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From: pennell@isosvax.UUCP (T.A. Pennell)
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Traffic Circles
Message-ID: <172@isosvax.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 16-Nov-84 15:35:21 EST
Article-I.D.: isosvax.172
Posted: Fri Nov 16 15:35:21 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 22-Nov-84 07:44:50 EST
Organization: Intel Corp, Phoenix (Deer valley), AZ
Lines: 20

You REALLY haven't lived until you've tried driving in Paris. The city has
about 9000 traffic circles. The right-of-way rule ( The vehicle approaching
from the right has the right of way) is strictly enforced throughout Europe
and in England also. This gets a little confusing when you are driving on
what seems to be the "wrong" side of the road. Therefore, in France, cars
ENTERING a counter-clockwise traffic circle have the ROW. The Parisian driver
typically barges straight into a circle WITHOUT LOOKING TO HIS LEFT AT ALL.
What's even more interesting is that they usually drive all the way in to the
center, turn right, then turn hard right again to exit the circle. They do
this even if they're only going to the next radial spoke. In England, the 
circles run clockwise, which means that the cars ALREADY IN the circle have
the ROW. Makes it kind of chancey for getting in in the first place. Both
countries have large numbers of cars per available road mile, so you'll 
seldom get through a traffic circle ("roundabout" in England) without 
encountering another vehicle and applying the proper ROW rule. The best thing
to do when in Paris is let a Parisian drive the car. You just keep your eyes
closed.
T.A. Pennell
--
"You can tell he's a British car nut. There's a puddle of oil under his chair."