My recent blog on ‘Turn Signals’ prompted a response from a friend in Florida. She felt if turn signals were a problem for me, we probably wouldn't like the issues she has in her community...roundabouts.
We actually have quite a few roundabouts in our city too. I admit, it took a little bit of learning on my part to know how to use them but I eventually did and they are tolerable to use…what isn’t tolerable is the people who don’t know how to use them, and that’s probably what Brenda was implying about the roundabouts in her community.
The idea behind the roundabout is two-fold as I understand them.
First, they are felt to be safer than the usual 2-way or 4-way intersection. Often at 2-way intersections a car pulls out thinking that traffic to the left and right have to stop…and sometimes they don’t have to, and an accident is about to happen. Then there are those that run the stop sign either intentionally or accidentally. Accidents at those type intersections can be quite damaging to the vehicles and even fatal to drivers and passengers as the cars meet at 90 degree angles. In a roundabout, cars enter the intersection at a 45 degree angle so if there is an accident, they are more like glancing blows rather than direct hits. The damage to the vehicles is less and the risk of severe injury is lessened.
The second advantage to the roundabout is traffic flow. If there is no oncoming traffic as you approach the roundabout, you simply proceed through the intersection without stopping, keeping the traffic flow moving. This also means less wear-and-tear on the automobile as you don’t have to bring it to a stop, and then restart. If there is oncoming traffic at the roundabout, the idea is to slow down and slowly enter either in front of or behind oncoming vehicles without stopping.
If everyone does their part, it can work safely and efficiently. However, once again, the frustration lies in those who don’t know how to use the roundabout, those that will stop without any oncoming traffic or will stop when they could proceed between oncoming spaced vehicles.
If people would just learn to use roundabouts…it’ll make life easier for them and others…and help lower my blood pressure.
REMEMBER:
Luck usually finds those that are the hardest workers.
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