Roundabouts are by now a norm in sa国际传媒 By my estimation they have been with us now for 20 years or more. But there still seems to be some confusion on how we deal with them based on the number of email complaints I receive on the subject.
When used correctly, the roundabout is a safer alternative to the standard perpendicular intersection. They achieve this by forcing vehicles to slow down but also negate the possibility of head-on and right angle crashes — the worst types of collisions we face on our roads. They also improve traffic flow and offer a safer measure for pedestrians — provided they are correctly engineered. Numerous studies have shown that throughout North America roundabouts gain favour over traditional intersections once the rules and techniques for using them are understood.
So where’s the confusion?
One problem is what I call “route driving.” That happens when drivers are so used to their standard route that they forget or ignore any changes that road engineers may make to it.
In this case, you’ll often see route driving when larger thoroughfares become connected to smaller streets with a roundabout and the standard 90-degree intersection disappears.
The route driver on the busier street will simply carry on, assuming they have the right of way they always had, even though the intersection is now very different and comes with a new set of rules. In the CRD, you’ll see roundabout rules being broken often at places like Cook and Southgate in Victoria as well as Helmcken and Pheasant Lane and Watkiss Way and the entrance to VGH parking in View Royal.
Traffic on Cook, Helmcken and the hospital driveway often has much more volume, creating the false assumption by many drivers that they have that automatic right of way. Not so.
The rules are pretty clear, with signs to reinforce the idea — “Yield to Traffic in the Circle.”
Doesn’t matter which way you come from, the rule is the same, even if you’re approaching from the busier road.
So what happens when two vehicles approach the roundabout at the same time but neither has actually entered the circle? Then it’s the same as when two vehicles approach any intersection at the same time, for example, a four way stop or an uncontrolled intersection — you yield to the vehicle on the right. And this is where the biggest part of the problem lies — the busier road driver assumes, often improperly, the right of way.
For safety’s sake, I’m certainly not advocating for the smaller road driver to pull out in front of the oncoming driver from the busier road just to make a point.
It’s an unwritten duty for all of us to take extra precautions and avoid a collision no matter who is right or wrong.
Other problems with roundabouts include a lack of confidence with some drivers. This may result in vehicles slowing too much or even stopping inside the circle, causing jams or collisions. Then there is over-confidence resulting in “fixed object” collisions such as sign posts or even the centre structures within the roundabout itself, usually because of excessive speed.
With two-lane roundabouts, sideswipe collisions happen when a vehicle improperly makes a lane change within the circle, usually because they aren’t sure which lane to be in when they want to exit. The rule here is: stay in your lane. Use the same lane in which you enter the circle to make your exit. Changing lanes inside a roundabout is dangerous. Use your right signal to indicate where you want to exit.
Roundabouts work. The sa国际传媒 government road safety web page offers good advice, with excellent diagrams on how to work through this “problem.” But with proper care and attention, you’ll find they really aren’t any problem at all.
Glove Box: I’m also still receiving emails about drivers making improper right turns when they’re facing a red light. A driver turning left with an advanced green arrow has the right of way over vehicles wanting to make a right hand turn on the opposite side of the intersection. Section 129 of the motor vehicle act makes it pretty clear. You can make right turns on a red light but only after you have yielded the right of way to all pedestrians and other vehicles lawfully proceeding with the direction of their signal — in this case — the advanced green light. Right turners will make the argument that they are turning right into the curb lane and the advanced green turners should go into the centre lane — except that the law doesn’t actually allow for that distinction. Turning right on a red? Then you have to yield to that advanced left turning vehicle, no matter what lane you’re turning into.
