This Youtube video is titled as 'Germans don't understand a traffic circle'.
I've never been to Germany but is that right? Is this video likely to show one of Germany's first roundabouts?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fgoRNdmhtg
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There aren't a lot of roundabouts in Germany but there are some. It is strange how the French and British are roundabout crazy and the Germans and North Americans don't seem to like or understand them.
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>> There aren't a lot of roundabouts in Germany but there are some. It is strange
>> how the French and British are roundabout crazy and the Germans and North Americans don't
>> seem to like or understand them.
The Americans like their "4 way stop", which if used properly, works better in some respects than a roundabout.
We Brits would abuse it tho. (As I do in America I am afraid!)
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The Americans like their "4 way stop",
So do the Canadians but they have a much politer style of driving and agree it wouldn't work here.
Roundabouts are on the whole safer than intersections with lights. You effectivley swap a low chance of a horrendous high speed collision as a result of someone failing to stop when they should for an increased chance of a glancing low speed collision on a roundabout
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That's about right.
What usually adds to the confusion is the stupid give way from the right rule unless there is a yellow and white triangle at a junction. When they hit a roundabout they haven't a clue about who has priority even though the rule is the same as the UK.
Signalling is also different. You don't signal on approach only for your exit but then they often don't indicate their exit so you have no idea and have to play it safe.
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Every so often in America a town gets the idea that roundabouts are brilliant and builds thousands of them. Unfortunately, no one understands them and they end up with signs everywhere explaining how they work, and usually a policeman or two to direct traffic. *slaps forehead*.
Having said that, I don't think I helped when I was over there as there was a roundabout on our estate (private land, I hasten to add!) and we (bunch of about 30 Brits) all went around it the wrong way on principle, which was hopelessly confusing for the natives.
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And of course a peculiarity of many French roundabouts is the adverse camber - which may be a PITA but does at least force one to slow down.
Maybe this is another reason why modern French cars are losing their traditional soft suspension?
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I suspect this is a new roundabout at a crossroads that previously had a different arrangement and that would explain much of the hesitancy. None of the U-tube comments are more than a couple of days old.
It appears to be in an urban location. I haven't driven in Germany for many years, but the last time I did, it was normal to give priority to the right in many urban and rural areas.
It's outside a LIDL store! (Please don't ask where I got my windscreen washer anti-freeze from.) ;>)
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Loads of roundabouts in Germany these days. I'm guessing, as mentioned above, that this one has been installed at what was previously a conventional junction and people driving on autopilot or texting whilst driving are being caught out.
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Found same video on another site . It is actually in Erfurt. It is y 1 hours video edited to a few minutes so not quite as bad as it seems!
Last edited by: CGNorwich on Fri 21 Jan 11 at 21:23
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Cologne had two(just two)at least thirty years ago;one at the north of the city,one at the south.Over the past ten years the have sprung up everywhere in France-especially mini ones but the French do not understand how to use them-well,not in the British way.
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Wasn't the Schliefen Plan a giant roundabout?
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We do not have many roundabouts in my part of Germany but those that do exist do not cause any problem
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Didn't Germany adopt roundabouts until now? - CGNorwich
