How do you deal with roundabouts?

In a roundabout way.

 

I have quite a few smaller roundabouts in the upscale housing developments I have to drag a 45 footer into.Delivering turf grass. Some of these are high dollar places, with fancy brickwork in the middle of the circle, and lots of stuff planted. Kind of hard to keep from messing some of them up. I just enter slowly, turn signal on, and take up as much room as I can.Hope for the best.

 

Roundabouts are the latest trend in keeping traffic moving. Studies have shown they alleviate crashes that are prone to happen at 4 way stops- especially for the left-hand-turners.

Back in the 60's or so, Detroit I think it was tried to eliminate left hand turns all together, you'd go through the intersections, then make a U-turn and get across all lanes or traffic to make that right turn at the intersection again.

Roundabouts are OK but typically too small for 53 foot trailers. I can think of one on I70 just as you're coming into Colorado to get off at the Loco Conoco there, too small. Another one on I40 at the Acoma casino is OK.

Where I used to live they sprinkled these little roundabouts throughout the street plan as 'traffic softeners'. Kept the young punks from drag racing up and down the streets. The fire department was none too happy about not being involved in the planning process for these things. Other communities have put in large speed bumps to slow cars down.

There's one in Kansas on a lonely little US highway, a truck traveling 65 miles an hour came upon the roundabout too fast and went right over the top.

 

I jughandle/buttonhook it working to keep my tandems as close to the curb as I can so that the cars cant try and make a squeeze.

 

When I was in the UK, our charter bus was witness to a cyclist who was in the roundabout get hit by a car coming up on the left side of the bus (the RHD "blind side"). His view was blocked by our bus but instead of being cautious he tried to enter the roundabout and BUMP! The cyclist only suffered minor injuries and was able to walk to the ambulance.

 

I've only dealt with roundabouts a few times. Every time I can think of, the 4wheelers stayed behind me unless it was one of those really large roundabouts where I was able to stay in my lane. (there was a place outside Akron that comes to mind). Other times the cars stay behind me and watch as I swing wide, try not to hit anything, and watch my tandems ride along up on the inside curb.

There's a truck stop on I-94 in Michigan where if you're going east (towards Detroit) you have the joy of navigating two roundabouts to get into the truck stop!

 

Are you talking about out there on 50? I used to run to Hutchinson all the time and had to go through that. If I remember right it's not even in town, but it may be close to one on the edge.

 

This roundabout is on US-68 east of Ottawa.

 

...out in the middle of nowhere.

 

Try moving an oversize ld. through them. 130 feet long and maybe 12 feet wide or wider.
Yep have gotten those fancy bricks in the center. Plus trying to work around the sign posts. Not fun