No, you leave directly from the left lane. These roundabouts are NOT necessarily the same as some decades-old “traffic circle” or “rotary.”
In an American roundabout, you get in the proper lane for your turn before entering, yield to traffic in all lanes even if you’re entering the outermost lane, don’t change lanes, and exit from your assigned lane. These rules are not intuitive (especially the yield to all lanes rule) and were badly-explained at my local roundabouts.
It really is only a matter of education. There is no debate about whether roundabouts are a more efficient means of setting up intersections…they are.
The rules as I was taught in the UK are… Give way to anything on the roundabout before entering (because there may be a vehicle on the inside lane needing to transition to the outer) and when entering, choose the lane that it nearest your exit. (for the USA, right lane when going right, left lane for going left) for going straight ahead choose the right lane unless all those in that lane are indicting to turn right or if the two-lanes continue after the roundabout.
These terms were synonymous. When and where did the distinction occur? Because you aren’t describing the roads I drive on.
I’ve posted this before I think, but I had to navigate this bastard magic roundabout when I took my road test. I’m still half proud and half terrorized.
I should probably say “In an American modern roundabout.” That seems to be the term used to differentiate the new ones from the old rotaries/circles/whatevers.
Also unless you are a regular driver in the route, you may be confused as to whether you ARE in the proper lane to begin with, especially if the traffic circle itself is badly designed or marked.
In one of the cities of the San Juan metro area the former mayor became enamored with traffic circles and began planting them all over the place, sometimes shoehorning them into crossings in already-urbanized areas that made for what drivers considered a too-tight circumference.
They’ve been adding them like crazy in the Twin Cities 'burbs - and I hate them. I know how to use them, but a lot of people don’t. People don’t pay enough attention while driving to make me feel safe with them and there aren’t a lot of evasive maneuvers that are possible when traffic is moving through.
I’m impressed.
in the US (or at least Michigan) you are not allowed to change lanes once in the circle.
So if you navigate to the inner lane, you’re stuck there perpetually? I don’t understand.
That was my reaction too, if that truly is the rule in the USA then I can see why they might not catch on.
In my area, they are called “traffic calming features”: slowing down traffic is exactly the point. If you are approaching a red on a 45 mph road, you have to come to a stop and wait for a green; being able to slow to 20 and not actually have to stop is a net gain. Not having the long seconds of no one in the intersection, in order to clear it for the change, is a net gain. Not having to sit for a red at 2am, when the other 3 streets are empty, is a net gain.
I have heard it suggested that switching the whole country over to roundabouts where ever possible, would yield something like a 40% reduction in fuel consumption along with some significant reduction in fatalities. Once everyone gets used to them, obviously.
In my area, the ones they build have a large inner apron with a rounded curb, to accommodate semis. Large vehicles are generally expected to occupy more lanes. The car people just have to adapt to that idea.
The real losers in roundabouts are pedestrians. But no one cares about them. What the hell are they doing out there in foot anyway?
there are signs like this placed adequate distances before the roundabout, telling you which lane you should be in. if you find you’re in the wrong lane once in the circle, tough shit. don’t drive with your head up your ass.
If only we had more of those signs.
They often have markings on the road itself. Not that anyone actually ever looks at where they are going.
aren’t DC’s traffic circles a different thing from roundabouts?
I still think there’s an issue with cars in the inside lane leaving the roundabout, and cars in the outside lane staying in. Yeah, you’re not supposed to drive right next to someone, but how much clearance are you comfortable with when another car is crossing your path? And the inner lane is a shorter path, so you have to be diligent to maintain the proper spacing.
TPTB installed a bunch of RAs on the main drag of my town a few years back. People still don’t know how to use them, despite the signs. I am of the opinion that the cops should station cars down the side streets, and every time they see someone cut through the center of the RA (running over the low curb) or otherwise fail to negotiate the thing correctly and promptly, they pull the offender over and immediately confiscate their driver’s license, since they are obviously too fucking stupid to be trusted with a motor vehicle!
in that case, the car using the outside lane shouldn’t be entering the roundabout until I’ve passed. If traffic is coming around the circle towards you, they have right of way and you do not enter.
I know, but what about once we’re both in the roundabout; how much space, in front or behind, do you do you need to cross over the outside lane and exit the roundabout? And whose responsibility is it to maintain the separation, yours or mine?
I mean, they obviously can, and do, work in certain places and situations. I drive through them all the time where I live. I just think there’s a lot of potential for misunderstandings.
