|
I have lived in NZ now for16years and love roundabouts, not only are they efficient even in heavy traffic areas, once everyone knows how to use them but they also save on electricity and maintenance. I grew up in North America without them, other then a few silly ones they added to slow traffic in congested neighbourhoods( Vancouver West end)which were just plain silly. In the Ottawa valley I noticed that they are starting to install them and when they first did this a few years back I could not believe the complaining on the talk shows and the crazy way people thought they worked. The way they first used them was very inefficient, a bit like a four way stop but only different. However last summer, three years on, I noticed that people are getting the hang of them and they have become very efficient as they should be. I aslo noticed that they are starting to embrace them. As mentioned by someone, my elderly Mother avoids them if she can. The other thing that should be standardized is how everyone signals on entering and exiting, What makes sense to me is if your intention is to turn right you singnal right just before entering, left the same, if you intend on going straight through no signal that way everyone waiting to get in knows what is going on. If there are more then four exits or you are doing a u turn you just live your signal on in the direction you are going until just before your exit then signal your exit. that way the guy waiting at the next exit can go and not sit there guessing.
|