Roundabouts – Worst idea ever!

So roundabouts seem to be catching on in Ontario; I keep seeing more and more pop up.

I’ve heard people singing their praises (people being politicians and other “official” people); the keep traffic moving and are oh so much better then a controlled intersection.

Sure they keep traffic moving, IN CIRCLES! Not to mention that they are confusing as hell. Most of the time I’m lucky and only have to deal with out in the middle of no where; there has been a time though where I needed to use one in a city, during rush hour.

Doooooomed!

Now as far as I know you’re supposed to yield to anyone already in the circle; which means you stop (what was that about keeping traffic flowing?) and wait until you see a gap. The problem being that during rush hour there IS NO GAP, basically if you want to go you just have to gun it and pray you don’t get t-boned. Plus the whole thing with there being 2 lanes in the circle itself, seriously WTF? Allegedly is you enter from the right lane you stay in the right lane and if you enter from the left lane you stay in the left lane. Which is all well and good until you’re in the left lane and want to exit and someone else is in the right lane and doesn’t. Seriously, how does that makes sense? Thats like being able to turn left from the right lane of a normal intersection while the left lane can go straight! Buses and trucks might take up both of those lanes anyways, so I guess if you see a bus or truck you just stop (again with that stopping thing) and wait until they’re through? And lets not forget how nice it is to pedestrians now that traffic is never supposed to STOP moving. I guess they look for a gap too and run for it? The things that makes a normal intersection safer (in my eyes) is that cars have to slow down / stop in a predicable way; if there is a stop sign you slow down and stop at it, if there is a red light you slow down and stop at it, if there is a green light you speed on through. But everyone else can see the same obvious signals, it really isn’t a judgement call. With a roundabout EVERYTHING is a judgement call: Do I see any cars coming? Is that gap big enough for me to fit in? Is that guy beside me pulling out at this section so I can get over? Why is that bus taking up 2 lanes?

 

If you’re curious here is what they’ve got in the drivers handbook by way of instruction: http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/dandv/driver/handbook/section2.6.7.shtml

As the diagram shows when there are 3 cars (2 of which are not moving) a roundabout is simple and easy to use! … Seriously? How on earth is this diagram supposed to represent reality?

Still Doooooooomed!

Lets use a little studio magic to make a diagram that is a bit more accurate. As you can see, things get a little more confusing with cars going all over the freakin place. How on earth is this supposed to be better then your normal controlled intersection? Beats me.

Whoever praises these things must never have driven through one. I mean an intersection with 4 way yield signs seems safer and easier then this!

Maybe I’m just being a stickler because its a new concept? I don’t know. What I do know is that if roundabouts start appearing where I need to drive regularly I will find a different way to get where I’m going just to avoid them!

 

Issac