Could you pass a roundabout etiquette test? What to know as more come to Florida
Often reviled, despised or feared, roundabouts are becoming an increasing more commonplace part of the driving experience in the Bradenton area.
So, what’s proper roundabout etiquette? Should you put the pedal to the metal when approaching a roundabout to beat the other driver seeking to enter?
Not advisable, but we have all seen bad (crazed?) drivers trying to do just that.
We went to the source for standard operating procedure (SOP) for roundabouts, the Florida Department of Transportation, and here’s what they have to say for single-lane roundabouts:
▪ Reduce your speed to 10-15 mph as you approach the roundabout.
▪ Be aware of bicyclists and pedestrians.
▪ Look left for oncoming traffic (traffic moves counter-clockwise).
▪ Yield to vehicles already in the roundabout, wait for a gap and enter.
▪ Do not stop in the roundabout.
▪ Do not pass other vehicles.
▪ Use turn signal to exit the roundabout to the right.
▪ Yield to pedestrians crossing the exit lane.
▪ Allow emergency vehicles to pass.
For multi-lane roundabouts:
▪ Follow signs and pavement markings to determine the lane(s) that will serve your destination; follow all tips listed for the single-lane roundabout.
▪ Don’t stop in a roundabout to let someone else in. You may slow down so the safe gap becomes more obvious to the driver wanting to enter the roundabout; however, you should not stop after crossing the yield line and are actually in the roundabout circle.
▪ Emergency vehicles: If you have not entered the roundabout, pull over to the right and allow the emergency vehicle to pass. If you have already entered the roundabout, continue to the closest exit and pull over once you are beyond the splitter island (a triangular median that splits the lanes off the circle) to allow the emergency vehicle to pass. Never stop in a roundabout.
Also about roundabouts
▪ Pedestrians use marked crosswalks. All roundabouts have splitter islands that separate the approach and exit lanes. This splitter island is used as a pedestrian refuge for crosswalks requiring pedestrians to only cross a single direction of traffic at a time.
▪ Roundabouts may have an advantage to the visually impaired because they only have to address a single direction at one time and they can more easily distinguish between the vehicle noises. Also, slower vehicle speeds are generally safer for pedestrians.
▪ Bicyclists should be encouraged to both share the travel way with vehicles in a roundabout, or dismount and use the sidewalk and crosswalk system to navigate through the roundabout.
▪ Roundabouts are designed to accommodate all the turning movements of a tractor trailer rig. To accommodate the sweep of the trailer wheels as it makes its way through the roundabout, a truck apron is constructed around the inside of the circulating roadway — not part of the roadway but flat enough to allow the rear wheels to roll over and navigate the circle. The apron is constructed of a different material or colored differently than the circulating roadway, to distinguish it and to make it clear that the truck apron is not something to be driven over by smaller vehicles.
This story was originally published February 24, 2023 at 5:50 AM.
