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How to drive round a Roundabout (instructional video)

I'm confused???? I thought a rotary and roundabout were one and the same (just different terminology), and a traffic circle is completely different.

I agree with BoSoxBruin's definitions.
 
No they're distinctly different. The first link that BoSoxBruin posted is the best representation, although I must say it is a rather unorthodox one. Usually there are no crosswalks to the center island, and there is usually an "apron" of some sort surrounding the island to allow for big vehicles like trailers and buses get around without getting caught up on the curbing because of having such a small radius on the circle.
 
BoSoxBruin said:
Yea, but no one here calls them "roundabouts" and even the signs leading to them say "traffic circle" or at least "circle"... Plus anyways, if you ever say "roundabout" here you will be laughed at (I know this from my own experiences)...

Roundabout
Entering vehicles yield
Vehicles in the roundabout have priority over the entering vehicle
Use deflection to maintain low speed operation
No parking is allowed
Pedestrians are (usually) prohibited from the central island
All vehicles circulate around the central island

Traffic Circle
Stop sign, stop signal, or giving priority to entering vehicles
Allow weaving areas to resolve conflicted movement
Some large circles provide straight path for higher speed
Some large circles permit parking within the circle
Some large circles allow pedestrians on central island
Mini-traffic circles with left-turning vehicles passing to the left of the central island.
Click to expand...


Wow. Nerd much?:laugh:
 
zorrex said:
No they're distinctly different. The first link that BoSoxBruin posted is the best representation, although I must say it is a rather unorthodox one. Usually there are no crosswalks to the center island, and there is usually an "apron" of some sort surrounding the island to allow for big vehicles like trailers and buses get around without getting caught up on the curbing because of having such a small radius on the circle.
Click to expand...

There is enough room for buses/trucks to get around with no problems... And the crosswalks are there because Pinkerton Acadamy (a huge high school) is just north of that rotary... I have seen people almost get hit when it is dark out...
 
zorrex said:
No they're distinctly different. The first link that BoSoxBruin posted is the best representation, although I must say it is a rather unorthodox one. Usually there are no crosswalks to the center island, and there is usually an "apron" of some sort surrounding the island to allow for big vehicles like trailers and buses get around without getting caught up on the curbing because of having such a small radius on the circle.
Click to expand...
I'm still not understanding your distinguishment between a rotary and a roundabout. What did BoSoxBruin post (a rotory or a roundabout)?

.. ok .. I did a bit of research. It appears that Rotary is synonymous with Traffic Circle, and Roundabout is its own entity. Is this correct?

Example of a traffic circle (aka Rotary) being turned into a roundabout:

http://fcgov.com/roundabout/pdf/roundabout_faqs.pdf

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=1123842&BRD=1769&PAG=461&dept_id=74969&rfi=8
 
You got it Matt. However, rotaries and traffic circles are different. Rotaries do not have traffic signals. Otherwise they are usually the same structurally.
 
You'll enjoy this one then.

I think it's a roundabout (in the definition of the word), but it has crosswalks going through the center AND traffic lights. Some of the entrances to the roundabout are yields, some are stops. Traffic in the circle has right-of-way. The traffic lights blink orange until someone presses a crosswalk button. Then they turn red, stopping all traffic entering the roundabout and in the roundabout, for a given time period (30 second or so). Witnessing the madness during Boston rush hour is almost entertaining.

Yay Somerville :rolleyes:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=...71.116726&spn=0.001113,0.002948&t=k&z=19&om=0

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v...t=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=2960180&encType=1
 
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This is a roundabout LOL

magic.gif




The 'Magic Roundabout' has also been described as a 'who dares wins' roundabout and as 'hilarious, totally aggressive and kick-arse'. Wow. All this over a roundabout. Well, for a start, it consists of one large roundabout, surrounded by six mini-roundabouts - one for each of the six original junctions. And how does that work, you might ask? Basically, each mini-roundabout is treated just like a normal roundabout, with the main roundabout acting as a sort of distraction. But the really distinguishing motif of this grand cosmic wheel of traffic is that you are perfectly entitled to turn right at any of the mini-roundabouts as well as turn left. This means you can quite easily find yourself driving anti-clockwise around the main roundabout. And let's not forget, clockwise and clockwise only is the rule of thumb for all other British roundabouts. As you might well imagine, this causes a lot of confusion.
When it was introduced roughly 30 years ago it caused so much confusion that policeman were positioned on each of the six roundabouts in an attempt to direct the lost traffic as bewildered drivers abandoned their cars, weeping into their now useless highway code books, simply unable to grasp the weirdness of this two-way circle. It was built to cope with the increased congestion that came as Hemel grew. On the first day of operation in June 1973, traffic came to a standstill and backed up to Berkhamsted.
 
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