I Hate Roundabouts, But...

[worddoer]

I think the USA issue is probably a result that many in our culture are raised in a paradigm where things should be organized and orderly with clear rules, everyone should obey them, and everyone should wait for their turn. Roundabouts, at least at first appearance, are contrary to that mindset.

I think this is a large part of it.

I also think that the problem is a lack of standardization and notification. Frequently the signs for how the roundabout works are JUST in front of the roundabout. If it turns out you are in the wrong lane, you are going who knows where as the locals just shove you along.

All in Indiana.....

I have seen single lane roundabouts, these are pretty easy to use and navigate IMHO.

I have seen double lane roundabouts. These are far more confusing to me in heavy traffic. Sometimes the inner lane continues around and the outer lane comes and goes for each road. Ultimately you have to swerve in and out of lanes as you go around trying to get to your chosen road. I think these are the easier of the 2 lane roundabouts. Sometimes both lanes go all the way around. Which makes even less sense to me. If both lanes wrap around continuously, once you are in the inner lane you would never be able to get out without swerving in front of someone to get to the outer lane. If you are only supposed to be in the outer lane JUST before you pull onto the next road, then most people use the double lane roundabout incorrectly. Usually you have 2 bumper to bumper lanes of traffic getting crammed into the roundabout and with a lot of swerving, honking and jockeying as people try to figure things out.

I see this is how roundabouts are supposed to work, but the "wrong" ways mentioned in this video is how I have seen most people try to use a roundabout in Indiana.

https://www.nhpr.org/post/nh-dot-produces-tutorial-how-navigate-two-lane-roundabouts#stream/0

I have seen a multi lane roundabout (somewhere north of Indy) that was a frigging nightmare. More or less, same problems as above, but with even more lanes it was just that much more chaotic.

The one thing I have learned is USE YOUR TURN SIGNALS AND SLOW DOWN!!!! It helps everyone know where you intend to go even though you may not know how to get there. AND...watch everyone like a hawk. Just assume that the people around you are just as clueless as you possibly could be.

It will probably take several decades to education the masses of Indiana drivers, but we will eventually get there. Until then, be careful, slow down and use your turn signals.

 

[Ricnzak]

Noblesville put in a roundabout at 10th and Greenfield that is poorly designed. We've had a few accidents there already. They are putting in a new one by the high school. I see nothing that could go wrong with another poor design combined with young drivers and school buses.

Roundabouts are fun on the Harley when there's no traffic. I could see a sport bike being a blast.

 

[DeagonKennels]

Fight it if you were in a semi. Semi trucks always have the right of way in the state of Indiana if you are 40 feet or greater.

 

[Dead Duck]

https://www.foxnews.com/auto/video-van-jumps-over-roundabout

 

[DoggyDaddy]

https://www.foxnews.com/auto/video-van-jumps-over-roundabout

"Just some good ol' boys... Never meanin' no harm.
Beats all you ever saw, been in trouble with the law
since they day they was born."

 

[Sigblitz]

Well, they did put in a ramp.

 

[nonobaddog]

It doesn't actually need to be a roundabout...

[video=youtube;uj4MEGi-OyQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj4MEGi-OyQ[/video]

 

[actaeon277]

 

[Sylvain]

Not at all! In fact, we in the USA are just beginners at roundabouts. Once we get gooder at it we will be able to make ones like this one in China.

This one is easy!

Only four lanes entering.Try 12 with no marking on the road.

 

[nonobaddog]

But that is in France. They don't need lines because they don't know where they are going anyhow.

 

[Dead Duck]

But that is in France. They don't need lines because they don't know where they are going anyhow.

....and nobody can read the signs. They're like all foreign and ****.

 

[Sylvain]

But that is in France. They don't need lines because they don't know where they are going anyhow.

Well half of them are Parisians driving fast because they know where they are going, the other half are tourists who drive super slow.

Parisians driving is a scary thing.I was there very recently.
Saw plenty of cars running red lights while pedestrians tried to cross the street.
I almost got rear ended because I stopped at a red light.

 

[nonobaddog]

....and nobody can read the signs. They're like all foreign and ****.

and even if you get somebody to figure out the signs - they still don't say anything.

 

[ashby koss]

The problem with the AMERICAN round abouts - especially in Indianapolis.

1) they are not built 100% correctly / exactly like the British originals. (Not enough lanes etc) I think they were trying to improve them?

2) AMERICANS simply have NO training whatsoever to use a round about safely. Which makes it slower for everyone, and extremely angering to those who have driven / trained with them for real (England, etc)

 

[nonobaddog]

Right. Americans drive really sloppy compared to parts of Europe. In Germany on the Autobahn drivers really do keep to the right except to pass. NOBODY just drives forever in the fast lane like they do in America. If they didn't move back to the right they would get a high speed Porsche or BMW up their trunk.


Also when there is a traffic stoppage in a two lane section, the right lane pulls off to the right and the left lane pulls off to the left, or if it is a three lane the right two lanes pull off to the right and the left lane pulls off to the left. This leaves a clear lane down the middle for high speed emergency vehicles and I do mean high speed. EVERYBODY follows the rules and nobody cheats like they would in America.


At least that is how it used to be. I don't know how it is now that they have so many 'immigrants'.

 

[churchmouse]

Right. Americans drive really sloppy compared to parts of Europe. In Germany on the Autobahn drivers really do keep to the right except to pass. NOBODY just drives forever in the fast lane like they do in America. If they didn't move back to the right they would get a high speed Porsche or BMW up their trunk.


Also when there is a traffic stoppage in a two lane section, the right lane pulls off to the right and the left lane pulls off to the left, or if it is a three lane the right two lanes pull off to the right and the left lane pulls off to the left. This leaves a clear lane down the middle for high speed emergency vehicles and I do mean high speed. EVERYBODY follows the rules and nobody cheats like they would in America.


At least that is how it used to be. I don't know how it is now that they have so many 'immigrants'.

Have you all seen how our "Immigrants" drive. Seriously.
I am out there all the time and 90% of those people have zero idea what is is supposed to be done like here. Then the other 10% are local idiots on the phone.
Now when you get into it with an immigrant on the phone it is just best to take he next right and cut your losses.

 

[nonobaddog]

Have you all seen how our "Immigrants" drive. Seriously.
I am out there all the time and 90% of those people have zero idea what is is supposed to be done like here. Then the other 10% are local idiots on the phone.
Now when you get into it with an immigrant on the phone it is just best to take he next right and cut your losses.

Yes. We have a LOT of somalians and they don't know how to drive right, they don't know how to park right - those lines are for other people. They don't even know how to walk right around traffic or in parking lots. Everybody else has to watch out for them. I don't know if they were just given a drivers license without training or if they even have a license.

 

[Dead Duck]

And don't get me started on Asian drivers.

No....it's not racist to say. Yes...it's stereotypical but only because IT"S TRUE. One of my Vietnamese friends use to scream at bad Asian drivers more than anyone I ever knew. (CA traffic) Then he would rant about it for the rest of the day. If questioned about HIS driving, he would say that he's one of the exceptions.

When his sister started to drive he would refuse to get in the car with her. As far as I know, he still won't.

 

[Sylvain]

Yes. We have a LOT of somalians and they don't know how to drive right, they don't know how to park right - those lines are for other people. They don't even know how to walk right around traffic or in parking lots. Everybody else has to watch out for them. I don't know if they were just given a drivers license without training or if they even have a license.

You can drive with a foreign driver's licence without needing any additional training even if traffic laws are different from country to country.

Same way you can just fly to the UK and rent a car, and legally drive it with your US licence, you just need to remember to drive on the other side of the road.

 

[Dead Duck]

You can drive with a foreign driver's licence without needing any additional training even if traffic laws are different from country to country.

Same way you can just fly to the UK and rent a car, and legally drive it with your US licence, you just need to remember [STRIKE]to drive on the other[/STRIKE] that they drive on the wrong side of the road.

FIFY