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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!harvard!gcc-opus!alien
From: alien@gcc-opus.ARPA (Alien Wells)
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Re: Traffic Circles
Message-ID: <137@gcc-opus.ARPA>
Date: Mon, 12-Nov-84 13:08:45 EST
Article-I.D.: gcc-opus.137
Posted: Mon Nov 12 13:08:45 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 15-Nov-84 01:18:58 EST
References: <486@houxt.UUCP> <493@aluxe.UUCP>
Reply-To: alien@gcc-opus.UUCP (Alien Wells)
Organization: General Computer Company, Cambridge Ma (creators of Ms. Pacman)
Lines: 30
Summary: 

In article <493@aluxe.UUCP> 2141smh@aluxe.UUCP (henning) writes:
>****                                                                 ****
>> Who has the right of way on traffic circles?
>
>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.

WRONG!!!!!  You, and many other people here in Massachusetts I might add,
are totally wrong.  There is an explicit law in states with rotaries 
(traffic circles) which says that people in a rotary have right of way
over people coming into them, unless specifically marked otherwise (with
yields, stop lights, etc.).

Also note that in GB, people drive on the other side of the road.  People to
the LEFT have default right of way there, yet they also give right of way to
people already in a rotary.

Experience shows that rotaries have over twice the bandwidth when people drive
correctly in them.  Unfortunately, people coming into rotaries generally have
greater speed, and thus more of an 'intimidation factor'. 

Actually, there was a bill here in Mass to change the law to what you suggest.
Fortunately, it was defeated.  There is nothing more frustrating than a rotary
suffering from total grid-lock because every entrance is jammed with people
who think they have the right of way.

					Alien