06-04-2009, 11:42 AM
I've always wanted to but never had the opportunity. We've always had to rely on public transport. Still, I would think driving slow and careful would be the route to follow as driving on the right hand side is second nature for me and to suddenly have to think about everything in the opposite sense COULD offer quite the challenge (especially an emergency maneuver).
On American soil, roundabouts do not work. In my experience, people 'round these parts pull up to them kind of dumbfounded and just stop! When used properly, they can handle great amounts of traffic quickly and smoothly... but, like I said, the drivers have to know how to use them and most in these parts don't. Quite to the chagrin of most, it seems, however, that more and more small cities are incorporating them.... Sedona and Wickenburg AZ, just to name a couple.
August of 08 my family and I visited Sedona AZ to find that two of the major intersections had been converted to roundabouts. We must have been there the weekend they opened as traffic was hopelessly snarled with traffic being backed up in several miles each direction. They finally called out the traffic cops to come direct traffic as they do and after several hours, it finally cleared up. However, minutes after they left, it snarled right back up again. Hopeless.
On American soil, roundabouts do not work. In my experience, people 'round these parts pull up to them kind of dumbfounded and just stop! When used properly, they can handle great amounts of traffic quickly and smoothly... but, like I said, the drivers have to know how to use them and most in these parts don't. Quite to the chagrin of most, it seems, however, that more and more small cities are incorporating them.... Sedona and Wickenburg AZ, just to name a couple.
August of 08 my family and I visited Sedona AZ to find that two of the major intersections had been converted to roundabouts. We must have been there the weekend they opened as traffic was hopelessly snarled with traffic being backed up in several miles each direction. They finally called out the traffic cops to come direct traffic as they do and after several hours, it finally cleared up. However, minutes after they left, it snarled right back up again. Hopeless.