Do Americans Know What A Roundabout Is? - Page 2

drake · August 23, 2002, 08:36

Good call baron

redbaron · August 23, 2002, 08:38

Likewise drake.

rah · August 23, 2002, 09:02

Quote:

Originally posted by drake
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).

Yes, I used to travel to Mass and surrounding areas on business all the time. I used to hate flying in after dark because then I'd have to drive on unfamiliar roads at night. Normally it's not a problem but in the NE, I'd run into way to many rotaries and lose my sense of direction. Not good when you're unfamiliar with the area.

TheStinger · August 23, 2002, 09:05

Really big roundabout in the uK are sometimes called Gyratories

Solly · August 23, 2002, 09:06

There's a great roundabout near Salford going into Manchester on the M602. I think it's called a hamburger roundabout...a roundabout with a straight road going right through the middle of it.

Ming · August 23, 2002, 09:17

Quote:

Originally posted by drake
I've also seen them in the road ahead of toll booths.

Which is a GREAT idea. They have them on most of the toll roads in Illinois.

Lefty Scaevola · August 23, 2002, 09:36

Even out he-are in the backwoods of Texas, we them traffic ciarcle thangs.

Pekka · August 23, 2002, 09:44

I agree with Azazel on this one. It would be even more superior if everyone learned how to drive it properly

.
We've had them for ages, but everytime I go through one, 50% are driving it wrong, and when there's lots of traffic, they're slowing it down leading it to almost road rage situations.

Rogan Josh · August 23, 2002, 09:51

Quote:

Originally posted by Ming
Obviously not to Chicago... we have them everywhere

That's strange. I spent 3 month in Chicago not so long ago, and I don't remember seeing a single one... Just lots of these bloody stop signs.

The French and Germans don't seem to understand roundabouts. They have this rule where at stop signs you give way to the person on your right, which is completely the other way round from the philosophy of a roundabout. So here in France I routinely see people on roundabouts giving way to cars coming onto the roundabout, or even going round it the wrong way.

Solly · August 23, 2002, 09:54

Going round the wrong way.

drake · August 23, 2002, 09:57

Some people say the roundabouts are confusing...but they're not half as confusing as some intersections I've seen.

Some people just need the security of a light to tell them when to stop and go. They're not good at making proper judgement calls.

Which is why there aren't many in the US

Az · August 23, 2002, 12:25

Quote:

I agree with Azazel on this one. It would be even more superior if everyone learned how to drive it properly

anyway, what's so goddamn confusing? you go right on the traffic circle, but before that you have to give advantage to anyone who's already on it.

say, what do you americans and euros do in order to get a driver's licence , anyway?

Dry · August 23, 2002, 12:38

Quote:

Originally posted by The Mad Monk
Most folks I know think of them as more dangerous than 'normal' intersections.

Maybe they think the huge flying saucer could come back and land exactly at the same place?

CapitanGarlic · August 23, 2002, 12:39

Hmm... when our family moved last year, they put several traffic circleabouts in the neighborhood where we lived. They were more to prevent speeders than to "control air pollution, ease congestion, etc". Although, they do look very nice.

For a driver's licence in America, it's different for every state. Here in good ol' Montana, it goes like this:

With no Driver's Education:
Licence at 16 (years old)

With Driver's Ed:
Learners permit at 14 1/2
Licence at 15

Az · August 23, 2002, 12:47

so you can drive without learing after you hit 16?

remind me of never driving around Montana.

here , driver's education is obligatory , of course , and you can start learning at the age of 16 1/2, with a special tutor, and then you have to pass a theoretical , and then a practical test , with the minimum age for a licence is 17, and then you have to drive for 2 months more accompanied by an experienced driver.

DanS · August 23, 2002, 13:03

The larger roundabouts are "circles" in D.C. DuPont Circle (no pun intended), Scott Circle, etc. They are good at increasing speed through an area and also good at directing traffic across town. However, they are very confusing for those who don't know their way around and in high density traffic can be dangerous.

In D.C., the configuration of most of the circles renders the "increasing speed" portion of their raison d'etre inoperable, while decreasing the danger.

Az · August 23, 2002, 13:06

what do you mean by "configuration" ??? Are there more ways than one to operate a traffic circle?

Traianvs · August 23, 2002, 13:15

... a sleeping policeman is designed especially to kill ferrari cars.. the engineers are probably payed so poorly they want revenge on anyone who has managed to earn big $$$

(btw it's actually quite funny to see a ferrari drive over a sleeping policeman... they go like 2 km/h

)

DanS · August 23, 2002, 13:38

"Are there more ways than one to operate a traffic circle?"

Sure there are. You can put stop lights on the circle, on the tributaries, or both. The circle still adds efficiency (although not nearly as much), considering that you can have larger numbers of tributaries.

chequita guevara · August 23, 2002, 13:43

I hate traffic circles. They slow traffic down unreasonably during rush hour and most idiots don't know how to drive in one. I'm always worried about getting clipped.

Az · August 23, 2002, 13:54

oh traffic lights on the tributaries. I know of only one place in Israel that has those, and they are considered a local joke, and a municipal white elephant. there is no point in those , really.

axi · August 23, 2002, 14:17

I can't understand why in the United States one has to yield to the traffic inside the roundabout, although they drive to the right. In my country, whoever is on the right comes first everywhere, unless there is a sign saying otherwise. So when one enter a roundabout he doesn't have to yield, unless he reaches the next entry point. This means that people inside the roundabout must drive carefully.

chequita guevara · August 23, 2002, 14:20

That would cause way too many accidents, axi. Americans are terrible drivers.

Arrian · August 23, 2002, 14:32

I'm with Che here, I HATE traffic circles. Most people do not, in fact, know how to use them (getting a driver's license in most states is pathetically easy) and I just don't trust the other morons in the circle with me, which makes me jumpy.

I can only think of two traffic circles, though I'm sure I've been through more than that because I've done a fair amount of driving in VT and NH. One is in Hartford, coming off the "downtown area" exit off of I-91. That one is rarely crowded, so no biggie. The other is up in the Boston area on the way to IHOP from my friend's apartment

That one is a bit more problematic.

DanS, though I've never actually had to drive there, DC looked horrible. I have visited a friend in Chevy Chase a couple of times, and driving around with him (in a '78 Chevy Caprice, no less) was... well, it got the blood flowing.

-Arrian

Az · August 23, 2002, 15:01

Quote:

getting a driver's license in most states is pathetically easy

that's the problem , I guess. I learned to drive for 8 months, and now I am a great driver .

Arrian · August 23, 2002, 15:07

Quote:

Originally posted by Azazel

...I am a great driver .

We all think that.

But yeah, driving tests in the US are unbelievably easy, and that's a problem, IMO. It should be a lot harder to get a license that allows you to control a couple of tons of metal at speeds upwards of 55mph.

-Arrian

drake · August 23, 2002, 15:09

Quote:

I can't understand why in the United States one has to yield to the traffic inside the roundabout, although they drive to the right. In my country, whoever is on the right comes first everywhere, unless there is a sign saying otherwise. So when one enter a roundabout he doesn't have to yield, unless he reaches the next entry point. This means that people inside the roundabout must drive carefully.

BEcause it encourages stopping traffic. The idea is to keep it going. GO! GO! GO!

Yes, american drivers are dangerous, but in areas where rotaries are prevalent, and the primary traffic is locals, there really isn't that big of a safety issue. (Now the one down the road from Logan where you get a bunch of tourists.....that one you have to be careful at

)

Now 4 way stop signs? Heh..for some reason the ma$$holes don't get those

Arrian · August 23, 2002, 15:12

Perhaps they figured you guys wouldn't stop at them anyway

We in CT have our own version of "stopping at a stop sign."

-Arrian

drake · August 23, 2002, 15:16

Good point....at places with good visibility in both directions, there really is no need for stop signs with most people. Most stop signs around here are treated as yields.....

Come to a complete stop at a stop sign? Yeah...right

Arrian · August 23, 2002, 15:20

I call it the "I could have stopped if I really needed to" move. I normally try not to do it, but even I can't be bothered with a true full stop sometimes.

-Arrian