> We love roundabouts
Context for our American friends. This isn't specific to London. Everywhere I've lived in Europe is more roundabout-heavy than the USA. Because, you know, they're objectively superior ;-)
Context for our American friends. This isn't specific to London. Everywhere I've lived in Europe is more roundabout-heavy than the USA. Because, you know, they're objectively superior ;-)
At first I would see people treat them like a slight curve in the road and blow through them, but we seem to have figured them out now
We most commonly use the "Give Way" sign at junctions instead, indicating that other traffic has priority.
*Given that the roundabout is fed by single-lane streets with low traffic and excellent visibility and no stop signs before entry, which would otherwise negate the advantage of quicker entry.
I think when Americans say they're baffled by UK roundabouts, they're almost always talking about the huge multi-lane roundabouts. Those, to me, are nightmare fuel.
famously: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Roundabout_%28Swindon%29...
I think what your relatives mean is that if everyone has a stop then it'll be messy because everyone will try to go first after they have stopped...
Here in the UK they have installed 2 stops and 2 give ways at a nearby crossing and it's already quite dangerous because no-one is sure what to do: those with give-ways think they should go before those with stops, those with stops think they should go first if they arrived first... honking ensues very often. If you're lucky it ends in a very British "you go first, no you go first" contest, which is not very practical, either.
Some people try clock-relative turns, but that only works if the vehicles arrived while an existing rotation (of prior vehicles) was in progress.
there are accidents, of course, but i'm not sure of any 4 way traffic junction that's infallible.
and as others stated, right-of-way rules are observed atop the social norms.
It works fine most of the time and 4-way stops are usually only used in city streets where the speed limit is 40-50 km/h.
They are dangerous if used on more rural roads where people aren't expecting they have to stop or misjudge right of way.