I hate rotaries!

I went for a long ride with a two friends on Saturday. I was the middle rider and we were riding staggered. We entered a traffic rotary and we were in the left lane - right lane exited but you could either exit or take the left lane around. SUV in the right lane "appeared" to be exiting as he was supposed to when he changed his mind and came into my lane (I was in the left lane also exiting). I had a feeling about it and had started to slow down. I couldn't swerve because of the rider on my left and only slightly behind (and had no time to check my mirror). I grabbed a fistful of front brake and applied back brake as well; stopped on a dime just inches (literally) from getting creamed by the SUV. Lesson learned......stay in right lane (though I didn't know we were exiting); stay back or ahead of traffic in right lane or take the left lane around and get in the right lane before exiting. Though I'm grateful to have been able to stop (and proud that I didn't stall it, go into a skid ,or drop the bike since I can't fully reach the ground) it was still very scary and also frightening to be stopped in the middle of a rotary in third gear trying to shift down (while shaking) so I could get moving while I was praying that nothing hit me from behind. I don't want to do THAT again.

I find roundabouts to be great. They require you to pay attention, which many motorists in America have forgotten how to do, but I enjoy them and they're better than stopping at a light and waiting.

Glad you're ok!

ehh.. i live around them and they suck... i would rather wait at a light then run the risk of having a moron plow into me..

LERecords said:

ehh.. i live around them and they suck... i would rather wait at a light then run the risk of having a moron plow into me..

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Yea, but I'd rather run into someone going the same way as me than get t-boned by a red light runner...

I've posted this before but for your enjoyment here's the worst roundabout(s) in the UK

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Roundabout_(Swindon)

dako81 said:

Yea, but I'd rather run into someone going the same way as me than get t-boned by a red light runner...

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thats a tough call.. but i dunno.. you have a way better chance at a 4 way then a rottery i think.. you can always stop and look both ways before going at a 4 way.. in a rottery (at least in my experiance) if you go down, most people are looking right (to make sure they dont get hit/hit someone) that if you were to go down, my money is on that you would get run over..

but maybe a poll.. would you rather get run down or slammed into.. right .. damn cagers.. just pay the $#@# attention and we wouldnt have these issues...

where was it? Latham or Malta? Cause the ones in Malta I'm not too afraid of but the "Latham Circle" terrifies me in a car, let alone on the bike

Mattberkshire said:

I've posted this before but for your enjoyment here's the worst roundabout(s) in the UK

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Roundabout_(Swindon)

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ROFLMAO....that's just artwork. OMG! you've got to be on something to come up with that horror.


I love roundabouts. If people know what to do it all flows so smoothly:thumbup:. Enter the moron. Don't blame the roundabout. Put the blame squarely on the shoulders of those responsible:spank:.

Always be ready to lay on the horn too. It may not help with the moron in question but the people behind might be a bit more on the ball.

Glad it turned out Ok for you:thumbup:.

Cheers
Mike

When I first read this thread, I thought, why would someone hate Rx-7s, RX-8's and any other Wankel powered vehicle. Turns out it a thread about near accidet in a round about. Those are not common here yet, but I have seen some around a nearby college campus. Makes me wonder if they are safer than the regular 4 way intersections...

ozzieboy said:

Always be ready to lay on the horn too. It may not help with the moron in question but the people behind might be a bit more on the ball.

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+100 :thumbup:
Statistically, rotaries (I've called them roundabouts) have more fender-benders but fewer fatalities than 4-way stops; unfortunately a fender-bender on a motorcycle can very easily be a fatality.

ozzieboy said:

I love roundabouts. If people know what to do it all flows so smoothly:thumbup:. Enter the moron. Don't blame the roundabout. Put the blame squarely on the shoulders of those responsible:spank:.
Cheers
Mike

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The problem is here in the capital region (and I suspect most places in the US), if you gave everyone the driver's test again today 50% of drivers would fail.:spank:

that is why we fear the rotary/roundabout/circle of death!!

Shafe716 said:

where was it? Latham or Malta? Cause the ones in Malta I'm not too afraid of but the "Latham Circle" terrifies me in a car, let alone on the bike

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It was actually south of here, down near Saugerties. I agree with Shafe that most people in this area would probably fail their drivers test if they had to take it again. There are always accidents at the "latham circle" and have been for years. It helped after the DOT put arrows there to direct the morons but still..............there are obviously many stupid people left that can't follow directions.

Sorry about the confusion - rotary/roundabout, I guess I'm showing my age LOL.

It's really too bad about the dumb people in cages cause it would be kind of fun to try go around one of those roundabouts as fast as possible to see if I could..........

But that's how I learned to drag my left knee! Roundabouts/rotaries are great when no one else is around. We only have single lane versions here, but living in Boston for 6 years I know the dangers of the multi lane circles of destruction.

roundabouts ftw!

the new england region is probably the most european region of the united states and so we have a few of them and i love them since they give me the european feel and get traffic MOVING ALONG! (at least better than traffic lights)

Shafe716 said:

The problem is here in the capital region (and I suspect most places in the US), if you gave everyone the driver's test again today 50% of drivers would fail.:spank:

that is why we fear the rotary/roundabout/circle of death!!

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I'm starting to suspect that roundabouts/rotaries are a reasonably recent addition to your roads, and so the new people, people who have done further training (truck and bike licenses) and people who just like to empower themselves with knowledge know what to do:cheer:. That narrows the scope of the training required to alleviate/solve the problem. Governments spend millions of $ advertising their political parties and some of the lines they use are about public safety issues. Maybe they need to be spending some $ on advertising road rules and awareness issues?:don'tknow:

They are a pretty simple concept so if people can't figure them out they may not be up to the whole driving game:ban:.

Hmm. I just got a great idea for some video footage for a letter, and i don't even have to be riding my bike. I can just sit in a deck chair with my camera videoing the goings on at any of the local roundabouts.:thumbup:


Cheers
Mike

First I thought this was about the engines, lol.

Up here in Canada (especially my province) we call them traffic circles. My city puts them in communities now instead of stop signs. They can work wonders, but a lot of people look at them and have no clue what to do. Nothing more fun then making a left turn for hours though...

xj750_Pete said:

When I first read this thread, I thought, why would someone hate Rx-7s, RX-8's and any other Wankel powered vehicle.

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Same here, I thought someone was talking crap about my car. I've never heard them called rotaries before, always roundabouts or traffic circles. I prefer them to stoplights personally; a lot of intersections around here don't sense me waiting to turn left until a car comes and triggers the light. Sadly I've only been able to find 3 here, for a city of almost a million.

Guys, I you hate rotaries/roundabouts and you ever get to Paris, France, go to the top of the Arc de Triomphe and watch the traffic round there for a few minutes...

It's such a laugh, cos the french have a different viewpoint on some of their roundabouts, in that you give way to people entering them, not people already on them.

But then thats the French for you.