Sunday, Mar 19, 2006 at 02:17
Ray, you obviously have not yet driven through Paris, France. I would recommend it to all prospective roundabout drivers.
On roundabout there had about 7 roads entering - it was a big city square with some monument in the middle, never got a chance to admire the monument.
Anyway, on approach I saw there were at least 6 parallel rows of cars going round that thing, all bumper to bumper. You had to fight your way on and then fight your way off it.
I managed it at the first go, squeezed the little Renault into a car snake, counted the streets as I passed and managed to squeeze off it at the fouth street. I was mightily proud of myself and think after that I can handle any roundabout that Oz has to offer.
Had a few nightmares though about being stuck in the car going round and round forever, quite possible there if you get squeezed to the innermost row. They drive their cars within centimetres of each other, you could easily shake hands with the passenger in the car next to you, and yet it somehow worked without the cars touching. You wouldn't want to be a timid driver there, they just ignore you and you sit there in the traffic until the cows come home.
What annoys me most is people that somehow see a stop sign at every roundabout, especially if there is a clear view to both sides and little traffic. Roundabouts are supposed to speed up traffic flow and if one can get on without hindering traffic on the roundabout in any way then its much safer to do that than stop and then trying to accelerate on it when there is not a big enough break in the roundabout traffic.
It has always been my understanding that one has to give way to traffic actually ON the roundabout and not necessarily to traffic approaching it from the right if one can get on before them. Exceptions are the very small roundabouts which are best treated like any other intersection.
Klaus
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