Trivia Question of the Day

[tango15]

From my days of driving in France, I seem to remember that they had a lot of them - which seem to work differently from those in the UK!

[Wodrick]

France is correct - YHC

[PHXPhlyer]

work differently?
As in clockwise?

PP

[G-CPTN]

work differently?

It's a question of 'priority' I believe where traffic from the right has priority.

Bear in mind that the Frogs drive on the right.

[Opsboi]

work differently?

It's a question of 'priority' I believe where traffic from the right has priority.

Priorite a gauche

Priority to the right is us

[G-CPTN]

In most countries, vehicles which are already on the roundabout get priority. On traditional roundabouts in France, however, vehicles entering the flow of traffic from the right get right-of-way, meaning drivers must yield even though they are already on the roundabout.

[Wodrick]

Spain has both ! most on the circle have priority however there are some where those on the circle give way to the right.
Spain also has lanes on quite insignificant roundabouts and the drivers have drummed into them to remain in the outside lane rendering the inside useless.
The correct way is in the police driving information but has not gained wide acceptance.

[k3k3]

When the Netherlands first started using roundabouts traffic joining had priority, the old priority from the right thing. Very confusing and totally useless.

[ian16th]

In SA they call them 'circles', and stop before entering them, even if the 'circle' is empty!

[PHXPhlyer]

My small city had one "traffic circle" which, if memory serves, was several hundred yards across.
Any others like that?

PP

[G-CPTN]

When we moved to Denmark in the 1980s, Odense was just building the first 'roundabout'.

I don't know whether it remains Denmark's only one.

[tango15]

Still on the question of motoring, aside from Guyana, which is the only other country in South America where they drive on the left?

[ExSp33db1rd]

In SA they call them 'circles', and stop before entering them, even if the 'circle' is empty!

All NZ drivers must be from SA then, as they ALL stop before entering a roundabout if any vehicle is even near entering the roundabout from their right (we drive on the left, UK style ) because the sign says Give Way, which doesn't necessarily mean Stop, it means Do Not Impede The Progress Of ......., but NZ drivers don't understand that. Infuriating.

Question. If I'm driving on an urban road governed by an overall area 50 kph limit, but there is an additional sign that imposes a 40 kph limit near a school "When children are present " what is the correct limit at say 11.00 am when all the children are in their classrooms ? The 40 kph signs do not say "During school hours" . I reckon it is the overall area limit of 50 kph, but I seem to be in the minority ?

OK, OK, what's the problem between 40 kph and 50 kph for a couple of hundred metres, but I always seem to end up behind a slow moving procession of vehicles if I pass that way at any time during school hours.

[John Hill]

In SA they call them 'circles', and stop before entering them, even if the 'circle' is empty!

All NZ drivers must be from SA then, as they ALL stop before entering a roundabout if any vehicle is even near entering the roundabout from their right (we drive on the left, UK style ) because the sign says Give Way, which doesn't necessarily mean Stop, it means Do Not Impede The Progress Of ......., but NZ drivers don't understand that. Infuriating.

This must be a regional thing as Canterbury drivers, generally, know how to use the roundabouts and one rarely has to stop when entering. Visibility is the key.

[Hydromet]

When we moved to South ASustralia in the 1970s they had plenty of roundabouts, while NSW had none. People in South Australian knew how to use them - as you approach, adjust your speed to slot in between other traffic on the roundabout, or giv e way to them if you can't slot in. In the 1980s when NSW got them, no one had a clue, despite a publicity campaign to explain the technicalities.
They still don't have a clue.

[ExSp33db1rd]

In some parts of NZ there is a sign "Merge like a zip". Brilliant, says it all. I've asked our local council to erect one in our local village at one particularly notorious junction where many joining drivers wait forever, but they refused, saying that the subject main road was under the jurisdiction of Land Transport New Zealand, so they couldn't do anything. Can't they at least put forward a request ? Bureaucracy Rules. OK. ?

[Ex-Ascot]

In town here we have two 'circles'. Two 'robots' (traffic lights) and a few four way stops. It is every man for himself usually taxi drivers first. Any friends who visit from the UK are horrified by the driving. Actually the four way stops work pretty well. At rush hour they put a copper on the traffic lights but do not turn them off so you have a green light but a copper saying stop. Very confusing.

[G-CPTN]

Two 'robots' (traffic lights)

There's a phrase from my childhood.

[Rwy in Sight]

In town here we have two 'circles'. Two 'robots' (traffic lights) and a few four way stops. It is every man for himself usually taxi drivers first. Any friends who visit from the UK are horrified by the driving. Actually the four way stops work pretty well. At rush hour they put a copper on the traffic lights but do not turn them off so you have a green light but a copper saying stop. Very confusing.

One of the few useful experiences while doing my service with the HAF was a lecturer by a senior traffic officer. He explained in a practical way when to know a copper is going to stop the flow on my direction: he needs to look at me, so if I approach him from the sides I can speed on because it is the intersecting traffic tat will be stopped. And it does without saying that a copper has priority over a traffic light.

[Ex-Ascot]

Still on the question of motoring, aside from Guyana, which is the only other country in South America where they drive on the left?

Bit of thread drift here. Columbia? Just trying to think of British ones.

Edit, wrong, checked, they drive on the right.