How to Drive in a Rotary
., Obey all traffic signs., Yield., Enter the rotary., Once in the rotary, maintain your right-of-way., Continue around the rotary, watching for the road you wish to exit upon.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Obey all traffic signs.
]]Understand the purpose of the rotary and how it works.
A rotary is a one way circular roadway that connects other roads similar to the way spokes of a wheel connect to a center or hub.
Rotaries allow access to any road from any road generally without the use of traffic control lights.
Common in Europe and New England, a rotary might be found at some intersections of 4 or more roads (see photo at right), but are sometimes placed in the middle of a roadway solely to calm traffic.
Most of the time, rotaries are used when traffic patterns are complex due to number of streets converging or due to size of the area such as where entrance and exit ramps from both directions of an elevated highway connect to a smaller roadway below (see lower photo at right). -
Step 2: Yield.
It's not unusual even for local residents to roll through stop signs while attempting to merge with rotary traffic.
This is often because drivers are too focused on the complexity of the intersection and sheer volume of traffic than signs.
Fortunately, the vehicular traffic should be coming from just one direction. , Many states have laws that require vehicles not yet in the rotary to yield to the traffic already in the rotary.
Do not force rotary traffic to stop or to perform evasive maneuvers while attempting to merge.
Merge into rotary traffic with the same principles employed at the end of highway entrance ramps, but at much slower speeds. , After locating a safe break in traffic or at an oncoming driver's invitation, merge into rotary traffic.
Rotary traffic in the U.S. is always in a counter-clockwise direction.
This means a right turn will be required to enter and to leave the rotary. , All usual precautions should apply (e.g., don't get into a show-down over anything), but yielding your right-of-way to those trying to enter is to significantly disrupt the flow of rotary traffic. , Know which road to take to get out of the rotary traffic.
This can be from your understanding of the area from prior experience, a map or GPS, a passenger or even an additional trip around the rotary if necessary.
Stay in or navigate to the outside (right-most in the U.S.) lane of the rotary traffic to make your exit.
If there are double-lane exits, DO NOT travel in the right-most lane unless you plan on exiting at the next exit; to travel past a double-lane exit in the right lane may dangerously cut-off those in a left lane who wish to (legitimately) make that exit.
There are no left turn exits from a rotary that has a counter-clockwise traffic pattern.
If you miss your exit road from the rotary, do not stop.
Continue around until the road appears again (no one will know you missed your turn
- unless they too, have missed theirs).
This can easily happen to anyone unfamiliar with the layout of the roads that connect to the rotary, especially if not traveling in the outside lane of the traffic. -
Step 3: Enter the rotary.
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Step 4: Once in the rotary
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Step 5: maintain your right-of-way.
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Step 6: Continue around the rotary
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Step 7: watching for the road you wish to exit upon.
Detailed Guide
]]Understand the purpose of the rotary and how it works.
A rotary is a one way circular roadway that connects other roads similar to the way spokes of a wheel connect to a center or hub.
Rotaries allow access to any road from any road generally without the use of traffic control lights.
Common in Europe and New England, a rotary might be found at some intersections of 4 or more roads (see photo at right), but are sometimes placed in the middle of a roadway solely to calm traffic.
Most of the time, rotaries are used when traffic patterns are complex due to number of streets converging or due to size of the area such as where entrance and exit ramps from both directions of an elevated highway connect to a smaller roadway below (see lower photo at right).
It's not unusual even for local residents to roll through stop signs while attempting to merge with rotary traffic.
This is often because drivers are too focused on the complexity of the intersection and sheer volume of traffic than signs.
Fortunately, the vehicular traffic should be coming from just one direction. , Many states have laws that require vehicles not yet in the rotary to yield to the traffic already in the rotary.
Do not force rotary traffic to stop or to perform evasive maneuvers while attempting to merge.
Merge into rotary traffic with the same principles employed at the end of highway entrance ramps, but at much slower speeds. , After locating a safe break in traffic or at an oncoming driver's invitation, merge into rotary traffic.
Rotary traffic in the U.S. is always in a counter-clockwise direction.
This means a right turn will be required to enter and to leave the rotary. , All usual precautions should apply (e.g., don't get into a show-down over anything), but yielding your right-of-way to those trying to enter is to significantly disrupt the flow of rotary traffic. , Know which road to take to get out of the rotary traffic.
This can be from your understanding of the area from prior experience, a map or GPS, a passenger or even an additional trip around the rotary if necessary.
Stay in or navigate to the outside (right-most in the U.S.) lane of the rotary traffic to make your exit.
If there are double-lane exits, DO NOT travel in the right-most lane unless you plan on exiting at the next exit; to travel past a double-lane exit in the right lane may dangerously cut-off those in a left lane who wish to (legitimately) make that exit.
There are no left turn exits from a rotary that has a counter-clockwise traffic pattern.
If you miss your exit road from the rotary, do not stop.
Continue around until the road appears again (no one will know you missed your turn
- unless they too, have missed theirs).
This can easily happen to anyone unfamiliar with the layout of the roads that connect to the rotary, especially if not traveling in the outside lane of the traffic.
About the Author
Jerry Murray
Specializes in breaking down complex organization topics into simple steps.
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