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Aaugghh!! This happened again...

Old 08-02-21, 11:46 AM
  #51  
BobT1962
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Just be careful

Originally Posted by Random11
I've complained about this before. There's a roundabout on my daily ride, and yesterday I was approaching it as a car was entering to my left (counterclockwise traffic). I was timing my entry to follow that car when... the car just stopped in the roundabout. so, I jammed on my brakes and stopped too. I didn't want to risk pulling in front of a car that had the right-of-way. With both of us stopped, the car then continued around and I followed. Now I'm thinking I'm partly to blame. Nothing bad happened. It was just annoying. But why did the car stop? Likely because the driver saw me barreling toward the roundabout and didn't want to risk a collision. The drive was really trying to look out for me. So, what should I be doing? I want to keep my speed up, partly because there is often traffic behind me and I take the lane. And of course, who wants to slow down when they are riding anyway? Maybe I need to be a bit less aggressive when following traffic in the roundabout. And instead of being annoyed, maybe I should be thankful that at least some drivers err on the side of caution when encountering bikes on the road.
I have has similar issues as we had a roundabout just outside of our community. It was bad enough with auto drivers not knowing what to do in this 2 lane round about so you can imagine how bad if you are on 2 wheels. There have been numerous motorcycle accidents in this one roundabout also. I usually play it this way when I have to enter if there is too much traffic I either stop and wait, medium traffic some times cant make it all the way around I take the first exit and re-plan my trip usually not a big deal, if no traffic or very light i go for it. Remember this is a 2 lane roundabout so if I need to take 2nd or 3rd exit I have to get into the middle then back to the outside. It can be very nerve wracking.
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Old 08-02-21, 12:25 PM
  #52  
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Originally Posted by gregplo
I've tried to read through the thread, and haven't seen anyone state specifically that, by law, vehicles already in the roundabout have the right of way.
I am not finding that explicitly stated in the Illinois vehicle code (statute), but the official "rules of the road" booklet issued by the state says: "Vehicles entering or exiting a roundabout must yield to all traffic including pedestrians and bicycles." This has been the "rules of the road" taught in every state and country I have driven in. And to make it yet more clear, I don't think I have ever seen a roundabout, rotary, or "traffic circle" without Yield (or sometimes Stop) signs for drivers entering; of course there are none for vehicles already in.
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Old 08-02-21, 12:49 PM
  #53  
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Originally Posted by Random11
Maybe I need to be a bit less aggressive when following traffic in the roundabout. And instead of being annoyed, maybe I should be thankful that at least some drivers err on the side of caution when encountering bikes on the road.
I just had the exact same thing happen yesterday. I jammed on the brakes but had expected him to keep going so I couldn't get my feet out of the clipless and tottered onto the sidewalk to avoid going into the roundabout in front of him.

He's the overly polite idiot who causes accidents by not respecting right-of-way rules. In his defense, this is a residential neighborhood so I bet he's learned to brake for kids barreling through without looking. I'm not annoyed and appreciative that he's looking out for me. Even if should not be doing that.
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Old 08-02-21, 12:58 PM
  #54  
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Originally Posted by Broctoon
This happens to me all the time, as well as similar situations where another driver has the right of way but yields to be polite to me.

The law in my state is that cyclists must obey all traffic laws the same as cars. If cyclists and drivers alike would accept the right of way when it’s theirs and yield it when it’s not, there would be very few conflicts.

While I appreciate someone noticing me on the road and trying to be kind, what I really need is for them to follow the law and expect me to do the same. This is the safest way.
When someone yields he right of way to me I often just stare at them until they get mad and go. Im always afraid I will accept their offer and then get creamed by somebody.
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Old 08-02-21, 01:19 PM
  #55  
gregplo
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Originally Posted by SteveG23
I am not finding that explicitly stated in the Illinois vehicle code (statute), but the official "rules of the road" booklet issued by the state says: "Vehicles entering or exiting a roundabout must yield to all traffic including pedestrians and bicycles." This has been the "rules of the road" taught in every state and country I have driven in. And to make it yet more clear, I don't think I have ever seen a roundabout, rotary, or "traffic circle" without Yield (or sometimes Stop) signs for drivers entering; of course there are none for vehicles already in.
Quoting directly from the NC DOT site:

"Driving Through a Roundabout

A roundabout is easy to drive through once you understand how it works. As you approach it, you’ll see a yellow “roundabout ahead” sign, indicating you should slow down.

Drivers yield to any vehicles or bicyclists already in the roundabout. Everyone using the roundabout moves in a counterclockwise direction, and those already in it do not yield to approaching vehicles.

Drivers should use turn signals when exiting and yield to pedestrians using the crosswalk at the roundabout."
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Old 08-02-21, 01:36 PM
  #56  
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Originally Posted by Erzulis Boat
I dare you to drive in Slovenia.
Lol. Or Bahrain. They don't call it roundabout roulette for nothing over there.
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Old 08-02-21, 02:23 PM
  #57  
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Default assumption

I assume that all drivers are out to kill me, and ride accordingly.
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Old 08-02-21, 02:28 PM
  #58  
Rdmonster69
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Originally Posted by jpdemers
I assume that all drivers are out to kill me, and ride accordingly.
I follow this rule on both bicycles and motorcycles ...... on motorcycles I at least have the advantage of real power to get away when needed.
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Old 08-02-21, 03:10 PM
  #59  
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Originally Posted by jpdemers
I assume that all drivers are out to kill me, and ride accordingly.
Not a bad way to look at it. They may not be trying to kill you in a deliberate, pernicious way but people are more distracted behind the wheel than ever, and bikes are small - I don't care what you are wearing.
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Old 08-02-21, 03:46 PM
  #60  
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Originally Posted by Random11
I've complained about this before. There's a roundabout on my daily ride, and yesterday I was approaching it as a car was entering to my left (counterclockwise traffic). I was timing my entry to follow that car when... the car just stopped in the roundabout. so, I jammed on my brakes and stopped too. I didn't want to risk pulling in front of a car that had the right-of-way. With both of us stopped, the car then continued around and I followed. Now I'm thinking I'm partly to blame. Nothing bad happened. It was just annoying. But why did the car stop? Likely because the driver saw me barreling toward the roundabout and didn't want to risk a collision. The drive was really trying to look out for me. So, what should I be doing? I want to keep my speed up, partly because there is often traffic behind me and I take the lane. And of course, who wants to slow down when they are riding anyway? Maybe I need to be a bit less aggressive when following traffic in the roundabout. And instead of being annoyed, maybe I should be thankful that at least some drivers err on the side of caution when encountering bikes on the road.
I don't know the answer to your question, but I DO know that those places are NOT my favorite.
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Old 08-02-21, 05:27 PM
  #61  
rosefarts
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It drives me crazy when a car tries to help. If I don’t have the right of way, don’t stop! I can track stand for like 3 seconds on a good day. Cars stopping in the middle of a through road is simply a hazard to everyone involved. If I looked 10 years old, drunk, or disabled sure, approach cautiously.

Ive literally been cussed at for telling someone they had the right of way. Yesterday.

I want 3 feet, more if it’s possible and not much more.
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Old 08-02-21, 05:30 PM
  #62  
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Roundabout

Originally Posted by TiHabanero
"I think that round-a-bouts need metric speed limits to complete the picture."
Great observation, kahn. I noticed it, too.
Seems that when autos are in the roundabout there is little friction, (by the way what does the metric system have to do with anything), but when there is a minority involved, a bike, the minority looses control.Ignorance is always the problem. education and patience the solutuon.
Pete
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Old 08-02-21, 06:07 PM
  #63  
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Originally Posted by RobbiRobbi
I kind of like the single lane ones as alternatives to four-way stops in low traffic areas, but I recently found out some neighborhoods near me put in circles in the middle of the intersections (and signs telling you to go around the circle counter-clockwise) but left up the stop signs. So it’s still a four-way stop but with the extra step of going around the circle?!

I’m also not totally sure how it’s supposed to work because with a regular one you yield to enter the circle and then have the right of way to exit. But with this, are you supposed to wait for someone else to complete their whole turn before going, or is it ok to enter the circle at the same time from opposite sides?
yikes, I can imagine the confusion. The stop signs would seemingly dictate who has right of way.
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Old 08-02-21, 06:31 PM
  #64  
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What gets me about roundabouts in my area is that even the two lanes ones are not consistent. One has the right lane as a through lane going east, or right turn lane only to go south. The next roundabout only two short blocks away has the right lane as a through lane going east, a right turn lane to go south or you can continue in that lane to the left and head north. This makes things confusing.

Cheers
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Old 08-05-21, 09:42 AM
  #65  
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of course, if we don't like roundabouts we can always go back to 5 way intersections
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Old 08-05-21, 09:47 AM
  #66  
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Originally Posted by bowwow
yikes, I can imagine the confusion. The stop signs would seemingly dictate who has right of way.
Originally Posted by RobbiRobbi
I kind of like the single lane ones as alternatives to four-way stops in low traffic areas, but I recently found out some neighborhoods near me put in circles in the middle of the intersections (and signs telling you to go around the circle counter-clockwise) but left up the stop signs. So it’s still a four-way stop but with the extra step of going around the circle?!

I’m also not totally sure how it’s supposed to work because with a regular one you yield to enter the circle and then have the right of way to exit. But with this, are you supposed to wait for someone else to complete their whole turn before going, or is it ok to enter the circle at the same time from opposite sides?
Yeah, it's fine to go into a circle with a stop sign while someone else is still in it. One just has to definitively STOP before entering, whether there's someone to yield to or not.

And that's preferable, cause as I said above, I have always suspected that a LOT of people simply do not know what yield means. Like, literally, I think a lot of people do not know the word, and then they come to a rotary and are fuzzy on what to do/not do. {Not that this excuses it in my book; they are stupid for not looking it up.}
  • "Vehicles entering or exiting a roundabout must yield to all traffic including pedestrians and bicycles."
  • "Drivers yield to any vehicles or bicyclists already in the roundabout."
Those rules are, unfortunately, too sophisticated for many drivers. They should say "You gotta let the cars IN the circle go past you before you can cross this line, and you will probably have to stop completely. THEY get to go, THEN you, and only when nobody's coming anywhere near you, or it's ALL YOUR FAULT."

And I think there should be more rotaries with stop signs (instead of yield triangles) to prevent these morons from failing, although that does mean that we lose the benefit of free flow through busy intersections.
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Old 08-05-21, 03:36 PM
  #67  
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Originally Posted by Charliekeet
Yeah, it's fine to go into a circle with a stop sign while someone else is still in it. One just has to definitively STOP before entering, whether there's someone to yield to or not.

And that's preferable, cause as I said above, I have always suspected that a LOT of people simply do not know what yield means. Like, literally, I think a lot of people do not know the word, and then they come to a rotary and are fuzzy on what to do/not do. {Not that this excuses it in my book; they are stupid for not looking it up.}
  • "Vehicles entering or exiting a roundabout must yield to all traffic including pedestrians and bicycles."
  • "Drivers yield to any vehicles or bicyclists already in the roundabout."
Those rules are, unfortunately, too sophisticated for many drivers. They should say "You gotta let the cars IN the circle go past you before you can cross this line, and you will probably have to stop completely. THEY get to go, THEN you, and only when nobody's coming anywhere near you, or it's ALL YOUR FAULT."

And I think there should be more rotaries with stop signs (instead of yield triangles) to prevent these morons from failing, although that does mean that we lose the benefit of free flow through busy intersections.
Another word they won't know is ¨rotary¨. Ha ha ha, only in Massachusetts!
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Old 08-07-21, 07:08 PM
  #68  
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Originally Posted by caloso
Roundabouts seem to be like the metric system and universal healthcare: Americans can’t seem to figure them out even though it’s just normal everywhere else in the world.
Ain’t that the truth? 😜
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Old 08-07-21, 07:16 PM
  #69  
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Originally Posted by Random11
...instead of being annoyed, maybe I should be thankful that at least some drivers err on the side of caution when encountering bikes on the road.
I know... I know... At least he saw ya. There's allot of ranchers where I ride and often they will completely stop for me to pass by. For others I am just another bump in road... Ha
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Old 08-08-21, 08:18 PM
  #70  
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Originally Posted by zandoval
There's allot of ranchers where I ride and often they will completely stop for me to pass by. For others I am just another bump in road... Ha
I've noticed that the old farmers and ranchers are the most considerate and slow down and give me room on the roads.
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