Traffic Circles

[Willehond]

But what if there are 100 cars coming from all sides... who has the right of way then?

The one in the flow.  You have clearly never been to Bracknell or Milton Keyenes.  Roundabout heaven!

[Captain Slow]

The only problem I have at cape Town circles is that drivers fail to indicate. Most times, if they indicated their intentions, I would have had momentum to carry me thru the circle without coming to a complete stop (yield).

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

it's a tried and tested part of our road system... until someone comes along and questions it, and wonders "why should he go first" it works perfectly.

 

And when someone acts on that impulse, and goes themselves when they have no RIGHT to, things get snarled up and everyone gets in a kerfuffle (yes, a kerfuffle) and blames god/jeebers/great big blob in the sky/bob who lives in number 4 down the road

 

[Captain Slow]

have'nt heard that term in a long time!! kerfuffle!!!

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

 

have'nt heard that term in a long time!! kerfuffle!!!

 

It's one of the few terms I'm trying to resurrect.

 

Like Napoleon Dynamite did with "GOSH"

 

Seems right, somehow.

 

[Sammajoor]

Try Afghanistan.  Here he who has the biggest balls goes first,  and when you do go do not look left or right then you will see someone approaching and then you will have to stop.

 

AND if you do not want to go around the circle you just go where you want to.  If it means against the traffic, then you do so....................  Remember the biggest balls thingy.

 

And if you want to go somewhere f*ck the traffic do as you wish

 

[PeterF]

Just my 2 cents worth, but a traffic circle isn't about fair, it's about improving the flow of traffic.  A lot of people want to treat a traffic circle like a 4 way stop, if that is what the municipality wanted then they would have put a 4 way stop there!!!!!!

[MichaelH]

 

...aah! but is a traffic-calming device a circle???

[Sydd]

well...I only did my drivers licence 3 years ago and I distictly remember one of the questions about the traffic circle, and have just looked it up in my code14 book, and it says: yeaild to the right to vehicles which have ENTERED THE CIRCLE BEFORE YOU. So its really a case of whoever gets there first. Also, it would be wonderful if the people in JHB would :

1.Indicate in traffic circles

2.Not treat it as a 4way stop

3.Not drive OVER the circe, a common thing in Linden.

 

On the topic that somebody brought up about "if they wanted it to be a 4way stop they would have made it one", I was recently sitting at a garage waiting area and they have tose RMI motoring industry magazines with all the interesting ongoing things. They were discussing the Arive Alive campaigne, which really only focuses on the reduction in speed, and apparently the AA put few a few proposals, some of which make sense, like making all traffic lights ambre flashing lights between 22:00 and 05:00, but they also suggested fazing out stop streets and replacing them with yeild signs. That could be interesting, and would stop a number of rear end accidents when the idiot behind you expects you to yeild at the stop sign, and continues to drive whilst you come to a complete stop infront of him.... but not much would change. EVeryone reads "yeild" anyway

[Johan Bornman]

Just my 2 cents worth' date=' but a traffic circle isn't about fair, it's about improving the flow of traffic.  A lot of people want to treat a traffic circle like a 4 way stop, if that is what the municipality wanted then they would have put a 4 way stop there!!!!!!

[/quote']

 

I agree wholeheartedly. This is also not a place for courtesies. Don't wave your right of way. It just confuses the issue. Go when it's your turn and do it with vigour.

 

 

[Myra]

Heard this on a programme about road traffic once:  It depends on the type of circle.

 

There are two types - small circles with the yellow bumps in the middle (look like sunnyside-up eggs) and the larger circles with pavement/gardens in the middle that one can't drive over.

 

A person approaching the former must yield to vehicles already in the circle.  A person approaching the latter must yield to vehicles on the right.

[MichaelH]

 

Heard this on a programme about road traffic once:  It depends on the type of circle.

 

There are two types - small circles with the yellow bumps in the middle (look like sunnyside-up eggs) and the larger circles with pavement/gardens in the middle that one can't drive over.

 

A person approaching the former must yield to vehicles already in the circle.  A person approaching the latter must yield to vehicles on the right.

 

Quite right! The sunnyside-up thingie is a traffic-calming device and not a circle!

 

[L'Bie]

uhm' date=' person on the right has right of way.

In JHB if you have a taxi you have right of way no matter where you drive, road, pavement, parking lot. Its all good.

[/quote']

Taxis are now called computers. They have windows and they can crash at any time. They are operated with a floppy with a virus.

[AndreZA]

YOU MUST ALWAYS YIELD TO THE RIGHT. IF YOU ARE AT THE CIRCLE AND 100 CARS COME FROM THE RIGHT YOU MUST WAIT (UNLESS SOMEONE GIVES YOU THE GAP)!!

I don't see that as being fair.

It's not about being fair' date=' it's the LAW!!!
[/quote']

 

Does not make sense. If there are four roads and each has 100 cars waiting, then no one will move because every on will have someone on his right. Somewhere there will always be someone first and this will trigger the sequence of events. But if the guy to your right only wants to go straight then there is nothing wrong with the person on your left to also drive even if you are on his right and "should" have the next right of way.

 

[dirtrider]

Nobody would move if one car decides to go round and round ! That is why using your indicators when entering a round-about is so important . A traffic circle is not the same thing , they are stupid little things that you can just ride over .

[Scooterza]

Ah yes, a firm favourite of mine!  I was once a traffic circle ignoramus but I am married to a ex Welkom resident (she is hot ok!) and she educated me (about traffic circles!).  Now I won't repeat what has already been confirmed about how to drive around one of these things but we just have to get the rest of SA to be on the same page and all will be well with the world.