Negotiating roundabouts

From an outsiders point of view it doesn't look like they are enhancing safety but trying to make more business for the body shops, medical facilities, and morticians. ;D

UK-RV said:

Hi Guys

I couldnt resist a reply to this one.

In the UK we have the "Magic Roundabout".

It consists of 5 separate roundabouts that all merge into each other.

I havent had the pleasure of driving it, but you can just imagine the fun it must be.

Ive attached a couple of photos for you to take a look.

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I hope they caught the traffic engineer who designed that and put the poor sod out of his misery.

Tom,

You might get a kick out of a thing I wrote for the UK Current Affairs forum after a trip to Great Britain (aka UK) as a part of something called British Notes:


DRIVING IN THE UK.

Oddly enuf driving on the left is rather simple.  One either gets it right the
first time or wakes up in the intensive care ward .... if at all.  Scotland is
slightly different tho.  Whereas the English drive on the left, the Scots drive
in the middle.

Turn signals are a device on a UK car to indicate the presence of foreign
tourists within.

English traffic calming seems to include suddenly narrowing High Street to one
lane and designating one direction as having 'priority'.    This seems to be on
the theory that the occasional head on collision has a wondrously calming
effect ... and well it might.

We encountered numerous signs that indicated HUMPS FOR 600 YARDS down a road. 
These left foreigners to wonder, if he would hump for 600 yards, what would he
do for a whole mile?

Roundabouts do take a bit of getting used to.  Eventually one realizes that
entering a roundabout is a matter of quick preplanning and exercising a sense
of timing and rhythm.  It also helps upon entering a roundabout, to utter a
brief encouraging shout such as BANZAI or GERONIMO. 

The matter of which speed to use on a motorway appears to be simple.  A safe
sane cruising speed of 90 mph will allow one to pace traffic nicely. being
passed on occasion by Jaguars, Lotuses,  and the odd Morris Minor with
something to prove.

LOL Carl we enjoyed reading that. 

LOL Carl. Yes, I did get a kick out of it.

Carl Lundquist said:

Eventually one realizes that
entering a roundabout is a matter of quick preplanning and exercising a sense of timing and rhythm.

Click to expand...

So right. Get the timing wrong and you could find yourself going around again, maybe numerous times  ;D

A safe sane cruising speed of 90 mph will allow one to pace traffic nicely. being passed on occasion by Jaguars, Lotuses....

Click to expand...

Only true in the slow lane of motorways 

Great Britain (aka UK)

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Erroneous, of course. Kinda like saying "USA aka North America", albeit on a different scale  ???

Hi Paul,

Thanks but no thanks!!! Having spent a few weeks in Europe, two in the U.K., I saw how efficient roundabouts can be when driven properly. Luckily I didn't have to drive. I have driven a few here in the states and, if busy, they are not fun. Just found out that here in CT they want to put in two new roundabouts to help ease the flow of traffic. Won't happen as most drivers have no clue on the rules of a roundabout. Heck, they don't even stop for red lights anymore!!!! The good thing is you can keep going around until there is an empty space to move over so you can exit. Sounds like Charlie on the MTA. ;D

So right. Get the timing wrong and you could find yourself going around again, maybe numerous times

Click to expand...

LOL - Having only just started my truck driving work, I purchased a Sat Nav system (ready for US trip too).

It took me 3 roundabouts before I realised what was wrong.....

It takes the Sat Nav a second or two to plot my actual position on the roundabout, so that I had actually gone past the correct turning before the Sat Nav actually drew the direction indicator for that turn.

Yep, I ended up driving around the islands a second time.

It is a slight worry though that it took me 3 roundabouts before I realised the problem.

Paul

Paul

Wait until you run into a situation where the maps are wrong (i.e. they were digitized incorrectly), causing the nav system to get its left and right turns all mixed up. Can be fun or downright confusing.

I wonder how the Garmin SPIII or 26XX would handle a roundabout.  Probably do OK since if it works anything like a freeway exit it would show you in advance where to turn and whether the exit is on the left or right side of the freeway.

Tom said:

LOL Carl. Yes, I did get a kick out of it.

Erroneous, of course. Kinda like saying "USA aka North America", albeit on a different scale?

Click to expand...

Just trying to explain UK to the gringos that may? be lurking around in here.? ?Besides, doesn't the USA=North America?? <gdr.

UK-RV said:

Hi Guys

I couldnt resist a reply to this one.

In the UK we have the "Magic Roundabout".

It consists of 5 separate roundabouts that all merge into each other.

I havent had the pleasure of driving it, but you can just imagine the fun it must be.

Click to expand...

At first I thought you were describing the five roundabouts in East Kilbride but they are bigger and give you a second or so before they twirl you in to the next one.

In any case, it is easy to imagine the fun, Disneyland has a ride, The Magic Teacups, that has exactly the same geometery.

In any case, it is easy to imagine the fun, Disneyland has a ride, The Magic Teacups, that has exactly the same geometery

Click to expand...

LOL. I hadn't thought of that Carl.  Do you suppose the Magic Roundabout  actually originated after or while  the designing engineer visited the Magic Kingdom?  Could there be a connection? ;D ;D ;D

Carl Lundquist said:

Just trying to explain UK to the gringos that may be lurking around in here.

Click to expand...

I knew that and I was merely trying to clarify it in case the gringos missed it.

Jim Dick said:

Heck, they don't even stop for red lights anymore!!!!

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Jim

What do you mean anymore ??? ??? Had that problem when we lived in CT in the 70s and 80s ;D ;D

Ron

>>I wonder how the Garmin SPIII or 26XX would handle a roundabout<<

It worked fine in Borrego Springs, CA & Long Beach, CA...Of course I was using Ciy Nav at the time.<BG>


Terry
At Yuma, AZ

Terry A. Brewer said:

Ron

>>I wonder how the Garmin SPIII or 26XX would handle a roundabout<<

It worked fine in Borrego Springs, CA & Long Beach, CA...Of course I was using Ciy Nav at the time.<BG>


Terry
At Yuma, AZ

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Probably do better with Metro Guide.  City Nav would probably have you going around each section of the magic roundabout twice or more.

Ron

>> City Nav would probably have you going around each section of the magic roundabout twice or more.<<

While I have Metro Guide loaded I only use it in small towns where it has better detail. City nav for me is the MUCH better all around software.

Terry
At Yuma, AZ

"Sounds like Charlie on the MTA. "

Charlie might not have had a nickle, but I think he was a lot safer on the MTA than he'd be in one of those UK roundabouts!! No wonder Mike drive the way he does.....he's half English!

Wendy
trembling at the thought of our little 29' Winnebago in one of those crazy things and eternally grateful that I'm blind and don't have to drive or even watch such nut-so things

Terry A. Brewer said:

Ron

>> City Nav would probably have you going around each section of the magic roundabout twice or more.<<

While I have Metro Guide loaded I only use it in small towns where it has better detail. City nav for me is the MUCH better all around software.

Terry
At Yuma, AZ

Click to expand...

I have Metro Guide loaded to and go to it more often than should be necessary when City Nav get lost, like around Boise.

Ron said:

I have Metro Guide loaded to and go to it more often than should be necessary when City Nav get lost, like around Boise.

Click to expand...

Ron

CNv5 always got us around Boise very well except for finding the Costco that closed a couple of years ago and moved a few miles away ;D ;D