Day 1.115: Roundabout magic

This man is filming this intersection for a news story about replacing these traffic lights with a roundabout.

It seemed as we were leaving the UK that our love-affair with the roundabout was over - apart from the traffic-calming mini-roundabout, it seemed that they were going out of fashion to be replaced by the roundabout-with-traffic-lights or other weird variations. Here, the humble roundabout is seen as the answer to traffic congestion. They are even working quite well in some local areas.

There's just one problem. A high proportion of drivers have no idea what to do with them and the planners aren't helping. (There are just two problems...) At one local set of roundabouts at some of them it is permissible to turn left (around the roundabout) from the right-hand lane, whereas from most directions it is OK to go straight on from the left hand lane - is it any wonder people are confused?

Let's leave aside the people who stop on the roundabout while making a left turn or going straight-on with the intention of giving way to people coming on and those who drive straight onto the roundabout without a thought to people going around it. A more basic and widespread problem is that no-one indicates at all. This is a country where normal use of 'directionals' is more common than in the UK, but at a roundabout: not a thing. So a good part of the advantage of them is gone as cars approaching the roundabout have to stop while they second-guess where the cars on the roundabout are going (especially if they decide to go all the way around in the outside lane - see above!). At least the Department of Motor Vehicles now has some sensible advice on their website - indicate right as you pass the exit before yours - but who but a roundabout-familiar British blogger would go there to find it? If you want more information, you are referred (via a broken link) to this astonishing set of slowly-if-at-all-loading animations at the Department of Transport site - I sincerely doubt whether anyone has actually watched them. (Amongst the many problems...)

More roundabouts? Bring them on, but someone please tell the good folk of New York how to use them!