Traffic Circles? What do you think?

BoB76 · Post by **BoB76** » Nov 27th, 2007, 8:03 pm

I find the new one on Casorso/Benvoulin to be quite tight for larger vehicles. I am pretty sure it is a truck route. And why doesn't anybody signal when they are leaving the circle? Have a bit of courtesy please.

banani · Post by **banani** » Nov 27th, 2007, 8:23 pm

Traffic circles are a great thing to have here! Once everyone figures out how to use them properly, they will most likely keep the flow of traffic going a lot better than our current system.

I was in Europe last month, and driving there was incredibly easy - because of the lack of traffic lights - which were replaced with traffic circles. The people there know how to drive on them though - but still a lot of them don't signal either.

Isn't it that you're supposed to signal into and out of the circle? That's what I do anyways - don't really want someone flying into the circle and hitting me

Urbane · Post by **Urbane** » Nov 27th, 2007, 8:25 pm

I like them too. They were a bit scary, at least at first, when we drove in England (on the left of course) but easier in France and still easier here. Very civilized and the incidence of T-bone accidents go way down with roundabouts.

Fancy · Post by **Fancy** » Nov 27th, 2007, 8:26 pm

http://forums.castanet.net/viewtopic.ph ... ic+circles

BoB76 · Post by **BoB76** » Nov 27th, 2007, 8:27 pm

I am pretty sure you are supposed to keep signaling left until you are going to turn out and then put on right signal. I seen a guy going left (against traffiic) through it the other day. Apparently that is quicker than going the proper way around.

banani · Post by **banani** » Nov 27th, 2007, 8:27 pm

Hey, we were driving in France too! Where abouts were you? We were in Eastern France on the German border by Strasbourg

And yeah, the t-bone issue is almost non-existant with traffic circles. Actually, I don't think we saw any accidents with cars the whole time we were in Europe (3 weeks)
They do happen though - but yeah.

Fancy · Post by **Fancy** » Nov 27th, 2007, 8:29 pm

http://forums.castanet.net/viewtopic.ph ... ic+circles

http://forums.castanet.net/viewtopic.ph ... ic+circles

Roundabouts are great and very popular in other parts of the world.

Urbane · Post by **Urbane** » Nov 27th, 2007, 8:30 pm

banani wrote:Hey, we were driving in France too! Where abouts were you? We were in Eastern France on the German border by Strasbourg

And yeah, the t-bone issue is almost non-existant with traffic circles. Actually, I don't think we saw any accidents with cars the whole time we were in Europe (3 weeks)
They do happen though - but yeah.

We started in Marseilles (with everyone honking at one another with no real lanes to differentiate where we were supposed to go) and then we went on to Arles for a while. We basically were in Provence and had a great time! No accidents but we did get lost a lot. Next time we'll have a GPS. Strasbourg and area is nice too - did you see Strasbourg Cathedral?

BoB76 · Post by **BoB76** » Nov 27th, 2007, 8:51 pm

In Europe they are a lot larger are they not? Seems like the ones here are very tight.

trapp · Post by **trapp** » Nov 27th, 2007, 8:51 pm

I stand to be corrected but you do not signal going into the circle, there is only one way to go. After passing the last turn off before the one you are turning right onto you indicate you are leaving at the next exit by putting your right signal light on. If you are taking the first right then you right signal as soon as you enter the circle to indicate you are leaving at next exit.

I have noticed at the circle at Burch and Guisachan that many drivers coming into the circle from Burch seem to think they have the right of way and pull in in front of vehicles that have entered ahead of them from Byrns. One driver that pulled in front of me layed on his horn and gave me the finger even. You must always yeild to the traffic in the circle if you are going to entering it.

Also traffic circles get very slippery when there is snow on them. More so than the main roads it seems.

damngrumpy · Post by **damngrumpy** » Nov 27th, 2007, 9:13 pm

I tend to take a different route, I prefer the standard intersection.
With a full size truck the turns are inconvenient and besides traffic circles are a pain as far as I am concerned. For those who like them the road is yours, I just stay away

prairieflower · Post by **prairieflower** » Nov 27th, 2007, 9:19 pm

after driving thru most of Great Britain.......traffic circles rule.... no lights and once you learn its simple...

We need so many more

damngrumpy · Post by **damngrumpy** » Nov 27th, 2007, 9:34 pm

For me, its fine, whatever they want to do in Europe is fine, but this aint europe.

BoB76 · Post by **BoB76** » Nov 27th, 2007, 9:36 pm

[quote="damngrumpy"]For me, its fine, whatever they want to do in Europe is fine, but this aint europe.[/quote]

I am with you on this one. If you like the Europe ones then move there.

Fancy · Post by **Fancy** » Nov 27th, 2007, 9:41 pm

Stock phrase without any meaning.