Another great British export...

[airboatr]

1 There are quite a few roundabouts in Washington, DC or "circles" as the Colonials call them.

2 No one has a clue what to do upon encountering one but in defence of the natives here, these traffic circles are a mess - full of lights and islands and confusing signage! Virginia

3 I always have to be careful after a trip to the UK because I have the urge to drive the roundabouts in a clock-wise direction, which tends to be rather upsetting to the other traffic!

Nigel²

Couple of points Nigel (squared )

1 Every country have their dummies I suppose; us colonists of higher intelligence call them roundabouts.


2
See part A of point 1 . One must look past the signage and look to the intent of design to maintain traffic flow.


3 My God man! You've been colonized! ! (BTW I do think you meant to say counter clock-wise.)

Also:
A correction about the origin of my umbrellas. They were made in England .... which is some whole other country in Great Britain. aka UK.

[DelP]

In the UK, where we drive on the left, on approaching the roundabout you give way to vehicles already on the roundabout then filter in when there's a space, going clock-wise.

In other countries in Europe, who drive on the right, you give way to the vehicle at the junction ahead of you, then follow on, going anti-clockwise.

How does it work in the US?.....just interested

Derek

[Chris Trott]

Typically on a roundabout in the US there is a Yield sign (the upside down red & white triangle) on the incoming flow and thus the traffic in the roundabout has the right of way. If it's not posted, I believe you still follow that incoming flow yields to traffic already in the roundabout because the traffic in the roundabout is considered to be "straight" traffic while that entering is "merging" and typically with a few exceptions, merging traffic yields right of way.

But then again, one must remember the first rule of the road - one can never "take" the right of way, only give it.

[DelP]

But then again, one must remember the first rule of the road - one can never "take" the right of way, only give it.

Apart from major cities where biggest vehicle wins

Derek

[Dev One]

In France there is a similar notice to the US Yield sign, saying 'Cedez sur passage' in other words give way to those on the roundabout. One does have to be careful though as there are exceptions, similar to the 'Prioritare a droit' - 'give way to those entering from the right' which still applies in some areas & towns!! Lots of 2CVs get bent that way when they find out that lorrys take quite a time to stop - hopefully a dying breed?
The French also like putting a roundabout either side of a flyover - it does save on bridge costs I suppose, but they do not design them very well ( roundabouts that is) as the exits are very sharp withh little 'splay' when blending into the carriageway.
Some country cross roads are wierd too, 3 of the 4 can be stop signed, & generally are not logical.....well English logic that is....
Keith

[Molyned]

Perhaps the phrase 'a dying breed' could have been put more tastefully Keith
Another favourite here in the U.K. is the money-saving roundabout just painted in white on the road. they're about 6 ft diam and just begging to be driven straight over, as witnessed by the many tyre marks on them.
And finally (from me anyway) let's not forget the roundabouts with traffic lights around them - some work all the time and some only at rush hours.
At least, when I passed my driving test when the world was still young, many of these horrors were still to be visited upon us. Having ridden a motorcycle for some years previously, it took me ages to stop trying to get the car to turn by leaning over and shifting my weight.
Cheers
Dave M(oly)

[Garry Russell]

I remember years ago driving in the UK and there was a series of those mini roudabouts all in a clump...I think it was at High Wycombe

Coudn't work it out in the short time between first sight and arrival and the road was empty so I went straight across which was where I wanted to go

Perhaps in a rush hours with cars doing what to the drivers is familiar I could have followed it through but all alone in the World I didn't have a clue.

[jonesey2k]

I've gotten my knee down a few times on roundabouts...

[airboatr]

I've gotten my knee down a few times on roundabouts...

In keeping with the practice of defensive driving...

The best defense is a good offense.

[nigelb]

1 There are quite a few roundabouts in Washington, DC or "circles" as the Colonials call them.

2 No one has a clue what to do upon encountering one but in defence of the natives here, these traffic circles are a mess - full of lights and islands and confusing signage! Virginia

3 I always have to be careful after a trip to the UK because I have the urge to drive the roundabouts in a clock-wise direction, which tends to be rather upsetting to the other traffic!

Nigel²

Couple of points Nigel (squared )

1 Every country have their dummies I suppose; us colonists of higher intelligence call them roundabouts.


2
See part A of point 1 . One must look past the signage and look to the intent of design to maintain traffic flow.


3 My God man! You've been colonized! ! (BTW I do think you meant to say counter clock-wise.)

Also:
A correction about the origin of my umbrellas. They were made in England .... which is some whole other country in Great Britain. aka UK.

Point 1 - I was not quesioning the intelligence of anyone: They really are called circles in DC. Dupont circle, Sheridan Circles, Scott Circle, Thomas Circle, Washington Circle and so on. There are roughly 33 of them and they tend to be where diagonal avenues meet North-South number streets and East-West letter and named streets. Pierre Charles L'Enfant had a good idea as far as the basic street plan design, but then messed it up with the avenues that run in all different directions and at different angles. I doubt there is any truth to the rumour he was pissed when he designed the avenues. That did create the need for roundabouts though. I wonder why George Washington fired L'Enfant in 1792? Perhaps GW had driven around that great roundabout near Oxford or the famous Swindon one and did not care much for the idea being adopted in the Colonies. I suppose since the L'Enfant sacking occured after the minor insurrection in 1776, which is soon to be celebrated here with a lot of hoopala, I should refrain from referring to "Colonies"

As to item 3, I meant what I said, I think. After returning from the UK, I want to drive clockwise around the roundabouts here in America! Most drivers here appear to favour driving counter-clockwise around them, despite all the confusing signs. Which brings me to point 2. Have you ever driven in Washington DC? Or better yet, tried to interpret the parking signs? Referring to the response to point 1 sub sections 3-5, as cited to wit: It is hard to interpret the "intent of design to maintain traffic flow" when the streets were designed by a drunken sot.

I rest my case!

Nigel²