Why are roundabouts hard for some people?

[just Warren]

I don't come to this place to learn things (what kind of shady site are y'all running here anyway?)! But I learned that traffic circles and roundabouts are different things.

We do have a roundabout in town but I was talking about traffic circles.

So the roundabout might cause problems, but not if you just look at the signs before entering.

Things I have seen at traffic circles:

A woman pulled into the flow of traffic when she should not have and then stopped, blocking the traffic completely. She looked a little frazzled and it took her a few seconds to get moving again.

A person tried to make a left, that is going against the flow of traffic, and only stopped when a car came from that direction. They had to do a three-point reverse to get going again.

But what I see the most often, and surprisingly frequently, is people coming to a complete stop before proceeding on.

It's a yield sign! If there is no oncoming car you go; if there is, you stop. Super-easy.

And a car entering on the other side of the circle is NOT an oncoming car. It has to slow down and navigate around the bend before it gets to you, if it is not going to continue down the street it's already on that is, so you have a few seconds! Go!

There should be no way to mess this up.

[JN01]

If there are no curbs, it's shorter to go across the middle. 

[bedlamite]

If there are no curbs, it's shorter to go across the middle. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crxdC-M8yV4

[Perd Hapley]

But what I see the most often, and surprisingly frequently, is people coming to a complete stop before proceeding on.

It's a yield sign! If there is no oncoming car you go; if there is, you stop. Super-easy.

At a mall where I worked, the entrance lanes had no stop or yield sign, and the other drivers had stop signs. A lot of incoming mall "guests" still stopped, and often waited for the other drivers to proceed.

[WLJ]

On the subject of traffic lights for left turn lanes:  Around here I see a bunch of "No left turn on red" signs mounted over the traffic light.  What the actual fcuk, over?  Do we really need to remind people to not turn across traffic on a red light?

Yes

[grampster]

We have 'em in the City of Grand Rapids.  The Traffic Engineer discovered them a couple years ago and then went on a roundabout rampage.   When he was questioned by the media about why and that there seemed to be more accidents occurring in the roundabouts than before roundabouts the Engineer's comment was, "yes that true, but the vehicle property damage seems to be lower in the roundabouts."

[Perd Hapley]

On the subject of traffic lights for left turn lanes:  Around here I see a bunch of "No left turn on red" signs mounted over the traffic light.  What the actual fcuk, over?  Do we really need to remind people to not turn across traffic on a red light?

Around here, some of the traffic lights will have a sign saying "Right Turn Signal." Some take this to mean you can't turn right during the red. Which is odd to me, as some other intersections have "No Right Turn on Red" signals. You'd think people would realize those are two different instructions. That, and I don't see anything in state law that requires you to wait for a right turn signal.

And then there's that lady at the 4-way stop sign intersection, who waits for you to come to a complete stop before she will enter the intersection.

[RocketMan]

And then there's that lady at the 4-way stop sign intersection, who waits for you to come to a complete stop before she will enter the intersection.

I don't blame the little old lady at all.  I wait, too.  Around here, if you don't wait for oncoming traffic to stop at four-way stop intersections, there is a good chance you'll get t-boned.
Running stop signs and red lights is a regular sport in this area.

[Perd Hapley]

I don't blame the little old lady at all.  I wait, too.  Around here, if you don't wait for oncoming traffic to stop at four-way stop intersections, there is a good chance you'll get t-boned.
Running stop signs and red lights is a regular sport in this area.

The little old lady should be able to tell the difference between someone slowing down to stop or yield, and someone going so fast they couldn't stop if they saw her in front of them in the intersection.

[Nick1911]

And then there's that lady at the 4-way stop sign intersection, who waits for you to come to a complete stop before she will enter the intersection.

I find this annoying as well.

[Perd Hapley]

I find this annoying as well.

Thank you.

Take your turn so I can take mine, old lady!

The last time I was driving with my wife, and she did this, the other guy just rolled through in front of us. 

[RocketMan]

The little old lady should be able to tell the difference between someone slowing down to stop or yield, and someone going so fast they couldn't stop if they saw her in front of them in the intersection.

Then don't complain if you get t-boned one day.  Many idiots slow just enough to see if crossing traffic is going to stop, then hit the gas and motor on through the intersection.  Around here there are copious quantities of such types, so it pays to be cautious.
Plus, there are a lot of stupid folks that don't understand the concept of "Right of Way" at four-way intersections.  There is likely a lot of crossover between the types.

[Perd Hapley]

Observing the speed and behavior of other drivers, making judgments, and taking appropriate risks is just part of driving. How else can you make a left turn onto or off of a busy street, when there's no light or stop sign for oncoming traffic? How else do you merge into freeway traffic?

If someone is slowing down, but suddenly goes to ramming speed through the intersection in which I have the right of way, I would certainly have the right to complain. That's the kind of crazy behavior no one could, or should, predict. It just wouldn't make sense to base one's decisions on irrational fear of a psychopathic driver.

[Ben]

Some of these situations are probably hard to describe on the interwebz. Sometimes I take my turn at a 4 way stop even if a driver hasn't completely stopped, other times I don't. Sometimes it's really obvious that the driver is going to stop. Other times, not so much and I err on the cautious side.

Where I am really cautious is situations where I have a stop but the perpendicular traffic does not. For instance, If I'm stopped at a T to make a left turn, and I see oncoming traffic with their blinker on to turn right onto my road, if they are close, I almost always wait until they actually turn before I go. That comes from more than one occasion of someone with their blinker on and forgotten, and no intention of turning. Some close calls there.

[zxcvbob]

Some of these situations are probably hard to describe on the interwebz. Sometimes I take my turn at a 4 way stop even if a driver hasn't completely stopped, other times I don't. Sometimes it's really obvious that the driver is going to stop. Other times, not so much and I err on the cautious side.

Where I am really cautious is situations where I have a stop but the perpendicular traffic does not. For instance, If I'm stopped at a T to make a left turn, and I see oncoming traffic with their blinker on to turn right onto my road, if they are close, I almost always wait until they actually turn before I go. That comes from more than one occasion of someone with their blinker on and forgotten, and no intention of turning. Some close calls there.

I wait until they at least start their turn.  Sometimes they are signalling on-purpose but are going to turn in the next driveway, alley, or small street right past the intersection I'm sitting at.

[RocketMan]

Observing the speed and behavior of other drivers, making judgments, and taking appropriate risks is just part of driving. How else can you make a left turn onto or off of a busy street, when there's no light or stop sign for oncoming traffic? How else do you merge into freeway traffic?

If someone is slowing down, but suddenly goes to ramming speed through the intersection in which I have the right of way, I would certainly have the right to complain. That's the kind of crazy behavior no one could, or should, predict. It just wouldn't make sense to base one's decisions on irrational fear of a psychopathic driver.

It's not the "irrational fear of a psychopathic driver", it is the rational fear of the other driver doing something unexpected and even dangerous.  It's just part of defensive driving.

[MechAg94]

Around here, some of the traffic lights will have a sign saying "Right Turn Signal." Some take this to mean you can't turn right during the red. Which is odd to me, as some other intersections have "No Right Turn on Red" signals. You'd think people would realize those are two different instructions. That, and I don't see anything in state law that requires you to wait for a right turn signal.

And then there's that lady at the 4-way stop sign intersection, who waits for you to come to a complete stop before she will enter the intersection.

Why would they even put up a sign saying "Right Turn Signal" if it is a standard thing?  The only sign that should show up at all is the one saying No Right Turn. 

[MechAg94]

Thank you.

Take your turn so I can take mine, old lady!

The last time I was driving with my wife, and she did this, the other guy just rolled through in front of us. 

The annoying part to me is when those people stop, look at you for a moment, wait just long enough you think they are waiting on you, then you all end up moving forward at the same time. 

[fifth_column]

The annoying part to me is when those people stop, look at you for a moment, wait just long enough you think they are waiting on you, then you all end up moving forward at the same time.

I also dislike when the driver of the car that clearly should go next waves at me to go. I've got an idea, how 'bout we all just follow the same rules of the road, mmmkay?

[Fly320s]

I also dislike when the driver of the car that clearly should go next waves at me to go. I've got an idea, how 'bout we all just follow the same rules of the road, mmmkay?

Oh, hell yeah.  That is a big problem around here.