yetiwagon

Thanks to Pierre L'Enfant, we have plenty of them in DC and there are even a couple near me in the Arlington, Va. suburbs. I was leery of them when I first moved here 15-odd years ago, but I don't mind them anymore. And I *always* yield. I liken it to entering a revolving door. You don't just charge in -- you wait for an opening.

Subanoobie

We are starting to get some roundies out in North Virginia.

I don't really see the purpose.

The problem with roundies is that it depends on courtesy from drivers. This America! We don't do courtesy when we are in our cars. That's fer them foreign drivers!

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Shredmo

Based on OP video and my recent experience, Iowan's must have decided you need to yield once in roundabout. Yesterday I had the same experience as OP did, except a second car tried to enter as I briefly slowed to allow right of way to first vehicle to avoid collision. Hell no!

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ballemann

Not only in America! Here in Norway, it's just the same...

damu0703

...here is an excerpt from the NJ Motor Vehicle Commission driving manual:
Traffic Circle
There are no set rules for driving into, around and out of a traffic circle in New
Jersey. Common sense and caution must prevail at all times. In most cases, the
circle’s historically established traffic flow pattern dictates who has the right-ofway.
If a major highway flows into and through the circle, it usually dominates the
traffic flow pattern and commands the right-of-way. Traffic control signs, such as
stop or yield signs, at the entrances to the circle also govern which motorist has the
right-of-way. Never enter a traffic circle without checking all signs and determining
the intentions of the motorists already moving within the circle.

Whenever a motorist is in doubt concerning who has the right-of-way in a circle,
he/she should exercise extreme caution and remember the basic rule governing
any uncontrolled intersection: The vehicle to the left yields the right-of-way to the
vehicle approaching from the right.

So there you have it...[I don't know what other states have in their manuals,
but NJ's seems to rely on drivers being 'from the area' to know what to do at the circle.]

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johnny_hk_iowa

Thread Starter

I have the same impression....

johnny_hk_iowa

Thread Starter

This could be something the news section of Top Gear, and starting to laugh about it.... It doesn't help at all..... hahaha.....

Shredmo

Having an elaborate explanation of how to navigate a controlled intersection such as a roundabout followed with the basic rule governing any uncontrolled intersection seems intentionally confusing.

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Echo63

Here in Australia the rules are simple, you give way to the right (left to you Americans who drive on the wrong side of the road)

If some one is coming from the right (or turning across in front of you from straight ahead, they have right of way

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LLC

I am always in disbelief when there are ten cars that think they can follow each other through the "roundabout" and not yield to other cars waiting. I think that rotaries need posted directions for most American drivers to be able to navigate them safely.

guzzla

Or in other words all traffic on the roundabout has right of way and you must give way to them when entering it. Which is the opposite to the rule in France when we drove there 35 years ago. Any traffic entering a roundabout had right of way which meant traffic was always stopping in the roundabout and on multilaned roundabouts such as the huge one around the Arc de Triomphe in Paris traffic would get pushed into the centre of it and it was really difficult to exit. I hope they have changed their rule since.

It seems like most countries have difficulties with the use of roundabouts, which probably says as much about the intelligence and driver training of the drivers using them as it does about roundabouts themselves.

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07 Forester XT 5 speed 236,000km

GMork

The traffic rules for roundabouts are different in the European countries.

1) The following traffic rule is valid for most of the west and middle European countries:
Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Denmark, Poland, Sweden, Luxembourg, Norway, Great Britain, Ireland.
For the two last named countries one has to consider, that they have left-hand-driving.
If the roundabout is signposted with the corresponding traffic sign for a roundabout in connection with the traffic sign give way,the cars, which are in the roundabout, have right of way. The cars, which want to enter the roundabout, must give way, i.e. they must yield to the cars in the roundabout.

2) The following traffic rule is valid in general for France, Italy, Austria and Romania.
The cars, which want to enter the roundabout has right of way. The cars in the roundabout have to give way, i.e. they must yield to the entering cars.
But sometimes there are also roundabouts in these countries, where the traffic is regulated by special traffic signs in another way, mostly in the way of rule 1).

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pleiad7

Our local newspaper had an article today about roundabouts, and how they're not exactly popular around here: Traffic roundabouts can get some in Sonoma County wound up | PressDemocrat.com

Confusion about how to use them properly and who has the right of way was cited as one main reason why they're so often disliked. Thought it was funny that a Subaru driver in particular was mentioned as someone who almost caused an accident at a newly added roundabout:

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04 FXT PP PSM ~ "Subed"
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2.5x_sleeper

There's one near where I go grocery shopping. It's located near a retirement community & it can be a nightmare to get thru!

Bobby...

['07 FSXT MODding Journal] ['03 X MODding Journal]

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johnny_hk_iowa

Thread Starter

Is all the people in that community drive a N/A Forester?