lucky to be here today

coming home from work at 5am.. I have to go around a traffic Circle about 3 miles from my house. I enter it with no issues and get part way across when I spot what looks like a lifted ford or chevy 4x4 with it's highbeams on barreling down on the circle. I have right of way, but I slowed anyway as driving with highs on is always a sign of somebody who has drank too much.

the truck flies into the circle right in front of (would have broadsided me) bounces over the kerb and into the wide grass centre of the circle, takes out a sign, gets to the other sides, gets back to the road.. and keeps going.

I hope he killed his truck before he manages to kill somebody

When driving late at night (or early in the morning) I ALWAYS give folks driving with no lights at all, or who can't seem to figure out that high beams blind, a very wide berth. There's 1 or maybe 2 traffic circles in this area, and when they were proposed, folks thought it was a big waste of money (the circles cost about $300k, supposedly). no one cared whether folks would do what your "phantom driver" did.

I don't know which is more dangerous someone who may or may not have been a drunk driver or the traffic circle.

By traffic circle, I'm assuming you mean roundabout? They're awesome. I wish we had them everywhere.

FYI, I get the high beam flash at least a few times a week, especially after I've passed somebody, and they think they need to teach me a lesson, and drive behind me with theirs on. I never actually have the beams on, they're just bright lights.

Glad you're still with us mad_machine Always listen to that little voice.

carguy123 wrote: I don't know which is more dangerous someone who may or may not have been a drunk driver or the traffic circle.

I think there may be more accidents with roundabouts, but they tend to be much less sevier than regular junctions.

wow... at first i was thinking it was a Toyota, but glad to hear you are ok.

The shortest distance between 2 points....

5am on a Sunday night - Monday morning. That is one hard partier.

I remember just the other day you wrote that you are often on the road at 5am and see a lot of drunks. Glad you are okay!

At least he wasn't one of those poseurs who never takes his lifted truck offroad.

NYS is on a roundabout kick. Putting them everywhere. In some ways they are nice in that you don't have to stop ,wait and go. They can be a bit scary until you get used to them.

iceracer wrote: NYS is on a roundabout kick. Putting them everywhere. In some ways they are nice in that you don't have to stop ,wait and go. They can be a bit scary until you get used to them.

Agreed, but once you do get used to them I think that they are much safer. Not backed by any statistics, just what I think.

I go to pick up papers for delivery at 230am, just as the bars close. I've seen more than a few people weaving all over the interstate in just the month i've been delivering.

Roundabouts are the spawn of the devil!

When you mean many of the accidents are less severe you forgot to mention that most of them wouldn't evenhave even happened if it weren't for the traffic circle or roundabout or whatever you want to call them.

While in some cases they speed the flow over a light, a stop sign would do just as well. If you put them at virtually every intersection as they do in England they totally disrupt the flow and slow your thru speed terribly.

I don't see how any self respecting car guy (especially autocross and/or roadrace types) could not be thrilled with the prospect of a public skidpad at any given intersection.

I, for one, welcome our new efficient-traffic overlords.

What I can't stand is morons who can't figure out how to use one. It's the same concept as merging onto a freeway from an entrance ramp. This should be on the skills test of a biannual driver license renewal.

Clem

In reply to ClemSparks: yes, yes, and yes!

There is a new traffic circle not too far from my house. One evening not that long ago the family was on our way to dinner and I went around it rather enthusiastically, even got a little tire sqeal. My youngest son, 2 years old.as soon as it was over put both hands in the air and yelled "Oh yea, do it again please". It was great.

I had a crash course (so to speak) in roundabouts on a recent trip to Spain... after 22 hours of flying. Yup, got my attention. They're everywhere over there, hardly saw any conventional intersections.

Try the roundabouts in Trinidad and Jamaica. A new form of excitement. (terror)

We've got a few here, and I'm waiting for someone to just blow through like the OP saw. As it is, barely anyone Yields. Their idea is to approach, check traffic, and floor it while turning. I'd rather take the long way than deal with those idiots.

Oh yeah...my girls know where the roundabouts are and beg for at least twice-around. If traffic is light, I'll grant them their wish.

However, that wish is kind of like ice cream...I hope the kids ask for it ;).

If we could use them as skid pads that'd be one thing, but it's guaranteed the cops will be there to ticket infractions, of which there are a great many more of than at a conventional intersection.

And then there's the drunk or not paying attention factor. Just as this guy went straight thru so will dozens of others in any given month.

DoctorBlade wrote: We've got a few here, and I'm waiting for someone to just blow through like the OP saw. As it is, barely anyone Yields. Their idea is to approach, check traffic, and floor it while turning. I'd rather take the long way than deal with those idiots.

That's how they're supposed to work

I love them.

They recently installed a new roundabout at an intersection near my g/f's house. At first, we wondered "WTF are they thinking?" but after going through the intersection a few times, I have to admit it works well and keeps the majorty of the traffic flowing as needed and more efficiently than a traffic light would have. For once, I'll concede the traffic planners did their research and chose the best option, if not the easiest (installing a light would have been much easier and cheaper).

carguy123 wrote: And then there's the drunk or not paying attention factor. Just as this guy went straight thru so will dozens of others in any given month.

Hell...I ran a stopsign yesterday in broad daylight, completely sober.

Inattentive drivers, regardless of intoxication, are a fact of driving life. They are indescriminate in their inattentiveness. The guy the OP almost got manslaughtered by would have done the same thing at a 4 way stop. Or could just as well have, anyway.

I'm saying, "It's the fault of the moron, not the traffic concept." While a person can kill his or herself easier with a gun than a wooden spoon, I don't think comparing a roundabout to a gun and a conventional intersection to a wooden spoon is at all appropriate.

Yes...I'm a roundabout Fanboi!

Look kids, there's Big Ben!