Mythbusters - 4-Way Stop vs Roundabout

[ryoder 1,590]

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/10/07/mythbusters-four-way-stop-roundabout-video-poll/

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[yoink 321]

Roundabouts work well for efficiency I think, but they have one MASSIVE flaw - they require you to look away from the direction you're driving in.

So many rear-end fender benders happen at roundabouts in the UK because you see the car in front of you start to move, you look right to check for traffic, pull forward and crunch... you didn't see that the car in front didn't go after all.

[Remster 30]

Shocking.

Remster

[billvon 2,991]

Where's Kallend? He has been known to have _very_ strong opinions on this.

[ryoder 1,590]

billvon

Where's Kallend? He has been known to have _very_ strong opinions on this.

Really? I never noticed.

BTW I am fully with Kallend on this.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[oldwomanc6 52]

yoink

Roundabouts work well for efficiency I think, but they have one MASSIVE flaw - they require you to look away from the direction you're driving in.

So many rear-end fender benders happen at roundabouts in the UK because you see the car in front of you start to move, you look right to check for traffic, pull forward and crunch... you didn't see that the car in front didn't go after all.

In a well-designed roundabout (meaning visibility all around, both approaching and while in the circle) it's not necessary to look away from the path of travel any more than a merge to a freeway or a yield for a right turn, perhaps even less.

I have seen some horribly-designed circles, where plants and structures obstruct visibility to the extent that it requires virtually a stop so you can see into the circle itself.

This circle in Annapolis, Md is a perfect example of such poor design.

lisa
WSCR 594
FB 1023
CBDB 9

[Stumpy 284]

And for another example of interesting civic design, there is the magic roundabout. Even the locals struggle with this one.

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

But on the whole, Roundabouts >>>4 way stop

Never try to eat more than you can lift

[oldwomanc6 52]

Stumpy

And for another example of interesting civic design, there is the magic roundabout. Even the locals struggle with this one.

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

But on the whole, Roundabouts >>>4 way stop

Whoever thought that was a good idea should be strung up by their thumbs.

lisa
WSCR 594
FB 1023
CBDB 9

[ryoder 1,590]

yoink

Roundabouts work well for efficiency I think, but they have one MASSIVE flaw - they require you to look away from the direction you're driving in.

So many rear-end fender benders happen at roundabouts in the UK because you see the car in front of you start to move, you look right to check for traffic, pull forward and crunch... you didn't see that the car in front didn't go after all.

Roundabouts, as compared to traffic lights:
- Move 65% more traffic.
- Reduce total accidents by 40%.
- Reduce injury crashes by 76%.
- Reduce fatal crashes by 90%.

Source: "Traffic", written by Tom Vanderbilt.
http://www.amazon.com/Traffic-Drive-What-Says-About/dp/0307277194

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

The sheep here stop to turn right on a green light and don't stop to turn right on a red light. I really don't want to see how they handle a roundabout.

I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

[quade 4]

Okay, but first let's talk about the problem with the 4-way stop in general. Unless all traffic from all four directions is exactly equal, what's the point? Why even bother slowing down the traffic from the main directions of travel?

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[JohnnyMarko 1]

...this is why I love my 8 minute bike ride to work in downtown Denver everyday...I drive maybe twice a month

[riddler 0]

Not only are roundabouts more efficient, they are more environmental. The fuel necessary to stop and go repeatedly at American intersections is much higher than for roundabouts, where autos can continue their momentum if no traffic is oncoming.

Also, they are significantly cheaper than American intersections with traffic lights. There are larger roundabouts that have lights, but the majority of them do not. The median installation cost of an American intersection with traffic lights is $45,000, and maintenance, etc will add to that cost about $5,000 per year.

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[Fast 0]

The local DOT here has started putting them in at freeway exits.

It's astonishing how much faster everything goes. They didn't even use them as stop sign replacements - major intersections that were stop LIGHT controlled were replaced with roundabouts resulting in substantially less congestion and I find them very easy to use.

~D
Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me.
Swooping is taking one last poke at the bear before escaping it's cave - davelepka

[ryoder 1,590]

No discussion of roundabouts is complete w/o this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxxa-55ouHE

I'd love to see that video with Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone" as the soundtrack.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[billvon 2,991]

If one roundabout is good, five must be even better . . .

[Remster 30]

billvon

If one roundabout is good, five must be even better . . .

I drove through that thing. Scarier than my 1st IAD.

Remster

[JamMasterJay 0]

***So many rear-end fender benders happen at roundabouts in the UKquote]
Probably because you drive on the wrong side of the road!

Truth is the distilled meaning of facts, for any truth refuted by a fact becomes a fallacy.

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

billvon

Where's Kallend? He has been known to have _very_ strong opinions on this.

John has strong opinions? I've never noticed.....

[shropshire 0]

SkymonkeyONE

***Where's Kallend? He has been known to have _very_ strong opinions on this.

John has strong opinions? I've never noticed.....

Such an uncommon trait in this small area of the interweb aye ... all of these shy retiring types around these 'ere parts

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[turtlespeed 220]

shropshire

******Where's Kallend? He has been known to have _very_ strong opinions on this.

John has strong opinions? I've never noticed.....

Such an uncommon trait in this small area of the interweb aye ... all of these shy retiring types around these 'ere parts

I love this one.

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

[shropshire 0]

but stop calling it a circle FFS it's a roundabout.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[turtlespeed 220]

shropshire

but stop calling it a circle FFS it's a roundabout.

it was a parisian roundabout . . . circular is what they do.

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

[rifleman 70]

turtlespeed

***

but stop calling it a circle FFS it's a roundabout.

it was a parisian roundabout . . . circular is what they do.

A friend once gave me some advice about driving in Paris.

1) Rent the most beat up, clapped out old car that you can. Ideally, one that looks about 5 minutes from going through the crusher.

2) Approaching a roundabout, do not slow down - accelerate.

3) Ignore any right of way and drive onto the roundabout like you really don't care whether you live or die.

Everyone will get out of your way.

Atheism is a Non-Prophet Organisation

[oldwomanc6 52]

shropshire

but stop calling it a circle FFS it's a roundabout.

We Yanks can call them circles if we want.

40yrs ago, when I was learning to drive in OC, California, one of the first places the driver ed instructor took us to was the traffic circle in Orange.

There have been circles here for a long time, but no one called them roundabouts until recently. Must be the Europeanizing of America.

lisa
WSCR 594
FB 1023
CBDB 9