What’s your comfort level when driving on roundabouts? These bagel-shaped junctions are starting to “make their rounds” towards the Geist and Fishers area. A new one just opened at the corner of 96th and Fall Creek and another one is going in at 106th and Lantern Road. Also, there is a possibility of a future one to be installed at the intersection of 96th and Cumberland in 2014.
A few weeks ago, my husband and I were driving on the roundabout at Keystone and 116th. We entered the right lane of the circle seeing that there was a gap. We were getting ready to take the first exit to the right, when suddenly in the left lane a flying car came out of nowhere, traveling very fast and cut over in front of us as he took the same exit. We nearly collided with this young boy who never realized how much he shook us up. After spending the rest of the evening analyzing the proper way to drive on roundabouts, I became motivated to research them and would like to share this information with you.
“Carmel is the Roundabout Capital of America,” says Nancy Heck, Director of Community Relations in Carmel. “There are about 60 roundabouts here, more than in any other U.S. city.”
Although driving on roundabouts can make many people uneasy and anxious, they are actually intended to keep us safer than stop signs and stop lights at intersections. According to the City of Carmel, the number of injury accidents has been reduced by about 80 percent and the number of accidents overall, by about 40 percent in roundabout intersections.
Besides safety, here are some other benefits of roundabouts: environmentally friendly because there is less idling of motors, less gas burning into atmosphere, and better fuel economy; aesthetically pleasing to view with landscaping; easier for pedestrians and bicyclists to navigate; less cost to build than a signaled intersection by about $125,000 (Carmel.in.gov).
Four Main General Tips for Driving a Roundabout
- Look to your left and yield to drivers already in the circle. They have the right-of-way.
- Stay in your same lane as you enter and exit.
- Do not stop.
- Avoid driving next to oversized vehicles. They often need more than one lane.
How to Drive a Single-Lane Roundabout
- Upon approaching a roundabout, you will see a yellow “roundabout ahead” sign with a speed limit. Slow down as you approach the roundabout, watching for pedestrians in the crosswalk.
- Look to your left as you enter the roundabout. Yield to traffic already in the roundabout.
- Once you see a gap in traffic, enter the circle and proceed to your exit. If there is no traffic, then you may enter without yielding.
- Look for pedestrians and use your turn signal before exiting.
How to Drive a Multi-Lane Roundabout
- Upon approaching the multi-lane circle, you will see two signs as you near the intersection: The yellow “roundabout ahead” sign and a black-and-white “lane choice” sign. (Additionally, there will be pavement markings indicating lane choice.) You will need to choose a lane prior to entering the roundabout. To go straight or right, get in the right lane. To go straight or left, get in the left lane. Drivers can also make U-turns (or complete circles) from the left lane.
- Once you have selected your lane, watch for pedestrians in the crosswalk as you approach the roundabout.
- At the dashed yield line, look to your left and yield to drivers already in the circle. Remember, in a multi-lane roundabout, you must yield to both lanes of traffic.
- Once you see a gap in traffic, merge into the circle and proceed to your exit. Do not enter next to a vehicle already in the roundabout; the vehicle may be exiting at the next exit. If there is no traffic, then you may enter without yielding.
- Check for pedestrians and use your turn signal before exiting.
Incidentally, some roundabouts may have a mixture of single and multi-lanes such as the roundabout on 96th and Fall Creek which will eventually have a combination. For instance, there will be two lanes entering the circle heading northbound on Fall Creek while the other two entry points of the intersection will be a single lane.
Although the steps for driving on roundabouts are generally standard, please be aware that they may vary due to the specific roundabout at hand with its own set of signs and pavement markings.
“Oftentimes with roundabouts, there is a learning curve,” says Joel Thurman, Project Manager of Hamilton County Highway Department. “When we convert standard intersections into roundabouts, even if people are familiar with the intersections, once the roundabout is installed, there is a still a period of time needed to process learning the new set of rules.”
Please visit www.carmel.in.gov for more information on roundabouts.
