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Don't the exits have signs to say where the exit takes you? In Europe they'd be labeled, and highway onramps will have a different background color to indicate

Don't the exits have signs to say where the exit takes you? In Europe they'd be labeled, and highway onramps will have a different background color to indicate a highway.. Also, keeping your navigation display "north up" is much better than having one that will probably be laggy in a roundabout, confusing you on which exit to take. If all else fails, look at the signage; I remember driving and a passenger not sure if the roundabout exit I was taking was correct, I said "Well there's a big sign there that says this way to our destination."

al_borland 2y ago
I think part of the issue is that it’s multi-lane. So if you’re in the right-lane to go to one road, and miss it, staying in the right-lane forces you onto the highway. If there is a car in the left lane you can’t get over to avoid it without causing an accident, or stopping, which would backup the whole circle and also risk accidents. So you end up paying the 9 mile tax. There is no way to miss your turn and easily recover.
- ssl-3 2y ago
  Indeed. I've seen a number of stuffed-up multi-lane roundabouts in the States. I've also seen a trio of 3 of them be adjusted (by changing lane markings and signage -- nothing of grand expense) in a way that was much more sensible and easier to follow than the original design. It seems to me that a lot of the issues with them could be eliminated by having a bail-out path that is both safe and acceptable. Logically, it seems like this ideally means providing the opportunity to simply go 'round again and do it over. Or where that's not possible and there must be a lane with an irrevocable default exit, then: That exit should be low-cost and provide an opportunity nearby to safely stop and spend as much time as it takes to re-evaluate a second attempt. It should never dump a driver into an unexpected 9-mile-long Pavlovian clusterfuck.
- rswail 2y ago
  I like the German roundabouts that have 3 lanes at each entry. The furthest left takes you to the 3rd exit (left hand turn), the middle takes you to the 2nd exit (straight ahead), and the right hand lane takes you the 1st exit (right hand turn). The lanes are painted to "spiral" so that if you take the furthest left hand, by the time you get to the 3rd exit, it's the outermost lane.
  - PaulRobinson 2y ago
    Spiral roundabouts are very common all over Europe, including the UK. They take a little getting used to, but once you realise your drivers side wheel just needs to stay the correct side of the white line, and the white line will take you where you need to go, it's all good.
renewiltord 2y ago
They do, but I’ve easily made that mistake. Most recently near Joigny I exited too early twice. Each was easily recoverable since I could simply go back around at the next but while it’s on me and a local would never err it did happen. Led to quite a bit of ribbing from the passengers so perhaps this is a PEBKAC after all.

al_borland 2y ago

I think part of the issue is that it’s multi-lane. So if you’re in the right-lane to go to one road, and miss it, staying in the right-lane forces you onto the highway. If there is a car in the left lane you can’t get over to avoid it without causing an accident, or stopping, which would backup the whole circle and also risk accidents. So you end up paying the 9 mile tax. There is no way to miss your turn and easily recover.

ssl-3 2y ago
Indeed. I've seen a number of stuffed-up multi-lane roundabouts in the States. I've also seen a trio of 3 of them be adjusted (by changing lane markings and signage -- nothing of grand expense) in a way that was much more sensible and easier to follow than the original design. It seems to me that a lot of the issues with them could be eliminated by having a bail-out path that is both safe and acceptable. Logically, it seems like this ideally means providing the opportunity to simply go 'round again and do it over. Or where that's not possible and there must be a lane with an irrevocable default exit, then: That exit should be low-cost and provide an opportunity nearby to safely stop and spend as much time as it takes to re-evaluate a second attempt. It should never dump a driver into an unexpected 9-mile-long Pavlovian clusterfuck.
rswail 2y ago
I like the German roundabouts that have 3 lanes at each entry. The furthest left takes you to the 3rd exit (left hand turn), the middle takes you to the 2nd exit (straight ahead), and the right hand lane takes you the 1st exit (right hand turn). The lanes are painted to "spiral" so that if you take the furthest left hand, by the time you get to the 3rd exit, it's the outermost lane.
- PaulRobinson 2y ago
  Spiral roundabouts are very common all over Europe, including the UK. They take a little getting used to, but once you realise your drivers side wheel just needs to stay the correct side of the white line, and the white line will take you where you need to go, it's all good.

renewiltord 2y ago

They do, but I’ve easily made that mistake. Most recently near Joigny I exited too early twice. Each was easily recoverable since I could simply go back around at the next but while it’s on me and a local would never err it did happen. Led to quite a bit of ribbing from the passengers so perhaps this is a PEBKAC after all.