Do Americans Know What A Roundabout Is?

Solly · August 23, 2002, 07:05

When I spent time over there last summer, there was a roundabout in the local neighbourhood. My host commented that very few people knew how to use it, and that it was one of only a few roundabouts across the entire country.

"Roundabouts are used extensively throughout Europe, and in many other places around the world, to reduce accidents, traffic delays, fuel consumption, air pollution and construction costs, while increasing capacity and enhancing intersection beauty. They have been successfully used to control traffic speeds in residential neighborhoods and are accepted as one of the safest types of intersection design."
http://www.roundaboutsusa.com/intro.html

So...Americans...would you know how to deal with one of these?

The Mad Monk · August 23, 2002, 07:07

"Traffic circles"

Ming · August 23, 2002, 07:08

We've had them in the Chicago area since long before I was born. Your friend obviously hasn't spent much time in the midwest...

The Mad Monk · August 23, 2002, 07:09

Most folks I know think of them as more dangerous than 'normal' intersections.

Solly · August 23, 2002, 07:09

He's travelled everywhere Ming.

Solly · August 23, 2002, 07:12

There is a theory that roundabouts have a severe effect on the psychological makeup of a country depending on which side of the road the country drives on. In countries that drive on the left (such as Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the UK, India, much of South-east Asia and the Falkland Islands) the left side of the brain gets squashed as a driver goes round a roundabout, which crushes the cells responsible for language and reasoning. Conversely, in countries that drive on the right (everywhere else except Thailand, where they drive in the middle) the side of the brain responsible for creativity gets crushed. Independent observers have pointed out that this explains why the English are unreasonable and incomprehensible, but make the best pop music on the planet.

Ming · August 23, 2002, 07:16

Quote:

Originally posted by Boddington's
He's travelled everywhere Ming.

Obviously not to Chicago... we have them everywhere

Kassiopeia · August 23, 2002, 07:18

Roundabouts? Why, they are a class of smallish starships.

Solly · August 23, 2002, 07:18

We're talking about a former manager of DuPont here..

Ming · August 23, 2002, 07:41

Quote:

Originally posted by Boddington's
We're talking about a former manager of DuPont here..

Then he is either blind, an idiot, or the only parts of Chicago he has seen are the downtown area and the airport, which is only a SMALL part of the total metropolitan area.

Solly · August 23, 2002, 07:44

What's up Ming? Your girls being taken out by another kid in a pick-up..

Solly · August 23, 2002, 07:45

And my host said that it was people in his neighbourhood that didn't really understand the roundabout, not himself.

Try to read posts more carefully in future.

C0ckney · August 23, 2002, 07:45

Yeovil, which is about 15 miles from me, has more roundabouts per sq. mile than anywhere else in Britain [/useless info]

TheStinger · August 23, 2002, 07:46

I drive in england and i hate the things.

Ming · August 23, 2002, 07:51

Quote:

Originally posted by Boddington's
Try to read posts more carefully in future.

I did... and you said that he said...

Quote:

that it was one of only a few roundabouts across the entire country.

Which I responded to. He is wrong.

I have said nothing about whether I or other people don't understand how to drive in them.

So you should be the one that reads posts more carefully in the future

Solly · August 23, 2002, 07:53

Depends on your definition of "a few".

Ming · August 23, 2002, 07:56

Quote:

Originally posted by Boddington's
Depends on your definition of "a few".

Just admit the guy has no clue what he is talking about.
I've seen thousands of them in small towns across the midwest, besides the MANY in the Chicago land area.

That would be more than a "FEW"...

Skanky Burns · August 23, 2002, 07:59

We have millions of roundabouts in Australia. The best way to handle them is to drive straight over them.

redbaron · August 23, 2002, 08:11

Quote:

Originally posted by Ming

Then he is either blind, an idiot, ...

Sounds about right for a Du Pont manager.

(From an ex Du Pont employee).

Az · August 23, 2002, 08:12

Roundabouts are far superior in cases of handling lower capacities , because they let traffic from all directions pass, while the intersection is free , and have a clear rule about it ,( priority is given to the vehicle already in the traffic circle ) but in case of jammed intersections , they tend to get filled up , and create a slow moving mess. It's all from personal experience , btw.

Q Classic · August 23, 2002, 08:19

i like brit terms for traffic things.

"roundabouts", and "rumblestrips".

"rumblestrips" is far superior to the ami term, "speed bump". same with "roundabouts" instead of "traffic circles".

Solly · August 23, 2002, 08:19

Sleeping policeman..

Sava · August 23, 2002, 08:20

I haven't seen large roundabouts anywhere in the US. But I have seen the smaller traffic circles. There are about 7 of them in my town (a suburb of Chicago). The smaller ones are everywhere. Ming

Az · August 23, 2002, 08:21

"speed bumps"

hate the damn things.

Ming · August 23, 2002, 08:22

Quote:

Originally posted by redbaron
Sounds about right for a Du Pont manager.

(From an ex Du Pont employee).

Well... you know the truth even if Boddy won't admit it

Sava · August 23, 2002, 08:22

Quote:

Originally posted by Q Cubed
i like brit terms for traffic things.

"roundabouts", and "rumblestrips".

"rumblestrips" is far superior to the ami term, "speed bump". same with "roundabouts" instead of "traffic circles".

BAH! A bump to reduce speed... rumblestrip? A circle to ease the flow of traffic... roundabout? How can anyone like Brit terms, seriously. You'd think the country that spawned the language (English) would at least learn how to speak it

drake · August 23, 2002, 08:30

The term used in Mass is "Rotary" and they're all over the place here. I go through about 5 just on my daily commute.

Great method of controllin traffic...assuming everyone knows how to drive in them (it's amazing how many don't however).

Q Classic · August 23, 2002, 08:33

i didn't say that the terms were more efficient... they just sound better.

redbaron · August 23, 2002, 08:35

Quote:

A bump to reduce speed... rumblestrip?

No, they're two completely different things. A rumblestrip is the strip by the side of the road which is supposed to wake you up if you doze off. A speed bump (aka Sleeping Policeman) is the hump across the road which takes off your exhaust pipe.

drake · August 23, 2002, 08:35

Oh and rumblestrips and speed bumps are two very different things. Speed bump is just that, a bump. It's meant to slow people down.

Rumble strips are grooves cut into the road with a machine. Their purpose isn't to deter speed but rather keep people awake and alert, particulalry at night. Many highways have them on the shoulder, so if a car passes onto the shoulder, while say, falling asleep, the rumble strip creates a vibration that is very loud, and would jolt most people wide awake.

I've also seen them in the road ahead of toll booths.