:huh:
Gonna have to 'splain this one to me. We have lots of them (we call them a Rotary). But I have never used a turn signal in one.
Why would you? Once in the rotary you can only turn right. So if a vehicle has its right turn signal on, how would you know which of the many right turns he's making?
Ostensibly the right turn indicator is to let others know you are exiting the circle, so that they can enter, instead of guessing as to your intentions. You should turn your indicator on when the next exit is the one you intend to take.
These are main rules which are generally universal around the world:
- Go counterclockwise unless you're in a country where they drive on the wrong side of the road. For the rest of these points I'll assume counterclockwise, as it pertains to left/right use of indicators.
- Vehicles in the circle have right of way. Except in Greece, then those entering have right of way :blink:
- Vehicles in the inner lane have right of way to move to the outside.
- If you are taking the first available exit, turn on your right blinker before you enter the circle.
- Otherwise, turn on your right blinker when the next exit is the one you're taking.
There is one more rule which was recently added, at least in Norway, but which I rarely see used:
- If you are taking the last available exit, turn on your left blinker before you enter the circle, then change it to the right blinker when your exit is the next one.
Here in MN, our DVS driving handbook lists how to drive in a circle but has no mention of indicator usage. Nor is there a mention of using indicators at ordinary traffic lights either ... but there is a blurb about using blinkers when turning off one road onto another, which applies to circles.
Besides, it doesn't really matter. The driver already in the circle has the complete right of way. That's really all you need to know. And I never pull out in front of another vehicle just because they have their turn signal on. Too many cars (and especially bikes) drive around with one flashing away for miles and miles...
But is DOES matter! True, "that's all you really need to know" to
safely negotiate a circle, but you need to know how to properly drive in one in order to make the circle
effective.
And that's the problem, and why traffic circles in the US slow down traffic and create accidents rather than aiding the smooth flow of traffic. Until recently US drivers were never taught how to properly drive in one, they are few and far between, and since nobody properly signals there are no reinforcements or examples of how to do it properly. The result is that Americans approach circles with trepidation, slow down (or even stop at the entrance) and are generally bewildered as they enter them. Like you, they don't trust that anyone else is correctly indicating what they plan to do. Seeing how Americans don't have the driving skills to make circles effective, an argument can be made that they are traffic hindrances and the tools of the devil (this logic can also be applied to the vastly superior metric system....
)
Compare that with busy European cities, in particular the large ones in London or in Paris, where they have immense amounts of traffic at high speed with little or no slowing down of the flow, at least until traffic becomes overwhelmingly heavy ... at which point ordinary traffic signals would have clogged up long before. The difference is that European drivers are engaged, driving is generally regarded as something they take pride in doing well, they know how to negotiate the circle, and trust that others also follow the rules.
Then put one American in there, trying to enter a circle, not trusting the blinkers of the exiting cars so they don't pull into the circle when they obviously can. When approaching cars don't have their signals on, the Americans will guess whether they might be exiting and then pull in and cut them off. This disrupts and slows down traffic and confuses other drivers.
If Americans learned to properly use their blinkers, traffic would flow smoother, there would be less accidents, and when traveling abroad, we wouldn't be viewed as buffoon drivers barely fit for the Legoland go-karts.
