Dec 6th, 2016: Roundabouts

[xoxoxoBruce]

Roundabouts are common in England, some of them mind boggling. Here not so much. I know of a couple in PA and
some in Jersey, but many were eliminated by road improvements. They are making a comeback, I saw a bunch of
new ones in MA, and read PA is recommending them.

I hate them. The theory is good, but in the real world they suck because... people. Half the fools stop and look left
like it's a stop sign, then wait until they can't see anyone coming, instead of yield and merge.

Is confusion a good way to encourage safer driving? That seems to be the idea behind a new traffic calming ploy
in Cambridge, England. The city reopened a remodeled street last week featuring what appears, at first, to be
a roundabout. Look carefully, however, and you’ll notice that it isn’t a roundabout at all. It’s simply a circle of bricks
laid into the street and adjoining sidewalk. It’s practical function is essentially nothing.

Or is it? The city’s thinking is that drivers will instinctively slow down when they approach this ghost roundabout.
When they get closer, they will realize they’re actually on a normal street, and accelerate—but in the meantime
they will have slowed down and watched the road more carefully on what could be a potentially dangerous corner.

What about after they've driven through it a couple times?

link