There is a mini-roundabout near me, and I've lost count of the number of times where I've had to stop on it because some idiot failed to yield to the me (I was entering it too their right). One would think they might be more careful saying the local Police Station is around 100yards away.
Speeding
- Thread starter Deckerd
- Start date
There is a mini-roundabout near me, and I've lost count of the number of times where I've had to stop on it because some idiot failed to yield to the me (I was entering it too their right). One would think they might be more careful saying the local Police Station is around 100yards away.
Two roundabouts in my city have now been converted into "hamburgers". Actually, they're "hamburgers with fries on the side" as there are slip roads added in that allow some traffic to dodge the roundabout.
They actually work remarkably well to speed up traffic flow at really busy roundabouts; they work as a kind of hybrid between a normal roundabout and a junction with traffic lights, by regulating the through-flow of traffic with lighs just a little more than a roundabout alone does, and freeing thru-traffic from dealing with the whole intersection. One of them, the Headington hamburger, is below so you can get an idea of how they work.
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Let me get this straight. You can drive right through (a40) the roundabout, but the roundabout itself is London Rd? And there are lights too?
One thing is bloody certain, I'll never, ever, drive in Britain after I move. First that multi roundabout, now this?
It's actually really simple to use, but really difficult to explain concisely in words. The traffic lights regulate the flow of traffic into and around the roundabout system versus the central route. Basically, the lights in combination with the roundabout allow for more traffic to move through it within any given time period than was possible before, exp. with the side slip roads that allow you to "cut the corner". It sounds complicated, but the lights make it competely idiot-proof (even if you initially get in the wrong lane, you can then use the roundabout "normally" to get to the correct exit). It essentially functions as a hybrid, letting drivers familiar with the intersection route themselves into the most efficient lane for their route, while still retains the compact/flexible nature of a roundabout. That makes it great for for heavy rush hour traffic.
Re: the terminology, the A40 just happens to be called London Road within that stretch. It's called other things elsewhere (just a function of a new route being created "on top of" older bits of road network with pre-existing names before they were joined together or otherwise adapted).
PS. the other roundabout on the ring road being worked on currently to create a similar system be seen on this PDF, which also shows the traffic lights/flows better.
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You would think. But I am telling you that at least when I lived in New Jersey, that was not true. It is possible the law was changed since, but when I was there, I know for a fact that the law stated that who yields in a traffic circle was determined "by local custom." I know this because when my family moved here, they made all of the military personnel, including him, take a mini-course that briefed them in on any unusual traffic laws for that state, and that was specifically addressed in that class as a point of fact. Whether it remains true in 2011 I do not know, but at the time I was there, I can absolutely assure you that was a hard fact.
I would think that in traffic circles, you would defer to those in the roundabout already. The reason is the rule is to yield to incoming traffic when merging. So the local custom would be the same as that on a highway. Ideally, they should have some yield signs to be clear.
Of course if you're both coming from opposite sides and one of you is indicating a right turn then the other should yield. I've blown that one before and gotten a honk for my troubles.
Funnily enough the entry points to roundabouts without signals do have the broken double lines indicating a give-way.
It's very hard to speed on a bicycle. But I am developing other ways to rebel against the authoritative state ... MY BICYCLE DOESN'T HAVE A BELL ON IT
Take that, oppressors!
Take that, oppressors!
You can always ride the wrong way on a street (on the side, not literally against a car) or run stop signs or red lights. That's usually how most bicyclists do it.
I value my life far more than that!
Ours do have 'yield' (well, 'give way'
) markings on the roads leading up to the roundabout, but it won't help you work out who gives way to whom, because all the roads have them. But as with almost any other situation with a give way in this country, you look to your right. And as they're give way markings (dashed) rather than stop (solid), if there's nothing coming there is no requirement to stop. The thing about roundabouts, they sound much more complicated in text explanations than they actually are. You drive up, is anything coming from the right? no? then continue onto it and go round clockwise. That's about it.
The only time when I've felt they're a bit iffy is if people arrive at all the junctions at the same time and then you have a bit of a stand off until someone just puts their foot down
No one in America actually drives the posted speed limits. Where there's traffic, you maintain the flow of traffic.
On highways, doing more than fifteen miles above the posted limit can be time-consuming, expensive and troublesome. I plead down a well-deserved citation last winter, and that hurt enough to modify my behavior.
On highways, doing more than fifteen miles above the posted limit can be time-consuming, expensive and troublesome. I plead down a well-deserved citation last winter, and that hurt enough to modify my behavior.
True - in theory, in that situation, all vehicles can go - as they are all going clockwise, they shouldn't meet. In reality, that only works on the larger roundabouts.
I generally go about 20 km/h over the speed limit. I'd say that's probably about average for my area. I don't even usually slow down below that if I see a cop. I've only had a speeding ticket once, and it was for $6. I don't usually go more than 20 over though.
Justification? I get places faster.
Justification? I get places faster.
Well if people arrived at smaller roundabouts at the same time, perhaps right of way would defer to the primary route. As 2 primary routes converging at a Rounabout would generally have a larger roundabout.
Of course to those not familair with them they might seem confusing, but to those of us that use them daily it's second nature.
Roundabouts scared the hell out of me when I first moved to England. I now prefer them to standard intersections because they allow for a better flow of traffic.
I never speed in residential areas. I live on a rather busy residential road which lies between two main roads (most side roads here are dead end ones) and there are plenty of speed bumps on my road. It's a 20mph zone because kids from at least half a dozen schools walk along this road, but still there are assholes driving 40mph+ during school drop-off and pick-up times. It's infuriating, though thankfully no child has been hit by a speeder yet.
I tend to speed on A-roads and motorways, usually no more than 10mph over the limit, though some of the A-roads down here are so twisty and turny that only an idiot would travel as fast as the speed limit. Several of the old cottages close to the roads have had cars lodged in their walls, and you never know if there's a slow-moving farm vehicle around the next blind bend, of which there are a-plenty. Devon is a beautiful county, but it can be a pain to drive in.
I never speed in residential areas. I live on a rather busy residential road which lies between two main roads (most side roads here are dead end ones) and there are plenty of speed bumps on my road. It's a 20mph zone because kids from at least half a dozen schools walk along this road, but still there are assholes driving 40mph+ during school drop-off and pick-up times. It's infuriating, though thankfully no child has been hit by a speeder yet.
I tend to speed on A-roads and motorways, usually no more than 10mph over the limit, though some of the A-roads down here are so twisty and turny that only an idiot would travel as fast as the speed limit. Several of the old cottages close to the roads have had cars lodged in their walls, and you never know if there's a slow-moving farm vehicle around the next blind bend, of which there are a-plenty. Devon is a beautiful county, but it can be a pain to drive in.
I'm doin' a hundred on the highway.
So if you do the speed limit, get the #### outta my way
I'm D.U.I., hardly ever caught sober
and you about to get ran the #### over.
Move bitch, get out the way
Get out the way bitch, get out the way
-The great poet and philosopher of our times, Chris Bridges.
So if you do the speed limit, get the #### outta my way
I'm D.U.I., hardly ever caught sober
and you about to get ran the #### over.
Move bitch, get out the way
Get out the way bitch, get out the way
-The great poet and philosopher of our times, Chris Bridges.
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