Originally Posted By: javacontour
But for the most part, traffic circles are an improvement over a 4 way intersection.
Agree, but only IF people know how to properly use them. Those who've never seen them before tend to get confused and may cause the opposite effect. Having grown up in a place that uses traffic circles, I'm comfortable with them, but I can see how it can be a foreign concept to others and might take time to get used to.
Here in the States, drivers are for the most part "conditioned" by STOP signs. Now, all of a sudden you get to a traffic circle where there are no stop signs, and instead there are yield signs. Technically there are supposed to also be "right-of-way" signs, too, for those who are already on the circle, but now that I come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen a "right-of-way" sign in the US. It must not exist here.
Most road signs in the US are text based. I guess it's dumbed down so that people don't have to memorize what the different shapes/colors mean. Maybe that's also why many people don't have a clue what a "yield" sign actually means, unless it's spelled out for them.
But for the most part, traffic circles are an improvement over a 4 way intersection.
Agree, but only IF people know how to properly use them. Those who've never seen them before tend to get confused and may cause the opposite effect. Having grown up in a place that uses traffic circles, I'm comfortable with them, but I can see how it can be a foreign concept to others and might take time to get used to.
Here in the States, drivers are for the most part "conditioned" by STOP signs. Now, all of a sudden you get to a traffic circle where there are no stop signs, and instead there are yield signs. Technically there are supposed to also be "right-of-way" signs, too, for those who are already on the circle, but now that I come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen a "right-of-way" sign in the US. It must not exist here.
Most road signs in the US are text based. I guess it's dumbed down so that people don't have to memorize what the different shapes/colors mean. Maybe that's also why many people don't have a clue what a "yield" sign actually means, unless it's spelled out for them.