.

The exception is the Stillwater/Buena Vista RAB. As you approach the RAB from Stillwater the sign is correct but the arrows in the RAB itself lead you to believe you can be in either lane when entering the RAB and take a left onto Buena Vista. Every man for himself on that one.

Of course, you should always be aware if you enter the RAB alongside another vehicle. You should have your shields up and be ready to take evasive action.

[Russ_Boston]

If a speed limit sign says 65 mph is there any question what the rule is?

If a sign at the end of the street says STOP is there any question what the rule is?

If a sign....


The point is there is only ONE way to do the roundabouts. It's not rocket science and it is not up to interpretation. The procedure is clearly posted in that nice visual on the Sumter county site we've posted many, many times.

Yes everyone has there own way of making sure others don't mistakenly bang into them (Personally I enter alone if possible or lag behind to make sure I can take any action necessary). But the law is not in question as some here make you believe. It's cut and dry and police will tell you that after you've been in an accident that you think was someone's fault and YOU get the ticket!!

[EdV]

But Russ, what signage is out there that clearly indicates that the driver must wait for both lanes to be clear before entering into the right lane? It’s counter intuitive to what most drivers do when they merge onto a two lane highway.

And what signage is there at the roundabout at El Camino and Morse that warns a wannabe visitor that they will have to make a sudden lane change at the last minute to get into the visitor lane from the right lane while a resident in the left lane is trying to do the opposite.

[rubicon]

This topic has been a continual discussion for as long as I have lived here (6 years) and I am sure before that. Each and every time the dialogue proves itself to be a "Whose On First" scenario. The repeated telling and the resulting "Whose On First" scenario is very telling and leads me to believe that the construction of round a boutds are a prime example of the term "unintentional consequences." People will always be confused about the proper movement of traffic and once again I say the answer to the OP's question is "Drive carefully"

[Gateway Girl]

I think the roundabouts have been discussed so often and so much because they were such a bad idea in the first place. A community designed around 55+ year old people should not have 2 lane roundabouts!! Period...the end. I do understand the proper way to navigate them, but know that this is not a perfect world and we don't have perfect drivers. The roundabouts are just an accident waiting to happen. I plan to take some of the people's advice and only enter when there are not cars already in there and thus creating a side by side scenario. My first choice, however, is that these roundabouts be converted to just one lane.

[Villages PL]

Originally Posted by Golfer in Sanibel

Have you read the brochure and do you drive the round-a-bouts correctly?

Yes, and yes. I like to drive slowly on the round-a-bouts because driving fast in a tight circle puts excessive wear on the tires. However, it seems that most other drivers to like to speed up on the round-a-bouts. It's as though they think they have entered a race track. I don't care, I'm not going to speed up because they're in a hurry. (They might be on their way to happy hour at the town square.)

[Russ_Boston]

Originally Posted by EdVinMass

But Russ, what signage is out there that clearly indicates that the driver must wait for both lanes to be clear before entering into the right lane? It’s counter intuitive to what most drivers do when they merge onto a two lane highway.

And what signage is there at the roundabout at El Camino and Morse that warns a wannabe visitor that they will have to make a sudden lane change at the last minute to get into the visitor lane from the right lane while a resident in the left lane is trying to do the opposite.

First of all it is not a two lane highway so the rules are different. Both lanes must be clear to enter the roundabout simply due to the fact that the other lane driver may be exiting, you must assume.

I agree that the north Morse gate can be a mess. I do that move every day after work from the hospital. But I'm aware so I proceed VERY carefully.