Here in Arizona, they are becoming more common. I understand that they are safer than standard intersections, but many people here still don't know how to use them. They often stop before entering, even when the way is clear. This itself can cause accidents. I'm hopeful that people will learn to better use them.

https://wisconsindot.gov/...undabouts/rab-se.pdf

somebody in the Wisconsin Dept of Transportation fell in love with them about 15 years ago.

attached is a map of SE WI showing their locations. It is like this all over the state.

The town I live in is 4500 people and we have 6 just in the village proper.

I actually like them vs. stop sign intersections. But as I understand it they are hella expensive to construct vs. a signed intersection.

They've been popping up more frequently here in Michigan and other midwest states I've visited, at least when roadways are being overhauled. People clearly aren't used to them as they tend to either treat them as a 4 way stop but then become really confused and one person stops and backs up traffic on their side, or when idiots think they don't have to slow down at all and just blow through & not respect the right of way, nearly causing accidents with those who are taking their right of way. And if you're on a bike....forget about it. You might as well have a "please try to hit me" sign. I complain, but overall they've helped with traffic flow and are a much better solution than the 4 way stops or + intersections with 2 stop signs where people waited a long while. I'd just like to see more people learn how to use roundabouts to maximize the benefit.

The new roundabout up the road a mile....~4 years ago when it was installed they hadn't yet gotten around to putting in street lights. It had a big landscaped area planned in the middle that wasn't yet complete, so it was full of bricks. I pull into a convenience store on one corner, within the 3 minutes it took me to grab my stuff and pay, a drunk guy blew through it like there was nothing, tried to brake at the last minute, tailspun his truck, got completely hung up on the pile of bricks, probably totaled the truck, and almost assuredly spent the night behind bars. Roundabout 1, drunk guy 0.

They just built a big fancy one at the main entrance to the University in our town. Before it was just a T road, and the town planners in their wisdom had allowed a big Quickie Mart/gas station and a coffee shop to be built across the street over the last few years. Not to mention a couple of huge apartment complexes to the left coming out of the University. There wasn't even a light there. So the result was a cluster fuck of epic proportions all afternoon. The roundabout fixed it brilliantly.

They are fairly common in eastern Massachusetts. They’re called rotaries in these parts.

Because too many of us are f$cking stupid drivers. "Slower traffic keep right" isn't merely a suggestion. I would hate to see how bad a clusterf$ck we North Americans would make of a roundabout. I, for one, love them from my time riding and driving in Europe.

Because American traffic designers are clueless. The traffic light companies probably do a good job lobbying local councils too.

Thankfully things are gradually improving.

It's all about flow, and traffic lights are terrible for flow, especially on a road with 2 or 3 in a row at busy times.

On a fast empty road there is possibly nothing better than having to go straight across an empty roundabout.

Brake hard as late as you dare, change down, flick left then right all the while balancing the car on the gas, and floor it out the other side. Basically a double chicane as fast as you can take it.

For advanced users on a road with two lanes into, through and out of the roundabout, with other enthusiastic drivers around, outbrake the car next to you into the roundabout, or try to pass them on the roundabaout, or outdrag them on the exit.

Excellent.

When I was test driving my current car the salesman said “this is a test drive, not a driving test”. When I then lit the traction control light up going through three successive roundabouts he was strangely quiet.

Saw a bunch in upstate NY and I'm starting to see more locally. Friend works for the dept of transportation. Said the first few months there is quite an uptick in accidents then people start to figure out how to use them and accidents and traffic goes down.

There's the big one at of the bridges over the Cape Cod Canal (probably the one you referenced). There are several other well known ones in MA. I've driven a couple in Maine.

Oh BTW, we call them rotaries up here.

For the same reason we haven't adopted the metric system...we just don't trust nor want anything that came out of Europe.

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Popping up like crazy here in Wisconsin. Once people get used to them, they are infinitely better than stop signs or lights. There is a rural street near my house that used to have ridiculous back-ups at rush hour. It was a 4-way stop. They finally replaced it with a roundabout and traffic was instantly improved. I would actually like to see more of them.

That said, my understanding is, they can be difficult for the snow plows if not designed properly. There are a couple older ones in the Milwaukee area that never seem to be completely snow-free. But, the newer ones seem to be cleared without issue.

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We have plenty of them in MA (except we call them rotaries) and you are absolutely right, they are typically a clusterfuck. Nobody can figure out where they should be and who has the right of way. They suck.

They don’t suck. The drivers suck. They work well when you have people who know how to drive.

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You're absolutely right, but I've given up hope of drivers around here ever improving.

 Roundabouts have been put in regularly for about 20 years here in Washington. The thing that messes them up is pedestrians.I think there was initial skepticism, but most people like them.

 
This.

Nearby town announced a traffic circle would replace a 4-way stop sign that always had traffic backed up for blocks. But the intersection was small and therefore so was the traffic circle. Day1 after completion, a driver literally drove straight over and through the newly installed circle, causing an accident.

I have one close to where I live in Florida. Honestly, it's a complete sh!t show. Most people don't know how to use them. There's probably a "near miss" once every ten minutes during rush hour because people don't know when to merge, how to signal, etc. It's Florida though. We really should be first in line for autonomous cars on a "need" basis.

Yes! I do the same double chicane treatment, aiming for smoothness throughout. And on a two lane setup, if empty, I work the tangents. :-)

* You across the pond? Where I am, traffic flows counter clockwise, so first flick is right, then left, then right...

Popping up like crazy here. State found they cost a ton less than traffic lights and reduce accidents by 80%.

Cuz monster truck turning radius - and texting

You're in Mass. Ain't a damn one of ya who know how to drive on a straight stretch nevermind in a traffic circle.

Matter of fact, that's how we know the difference between a dipshit asshole and someone who could be Ok: whether they call it a rotary or a traffic circle.

40-tude seems like he'd be a pretty Ok dude.

If you can't figure out a traffic circle, you shouldn't even be allowed *in* a vehicle. That'd alleviate a good chunk of your congestion problems down there!
- Jeff

Yup, Wellington Circle in Medford and Belle Circle in Revere are notoriously bad where they both have multiple entry points and traffic lights. Always a shitshow driving through there.

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