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OT: Proper Driving Behavior When Approaching A Roundabout...

DirtyRU

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Nov 16, 2002
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OK so this is a big argument right now between my wife and I, who have both been driving for 26 years, so we ain't newbies, ha. But for whatever reason, I just recently noticed her approach to roundabouts or "circles" is completely different from mine. Here's why. When she is approaching one, if she can clearly see that there is no cars actually "IN" the roundabout, she rolls right into the circle without doing any kind if yielding whatsoever. She say if there are no cars coming from her left, then she does not need to yield, regardless of whether or not there may be cars to the right of her, waiting to enter the circle. Me? I always yield automatically, no matter what, when I can see that there are other cars to the left and to the right waiting to enter the circle. I yield/pause and allow those cars to enter first, meaning the ones at other entry points, waiting to enter, who were clearly there before me. Of course I'm only talking entry points to the left and to the right. If it's the entry point OPPOSITE me, there is a good chance I can't even see them, esp. if there's an island with landscaping etc. But yeah, if I describe myself as entering the clock at the 6, and a car is at 9 first, "OR" the 3 first, I'm yielding to them. My wife is "only" yielding to cars that are already in the circle. Hope that makes sense.

Google is a bit unclear but for the most part, seems to side with my wife. Who is right?
 
The more I'm thinking about it as I post this, the more I feel like I might be wrong about my own behavior, because now that I reflect on it, I don't recall sitting, stopped at circles, waiting for 9 and 3 to go, simply because they got to the circle first. I don't think I actually do that. What I "think" is the actual difference, upon further reflection, is that I just automatically slow down, yield, pause, whatever, before entering a roundabout. She does not. If it looks like she is "clear" she rolls right into the roundabout, with ZERO pausing. That is the real difference!!!

I yield all the time, unless it's late at night and I can tell there are zero cars around. Rolling right into the roundabout sans any kind of yielding just "feels" wrong and reckless, but maybe I am wrong... and just getting old, haha.
 
Big differences between the famous NJ circles and roundabouts. Those in the roundabout have the right if way. The reason why many circles bring eliminated as they were a free for all and dangerous.
 
What do you do when one side has yield signs, and the other has stop signs? Englewood has a circle at Palisades and Tenafly. Palisades Ave. has the yield signs, while Tenafly Rd. has the stop signs. I have yet to see a car stop at the stop signs. They don't even yield. They rush to get into the circle over the cars entering from Palisades Ave.
 
Any new "circles" are called modern-day roundabouts with tighter diameters which are meant to slow speeds. They are controlled by yield signs which means you don't need to stop unless you're yeilding to traffic already in the roundabout. Sounds like your wife is right. NJ has a lot of old "circles" with inconsistent and sometimes dangerous traffic control, larger diameters and faster speeds. The modern roundabouts have proven to be safer and can in many cases move traffic more efficiently than a traffic signal or 4 way stop sign.
 
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My wife and I are in agreement that cars already in the roundabout have the right of way. That's def. not the argument. Again it seems like I naturally yield no matter what, she rolls right into sans yielding if the coast is clear. I think that's the difference. By law, she is probably the correct one... but it doesn't "feel" right, if that makes any sense.
 
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Yield to left but once you enter your head better be on a swivel just in case the guy on the right doesn’t do his part. If everyone yields left they would be less dangerous.

By left I am inferring cars in the circle coming toward you. If they’re ahead of you or on right you don’t need to yield to them even if they are in the circle.
 
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You and your wife are forgetting a major component of circle driving: your driver's window must be down with your left hand hanging outside your car in preparation of signaling as necessary to other drivers.
 
OK, I am gonna go back to my corner, tail inbetween legs. I feel defeated, ha. And I will NOT be showing her this thread lol. I will, however, stop calling her out for not yielding because it appears that I am flatout WRONG. Not ashamed to admit it to you all, ha... just might not admit it to her! :)
 
I feel like you’re still right and she was somehow wrong. Maybe you got it backwards when you typed your op.
 
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i have navigated the Somerville Circle more times that I can remember, you yield to traffic in the circle, you dont worry about other entry points
 
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I will, however, stop calling her out for not yielding because it appears that I am flatout WRONG.
I am seriously trying to understand this. This is your wife we're talking about, right? You're married to her? Correct? And yet, you haven't realized that, in discussions like this, you are wrong. Always. It doesn't matter if facts prove otherwise: You. Are. Wrong. If God Himself came down and declared that you were essentially right, you would: Still. Be. Wrong.
 
OK so this is a big argument right now between my wife and I, who have both been driving for 26 years, so we ain't newbies, ha. But for whatever reason, I just recently noticed her approach to roundabouts or "circles" is completely different from mine. Here's why. When she is approaching one, if she can clearly see that there is no cars actually "IN" the roundabout, she rolls right into the circle without doing any kind if yielding whatsoever. She say if there are no cars coming from her left, then she does not need to yield, regardless of whether or not there may be cars to the right of her, waiting to enter the circle. Me? I always yield automatically, no matter what, when I can see that there are other cars to the left and to the right waiting to enter the circle. I yield/pause and allow those cars to enter first, meaning the ones at other entry points, waiting to enter, who were clearly there before me. Of course I'm only talking entry points to the left and to the right. If it's the entry point OPPOSITE me, there is a good chance I can't even see them, esp. if there's an island with landscaping etc. But yeah, if I describe myself as entering the clock at the 6, and a car is at 9 first, "OR" the 3 first, I'm yielding to them. My wife is "only" yielding to cars that are already in the circle. Hope that makes sense.

Google is a bit unclear but for the most part, seems to side with my wife. Who is right?

I'm with your wife...well, not really...I have my own wife...
but, if no one is in approaching me on the left as I'm entering circle...I'm not yielding..it's my way...
and if a car right of me in the circle is still waiting to enter circle as I approach him...I'm not yielding either...he's too slow and shit out of luck and causes traffic
 
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I am seriously trying to understand this. This is your wife we're talking about, right? You're married to her? Correct? And yet, you haven't realized that, in discussions like this, you are wrong. Always. It doesn't matter if facts prove otherwise: You. Are. Wrong. If God Himself came down and declared that you were essentially right, you would: Still. Be. Wrong.
Hahahaha, yes!!!! What was I thinking?!?!
 
In Wall, the DOT just put signs and stripes in the traffic circles. Cars in the circle have right of way, and cars entering the circle are to yield to cars in the circle.
Yes.. the new signs are because the rule of thumb has CHANGED.

Personally.. I think the old way was better. Cars in the circle are already slower than the cars entering... they should yeild.. but as noted, that has been changed because Murphy's crowd just cannot help themselves..

BTW.. OP.. I think your wife was 100% correct.. and still is.. no traffic in the circle.. just keep moving.

Your idea of what YEILD means is just wrong. YEILD does not mean SURRENDER while driving.. nor does it mean STOP... it especially does not mean STOP. If they wanted you to STOP before entering the circle there would be a STOP sign or flashing red or something.

If you STOP on a yield you are begging the guy behind you to slam into you. No one is expecting you to stop with no traffic in the circle.
 
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What is bewildering to me is you all for the most part claim to be college educated . That is scary ...
 
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Yes.. the new signs are because the rule of thumb has CHANGED.

Personally.. I think the old way was better. Cars in the circle are already slower than the cars entering... they should yeild.. but as noted, that has been changed because Murphy's crowd just cannot help themselves..

BTW.. OP.. I think your wife was 100% correct.. and still is.. no traffic in the circle.. just keep moving.

Your idea of what YEILD means is just wrong. YEILD does not mean SURRENDER while driving.. nor does it mean STOP... it especially does not mean STOP. If they wanted you to STOP before entering the circle there would be a STOP sign or flashing red or something.

If you STOP on a yield you are begging the guy behind you to slam into you. No one is expecting you to stop with no traffic in the circle.
That’s a Big problem when people are getting onto highways also, some people will stop dead in there tracks if they see other cars which causes many accidents. On the other hand so many Jersey drivers will tailgate, get right up on your ash because there in a hurry to go nowhere, they will pass you on the shoulder, give you the high beams even though your boxed in by other traffic, then flip you the bird because you didn’t move fast enough for their liking. Attitude much, for me the air horn is a sweet response to an unsafe driver.:uzi::uzi:
 
The other day, I’m in a roundabout and find myself behind this Honda Accord with a block R...damn fool kept stopping and going every damn time he saw a car come near the damn circle. Almost crashed into his ass at least 3 times. I was going to go ballistic on him but saw he had his crazy ass wife already calling him a damn fool, so I just let it go...
But who the hell stops when they are in the circle?
 
Personally I would "yield" to the traffic already in the circle when entering and potentially that entering from the left, but its more of a judgement thing with slowing down/speeding up (I have daily experience with the "roundabout" on Douglass). I would certainly never yield to the right (its not a 4-way stop).

As far as the reversed yield on the Wall Circles, thats interesting to me. I can understand the confusion with the switch after having been one way for so long and with Route 35 being the "superior" road at those intersections. I'm not through the area enough to be familiar with daily operation, but this change makes sense to me. According to this article the changes were made to "reduce confusion and improve safety". This sounds a bit counter-intuitive, to change something that everyone is used to - but, its stated that it was done to make all three circles in the township operate in a similar fashion (the third being at 34 and 33, which I've been through a fair number of times) and in turn, like most other circles elsewhere. In addition, again I'm not familiar with daily operations, but circles can get "gridlocked" just the same as intersections, so another idea behind this might be to keep traffic flowing around and out of the circle before letting additional traffic enter.
 
Changing it now for "safety" reasons is damned stupid. Probably some damn foreigner behind this because that's how they do it wherever they come from. So now you'll have all these people like OP's wife who were perfectly adapted to the old way getting into trouble... but its all their fault because there are new sings up that they have to read while driving and looking for traffic in the circle and entering the circle.

It will be less safe until everyone adjusts.
 
Changing it now for "safety" reasons is damned stupid. Probably some damn foreigner behind this because that's how they do it wherever they come from. So now you'll have all these people like OP's wife who were perfectly adapted to the old way getting into trouble... but its all their fault because there are new sings up that they have to read while driving and looking for traffic in the circle and entering the circle.

It will be less safe until everyone adjusts.
You mean like up the road at the Route 33/34 circle? Or the Somerville circle? Or most circles in most places? Chill out man...

Yes, it will probably be less safe during an "educational" period (which is why it's being monitored by Wall PD) - but in the long run I'd imagine it will be safer, as well as more efficient.
 
By the way, I was driving in Flemington yesterday morning trying to get coffee at DD. Had to drive around that circle a few times to figure out how to get to DD. Who ever designed that circle needs to be fired.
 
Does anyone else signal onto and off of the circle? Driving in Grand Cayman during our honeymoon, my wife and I noticed the locals not only obeyed the traffic circle rules perfectly, but also would signal onto and off of the circle, so downstream traffic could see your intentions and react accordingly.

It was also extremely helpful since they drive on the other side of the road, and the circles flow clockwise :Shocked
 
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While learning to drive I had to navigate one of the worst traffic spots in America...the infamous Bayway Circle in Elizabeth. The #1 rule i learned was NEVER stop. Even if you're just rolling at 5 MPH keep moving. Once you come to a full stop you're dead.
 
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i have navigated the Somerville Circle more times that I can remember, you yield to traffic in the circle, you dont worry about other entry points

This isn't true. The Somerville circle has a stop sign for traffic in the circle where southbound 206 enters the circle. This inconsistency leads to trouble especially for drivers not familiar with the circle. When they 'fixed' the circle by building the 202 flyover in the 1990s the number of accidents went way up. It still is a clusterf.
 
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Does anyone else signal onto and off of the circle? Driving in Grand Cayman during our honeymoon, my wife and I noticed the locals not only obeyed the traffic circle rules perfectly, but also would signal onto and off of the circle, so downstream traffic could see your intentions and react accordingly.

It was also extremely helpful since they drive on the other side of the road, and the circles flow clockwise :Shocked
I do, but I rarely see others doing it. It was something that was drummed into me when I learned to drive.

Funny thing about this topic, this is direct from the NJ Driver's Manual:

"TRAFFIC CIRCLE
There are no set rules for driving into, around and out of a traffic circle in New
Jersey
. Common sense and caution must prevail at all times. In most cases, the
circle’s historically established traffic flow pattern dictates who has the right-ofway.
If a major highway flows into and through the circle, it usually dominates the
traffic flow pattern and commands the right-of-way. Traffic control signs, such as
stop or yield signs, at the entrances to the circle also govern which motorist has the
right-of-way. Never enter a traffic circle without checking all signs and determining
the intentions of the motorists already moving within the circle
.
Whenever a motorist is in doubt concerning who has the right-of-way in a circle,
he/she should exercise extreme caution and remember the basic rule governing
any uncontrolled intersection: The vehicle to the left yields the right-of-way to the
vehicle approaching from the right."
 
Traffic circles are the bane of the insurance industry.
Funny that NJ is reducing/removing/reconfiguring them, but Arizona is adding more of them. The poor drivers out there don't know how to negotiate circles/roundabouts. The curbing on both sides of roundabouts is scarred with tire marks.
 
A circle ain’t a 4 way stop. Yield to vehicles in the circle to your left and that’s it.

That said, don’t admit to your wife that she’s right. No good can come of that.
 
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I do, but I rarely see others doing it. It was something that was drummed into me when I learned to drive.

Funny thing about this topic, this is direct from the NJ Driver's Manual:

"TRAFFIC CIRCLE
There are no set rules for driving into, around and out of a traffic circle in New
Jersey
. Common sense and caution must prevail at all times. In most cases, the
circle’s historically established traffic flow pattern dictates who has the right-ofway.
If a major highway flows into and through the circle, it usually dominates the
traffic flow pattern and commands the right-of-way. Traffic control signs, such as
stop or yield signs, at the entrances to the circle also govern which motorist has the
right-of-way. Never enter a traffic circle without checking all signs and determining
the intentions of the motorists already moving within the circle
.
Whenever a motorist is in doubt concerning who has the right-of-way in a circle,
he/she should exercise extreme caution and remember the basic rule governing
any uncontrolled intersection: The vehicle to the left yields the right-of-way to the
vehicle approaching from the right."
That is absolutely terrifying.
 
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Some people don’t know what Yield means. It doesn’t mean stop, it doesn’t even mean slow down. It means if there’s someone coming that is also going where you’re going, you let them go instead of going yourself. That will mean slowing or stopping. However, if no one is coming, you continue on as if there was no sign whatsoever. It means to “yield your right of way”, some people think the definition of “yield” is “slow down”
 
Funny that NJ is reducing/removing/reconfiguring them, but Arizona is adding more of them. The poor drivers out there don't know how to negotiate circles/roundabouts. The curbing on both sides of roundabouts is scarred with tire marks.

I have a relative that has had a job with DOT NJ for decades as a traffic engineer. His main job had been to eliminate control circles in NJ.

Since he is an idiot and I know that NJDMV tests brakes at inspection, my method is to ignore everyone and accelerate thru to where I want to exit.
 
Yes.. the new signs are because the rule of thumb has CHANGED.

Personally.. I think the old way was better. Cars in the circle are already slower than the cars entering... they should yeild.. but as noted, that has been changed because Murphy's crowd just cannot help themselves..

BTW.. OP.. I think your wife was 100% correct.. and still is.. no traffic in the circle.. just keep moving.

Your idea of what YEILD means is just wrong. YEILD does not mean SURRENDER while driving.. nor does it mean STOP... it especially does not mean STOP. If they wanted you to STOP before entering the circle there would be a STOP sign or flashing red or something.

If you STOP on a yield you are begging the guy behind you to slam into you. No one is expecting you to stop with no traffic in the circle.
I don't remember there being a time when it was commonplace for the cars in the circle to yield to cars entering the circle, I don't think Murphy has anything to do with it. It would seem to me that if the cars in the circle must yield to cars entering, you're just asking for a logjam. You are correct about what yield means though, seems like many people think it means stop and many others think it means merge.
 
I much liked the old way, the Allenwood 34/35, compared the the newer one up the road by WaWa, 33/34.

If anyone remembers there was a real scary one by the Eatontown Mall for 35/36. So bad the State just got rid of it.
 
I much liked the old way, the Allenwood 34/35, compared the the newer one up the road by WaWa, 33/34.

If anyone remembers there was a real scary one by the Eatontown Mall for 35/36. So bad the State just got rid of it.
And the South Wall Interchange (as it is known today) eliminated the 34/35/70 circle, which was always an adventure, especially in the summer with people rushing to Pt. Pleasant Beach and destinations further South.
 
And the South Wall Interchange (as it is known today) eliminated the 34/35/70 circle, which was always an adventure, especially in the summer with people rushing to Pt. Pleasant Beach and destinations further South.
Did you know that is where Rte 18 was supposed to end? Can you imagine that chaos. LOL

If you Google Earth it you can still kind of see the right of way of the actual layout...from 138 to 34/35/70.
 
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