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From: jm@tekig.UUCP (Jeff Mizener)
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Re: Traffic Circles
Message-ID: <2381@tekig.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 9-Nov-84 14:41:46 EST
Article-I.D.: tekig.2381
Posted: Fri Nov  9 14:41:46 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 10-Nov-84 21:14:06 EST
Organization: Tektronix, Beaverton OR
Lines: 43

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[]
>> Who has the right of way on traffic circles?

>From the keys of Steve Henning, AT&T Bell Labs, Reading, PA aluxe!2141smh
>
>Traffic coming from the right has the right-of-way unless other-
>wise posted.  Thus usually the people getting on a traffic circle
>have the right of way in the US.  In GB where traffic goes clock-
>wise on a traffic circle, the cars on the circle have the right-of-
>way.

The reason that traffic circles don't work very well in the US is that
we drive on the right.  Were we to drive on the left (GB, AUS, JPN),
the default right-of-way (yield to the right) would work, and nobody
would get confused.  I have been in many a city with traffic circles in the
US and NONE OF THEM ALLOW THE CAR ENTERING THE CIRCLE TO HAVE RIGHT-OF-WAY.
If they did, no traffic could proceed and we'd have a massive jam.  Every
traffic circle I've seen in the US has GREAT BIG YIELD SIGNS to tell the
(pardon me please) average dim-bulb driver that s/he has to pay attention
(for a change), and that the traffic in the circle has right-of-way.

I believe in traffic circles.  They are a great alternative to traffic
lights.  The only problem being that they require more intellegence to
use than a traffic light.  For this reason their applications will be
limited.

Come to think of it, there are lots of great big traffic circles in
non-left-driving europe.  They don't have any problem there, but I guess
they tell their kids about them in Drivers Ed.

And speaking of drivers ed, I think we should go to the British System.
They make the learners drive about in cars with great big red "L"s on the
back, and they can't drive without someone who's been licensed for 5 or
so years and they can only drive between certain hours and the tests
are harder and....  Sorry.  I haven't editorialized recently.

Have a Leaded Premium Day.

	Jeff Mizener / Tektronix Portables ADG / Beaverton OR

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