Drivers and mini roundabouts

[PhilDawson8270]

4 driverless cars arrive at a mini roundabout at the same time from each direction, each as per the rules must give way to the vehicle from the right, how many hours later will they be sat there?

Driverless cars could all be able to communicate to each other on the approach to the junction in relation to their position, speed, and any vulnerable users their sensor know of, and thus each adjust their speed to navigate the junction without stopping or endangering anybody.

 

[PhilDawson8270]

I have not encountered such a road construct in the UK, but, when driving in USA, I found they were reasonably common. Basically, they are a roundabout, without the roundabout structure. At the junction, each driver is expected to stop (or giveaway) to any vehicle on his/her left (remembering that our USA cousins drive on right).

In my limited driving experience in USA, they worked surprisingly well, but, how they would work with UK speeds and traffic volumes.. hmm... not sure about that.

Mythbusters did some testing and found that the roundabout was able to pass more traffic than the american one.

 

[BoldonLad]

Mythbusters did some testing and found that the roundabout was able to pass more traffic than the american one.

hmm... I must admit, when I first encountered them in Wisconsin, I had no idea how you were supposed to treat them. For the first few days, in true UK fashion, I adopted the "he who hesitates is lost" approach, which no doubt p*****d off the more well behaved American drivers. Although, it did mean I got priority at every junction. An American acquaintance explained how they were supposed to work, so, I behaved the rules for the rest of my time there, and, subsequently in other trips to USA.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Driverless cars could all be able to communicate to each other on the approach to the junction in relation to their position, speed, and any vulnerable users their sensor know of, and thus each adjust their speed to navigate the junction without stopping or endangering anybody.

And if no driverless cars are on the same bit of road the cyclist is on? What protocols are the driverless cars communicating over? Presume you have a link for this tech, sounds interesting. I had not heard that driverless cars talk to each other before?

 

[NickNick]

Mythbusters did some testing and found that the roundabout was able to pass more traffic than the american one.

Did they compare the safety of both systems or just traffic flow?

 

[Threevok]

I think driver-less cars would be worse for cyclists. We get ignored enough by people - with eyes

 

[BoldonLad]

I think driver-less cars would be worse for cyclists. We get ignored enough by people - with eyes

Maybe they will introduce riderless bicycles?

 

[PhilDawson8270]

Did they compare the safety of both systems or just traffic flow?

Just the traffic flow.

 

[Threevok]

Maybe they will introduce riderless bicycles?

Where's the fun in that ?

 

[PhilDawson8270]

And if no driverless cars are on the same bit of road the cyclist is on? What protocols are the driverless cars communicating over? Presume you have a link for this tech, sounds interesting. I had not heard that driverless cars talk to each other before?

The tech is in my head. How I hope it will eventually develop. A road network without human drivers or traffic measures as all motorised traffic is "smart".

I may be a bit too optimistic though

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Easy solution to that. Each driverless car programmed to:

- Stop
- wait random number of seconds (between, say, 1 and 30), before checking on right
- go if clear
- if not clear, return to Stop, above and go through above cycle again

That still doesn't work though, 4 cars are all stopped at their appropriate line, they wait as many seconds as they want but when they check there will still be a car there.

 

[Cycleops]

What do you make of this, the infamous ‘Magic Roundabout ‘ in Hemel Hempstead. A series of mini roundabouts going round a big roundabout. Wouldn’t like to try it on a bike.

 

[Spinney]

The give way to the right thing...
In my last house, the road out of the estate came out onto the A6, fairly busy. So whichever way I wanted to turn, there were cars approaching fairly fast from both directions (it was in a 30 limit, but still fast).

So, I'm waiting to pull out, and a car is coming from my right. Do I have to give way before they get onto the roundabout? Or does the 'give way to the right' only apply to cars coming from your right that are already on the roundabout?

If it's the former, then having the roundabout makes little difference to having an ordinary T junction where the estate road joins the main road as far as turning left goes. It might help a bit turning right onto the main road, as anyone pulling out from the minor road would be to the right for someone going from left to right in front of me.

*this is about what the rules say I can/should do, not what is sensible to do to take account of drivers who are likely to try to intimidate cyclists/don't see them etc.

 

[Profpointy]

What do you make of this, the infamous ‘Magic Roundabout ‘ in Hemel Hempstead. A series of mini roundabouts going round a big roundabout. Wouldn’t like to try it on a bike.

View attachment 385152

Easy on a bike, done it many many imes in the '80s. Did once have a stupid cow shake her fist and drive beside me and (slowly) try and imdimidate me out of the way whilst I was waiting at the stop line. WTF she was thinking I don't know. And against all stereotypes she was a respectable looking middle aged woman in a mid range tidy car. No audi, beemer, white van, nor chavy corsa in sight. Nowt wrong with the roundabout itself.

Not sure I'd be as keen on cycling the swindon one though

 

[Deleted member 26715]

What do you make of this, the infamous ‘Magic Roundabout ‘ in Hemel Hempstead. A series of mini roundabouts going round a big roundabout. Wouldn’t like to try it on a bike.

Like all of these things they are good if everybody follows the rules & we know car drivers are not good at that, I think I've only ever been around it once quite early on a Sunday morning & it was no problem, what it's like between 4 & 6 pm on a weekday might be another story.