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It seems to work very well there, would the turn left equivalent work here?
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and once I master the difference between motoring and non motoring forums I might ask another question!!
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The need for such a rule is mainly avoided here by the fact that what would be a lights controlled junction in the USA or Canada is normally a roundabout in the UK.
There are a lot of junctions in Canada certainly where the right turn is lights controlled. They bear a notice to that effect.
All in all I doubt that there would be much of a gain and bearing in mind the amount of confusion a change would cause probably not a good idea.
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>> is normally a roundabout
>> in the UK.
Of course we are a much bigger country with wide open spaces, so can afford the vast loss of land to endless roundabouts.
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no problem - we could make them so small they are useless.
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One of the funniest things I ever read was on an MG forum some years ago.
One of the posters lived in Florida and regaled us with the tale of the new shopping mall that had been erected not too far from where he lived. At some point in the build it became necessary to connect the access road for the mall to the busy highway that passed it and some bright spark in the local road planning office decided to use this clever thing he'd seen in Yurop called a "roundabout".
Fortuitously, adjacent to the roundabout was placed a grassed area with a bench seat under some shady trees. The chap telling the story said that one of his favourite pastimes was to take a sixpack down there and watch the accidents.
He reckoned it was possibly the only one in the continental US and certainly many of the drivers encountering it had obviously never seen one before in their lives.
I like to think it's still there, but I suspect it's been ripped out and replaced with lights by now.....
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>> He reckoned it was possibly the only one in the continental US and certainly many
>> of the drivers encountering it had obviously never seen one before in their lives.
I've only seen one over there, although not in Florida. It was a very quiet bit of road, so no accidents I saw. I've seen a US base overseas with one on it, so odd to them they didn't what to name it, so it was know as 'a circle'.
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There was one near our hotel in Florida where we stayed a few years ago - seemed to work ok although only used it a few times. Now where were we...
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What I did encounter a lot of was 4-way STOP junctions. Where you must stop at a STOP sign and then everyone takes off in the same order as they arrived at the junction.
I was surprised but that was exactly what happened.
[Mods can you send this thread over to Motoring]
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>> What I did encounter a lot of was 4-way STOP junctions. Where you must stop
>> at a STOP sign and then everyone takes off in the same order as they
>> arrived at the junction.
>>
>> I was surprised but that was exactly what happened.
>>
Years ago I did a business tour of California with my then boss (a brash Southern Englander) and he just didn't get why on earth you'd sit there and wait. He just went straight away, causing much consternation from the other road users!
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According to the BBC over 3,000 roundabouts have been built in the USA over the past 20 years.
Carmel, Indiana is apparently pioneering their adoption.
www.carmel.in.gov/index.aspx?page=123
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>> Years ago I did a business tour of California with my then boss (a brash
>> Southern Englander) and he just didn't get why on earth you'd sit there and wait.
>> He just went straight away, causing much consternation from the other road users!
>>
Nothing 'Brash' about South old Boy. Sophistication and Honed to a peak if you get my drift. Oh! and us Southerners have better Ale. Not the 8iss north of Watford have to tolerate. Toodle pip. x
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>> There was one near our hotel in Florida where we stayed a few years ago
>> - seemed to work ok although only used it a few times. Now where were
>> we...
>>
I've driven in Florida quite a bit and there are an increasing number of roundabouts. One thing that's probably confusing is they're common on reports where people tend to ignore the normal open road rules.
I don't know how true it is, but I was told by a local that the big problem with roundabouts in Florida was older cars with older tyres were skidding on roundabouts at the first sign of rain after dry spells.
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>> I don't know how true it is, but I was told by a local that
>> the big problem with roundabouts in Florida was older cars with older tyres were skidding
>> on roundabouts at the first sign of rain after dry spells.
>>
It is true, I once had trouble with a 5L V8 rear wheel drive in Florida, Trying to move off from traffic lights in the wet and just taking your foot off the brake would spin the rear wheels and it would drift to the right down the camber. Same in Australia, the first rain after months of dry weather would be entertaining. :-)
Last edited by: Old Navy on Tue 23 Jul 13 at 18:00
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>>
>> It is true, I once had trouble with a 5L V8 rear wheel drive in
>> Florida, Trying to move off from traffic lights in the wet and just taking your
>> foot off the brake would spin the rear wheels and it would drift to the
>> right down the camber. Same in Australia, the first rain after months of dry weather
>> would be entertaining. :-)
>>
+1
We'll go 6 months without rain, and the first decent rainfall will pick up all the oil and road grime, making the roads very slippery.
add to that
1) people have forgotten that 'safe following distance' thing during the dry spell
2) their tyres are now 6 months more worn
3) all the months of accumulated crud on the windscreen, stirred up with perished wipers, leaves a muddy smear across the screen.
Mayhem, I tell you!
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>> He reckoned it was possibly the only one in the continental US and certainly many
>> of the drivers encountering it had obviously never seen one before in their lives.
>>
>> I like to think it's still there, but I suspect it's been ripped out and
>> replaced with lights by now.....
>>
>>
>>
There was a roundabout as you drove onto Cap Cod in the mid-90s. Not sure if it's still there or not, there were only three roads connected to it giving you the choice of left or right.
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>> It seems to work very well there, would the turn left equivalent work here?
>>
In our town cyclists already do it.
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They've learned that from those who think they pay road tax:) Monkey see, monkey do.
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This thread has degenerated into a discussion of roundabouts and toe-curlingly law-abiding US drivers.
I thought it was supposed to be on the very sensible bylaw in some States, California among them, that makes it legal to turn right against a red light if it is safe to do so. As the OP points out it would mean turning left in this country.
In my opinion it would be very sensible here. It's a pain having to wait at a standstill for no good reason.
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Whilst you have a point about pointless waiting, there are an awful lot of drivers in the UK that I'd prefer did not hold the discretion as to whether or not to turn left into my path.
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Alas FMR, those drivers are always with us. And you've lost at the start, because they already have the option of turning left (or right actually) across your storming path when they are emerging from minor roads not controlled by lights.
Stay tense comrade. It may save your life.
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There is a right turn filter near here, some drivers will not turn right unless it is on, even if there is no oncoming traffic. Turn left on red, no chance.
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>> I thought it was supposed to be on the very sensible bylaw in some States,
>> California among them, that makes it legal to turn right against a red light if
>> it is safe to do so. As the OP points out it would mean turning
>> left in this country.
>>
It might have stood a chance if your Teutonic neighbours had not already implemented it. No flashing LEDs or such like, just a black piece of card with a green arrow with a white border. Stop at the junction, check nothing is coming, off you go.
God help you if there's a copper nearby and your wheels do not stop. Can't remember if it's one or three points plus a fine.
Perfect implementation for the UK, just needs a dedicated 24 hour camera watching over the junction, sit back and count the wonga role in. The bailiffs could be round within the month to confiscate the motor for non-payment ;-)
What's not to love ?
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It's the same in the USA - you must come to a complete stop before turning right on a red light in the same way you must stop at a four-way before proceeding.
I guess there might be some merit in it at certain junctions in the UK but I can't honestly remember being inconvenienced for any significant time by a vehicle turning left at a controlled crossing recently. Doesn't figure highly in my list of motoring irritations.
We just don't have the sheer number of controlled 4 way crossings they have in the US and I doubt that a turn left rule would make a significant difference to negotiating city traffic.
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>> Doesn't figure highly in my list of motoring irritations.
Nor mine CGN. But my list of motoring irritations is very long and very comprehensive.
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>> This thread has degenerated into a discussion of roundabouts and toe-curlingly law-abiding US drivers.
>>
In fairness AC have you seen the police out there. Err very official like, I've seen quite a few people I work with pulled over for very minor stuff. Not coming to a total stop sign a popular one, even at 'just moving' speed.
>>
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>> have you seen the police out there.
Yes, and they're a real pain. Managed to avoid their worst attention driving but one had the damn cheek to stop me from safely crossing the road in New York alleging some absurd non-offence like 'jaywalking'.
And along with the jobsworth side there's a hooligan trigger-happy side in some cases, especially in the far West and South-West. The carphounds have you surrounded!
The only sympathetic-looking ones I noticed were a couple of vice squad detectives keeping vigil in a very battered Ford Ltd somewhere in Manhattan. They looked so down in the mouth and scruffy that I quite warmed to them. Don't suppose they were that sweet-natured up close though. Those boots, breeks, shades and .44 magnums in the far west are a bit much. Camp almost.
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>>Camp almost.
Did you mention that to them? Just to say, I'd probably not myself. On balance.
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>> >>Camp almost.
>>
>> Did you mention that to them? Just to say, I'd probably not myself. On balance.
>>
I find it a little unnerving the way some American cops put their hand on their gun if you walk towards them.
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Never over-estimate the intellect of an American.
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>> Did you mention that to them?
No. I have sometimes wondered how it would feel to be shot, but it's an experience I'm in no hurry to have. On balance.
But late at night in my car in Berkeley, well stoned too, a friend said, Hey, look at the pervert. Yup: there he was, jackboots, jodhpurs, shades, crewcut, huge gun... Hey, wait a minute! A cop! I turned to remonstrate with my friend.
Not him, you (Welsh and South London term of endearment), my friend replied. Him!
And he pointed to this geezer I hadn't noticed in Minnie Mouse drag on the other pavement.
Last edited by: Armel Coussine on Tue 23 Jul 13 at 22:49
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>> In my opinion it would be very sensible here. It's a pain having to wait
>> at a standstill for no good reason.
>>
A Tory policy group did suggest it news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5039326.stm but it doesn't seem to have made any progress.
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USA - turn right on red - BobbyG
