OT: what driving regulations are national in the US?

[572cv]

Originally Posted by notsew

Roundabouts are fantastic. So much better than a four way stop where no one really knows when its their turn.

Just yield to the traffic in the circle and you're set. That is the only possible way for it to work. Don't overthink it.

'Roundabout' is the common name for the newer, engineered circle at an intersection. This is the one common in Europe. The traffic in the circle goes in ONE direction. In the US, you enter and bear right. So the driver can glance over her/his shoulder and gauge the time to dive into the circle. Vehicles in the circle have the right of way. That's it. You have the ROW if you are a cyclist in the roundabout as well. It is also notable that speed in a roundabout is slowed considerably.

Older traffic circles, notably in the middle eastern US states, tried different methodologies, and have been notable primarily for confusion, and for giving roundabouts a bad rap.

The other thing, from a municipal point of view, is that once a roundabout is in place, there is smooth flow of traffic and no traffic light to maintain. These can be expensive, and do require regular maintenance.

From a commercial point of view, roundabouts make it so easy to get into the flow of traffic that they have become preferred locations for groceries and shops in europe (France, at least). More convenience for the customer means more shoppers stopping in. Roundabouts are a win-win.

[2metalhips]

This state just installed 5 roundabouts within a half mile of each other. Hoo boy, what an adventure the first time through.

[jlwdm]

The Arc de Triomphe roundabout mentioned above is so complicated that the insurance companies do not try to determine fault. Split between the parties. Two cars involved -each insurer pays half, etc.

Jeff

[cp43]

Originally Posted by jlwdm

The Arc de Triomphe roundabout mentioned above is so complicated that the insurance companies do not try to determine fault. Split between the parties. Two cars involved -each insurer pays half, etc.

Jeff

Also, entering traffic has right of way in that roundabout. I'm not sure if it's the same for other roundabouts in France, or if that one is unique.

Chris

[bikinchris]

Originally Posted by jlwdm

The Arc de Triomphe roundabout mentioned above is so complicated that the insurance companies do not try to determine fault. Split between the parties. Two cars involved -each insurer pays half, etc.

Jeff

Part of the problem with the traffic circle at the Arc de Triomphe is that at intersections in France it's Priorité à droite. Cars already in the circle have to give way for cars entering.

At the newer traffic circles in France, they have actually installed yield signs for the cars entering to give way. But having room for 12 cars wide doesn't help there at all.

[palincss]

Originally Posted by tuscanyswe

There are states where entering traffic dont have to yield in a roundabout? haha there would be chaos here, unthinkable .)

I don't know about states, but I do know that the rules are different in different countries. In Germany, traffic in the roundabout has the right of way, but in the Netherlands, it's the other way round: traffic entering the roundabout has the right of way.

I was stationed in W Germany in the late 60s. I discovered this the hard way the first time I drove to the Netherlands; there's a traffic circle just over the border and was I ever surprised. Came about this --> <-- close to a crash.

[palincss]

Originally Posted by notsew

Roundabouts are fantastic. So much better than a four way stop where no one really knows when its their turn.

Just yield to the traffic in the circle and you're set. That is the only possible way for it to work. Don't overthink it.

And if you're on a bicycle, take the lane. By design they narrow down to 1 lane no shoulders at the roundabout entrance, and if you try riding to the right you'll get squeezed either at the entrance or inside the circle. Take the lane and it's all good: no room for anyone to try to get around you, and your speed isn't much if any slower than the cars going around. Compared to crossing a divided four-lane highway at a stop sign, with traffic coming at you in both directions at over 55 mph it's a piece of cake.

[cadence90]

Take all of the worst driving everywhere in the world except for this one place, mix it all up very well, allow to settle and stew for awhile, and the result would still be complete and total logic and civility compared to Napoli, Italia.


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[jruhlen1980]

Originally Posted by smontanaro

In the US, some driving rules/conventions are clearly national. For example, we all drive on the right side of the road. Some other rules are clearly set on a state-by-state basis, for example, maximum speed on limited access highways, or whether you can turn right on red after stopping in the absence of signage expressly permitting that maneuver.

I'm curious. Do we have a lot of national level driving rules? My impression is that the protocol for navigating four-way stops is pretty much uniform nationwide, but don't know if that's due to regulations set at the national level or just fifty-state serendipity.

Finally, and my more-or-less kicker example... What about traffic circles? They are much less common than four-way stops. I can't honestly say I've encountered enough of them across the nation to give me a good idea if they all operate the same from state-to-state. Are the priorities (cars in the circle with priority vs. cars entering with priority) uniform across the entire US, and if so, is that a national regulation, or again, just the result of serendipity?

AFAIK, there are national regulations regarding infrastructure standards (regulations on how highways that receive federal money or a federal designation are built, regulations concerning signs).

There are also various Uniform Codes - but those are not mandatory unless they are adopted by the local governing agency.

Actual driving regulations -- stopping at signs, speed limits, etc., I'm pretty sure are uniformly up to the States (or other local governing entity - tribe, municipality, etc.) In fact, I'm pretty sure there really isn't even a national law requiring the U.S. to drive on the right -- but each state has a law saying so.

Also, I'm pretty sure Iowa has a law requiring everyone on I-35 to hog the left lane but not actually go faster than right-lane traffic, and steadfastly pretend to ignore the fact that traffic is building up behind them, and act entitled and offended once they get passed.

[merckxman]

I have been in the one in Mexico City...just crazy...just drive in and keep going around until you get out.
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