Roundabouts

[Ian]

A friend of mine stated that there was a period a dozen-twenty years ago when many local authorities started putting in roundabouts with liberal abandon.  she claims that prior to this most learner drivers had never really been taught how to negotiate them - and hence the bizarre roundabout driving one witnesses on French roads.

Was she talking rubbish?

[Iceni]

[quote user="Ian"]

Was she talking rubbish?

[/quote]

In my experience most women speak rubbish on most subjects, so probably. (Di thinks that this comment is inflammatory - note she did not say inaccurate)

IMHO the general confusion on prorite a droite probably contributes far more to the uncertain sutuation on roundabouts than any alleged training or lack thereof.

John

[raindog]

She was dead right. I've seen on 2 occasions near us cars going The Wrong Way round the roundabout and both times the car was registered in dpt.12 [:)]

[Kitty]

The French don't seem to use the inner lane of a roundabout if they are turning left (i.e. the third exit).

[Bones]

The use the inner lane when it's busy, or when it offers up a quicker route to getting on the roundabout!

[fussy]

I have finally sussed out how to use a rounabout over here, all you do is stay as far over to the right as possible, it doesn't matter what exit you are taking, that way when the french see you over on the right, the majority of them don't pull out in front of you.I have been practising this method for 18 months, it works everytime, never fails.

[raindog]

I enter the roundabout flat out, overtaking other cars on the inside as I go round, then chop across to the outside to take the exit.

[Clair]

[quote user="raindog"]I enter the roundabout flat out, overtaking other cars on the inside as I go round, then chop across to the outside to take the exit.

[/quote]

Are you French then?[8-)]

[raindog]

No Clair, just like driving fast.......[;-)]

[BJSLIV]

Until fairly recently Priorite a Droit applied to all roundabouts. I think some drivers have forgotten about the rule change.

In certain cases what we would think to be a roundabout doesn't count, so Priorite still applies.

A good example is the Arc De Triomphe.

If we go to Paris we often spend five minutes marvelling at how well traffic flows around such a large area of road with few, if any road markings.

I know Priorite is strange to newcomers, but I sometimes wonder if it doesn't have some advantages. It make merging traffic easier and encouarges drivers to pay more attention to whats going on , or may be going on at junctions.

[powerdesal]

[quote user="Clair"][quote user="raindog"]I enter the roundabout flat out, overtaking other cars on the inside as I go round, then chop across to the outside to take the exit.

[/quote]

Are you French then?[8-)]

[/quote]

Sounds more Arabic style driving than French

[Bones]

Yes, there's definitely an element of "if you can't beat 'em join 'em" running through this thread. [:D]

Or, to put a positive spin on things, we're integrating nicely...

I think the previous poster's Arc De Triomphe anecdote is a nice analogy for why anarchy would work.

Where I lived in England, there was a quite large crossroads with two sets of lights (well, four).

Occasionally they'd malfunction and it usually took quite a while to get them back up and running.

It was interesting to note that - even during rush hour - there were no accidents whatsoever, not even any beeping of horns: folk just got on with it.

Why? Because the population, even at their most stressed and selfish (I HAVE to get home for the kids etc) knew that the best way forward was to respect each others needs. Common goals and all that.

So the traditional lack of rules on French roads and subsequent ignoring of newly implemented  rules can be traced back to their revolutionary past; it's the title of my imaginary PhD. [Www]

[raindog]

[quote user="powerdesal"][quote user="Clair"][quote user="raindog"]I enter the roundabout flat out, overtaking other cars on the inside as I go round, then chop across to the outside to take the exit.

[/quote]

Are you French then?[8-)]

[/quote]

Sounds more Arabic style driving than French

[/quote]

[:D]

[Clarkkent]

In the 1970s I started taking holidays near St Tropez. The main road from St Tropez joined the N98 near Port Grimaud at a roundabout with four exits. This was the only roundabout that I had encountered in France at the time. (I don't really count L'Etoile in Paris - that is more a gyratory system.)

In the peak summer months, very large numbers of people were forced to use the roundabout. The priority rule meant that cars entering the roundabout had priority over those already on the roundabout. It could take an hour to cross from one side to another and people pored over maps to identify routes which avoided this point.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s - quite suddenly - roundabouts began to appear all over France, from zero to hundreds in just three or four years. At these new roundabouts appeared signs which removed the priority rule.

[Clair]

The small French town where I used to live as a child has had a roundabout for as long as I can remember. My parents had moved there in the early sixties and we used to have to walk round the roundabout to get to infants school.

The old priority on the right used to cause tremendous queues in the town...

[raindog]

[quote user="powerdesal"]

Sounds more Arabic style driving than French

[/quote]

Actually, now i've had time to think about this, I can't ever remember seeing an Arab overtake another car, but then they generally drive Renault 21s with dodgy tires and bedroom furniture piled on the roof-rack.

The population of our village is 4600 and since 3 years we now have a roundabout at both entrances to the village.

[Judith]

[quote user="Bones"]Yes, there's definitely an element of "if you can't beat 'em join 'em" running through this thread. [:D]

Where I lived in England, there was a quite large crossroads with two sets of lights (well, four).

Occasionally they'd malfunction and it usually took quite a while to get them back up and running.

It was interesting to note that - even during rush hour - there were no accidents whatsoever, not even any beeping of horns: folk just got on with it.

[/quote]

I have walked across the Oxford Circus junction (Regent St cossing with Oxford Street) when the lights have failed, several times.   Strangely the traffic flows much more smoothly than when controlled by lights.  This is also evident in other junctions in London - I walk a lot!  I sometimes think the traffic would flow much better if we got rid of all lights (but then I think well perhaps we should ban them altogether and let the pedestrians take over!!!!!)  Great fun also to see the grid lock and self-sustaining jams which occur when drivers are not considerate, when the lights are on - of course!  Having driven in Wales, "The North" and several parts of France where the tendency is to be more considerate of other drivers, I'd agree with bones that the phenomenon is indeed caused by consideration for others which seems to disappear once lights and other such instruments control the traffic.

[ebaynut]

[quote user="raindog"][quote user="powerdesal"][quote user="Clair"][quote user="raindog"]I enter the roundabout flat out, overtaking other cars on the inside as I go round, then chop across to the outside to take the exit.
[/quote]
Are you French then?[8-)]
[/quote]

Sounds more Arabic style driving than French
[/quote]
[:D]
[/quote]

Aaahhhh!..... Is this you? [8-)][:D]

[raindog]

aaaaggghhhhhh God, that's priceless! [:D]

I had a Mk3 Cortina for a company car years ago, and I could get that sliding round roundabouts, but I would never have had the guts to do it with loads of traffic around.

LOL thanks for that....

[Deby]

When returning to live in the UK, I was horrified to discover I'd actually adopted the french way when using roundabouts!! By just going for it - overtaking on the inside, not indicating and generally having the attitude that I was the only one on the road!  After a few weeks, of being hooted at, sworn at and general near misses, my husband informed me that I was becoming a car crash waiting to happen.  So I am delighted to say that I am now more respectful!

Deby

[powerdesal]

[quote user="raindog"][quote user="powerdesal"]

Sounds more Arabic style driving than French

[/quote]

Actually, now i've had time to think about this, I can't ever remember seeing an Arab overtake another car, but then they generally drive Renault 21s with dodgy tires and bedroom furniture piled on the roof-rack.

The population of our village is 4600 and since 3 years we now have a roundabout at both entrances to the village.

[/quote]

The Arabs I was thinking of drive things like Lexus Landcruisers, Porche Cayenne, R R Sport , Ferraris, BMW 6s and 7 s etc. Not one of whom would be seen dead with Furniture on the roof, thats what their slaves / minions are for.

[nomoss]

Judith said :-

 "I sometimes think the traffic would flow much better if we got rid of all lights (but then I think well perhaps we should ban them altogether and let the pedestrians take over!!!!!)"

 

There was a piece on BBC2 Newsnight a couple of weeks ago featuring a town in Holland where traffic lights have been removed.

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2143663,00.html

There have been far fewer accidents on the junctions since this was done, everyone is more tolerant of other road users, pedestrians and motorised. Traffic flows more smoothly and no-one sounds their horns.

There is a campaign in UK to do the same thing

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/7187165.stm

 

Edit: Add quote

[Bones]

Funnily enough I've just read a piece in Time magazine covering exactly the same issue!

It felt good, knowing that my idea had value in the real world, and then there was a sort of empty feeling knowing that there's not an original thought in my noggin. [:P]

[Moulin85]

There is a large multi junction roundabout near our uk place and about 10 years ago, for reasons best known to themselves, the local authority planted a forest of traffic lights around it. The result? Instant chaos every rust hour.

The lights are now breaking down with increasing frequency and every time they do all the congestion disappears!

[Ian]

Great clip  ebaynut.

I've often wondered what the result wuld be if Hemel Hempstead or Swindon's complex multi-roundabout-roundabout was to be beamed over here - great fun!