The problem with roundabouts is that you are only supposed to enter it by
giving way to traffic that is already on it i.e. you have to wait for a gap.
On very busy ones there can be a continual flow round it preventing entry
from one or more points which leads to large tail-backs. Installing lights
at each entry at least gives everyone a fair crack of the whip, at the
expense of very slow progress round them. My local council has seen fit to
install lights on four of the five entry points of a roundabout that also
varies from two lanes to five and back again as you go round. Getting on to
it from the fifth entry point - which happens to be mine! - is extremely
frustrating, also perplexing because this is not just some little used road
but one of the main routes into the town centre.
The same council also has a habit of marking out two lanes on the entry to a
light-controlled four-way intersection for crossing straight over, but only
one lane on the exit! Thus giving rise to the phenomenon known as 'the
traffic light Grand Prix'. Perversely there is one junction that has a
two-lane dual carriageway for several hundred yards on the exit, but only
one lane out of three on the entry!
Partly as a consequence of this, and partly because driving standards are so
poor anyway, you have to watch out for random lane-swappers at all these
junctions, as well as those dummies that are still indicating one way when
they exit the other. I impressed this on my kids when I was teaching them
to drive. When my daughter had passed her test and was out driving locally
with a friend one day she commented to her friend how much I hated these
junctions, and her friend said after a short pause "My dad designs them".
Ooops.
Paul.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Hans Duinhoven" <h.duinhoven@planet.nl>
To: "Telewest (PH)" <paul.hunt1@blueyonder.co.uk>; "David Breneman"
<idcb@airborne.com>; <mgs@autox.team.net>
Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2002 6:45 AM
Subject: Re: Back..- roundabouts and Italians
> The most stupid thing is to have a roundabout WITH traffic lights.
> Many normal crosings are converted to roundabouts on the European
continent
> and by this improving the traffic flow.
> Roundabouts are made for this by nature with low maintenance cost.
> Putting traffic lights at the entry points of a roundabout destroys all of
> this.
> Why is a traffic light put there Paul?
>
> Cheers,
>
> Hans
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Telewest (PH)" <paul.hunt1@blueyonder.co.uk>
> To: "David Breneman" <idcb@airborne.com>; <mgs@autox.team.net>
> Sent: Tuesday, October 15, 2002 10:20 AM
> Subject: Re: Back..- roundabouts and Italians
>
>
> > Europe has so-called mini-roundabouts which are just a blob of white
paint
> > in the middle of a four-way intersection. Sexist as it may be, I have
> seen
> > several women arrive at such a roundabout and all stop waiting for the
> > others to go first, whereas blokes are more likely to barge out unless
> > something bigger is coming.
> >
> > Then you get large roundabouts with sets of traffic lights all the way
> round
> > meaning it can take several minutes of stop-start driving to get a few
> yards
> > even in light traffic
> >
> > If a roundabout has lanes then usually the entry (and exit) has lanes
too.
> > So you pick your entry lane, and hence your circulating lane, according
to
> > the exit you require. A roundabout is only as good as the people using
> it,
> > and IME poor driving skills show up here more than anyone else.
> >
> > A pet hate is people who indicate right (in the UK) while going round a
> > roundabout, which is stupid as they have no other choice and they
wouldn't
> > do it taking a bend anywhere else, then exit left still indicating right
> > compounding the incompetance.
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "David Breneman" <idcb@airborne.com>
> > To: <mgs@autox.team.net>
> > Sent: Monday, October 14, 2002 5:24 PM
> > Subject: Re: Back..- roundabouts and Italians
> >
> >
> > > ... Unlike the ones in Europe
> > > or some east coast (US) cities, these are tiny (no larger than
> > > a regular 4-way-stop intersection) and poorly designed.
> > >
> > > How in the heck are you supposed to enter the roundabout,
> > > get into the inside lane, get back into the outside lane,
> > > and exit all in 50 feet?
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