I've seen 'em around, so yeah we have them here. I've heard that the average American isn't to good on using them though. Confuses them or something. Which is a shame because I've also heard how useful they are when used correctly.
Does America have round-abouts?
- Thread starter Jewrean
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very uncommon, but yes, we do have some. the problem is weve pretty much given up on teaching teenagers how to drive properly, so no one knows what to do when the come up to one (including me; but im in the west, so i dont have any), so no one is in a rush to make more of them; sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy; they make alot of sense if we were just willing to teach kids what the hell to do in them...
Oh how I wish the U.S. had more of these. The only problem is that licenses are handed out like Halloween candies to any imbecile capable of opening a driver's side door. Between chains of rude people not yielding to those patiently waiting, and those who stop in the middle and basically want to cause a circular clusterf--- catastrophe, they can be difficult to employ. I personally advocate for them because from my experience, civil engineers plan out roads (at least where I live) to minimize productivity and make everyone stop, waste fuel and efficiency, and generally make people late for whatever they have to do by improper planning for intersections, alternate routes, and generally anything involving a traffic light. And of course, our damn speed limits traps.
They've become increasingly popular here in the US. Many Freeways use them, and neighborhoods and side streets are starting to use them as well. My neighborhood has one, and my high school, that was built last year, has 4 of them...yeah its a big high school.
Roundabouts are a cheaper alternative (and arguably somewhat more efficient) *if* you have the space to build them if there is an absence of local architecture like pesky buildings in the way to just a set of lights.
I like them because I'm a motorcyclist and if it's particularly late or a reduced traffic load it allows you to have a nice, irregular curvature to the road that is far more intrinsically enjoyable than just a simple set of lights.
I like them because I'm a motorcyclist and if it's particularly late or a reduced traffic load it allows you to have a nice, irregular curvature to the road that is far more intrinsically enjoyable than just a simple set of lights.
We have one near where I live; it's called a "circle" (creative) and it has eight spokes and only one lane. They put it there because trying to make an eight-way intersection would have been a nightmare. (Then they went and made a five-way intersection not too far from there, which IS a nightmare.) I've never known anyone to have a problem with it, and it's more efficient than most normal four-way crossings.
You might be thinking of "roustabouts," there. I know, I went most of my life thinking the guys in Dumbo were singing "roundabouts" too.HT_Black said:
Apparently there's some standard procedure as to which lane to use. Which makes no sense to me seeing how, as long as you go at a constant speed, there shouldn't need to be two lanes; just everyone driving around and getting off where they're supposed to, like you said.ENKC said:
It wasn't a hate-post. Read the previous post I made about the Metric system. By reading that you will see that I addressed those points already. Also, from the context of my post you will see that it was related from my perspective.Diamondback One said:
OT:
According to these articles there is a difference between a 'roundabout' and a 'turning circle':
http://www.drivers.com/article/334/
http://tris.trb.org/view.aspx?id=835979
I can think of about five, all within six miles of my home in northern Ohio. Not exactly rare around here, but I hear tell that out west and down south they're less common.
I honestly thought that America didn't have any I've only been there 3/4 times though so that's my excuses.
they put stop signs everywhere instead, just in case anyone out there was foolish enough to try and think they could conserve diesel/petrol.
on a side note but still slightly related, what the hell is up with the speed limits? 50 was the highest I saw in my time in Illinois, it's so frustratingly slow I don't know how they cope lol
they put stop signs everywhere instead, just in case anyone out there was foolish enough to try and think they could conserve diesel/petrol.
on a side note but still slightly related, what the hell is up with the speed limits? 50 was the highest I saw in my time in Illinois, it's so frustratingly slow I don't know how they cope lol
We do have them. In everyone I've seen there are always people driving the wrong way through them in order to cut down on their travel time around the circle. So I'd say we don't have more because of morons like that.
They do exist in America- had to learn how to do one on my permit exam about two years back- but they are rather rare.
I had one experience a few months back when I was visiting a city in Phoenix. I took one look at it, said "Yeah, no thanks", and took about a detour which ended up adding 30 or so minutes on a rather short trip.
I had one experience a few months back when I was visiting a city in Phoenix. I took one look at it, said "Yeah, no thanks", and took about a detour which ended up adding 30 or so minutes on a rather short trip.
Down in Albany they never wanted traffic lights in their town so at every intersection that would need them the council put in a round about.
There was so many of them that my mum's friend would wear out the tires on the left of her car faster than the right.
They are pretty common here and I hate them.
There was so many of them that my mum's friend would wear out the tires on the left of her car faster than the right.
They are pretty common here and I hate them.
