The question of the day
Who dreamed up the idea of replacing traffic lights with a roundabout?
The problem
Apparently a small number of people shouldn’t be allowed to drive. Why? The reason is elementary, they didn’t graduate kindergarten. I know you’re looking at me in that puzzled way that says “he must be confused.” In kindergarten children learn the colors of the STOP light and what each color means. They also understand what a STOP sign means.
Here’s the story. According to DOT it is safer to replace the standard traffic control signals (lights or signs) which actually require drivers to stop with roundabouts which only require drivers to slow down enough to navigate around a circle.
The Rant
Imagine this:
A busy intersection with unobstructed view from the four directions of travel that cross at said intersection.
Uncontrolled :
As you can imagine everyone would be at extreme risk of great bodily harm if there were no traffic control signals of any kind. Taking turns and “yield to the right” work so well in today’s self absorbed “me” society. The carnage of twisted metal and bodies would be crazy so as a civilized society we add some control instruments at busy intersections.
Controlled:
An intersection with traffic control signals, either lights or signs, is by far the safest type of intersection. The only thing safer would be using an overpass oe parallel roads that never intersect.
The Roundabout:
The roundabout is the ultimate in uncomfortably uncontrolled mayhem controlled only by the Yield sign and uniform direction of travel. Ok, I’ll give you the uniform direction of travel is safer than crossing traffic. However, merging traffic that never uses a turn signal negates the additional safety factor added by uniform direction of travel.
The Solution
While I am a firm believer in Darwins Theory of The Survival of The Fittest. I understand the necessity for protecting the young and inexperienced as well as the elder generation. This is why I believe that roundabouts are evil. Both young and old may be easily confused by a roundabout… Who goes first? Is it my turn? They’re just jumping in the circle so I can jump in too right? Do I need to use my turn signal?
Let us work diligently to keep the most precious among us safe from confusion by doing away with the roundabout in favor of lights and signs.
Thomas Jacob David
June 15, 2013 at 5:47 pmSo because you are confused about roundabouts, despite the ample amount of signage, we should not pursue a policy which empirically decreases fatal crashes by 92%. Not only that, but there are decreased emissions, decreased traffic noise, and decreased congestion. All these effects have been confirmed empirically with studies, which I have linked below. I think this “rant” illustrates a problem with America – people are in favor or against policy choices for unsubstantiated reasons with no real backing.
QBall45
June 15, 2013 at 7:17 pmI am a firm believer in letting people figure out how to drive properly. Observing traffic control signals is so simple a 3 year old can do it. Unfortunately, far to many people seem to think that normal control signals do not apply to them. I am not a fan of the nanny state which I think these roundabouts are a product of. Learn to drive or get off my road.
Thomas Jacob David
June 18, 2013 at 2:42 pmYou clearly can’t drive if you don’t know how to drive on a roundabout. If people (as you argue, and has been empirically disproved) are less safe on roundabouts because they don’t listen to signals, then why wouldn’t that be true of traffic lights? People run red lights all the time, I myself see red lights as a suggestion. Sit down.
QBall45
June 18, 2013 at 2:55 pmMe? Can’t drive? That’s ridiculously funny! I have literally more miles in reverse than the average driver does forward. Driving is what I do for a living. The average person is confused because roundabouts make absolutely zero sense to them. As for you finding red lights merely suggestions… Dare I say you are part of the problem. If people would put down their phones while driving and started paying attention to the task at everyone would be safer and putting in roundabouts wouldn’t be seen as necessary. By the way… Ever tried navigating a semi truck around one of those “safer” roundabouts? Let me give you a clue… It’s a giant pain in the ass and extremely unsafe.
79stanger
June 18, 2013 at 3:11 pmWhile I will agree, that roundabouts may not be safer for the big trucks to navigate. The one installed in a rather awkward 6 way intersection has almost eliminated accidents there. It was once the worst place to navigate, or be stopped at in town. Now it is a breeze for ‘most’ people. And of those that have problems, probably don’t have a roundabout where they are from. But at the same time, there is an easement built onto the one in my town to allow easier navigation by the bigger vehicles, such as a tractor trailer. It’s all personal preference, but for this instance, I haven’t heard any complaints. Other than if you are trying to get on the road further down. But I wouldn’t go back to the stoplight system there for any reason.
QBall45
June 18, 2013 at 3:22 pmI still hate em with a passion. People need to read the signs. Roundabouts are a furtherance of the nanny state we now live in. I am sick of the “if it saves just one life” line. Life is filled with risk. Heck just the simplest things like getting out of bed and taking a shower in the morning has the potential for life altering hazards. Driving is no different.
Thomas Jacob David
June 20, 2013 at 2:09 pmDo you not think that there is a value of life? I think that it is important to minimize the risk of death, especially since roundabouts save money as well in the long term because of less maintenance.
QBall45
June 20, 2013 at 2:14 pmValue in life? Yes life is precious. Reduce the risk of death by not being stupid and engaging the stuff between the ears rather than government mandated “safety.”