State Rewrites Rules on Turn Signal Use

Partially in response to problems drivers had with roundabouts.
www.lehtoslaw.com

[@RideGasGas]

As a motorcyclist, one thing you learn early is not to trust turn signals or the lack thereof. For example, you can be waiting to enter traffic from a store parking lot with an exit mid block and see someone coming down the street toward you signaling a turn. Are they signaling to indicate they will turn into the parking lot, or at the intersection another few hundred feet down the road. If the latter and you pull out, wham!

[@michaelsommers2356]

I've never ridden a motorcycle, and I never trust turn signals. I've seen too many cases of the car not doing what the turn signal said it would do.

[@larrybe2900]

A basic rule of thumb for me is "commitment". Has someone noticeably committed to the turn. Works in all weather.

[@ianbelletti6241]

@@larrybe2900 until you find someone who's committing to the turn only to change their mind.

[@Nowherenotime]

Just wait easy answer

[@thadrepairsitall1278]

I agree

[@LuckyCharms777]

Pro tip: Use your turn signal far enough ahead of your turn to allow the driver behind you to prepare to brake. Anything less is “unreasonable” if you don’t want to get rear ended.

[@TheNudeAmerican]

I never heard of signaling to leave a roundabout before. Only to enter it if there is an actual lane change to get into it. Although here in the Wisconsin-Illinois areas there are designated lanes to get into before entering a roundabout that are specific for where you want to leave the roundabout that don't require a further lane change to leave the roundabout. Then by this method there are no signals needed to enter or leave the roundabouts since you must simply follow your lanes. One exception though sometimes is when there is a specific right turn lane outside the circle of the roundabout to go to the first street. That one will require a turn signal because it is a regular right turn lane.

[@jimgreat7622]

Police: “You didn’t signal your turn soon enough.” Motorist: “But, officer, I identify as a totally law abiding citizen and you are required to affirm that.”

[@markscott5421]

Indiana just changed their turn signal law to a "reasonable" amount of signal needed to warn drivers of a turn. It used to be 100 feet under 50 mph and 300 feet over 50 mph. The change came about because of numerous side streets that couldn't give enough length to enforce the law. I suspect less people will use their signals now since their is no real way to enforce it. Some law enforcement actually agreed to the change since it was hard to ticket someone who didn't have enough space to use their signal with the old law.

[@oldscuba]

Steve, I'm sure the people that invent these rule's do not understand that most, if not all, turn signal switches will not stay on by itself when the steering wheel is in various positions while in the turn without taking a hand off the steering wheel and holding it on. A large percentage of drivers can not hold the lever and complete the turn with one hand.

[@noohairdontcare]

Most cars will stay on when turning the wheel in the direction of the indicator, only turning the flasher off when the wheel turns back in the opposite direction. Many drivers bumble along turning the wheel vaguely in both directions

[@oldscuba]

@@noohairdontcare You should go out and experiment I believe you're incorrect.. If you're in a big traffic circle, I can understand what you're saying, here in the Arizona it seems as though they go as small as possible when building a traffic circle and I find it impossible to get your blinker on, to stay on by itself, and get both hands on the wheel in order to get around the turn... especially for the 70,000 senior visitors we get here in the Winter time...

[@coachhannah2403]

The 'problem' with newbies in roundabouts is that: a) STOP signs mandate right-of-way for people on your RIGHT, b) Roundabouts mandate right-of-way for people on your LEFT. Older and driving-experienced people have trouble making this transition.

[@JH-gy7fn]

On Roungabouts The general rule is you must yeald to the person on the right, unless you are in the roundabout yourself, then the people entering the roundabout must yeald to you.

[@freakasis]

Steve, Pinellas County, FL used to have a a roundabout with stop signs; the city didn't even know how they work. These FL drivers can't handle them.

[@padroooo]

I grew up in Pennsylvania and moved to Indiana for work as an adult. I always make jokes about buying a used car in Indiana, because they all have brand new turn signals. LOL

[@Bluuplanet]

If you are in a lane that has has large curved arrows painted on the pavement indicating that all vehicles in your lane must turn, do you have to signal? (That would be like signaling a "turn" for a tight bend in the road)

[@nonamenoname42]

Crazy story. My ex would berate me for using my turn signals in empty parking lots. He'd say you don't see anyone and you are wasting energy using your signal. I'd reply, "My turn signals are to warn the car I did not see and I will not override my habit of using turns signals all the time". He'd also tell me to pull up closer at a red light because I was holding people up. I am a Detroiter. Also leave enough room to jump the curb at any stops to be able to flee.

[@Bobs-Wrigles5555]

You're doing it right, ignore his "advice", good habits won't kill you.

[@nodak81]

If you leave a huge gap in front of you at a light, I'd just go around you and pull in front. As far as I'm concerned you're just a double-parked car blocking traffic if you're not at the stop line.

[@johnmcclain3887]

I grew up in Chicago, I used signals always. Tell your ex it costs less than a penny per hundred miles of signaling.

[@arinerm1331]

You're absolutely correct. There are many reasons you may need to flee the space you're occupying, and if you're stopped right at the rear bumper of the car ahead, you have no room to do so. When I learned to drive, my rule of thumb was to be able to see that car's rear axle. If I can see that, I have enough room to maneuver out from behind the car without reversing. It's saved me twice so far, so once every 20 years. 😄

[@markmaki4460]

Haha thanks for the good laugh of the day. So true (the part about leaving room to flee).

[@bobmorgan1575]

Never rely on somebody's turn signals to indicate whether they are turning or not was our FIRST lesson in Driver's Education when I was a senior in High School. We were taught to wait until the driver was committed to the turn and couldn't change their mind at the last minute. Has saved my bacon many times in the last fifty years.

[@rumblehat4357]

I taught my kids to never assume the other person know what they are doing.

[@peacefulwarrior4078]

Exactly! NEVER ASSUME !

[@warrenpuckett4203]

As a former motor cyclist I learned to look at the front wheels. The direction they are pointing is direction the vehicle will follow. Only time that does not apply is on ice. Turns signals mean maybe something will happen. Turn signal also gave them reaction time to hammer your cycle. But back the good old days of driving in California it was a signal for the person in the lane opening that you want to change to. That person then would do the right thing and speed up to close the hole. If you just moved over then you were the bad person that cut them off. But you did not have wait 20 minutes for someone to let move over happen. My favorite vehicle to drive was there was a beat up old 1/2 ton 1969 Suburban with a 383 small block, with stiffened 3/4 ton suspension, brakes and a 4 speed. I got a lot of horn checks. Not many would do the challenge cuz they thought I also did not have $1M + policy. Yep driving something a illegal Mexican rather walk than be seen riding in it. Once my MB 500 cousin took a ride in it. Her response was this thing is really nice inside. I said "That is because it is the side I look at the most." But she still would not trade it for the Benz. 4 speed stick. No know how to shift. Now those are called rat rods. I even painted the silhouettes on the door of the vehicles that tangled with it and lost. Oh and I did use oak timbers to stiffen up the bumpers and the insides of the fenders. Diamond plate was too obvious.

[@chetthejet3896]

@@warrenpuckett4203 Interesting and a little funny but it works. I learned how to drive in the city from the cab drivers. They look out of the corner of their eyes and turn their head the other way and hit the gas.

[@mackellyman5642]

@@warrenpuckett4203 Same applies to a horse's head.

[@Terry_Lacy]

Blinker fluid is rare and very costy, and should only be used in extreme circumstances.

[@radolfkalis4041]

Don't forget, you need to rotate your turn signals, like tires, they get wear on them.

[@glee21012]

Two huderd feet is insane for turning, only applicable on the highway. Never underestimate the ability of the police to abuse traffic laws like this.

[@jceggbert5]

200ft is 10-15 car lengths, depending on the car. 10 of my truck, 11 in my van, 14 in my hatchback

[@admthrawnuru]

I once got pulled over for failing to signal a full 100 ft out of a freaking driveway. 7 cop cars showed up and they tossed my car, leaving all my crap in the snow. I'm guessing it was pretextual and they thought I was someone else (they just gave me a bs warning at the end, but never deviated from their claim that this was the reason for the stop). It woke me up about how police can abuse laws in ridiculous ways.

[@hugh007]

Like 'Your license plate light is out' and when you look, it's working fine.

[@mikefowler301]

@@DNANDROID So 60km an hour you referred to, Then turned it into 60mph? WTF dude?

[@goldenhate6649]

Ironically, I had a cop pull me over for it, but it was legit and he was just letting me know. Turns out, it really depends on how sh*t the place you live in is. I have found, in general, the more democrat the police force, the more sh*t scum they are.

[@kevinmhadley]

I grew up in the Boston area. If you’ve been there, there are a lot of “rotaries” as we call them. The rule is easy, traffic in the rotary always has the right of way. That’s it. Simple. There some two lane rotaries and they can be a confusing, but, if you can’t move to outer lane to your exit, just go around again. In my neighborhood there was an intersection that was a four way stop. There were a lot of accidents there even after the doubled up the stop signs. (One above the other) They converted the intersection to a roundabout and accidents were reduced dramatically. I think one of the town planners told me 80%

[@contumelious-8440]

They lied. Accidents in new roundabouts go up. It's..I mean, everybody in the business knows this, common knowledge you don't even have to dig to find the statistics.

[@Pernection]

The right of way is the opposite in NJ

[@mark98115]

Seriously?? In New Jersey that traffic coming into a rotary has the right of way? That is illogical and messed up. I actually really like proper rotaries. Problem today is that some idiots in some central planning department decided that is the way to go and are converting regular intersections into notaries. The result are small circles that are more difficult to navigate than a 4 way stop.

[@dustintunis9347]

@@Pernection : I'd like to see that traffic law, as much as I don't like roundabouts(rotaries), I do know how they work and the only way I could see incoming traffic having the right of way is if they are all multi lane and you are required to move to an inside lane until you get to your turn. All of them around me are small, if you're taking the 1st exit all you're doing is making a right turn, no different than a normal 4 way intersection.

[@spiromentos]

Yes I live in the Boston area and the Rotary traffic has right of way. Once I'm in it, I signal when I'm exiting. To give heads up to the people waiting to enter. For what it's worth. Oh I met people from California who hated Rotaries. Couldn't maneuver them well.

[@Recovering_Californian]

I taught my kids to be predictable when driving. That means, in part, always use your turn signals. Being predictable is a good thing when driving.

[@famousamoso7]

except when in a roundabout.....

[@TheCablebill]

That is unquestionably best practice. However, mind-reading is an advanced skill.

[@ace-kz9id]

@@famousamoso7 welcome to why i hate them. like in theory good idea, in practice A FUCKIN NIGHTMARE

[@OnlyKaerius]

@@famousamoso7 Just start signaling as you pass the exit before yours. If you're taking the first exit you can signal as you approach the roundabout.

[@MrTheHillfolk]

@@famousamoso7 well , they did some 4 way intersections here in roundabouts. The roads leading in didn't really change. So, if you used your signal before and turned, nothing's changed because of a roundabout.

[@travist.7279]

There is another issue with roundabouts and turn signals, that I did not see mentioned. While circling a roundabout, the steering wheel is canted slightly to the left. This can be enough to disable the right-turn signal (the automatic lockout/disengage mechanism). This is happens mostly in smaller, neighborhood roundabouts. I can't signal that I am exiting the roundabout, because my wheel is pointing left, and the right-turn-signal position is locked-out.

[@rmiller334]

Use hand signals

[@CarlAlex2]

Really? You cannot signal a turn in the opposite direction of where you are currently turning? How do you deal with having to turn in a bend in the road? Sounds like a defective car to me.

[@MrTrailerman2]

@@CarlAlex2 years ago before the bean counters were shaving production costs turn signal cancel cams had 4 -6 positions to cancel the turn signals. Now if the mechanical cams are being used only two cancel cams are being used and are so close together that the steering wheel has to be in a perfect position for them to work. I know most cars today use different technologies.

[@davidmorton8170]

It's this exactly that makes it silly to me to even need turn signals in a roundabout. It's infinitely clear to me when I'm entering a roundabout what the oncoming traffic is doing, simply by looking at their front wheels - there's a point where they have to be committed one way or the other, and there's time right then for me to enter if they are exiting. The turn signals are irrelevant.

[@no_peace]

It doesn't matter if they have their signal on or not, it's not safe to pull out in front of people. I can turn my signal on and go straight, people do it all the time. Most people here wait to enter traffic even if I signal that I'm turning before I get to them. I'm surprised people here aren't mentioning this.

[@norioxoximeikushi7741]

As a professional driver, I totally agree with every point you make re: turn signals and roundabouts. Growing up in Massachusetts they're called a "rotary," and they were quite common so drivers there are reasonably proficient with their use. Turn signals? Now that's a different matter. I think turn signals must be an expensive option on cars sold in Massachusetts that many buyers can't afford..

[@laslon78]

It,s the price of blinker fluid being even higher than printer ink that is the problem 😄

[@PhilLesh69]

I dated a German woman years ago who hated two things about American drivers. People who failed to yield to passing vehicles in the left lane, and failing to signal turns and lane changes. A close third was people who drove around with their fog lights on even in dry and clear weather. I used to tell her that in America you had to choose between the blinking light option or the blinding yellow or white foglights option and most people can only afford the cheaper fog lights option package.

[@Eduardo_Espinoza]

Nobody even use turn signals, it's so annoying

[@roadie4360]

We have a similar issue in the UK with certain makes of cars that have indicators that are optional extras.

[@BigRalphSmith]

I've always felt that such traffic laws were always better defined as a function of _time_ rather than distance. When you define these rules by time, variables such as speed and distance are automatically combined and/or accounted for in most cases.

[@Unsensitive]

But that would make sense.. We can't have easy to understand sensical laws.. that makes the people able to follow them and reduces the options police have to violate their rights.

[@USMC6976]

It is mathematics. Plus, we humans are much better at judging short time spans.

[@Iconoclasher]

I agree. Distance is fine for parked cars from a hydrant but on the road it doesn't make sense.

[@scottlemiere2024]

Until the amount of time it takes is too short from the time you got into the lane. Same issue as distance.

[@anthonyegreene]

@@scottlemiere2024 there could ya provision to signal as soon as possible when the time available is less than the specified time.

[@tonyb8132]

If two lane roundabouts get your heart rate up then you’ll want to avoid the one around the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. 😅 Love your videos.

[@goldenhate6649]

Don’t even mention the nightmare that is roman roundabouts

[@3goldfinger]

Been there done that

[@edgoodrich156]

And anywhere in Boston

[@cdrone4066]

Yeah, they are all over Europe, as an American they scare me, especially on a bicycle.

[@grosseileracingteam]

Try the three in a row roundabouts near Costco in Brighton Michigan.

[@mitchelcooper8941]

I was taught in Driver's Ed that you signal after the previous intersection when they're closely spaced. I have always applied the same to roundabouts. If you signal before another intersection the signal ceases to serve its purpose.

[@bobbyrayvictory6905]

How would it defeat it's purpose. I've never heard "turn signal means turning at the next spot", I've always understood it as a turning signal being there to tell people around you that you're going to be performing a turn so not to hit you. If you're in a 45 zone turning at the second of two lights but the lights are only two hundred feet from each other then I don't see how it's safe to wait to pass the first light before putting on a signal. That suggest you would be braking before putting your signal on or that you don't often drive in a full sized city like Nashville or Louisville. Those down town areas don't have the space to allow for a lack of ample warning.

[@PolumbiusTheThird]

@@bobbyrayvictory6905 nah, if ur signal is on you should be turning at the next available turn. very misleading otherwise.

[@CarlAlex2]

If you intend to leave the roundabout at the first exit after you enter its proper to turn on your turn signal when entering it.

[@bobbyrayvictory6905]

@@PolumbiusTheThird For a roundabout maybe, not for a standard street

[@SINDRIKARL1]

@@CarlAlex2 (not sure if this applies in the US) It's also proper to turn on the inwards turn signal before entering the roundabout if you intend to skip the first exit while staying in the outer lane, doing this you still need to yield to people in the inner lane trying to get out though.

[@Bobs-Wrigles5555]

Ben catching a quick nap on top of Blue and Red Nascar, Beside Steve's Left Elbow

[@charlierumsfeld6626]

43 is Petty

[@Bobs-Wrigles5555]

@@charlierumsfeld6626 I know the number is on the side of the car, but I can't always remember what the number was(until Steve lifts his arm) and then I'm an Aussie, I've never followed Nascar to the extent that I know who is what number and what colours are supposed to be on whose car. I did once look it up and found it was Petty and Steve has told us since then, but it still doesn't stick in the brain.😀

[@charlierumsfeld6626]

@@Bobs-Wrigles5555 Hello to you down under.

[@Bobs-Wrigles5555]

@@charlierumsfeld6626 👍

[@thecouchpotatocom]

My father taught me, never pull in front of a vehicle signaling a turn, until you see the wheels turn. I have seen accidents happen where they assumed the indicated turn and went for it. I thank God for my dad's lesson.

[@annmcdaniel9448]

My dad also taught me how to drive. 1. Stay alive. 2. You can argue, and be right, but you don't want to be "dead right!"

[@Kalenz1234]

You should be able to tell from the speed of the vehicle. If they are not slowing down at all they obviously don't intend to turn.

[@susanray4383]

My main issue with roundabouts here in the states (at least around here) is that the local municipalities plant trees or stack large stones in the middle making it harder to see what traffic is already in the roundabout.

[@ericcox6764]

I agree. I understand the need to beautify them, but I'd much rather be able to see the traffic instead of some pretty landscaping.

[@frankvandalen6524]

City council meetings need to be attended. Tell the jokers to cease and desist being knuckleheads.

[@donnavandezande3905]

We have mounds with shrubs all over them. Irritating to not be able to see oncoming traffic except for a very short distance and is there time to assess their speed?!

[@jimnaden5594]

The people that support the cluttered center claim that a roundabout is safer if you cannot see because many will stop or be confused by seeing all of the approaching traffic and stop their vehicle. Me; I want to see everything all around me at all times so as to asses who will, or should, be where when I get there. Worse to me is some I have encountered where there is a triangle that separates the entrances and exits. Then they planted a pampas grass in the triangle so you cannot see much to your left when approaching the roundabout. I find that kind of unhandy..

[@scottlemiere2024]

@@ericcox6764 it's not to beautify them, it's to keep trucks from going straight over the top of them.

[@alexsnow3319]

There is this REALLY USEFUL tip I learned in Driver's Ed...if the turn requires you to use your blinker across MULTIPLE/EXTRA turning points, you turn on the signal AFTER or AS you pass the turn before yours. Like in an intersection where your turn is right after it. You also adjust speeds as appropriate to traffic...Driving is not a face roll activity. It requires you to be alert and responsible 100% of the time.

[@Djkommode]

Driving is hard isn’t it lol

[@SeanPat1001]

I was taught the same thing in driver’s ed around 1962. It’s really a good way to do things, but I don’t understand why they don’t emphasize that in the law.

[@adkeric]

We were taught THE EXACT OPPOSITE. Regardless of how many driveways or other streets there are before your turn, you have to signal long enough to let the people behind know you're going to be slowing down to turn soon. That's the primary reason for turn signals, to warn the people behind you that you're going to be slowing down. If you wait until you get to your actual turn you're gonna get rear-ended. The signal to drivers who may be looking to enter traffic is just a secondary benefit, not the primary purpose of turn signals.

[@abyssoftus]

I tend to keep mindfulness in relation to where I am in relation to my destination and next turn, typically turning my turn indicator/signal on about 3-5 secs prior to making the turn and allow at least 5 blinks prior to making a lane change. I also keep aware of nearby traffic by making heavy use of my mirrors and set them to eliminate most of my blind spots.

[@mikeallen1490]

it gets crazy in Akron where some roundabouts have 8+ entry's/exits

[@bryantaylor2523]

As a lifelong resident of Minnesota, I took drivers education in the year 2000 to get my permit and we were never taught that roundabouts even existed. I encountered my first one probably 10 years later and found the usage to be relatively self explanatory, however that was a single lane roundabout in a relatively rural area with zero other cars on the road at the time and around a half mile visibility in all directions. If my first encounter was on a busy road in an urban area, I can only hope that I still would have been able to figure it out safely. That said, multi-lane roundabouts are still often confusing and I have no idea what the actual rules for turn signals are within any of them. I just try to use my signals in the way I would find most helpful and/or least confusing to the other drivers around me. I can't actually think of the specifics of how I use the signal right now without actually driving through one, it's more of an instinctive use.

[@Eduardo_Espinoza]

Also unfortunately a lot of people don't know how to set their side mirrors, & it causes problems down the road too.

[@AJ-io3bq]

In Europe, one's signal is always on in a traffic circle/roundabout/rotary. Assuming roads like the US, one would have the left signal on while continuing in the roundabout and then change to the right signal to indicate exiting the roundabout. In countries like the UK, the same times apply but with opposite signals activated.

[@AustynSN]

@@Eduardo_Espinoza Most people (my mother included) are idiots and waste about 1/2 to 2/3 of their side mirrors on being able to see the sides of their vehicle.

[@Ronin7477]

as a refugee of Mpls, MN.... (grew up in and fled MN the moment I could), I was educated in the basics of Round-a-Bouts in 94/95.... moved away in 96. It is another example of the continued lowering of education, standards, & expectations (add in responsibility and accountability).

[@codemiesterbeats]

Couple of things that might be noteworthy.... The turn signal canceler switch might be extremely problematic in some roundabout situations. Also relying on someone's turn signal to mean they are actually turning has bit me in the butt a few times so now I just play it safe and don't pull out until they actually start into the turn

[@JudgeGeneHunt]

Where I live is pretty much roundabout central. Many people are so blase they don't use their indicators. You don't need to wait til they've cleared the roundabout, watch how they move and give them a bit of space.

[@damham5689]

@@JudgeGeneHunt if only people did watch how others moved and gave space it we wouldnt have nearly as many traffic problems as we do.

[@MrTheHillfolk]

This, and I look both ways before crossing a 1 way. You do silly things like that when youve seen enough stupid driving.

[@robertsmith2956]

Yea, you get your hopes up they are turning left into the center island. Like watching those idiots drive up the exit. oh please get hit before getting out of my sight.

[@brandonlink6568]

My friend had a Chevy Corsica with a strange clockspring setup that would cancel the turn signal as soon as you began to turn the wheel. I don't thing I've come across another car that did it like that.

[@boikatsapiens499]

Ben on top of the stock car on the right (Steve's left arm).

[@neshobanakni]

I grew up in the Midwest, and have lived half my life in the deep South. Two behaviors annoy me to no end. Something illegal where I learned to drive is common here at home. It is known as a "Courtesy Signal." A car signals for a turn. All the cars behind it signal for the same turn. The first car turns, and all the rest continue straight on their way. In other words, you cannot trust the signal of any car in front of you - ever! The other awful frightening custom is, when a driver wishes to make a left turn up ahead, that driver (you hope) signals left, then turns into the incoming lane for a hundred yards or more (up to half a mile) - driving in the left lane of a two lane road, before finally turning left. It is quite frightening and frustrating. Don't even get me started on how almost no one seems to be able to merge onto a four-lane highway. Half of them pull onto the ramp and frick'n stop!

[@kevinmhadley]

I've had a few people come to a stop at the top of the ramp where they are supposed to merge. Very frustrating and dangerous as when they do merge they are starting from zero and have to accelerated the speed of traffic.

[@Iconoclasher]

Your comment about yielding is spot on. Half of the close-calls I've had in my life is because someone gives the right-of-way to someone that isn't entitled to it.

[@Br3ttM]

It causes a huge number of accidents when there are two driving lanes, and only one of them stops, so a car pulls out and gets hit by a vehicle in the further lane that was obscured by the vehicle that stopped. Even without multiple lanes each way, someone might try to pass the stopped car, or they might be rear-ended by someone not expecting them to stop. Only stop and let someone through if they're turning right, and traffic has everyone is slowed/stopped, or maybe a left if it's just before a stoplight.

[@wmdkitty]

@@Br3ttM Or, worse, a pedestrian gets hit.

[@lowandslow3939]

Roundabouts are great IF constructed properly. I lived in Europe for ten years and I love them. Some, I’ve seen here in the US, are way too small, giving drivers too little time to exit where they want to. Drivers don’t understand that you can go around as many times as you need to in order to safely exit to your chosen direction. Education is key here.

[@antilogism]

Once I got over the fork-in-my-brain feeling from driving on the "wrong side" (about 300 miles), roundabouts in the UK were great! I enjoyed driving over there in general.

[@DaleKingProfile]

The key thing for roundabouts is that the flow away from the roundabout needs to not be restricted. Some problems I have seen here in Carmel, the roundabout capital of the world, are putting them too close together, forcing lanes to merge right after a very busy roundabout, and having one near a place that has a large bunch of traffic at one time (the exit from a high school of 5000 students.

[@lowandslow3939]

@@DaleKingProfile Excellent observation.

[@ILoveTinfoilHats]

Except that's not always the case. Some roundabouts are multiple lane and you can't "go around as many times as you want" because certain exits aren't allowed

[@PsiQ]

@@ILoveTinfoilHats Hi there, I have never seen a roundabout where you could not drive around forever. This defeats the purpouse of it beeing a circle. If you miss the exit first time, just go around once more until you are back where you wanted to exit the first time and missed it. Of course you cant drive out in the wrong lane, but does your lane end somewhere in there? Cant really happen for a "real" roundabout, only for something special a planner came up with. Do you maybe have google coordinates to look at an example ? The UAE have some great multi lane roundabouts, locals whizz through them perfectly, if you are unsure just stay in the outer lane and maybe slow down a bit and nothing will happen.

[@johnwiley8417]

Ben on top of the stock car at Steve's left shoulder.

[@charlierumsfeld6626]

71 was Allison Sr.

[@LandNfan]

I learned about roundabouts years ago driving a rental in the Boston area. The primary thing I learned was to never, ever, get on the inside lane of a roundabout. You could spend the rest of your life there! As to turn signals, “reasonable” means to me past the point where there is any ambiguity regarding your intentions. E.G. on a residential street where the lots are only 75’ wide, it may be the last 60 to 70 feet before you turn into your driveway, but on a highway it may be several hundred feet. Lessons learned in 60 years of driving.😊

[@allangoodger969]

Yea, Na, Have had no problem with inside lanes in Australia and I would imagine the same would apply in Europe. Have a look at their laws regarding blinkers in roundabouts in Australia or the UK. And yes I have a heavy vehicle Licence.

[@patrickdurham8393]

The inside lane in a Tennessee round about is a life sentence. You'll circle until you run out of gas or just finally decide to end it all!

[@allangoodger969]

@@patrickdurham8393 Just out of interest mate. What percentage of intersections would be roundabouts in your local area? Did you have to go through one to get your drivers Licence? To give you an idea for my area I pass through four tee intersections and then its all double lane roundabouts all the way to Sydney (160km).

[@steved0123]

Roundabouts in Boston require a hand signal. A fist with the middle digit sticking up to be more precise.

[@eswift8318]

Americans do not understand how to use one lane roundabouts. The second lane is like advanced calculus.

[@GilDavis]

I live in Indiana. Initially learned to drive in California over 50 years ago in Driver's Ed. Then really learned getting a CDL for a while. California had a distance requirement but always wanted to make certain that a driver near me knew where I wanted to turn. So, even now I won't signal until I at least pass anything major that could be mistaken. That includes signaling halfway through an intersection when I want to take a right into a driveway just past that intersection such as a gas station. You don't signal before you get to the intersection because that can easily be mistaken for a right turn intention at the intersection. Incidentally, I ride a motorcycle occasionally and signaling early puts my life as a rider at risk.

[@jacksnakejames9570]

In a city environment or a residential area where there are driveways and intersections far less than 200' apart, you are creating a dangerous situation by not signaling until you've passed the last driveway. Many driveways are only separated by a curb or thin strip of grass, so in that scenario, your method is flawed and dangerous. The turn signals are to indicate to others that you will be turning ahead. The 200' rule is there so people have adequate time and space to SAFELY adjust for your turn. Do not worry about others not understanding how turn signaling is designed to work.

[@kathic6402]

In my experience in Michigan, people entering the roundabout tend to be the problem. They are going 40mph to enter it and they don't want to yield.

[@arthuridis]

Michigan drivers are pretty ignorant for the most part anyway.

[@Br3ttM]

They can't use on-ramps either. I had someone try to merge directly into my car, and I was lucky that I didn't sideswipe the car in the left lane when I swerved to avoid the merging car.

[@merldewitt1969]

You have once again hit on one of my biggest pet peeves. That one is people stopping and sacrificing their right of way to let others or myself in. Specially if they had followed the proper rules of the road they would have been out of my way far sooner than the time it took them to stop. They do not understand how they have increased the chance of accidents. My biggest peeve are those who refuse to use the acceleration ramps for freeways... sigh

[@felsinferguson1125]

Short form: I was taught to drive as if there's a 20 foot tall flashing neon sign reading "HIT ME FOR ONE BILLION BONUS POINTS!" on top of the vehicle, and *EVERY* other vehicle on the road is DESPERATELY TRYING to collect it. And I drive accordingly. So far, aside from one wreck that was the fault of a third vehicle's idiotic (and failed) attempt to pass on the right that slammed another vehicle into me just as I went by, this attitude has served me well - 1 wreck, completely someone else's fault, in (pauses to do the math - Gawd I'm getting old...) call it 43 - nope, wait, I lie - new years day has come and gone, so make it 19 days short of 44 years now. Seems reasonable to me... I'd much rather look at your taillights moving away from me than try to guess what the hell you're doing as you're coming at me. If the opportunity presents, I'm gonna wait for you to get into a position where, short of malicious action on your part, it's impossible for you to cause me any harm, regardless of what (again, short of malicious action by you) you do. When it comes to roundabouts, it's real simple: A vehicle ALREADY IN the roundabout has the right of way - any vehicle TRYING TO ENTER the roundabout is supposed to yield to traffic already in the roundabout. We've got several - and more planned - in my town here in WA State, and it's frustrating as hell watching the idiots who have no damned clue how they work pull up, stop, then try to figure out a way to turn left into the non-stop stream of oncoming traffic... Come on, people... there's a REASON the road bends to the right with a 10 inch high curb along the gore point to your left, making a left turn practically impossible! It ain't rocket surgery!

[@danielguza5013]

Regarding acceleration ramps to get up to speed on the interstate, if there was ever a time to use your 300+ hp that would be the place but most just don't get the concept. In fact Pennsylvania has STOP SIGNS at the end of acceleration ramps.

[@MrCthieke]

I believe our state call them uniform traffic codes. I think the operative word is uniform. If everyone follows the uniform code other drivers around you will know exactly what you will do because everyone follows the same rules.

[@_Circus_Clapped_]

Been driving for over 5 years now, most accidents I have avoided involved people that can't seem to understand blind spots or english. I was actually confronted by some middle aged woman that could speak and read english, I asked her if she could read a sign, because she nearly hit my passenger making a turn from two lanes to two lanes

[@felsinferguson1125]

@@MrCthieke While true in theory, reality is a whole different kettle of fish. Assume that EVERYBODY is *TRYING* to hit you, drive accordingly, and avoid trouble 99.99% of the time.

[@frankmoreau8847]

When driving a large truck and trailer through a two lane roundabout, I always moved to take both lanes. It's amazing how many people fail to realize that the trailer doesn't bend in the middle so that it can exactly follow the truck. I used turn signals in a roundabout almost like it were a standard intersection. If I were going straight, turning left or making a U-turn, the turn signal came on the just before I entered the intersection and I hit the right signal after I passed the last lane that could pull in front of me before my exit.

[@wilburfinnigan2142]

It was funny the round about installed and within a week there were all kinds of dual tire tracks up and over the center of the round a bout !!! A 53 ft semi trailer with a standard cab american truck is really long and they take the whole damn round a bout to get through, followed one the other day and he might just as well driven straight through. they don't fit the circle !! !

[@ryanschmidt1437]

@@wilburfinnigan2142 State of Oregon wants to install a roundabout at the end of my parent's road. It's a bad intersection: the meeting of a major through highway with another slightly less traveled highway teeing into it and a minor road across from that, atop a hill, and not a square on junction (OR22 and OR223 north of Dallas, if curiosity gets to you). There was another fatal accident there while I was visiting them for the holidays. The problem with a roundabout going there is that both highways have a speed limit of 55 mph, and the choke to traffic throughput will stall traffic in the area. My dad figures he'll wait for hours to get out of the driveway. And then there's the truck traffic; this is in the heart of logging country, and log trucks frequently travel loaded and unloaded all three directions through that intersection, along with dump trucks and heavy equipment haulers from the quarry in town and the construction yard nearby. Basically, if the center of the roundabout is not paved flat, whatever is in the middle there is going to be ruined in the first couple of days. And the council that made the decision has been quoted as saying both "at least if there are still accidents, at least they won't be as fast anymore" and "we don't care about traffic flow, we only care about safety." They're going to look dumb when they haven't prevented any accidents, the truck routes are totally clogged up, and traffic comes to a standstill because "roundabouts are the solution." Don't get me wrong, a roundabout in town where the speed limit already matches a roundabout, or where there is next to no traffic in the countryside works great. A strange traffic device atop a blind hill in the middle of a busy highway is asking for disaster.

[@frankmoreau8847]

@@ryanschmidt1437 The state put in a roundabout at SR 542 and Smith Rd in Washington and at 542 at SR 9 where they built another one. Both of which are busy intersections especially at "rush hour." It worked out very well. You only have to yield to someone who is already in the roundabout, not to someone approaching it, and the roundabout slows approaching traffic. It can be a problem if traffic is literally bumper to bumper though

[@wrongmouse1658]

@@frankmoreau8847 Try the new one at HW 204 and HW 9. Google Map it. Not even a month old yet! There are 5 of them, and one is in the shape of a kidney on 91st and Vernon Rd. Then there are two more just south of there down the road on HW 9.

[@mrbob4u495]

I served as a driving instructor for 18+ years and roundabout's were a standard part of the our training procedures. Those "in" the circle are presumed to be the vehicle to which those entering must yield. That people do no know how to use a roundabout is astounding. Here in SC, we have a new roundabout and I have lost count of those who don't even look for those in the circle. Close calls are now a way of life in my neighborhood. BTW, use of an indicatior is for the protection of those vehicles or pedestrians the driver doesn't see.

[@R3_dacted0]

People where I live can't even comprehend stop sign right of way. Putting roundabouts in would probably cause my state to explode.

[@willymccoy3427]

@@R3_dacted0 Same here. Merging onto an Interstate highway, they just barge right into the traffic.

[@Umbreona]

No one has taught the majority of US drivers about roundabouts. There is literally Zero education for them for anyone who has since passed driver ed. They are the new four way stop which is always ugly when people come to them.

[@CameraRay]

In SC it is required that you signal immediately before you exit roundabout, which i do. I have yet to see another driver ever signal before they exit. My wife and I have a running bet on whom will see the first one.

[@TheRealScooterGuy]

@@CameraRay -- The one that gets me is when they signal before the roundabout for their intended exit. Planning to take the third exit, they are signaling a left turn as they enter. Some people can't handle new things, but at least our drivers ed programs are mostly teaching young drivers how to navigate these things.

[@danoberste8146]

Regarding: "Do you need to use your turn signal when there are no other cars around?" I say EMPHATICALLY, yes! Turn signals are most valuable when they indicate your intentions to a car that you weren't aware was there!!! (usually in your blind spot, sometimes just because you weren't paying attention) My turn signal has kept me from changing lanes into someone who honked at me in time to save the day. Had I not alerted them to my boneheaded intention with a few seconds notice, they might not have had their hand poised over the horn to honk at me in time. If you only want to signal some of the time, you'll prevent more accidents if you signal ONLY when no one is around. 🤣

[@tedrice1026]

I hated them after using the ones on Cape Cod a couple of times when young, but now that they have put them in nearer to me (Upstate NY) I find them useful, at least the one lane ones. The two lane ones get confusing, and where one two lane roundabout feeds into the next, and that into the next, ad nauseum, as in Malta NY they can get extremely confusing to those who don't drive them all the time. The first time I went through those was when they were just built and I ended up exiting to the Northway south. As that was NOT where I wanted to go, and they didn't have the guardrails up yet, I took a cross country trip with my Jeep pulling a camper and got to the right exit! Don't remember if I used my turn signal or not!

[@davidanderson4091]

In New Zealand, we have a "three second" turn signal law.... "You must signal for at least three seconds before you: - turn left or right. - move towards the left or right (for example, when you pull back into the left lane after passing another vehicle) - stop or slow down. - move out: from a parking space; to pass another vehicle; to change lanes" Its easy to judge because most turn signals blink at about 1 second intervals.

[@nicknameunavailable809]

As an American I always found it challenging to drive in the larger roundabouts when working in the UK. Key was to match your entry lane with the exit you wanted. But stressful in a five or six lane roundabout. A casual disregard for human life helps. 😀

[@cindland]

They are definitely a “take your life in your hands” situation. What I can’t fathom is the idea of police hanging out waiting to ticket you while going through it.

[@Locutus]

I don't think I have seen any that large here. 4 lanes is very common, but that's more so at motorway junctions (exits).

[@nicknameunavailable809]

@@Locutus Remember one in Leicester near the M1. Might have been 4 or 5 lanes but the first couple of times through it seemed like a dozen!

[@kernelpickle]

The problem with roundabouts could be fixed by making the entrances and exits angled, so they look like on and off ramps. It’d probably take up a little more space, but right angles make people feel like they need to come to a complete stop, and if they looked like on/off ramps, people would get the hint.

[@douglasberwick1699]

What about the idiots that have absolutely no idea how to merge properly?

[@bikeaddictbp]

That is how they are constructed here (Ontario, Canada).

[@ChimeraActual]

What you describe is a Rotary

[@bikeaddictbp]

@@ChimeraActual That appears to be a US term. They are called roundabouts everywhere else.

[@ChimeraActual]

@@bikeaddictbp it's a Massachusetts term, and is a little different from a roundabout. The main difference being that a rotary has no lanes in the circle, merging is required. Also it is usually larger, has straighter entrances, and higher speeds. They work great when everyone knows the rules, otherwise not so much.

[@kapekodbob]

Massachusetts , in 1962 when I got my license I distinctly remember the code was you must signal when the operation of your vehicle is going to affect the operation of another vehicle. . We call them rotaries here and have been around for a long time but usually huge. We are seeing much smaller ones popping up at intersections that used to have stop signs.

[@madusmaxamus8670]

The problem with people using their turn signals is they are afraid of running out of the turn signal fluid that their car uses. You need to keep an eye out when its on sale so you can save money when you fill up your turn signal fluid.

[@seekerstan]

My experience in Virginia & Maryland is that a turn signal, is a signal for drivers in the other lane to move into the space you are trying to change lanes into, so as to prevent you from slowing them down half a second even-especially if it means you will miss your exit. In Hawaii where I grew up it is seen as a request for space that almost everyone gave. "Drive Aloha" Was a way of life, of course we got our fair share of tourists that brought there predatory habits with them.

[@walrus4248]

I drive there too, it's possible they don't even see me signaling. If someone lets me in it startles me.

[@vernowen2083]

In defensive driving class, my parents forced me to take, I was taught 2 rules for signaling. #1, when making a turn, signal activation should occur before any application of the brake as long as it doesn't confuse other drivers, if there is more than one side roads or busy drive. #2, when changing lanes, signal first, then check to make a safe lane change.

[@nodak81]

Doesn't make sense to signal and then check if it's safe. You just signaled a lane change you potentially can't follow through with and likely freaked out anyone that was next to you thinking you're about to pull right into them. Make sure it's safe first, then signal.

[@SINDRIKARL1]

@@nodak81 Signaling before checking actually does make sense, it alerts others you are intending to make the change and they should not try and close in and prevent the change. Such a car could get too close between the time it takes to make sure it's safe and turning on the signal if you turn signal on afterwards.

[@RiiDii]

"#2, when changing lanes, signal first, then check to make a safe lane change." I'm not sure about the validity of this rule. I'm not saying it's not what you taught, but sometimes we are taught BS. For example, we watched a video that recommended honking every time you needed to warn another driver about any little thing. Even the teacher said, "don't do that." When I come across someone changing lanes that has signaled but hasn't looked, I get the impression of someone who isn't paying attention. That might come from a tested rule when I had driver's ed; always check your rearview mirrors and know what's behind you. I get that some folks don't leave enough time between signaling and changing lanes. In heavy traffic, you almost have to do this because people will see your turn signal and move up to cut off your lane change instead of backing off a bit and letting you in. On the other hand, I get annoyed by drivers who are halfway through their lane change before they signal. "What's the point now?"

[@rstewardson4164]

In the Uk they push the idea to Mirror-Signal-Maneuver. Check your mirrors, then signal and then maneuver.

[@JaronActual]

@@nodak81 An indicator light is for communicating to other drivers what you would like/intend to do. Not what you ARE doing, and not what you're immediately about to do. I drove with a guy for months who would do as you suggest: look back, check, but he wouldn't put on the signal until just before he shifted lanes. All the while he would complain that no driver would ever make room for him. I repeatedly asked him how he expected other drivers to know what he wanted to do if he didn't give them an indication he wanted to do it. It still never sank in. Yes, some drivers are selfish and they'll accelerate to close a gap once they see your turn signal on. But I've had just as many, if not more, that brake to allow you to change lanes.

[@AvengerII]

You know something -- as bad an opinion as I have sometimes of the law on popular media (re: mainstream TV networks, CNN, Fox, etc.), I really DO like this channel and feel like I get informed on topic MY SCHOOLS should have informed me on!!!! Seriously -- this is a very good channel, and in general the feedback posts are useful, educational, and show that I'm NOT alone in some of my thinking! We're all living in the movie "Idiocracy." We've all arrived in that strange land beyond the Twilight Zone, the TZ (which at least had some sense of morality) seems quaint now. Even episodes of "Night Court" make more sense than the real world sometimes! [You just know there's a real 'Bob Wheeler' out there, somewhere!] Thank you, Mr. Lehto, for this channel! And, yes, I've been subscribed to this channel since last year! I can't decide sometimes... Am I living in a South Park world, or is this a Classic Looney Tunes delusion?!? It's not whatever they taught us it was in school, that's for sure!

[@cheesygal]

I cannot under any circumstances differentiate 200 feet from 500 feet while driving. Lol! Also, I had to explain to my companion that a) the other driver cannot know you’re turning my how and where you are driving, and b) your turn signal isn’t for your benefit, it’s a courtesy for the other drivers. This finally got the person to use the turn signal at least 99% of the time. You described my pet peeve in driving!

[@brkbtjunkie]

I’ll make sure to give you a very wide birth then

[@cheesygal]

@@brkbtjunkie hahaha! I use my signals very responsibly. I might get a ticket tho. 🤣

[@Mysdia]

Well It's more than a courtesy, because everyone involved will be in bad shape if two vehicles Or if a vehicle and a pedestrian try to both occupy the same physical space at the same time because of a lack of information.

[@cheesygal]

@@Mysdia yes. There’s that. And a law. I chose to leave it at that bc it was effective. Most folks get rebellious if you hammer them with too much. EQ and all that.

[@SailorMya]

When I was in Drivers ed, many years ago, roundabouts were a footnote because "we don't have many around here so you don't have to worry about them!"... Well now they are everywhere and I know for a fact that every student who went to that school are in the same boat as me. I know how to now because I had to learn but their are plenty of others who don't...

[@idristaylor5093]

Ben resting on the blue car.

[@DiffEQ]

The solution is simple: Distance cannot be accurately gauged, but time can. No matter your speed, just make sure you signal early enough for seven flashes of the signal, or about 3 seconds. When you are traveling faster, this time rule means you will travel further in the same amount of time. Seven flashes or three seconds.

[@SamBrickell]

Spoken like a retired engineer. :) Good idea.

[@joeschmo622]

7 flashes? 3 seconds? I think one of your turn signal bulbs is burnt out. 😂🔥💯🤣

[@mr.robinson1982]

As a truck driver, I LOATHE ROUND ABOUTS.. There's is never enough space to keep the trailer from run over the curb. 1 lane is not enough room for a 80 foot combination vehicle...Its a huge P.I.T.A.

[@JM.TheComposer]

When my city (in Canada) was putting in their first roundabout, they actually did send out a very nice flyer to everyone in the area. It clearly showed when to signal, who had the right of way, and when pedestrians can cross.

[@gord7025]

They put one near my parent's house a couple of years ago. The next closest one is 20 mins away. It's a shit show most of the time, as I've seen people turn into the other lanes exit on a left turn etc.

[@swamprat69er]

If your city is Montreal, PQ there are two kinds of pedestrians...the quick and the dead.

[@garfieldsmith332]

Yes. Didn't work. Very few signal their intentions when entering, while in, or leaving a roundabout. In fact most still do not know how to use a roundabout and who has right of way. They take it as a slow down and boot it scenario. And we know that most cars do not have turn signals as they are never used at all. Just bad drivers all around,\.

[@MNbenMN]

@@gord7025 Do you mean people go around the wrong way to exit left? That could get messy! Although I see people going the wrong way on one way streets or crossing oncoming traffic lanes to park on the opposite side of a street facing against traffic often enough, so I don't doubt it at all.

[@SoloRenegade]

I was taught minimum 3 blinks of the turn signal before lane change, or before hitting the brakes to slow down and turn off. I follow this strictly, hoping that others will see it and be appreciative and realize how nice it is when people actually use their signal BEFORE turning, not AFTER turning.

[@rpurdy4821]

In Massachusetts we call roundabouts "rotaries". Weve had them for a long time, but are fairly rare. Even though the drivers ed handbook tells you how to use a rotary, a lot of people still dont have a clue and end up botching up the workings of the rotary, thus screwing up traffic. People dont even know how a 4-way stop sign intersection works and they can become absolute mayhem!

[@DontScareTheFish]

In Massachusetts the older ones are more likely to be rotaries than roundabouts Rotaries and roundabouts are different things. Historically rotaries were the first sort of traffic circle and are alot more dangerous than what they evolved into (and were then called roundabouts) The rotary had traffic coming into the traffic circle and more or less going straight. A roundabout generally has traffic having to slow and turn to get onto the roundabout. There's extremes on both ends.

[@ken2tou]

I was taught the five second rule. It expands to whatever speed you’re traveling.

[@no_peace]

How do you know when you're 5 seconds from an intersection?

[@chrisseidl8294]

Glad you mentioned roundabout issues for US people driving on the left. Went on vacation in Ireland with my daughters, going through a roundabout I started drifting right and both my daughters yelled "Dad, Left!"

[@monteedward]

They are quite common in Massachusetts the first time I encountered one I had no clue as what to do. Once I got used to them they are effective. When they started building them in Colorado they made them a little on the small side. You have no chance signaling when there is only 2 or 3 car lengths from one lane to another.

[@CarlAlex2]

BS- I can do so, so so can you.

[@cwegg]

Use your turn signal before you apply the brakes to slow down for the turn!

[@jeffleach2668]

Doesn’t work if there are a lot of roads or driveways closely spaced just before your turn.

[@tristan7216]

Okay with "reasonable" standard if (1) it's enforced similarly across race and other categories, and (2) we also use fuzzy words like "reasonable" in the business and tax laws for rich people and organizations. There shouldn't be super specific laws for people with expensive lawyers (allowing for law evasion on technicalities) and fuzzy law for regular people (biasing toward successful prosecution of the serf class for revenue policing). Question: why not use T seconds before the turn (pick a number like 2-5)? You want to give enough time to people behind or passing to realize you're turning, so it should be based on reaction time plus sufficient time to get out of the way (hit brakes etc). If you don't have T seconds you're going too fast. And of course you should NOT need to use a turn signal in a roundabout, the whole point of a roundabout is to turn, similar to an exit lane. Do you want people to circle enough times to get the required distance or time before exiting?! Everyone in a roundabout should ALWAYS assume everyone else is going to turn right very soon, so don't try to pass on the right in a roundabout! (Left for Brits and other lefty countries).

[@pa60pilot]

Not far from where we live in PA, there's a roundabout that has stop signs at each entry point. I broke out in laughter the first time I saw it.

[@TheRealScooterGuy]

There is one like that in a park where I live. A one-way road goes through and a two-way road comes up and makes the base of a "T" -- each entrance has a stop sign instead of a yield sign. I strongly suspect it is because of the high number of pedestrians that are often present. (There are other spots in this park where crosswalks have stop signs, even with no cross streets.)

[@khrfx4715]

We recently had the first round-a-bout installed in our area and I found an animated video on the cities' engineering department's website responsible for roads. It helped, but I was still confused until I'd gone through it several times looking very closely at how the lanes were marked to LEAVE it. That was my only confusion.

[@JoelMurphy77]

That's consistent with my own experience, as well. There is a learning curve to roundabouts but it's not particularly steep.

[@I_SuperHiro_I]

It does get confusing when the roundabout has multiple lanes, and they all have arrows. Some are left turn only, some are straight and left turn, some are right turn only. But if it’s raining, or snowing, you can’t see any of the indicators.

[@michaelmurphy6869]

In my state as far i know the law states that a driver must turn on their turn signal within a minimum of 100 feet of aprox 5 car lengths. It seem nowadays everybody's in a flipping hurry and turn signal usage is at minimum or they turn them on at the last second or not at all. Then you get the drivers that turn them on 1/4 to 1/2 mile from when they'll going to turn or pass multiple exits before they actually make their desired turn. Since turn signals have become mandatory (circa M/Y 1955) people still don't haven't learned to use them properly. As for roundabouts or rotaries depends on part of the country you're from, they work very well once the drivers get use to them and learn how navigate them in different traffic senerios. There's always a few that get confused or just ignore incoming traffic and blow right through them, i guess that's just human nature. Law enforcement should focus more on the speeders, because anymore every road, street, highway and freeways are becoming speedways 40 is the new 20-25, 50 is the new 35, 65 is the new 45 and so forth. Once if ever that can a handle on that, then maybe they can focus back on proper turn signal usage.

[@PsRohrbaugh]

Regarding yield signs, you just described my 84 year old grandmother (who still drives). Living in a small town with little traffic, she will go through if there are NO cars present, but if there are ANY cars on the major roadway she treats it like a stop sign.

[@absalomdraconis]

Where I live, that seems to be the legal _requirement._ Our signs yield _could_ accommodate something else (they're all red, so yellow is available), but the only yield signs I've seen on the roads _require_ a full stop (and it's kinda obvious, since at least one other direction has _no_ traffic control signs...).

[@davebrunson125]

The problem is if you have a yield and get in a wreck because of a rude driver, it's your fault. Yield and merge are different

[@PsRohrbaugh]

@@davebrunson125 I have never seen a separate "merge" sign. In fact, yield is used at merges to indicate which side lacks the right-of-way. It's perfectly acceptable to remain in motion as long as it's safe to do so. I decided to look up the law to make sure it hand changed, and this is the exact text: The driver of a vehicle approaching a yield sign shall, in obedience to such sign, slow down to a speed reasonable for the existing conditions and, if required for safety to stop, shall stop

[@bobpat56]

Rather than distance, turn signal requirements should be time related. Several seconds of signalling should be fairly constant covering different distances depending on your speed. The point is to ensure drivers know each other's intentions so everyone can travel safely.

[@TheCablebill]

Time related how? Signal "in time"? Based on other drivers' reaction time and skills? Problem is that laws are usually rigid and inflexible. And when they aren't, they are ripe for abuse.

[@bobpat56]

Time, like signal for several seconds before proceeding.

[@DefendYoungstown]

This was part of the reason why I ended up in a situation that I was pulled over by a cop that admitted to me he was phishing for drug trafficking. I was traveling across a few states. At one of my stops for fuel, there was an officer sitting in the lot across from the station I was at. The first red flag is that I needed to make a left turn to pull out from the gas station. They were waiting to turn right. They presumably have right of way... but not taking it. So, there's a standoff. I eventually take the turn as opposed to sit there, realizing he just wants to get behind me to run plates. True to suspicion, he turns after I do. Secondly, to get back on the highway "properly", I had to now a) make another left through the light we were both now waiting at onto what is a 3 lane road (two driving lanes and then the lane specifically to turn right onto the highway on ramp... not counting the turn lane in the center)... then b) turn onto the left most lane c) signal and yield to pull into the right lane, d) signal and yield to pull into the onramp lane and e)re-enter the highway to go about my business. While all of that *seems* proper in text, it was a little more tricky in practice, as there isn't exactly miles of road from the light to the onramp. If I were to actually have done what I described during the middle of the day in fairly normal vehicle flow, I would've either been the cause of an accident or drawn the ire of a road rager while missing my turn since I would be more or less zigzagging diagonally across the road. I instead turned into the lane I needed to be (no traffic over there) as not to miss the onramp or look like I'm driving drunk by "properly" yielding and swerving and braking erratically. The cop pulled me over on the pretext that I "didn't properly signal" by making that full right. I remember him mentioning the "200 ft." thing, and thought it was absurd, since that would mean that I would need _at_ _least_ 600 ft to make it to the onramp "properly". The highway entrance was NOT that far from the gas station. As stated earlier, it was pretense just to give me and my vehicle a once over for "trafficking", and he said as much. "Because 7 out of 10 times [he'd] be right." I lucky wasn't ticketed, but it was equal parts humiliating and maddening; and both of those weren't things I had the luxury of acting on. I didn't remember if this took place in Indiana or Illinois, since there is a lot of nothing between Indianapolis and St.Louis, and that all just blurs together, but the "200 feet" rule made it clearer. As for better education on roundabouts, some of it can be as simple as ample signage. There are municipalities that just kinda install a couple, plop down yield or stop signs, and call it a done project because it "looks cute". Some extra directional arrow signs, do not enter signs, street markings, and succinct "right of way" signs would help in some places that lack them.

[@Eduardo_Espinoza]

Yes i think they should add in some street markings, like in some race tracks for braking distance inductors.

[@poetryplace]

Here in Ontario, Canada, it is not uncommon for people to only signal as they make the turn. I'm from the UK and it is drummed into you, from the minute you sit in a car, that you look in your rearview mirror, signal and then maneuver. As a result it is a reflex for me to hit the signal whenever I make a turn of any sort, parking lots, lane changes, turns or whatever.

[@TheCablebill]

Reflex is good. But sometimes I signal at sharp bends in a road where going straight would put me on a different road. Then I feel silly.🥴

[@davidshakespeare9767]

The things that “upset” you also upset me Round abouts are amazing when used by drivers who know how to drive! Thanks Steve!!!!

[@radolfkalis4041]

I know very well how to drive. Perhaps you should say "who know how to use them". They are very uncommon in America.

[@arinerm1331]

They truly are! They're so much smoother for traffic flow than traffic lights, at least until the morons show up. There should be a rule that anyone who cannot understand a traffic circle is not allowed on the road.

[@PrezVeto]

This change is awful. Not the way to fix the problem. The inherent subjectivity of "reasonable" and "safely" will basically give officers carte blanche to pull people over. "In the moment, the distance they had their turn signal on felt unreasonably short." Good luck challenging that in an urban environment. The last thing the traffic laws need is more subjectivity.

[@kyqg2606]

They just added a roundabout near me, and just went through it a couple days ago. Of course somebody I was following stopped while in the roundabout, and I had to hit my brakes pretty firmly. Keeps you on your toes, especially knowing people aren't used to them.

[@frankvandalen6524]

Honk! LOUDLY!!!

[@pauls5745]

I think it's reasonable to actually use them even if no other traffic, pedestrians appreciate it!

[@nodak81]

Turn signals are like seatbelts. You never know when one is going to save your life or the life of someone else. So just get into the habit of using them all the time. I've gotten to the point where I don't even think about it, I just do it. Why people act so childish about signaling is something I'll never understand.

[@Br3ttM]

Half the reason for signaling is in case there is a car that you didn't see, so choosing not to use it because you don't see any one kind of defeats the point.

[@frotoe9289]

I've always thought "3 seconds" was the right choice. But I sometimes intentionally violate the law now because doing it "legally" is less safe. If I'm driving on a road with a bunch of businesses there may be an entrance every 60 feet. If I signal 200 feet prior, I'm going to get drivers pulling out in front of me before I get to my exit. So I wait until I'm about even with the entrance prior to mine. But this is a situation where whatever you do, it can go wrong. And I agree, the word "reasonable" is a terrible thing to include in a law--don't the courts regularly strike down such laws. Had this exact topic come up in some statute I was discussing with someone a couple weeks ago--the statute says "reasonable notice must be given"--does that mean send a first class letter and hope they got it? Or does it mean 2 registered letters with signature required? Is a phone call reasonable? Hire a process server?

[@tcmxiyw]

I’ve seen highways in Europe with marks (shaped like a caret pointing in the direction of travel). The rule is to keep at least two marks between you and the vehicle you’re following. Perhaps marks on the street could indicate when to start your turn signal. BTW I like the intersections in the Detroit area where you make a left turn by turning right by first turning left and then making a u-turn-all under the control of traffic signals.

[@ScooterFXRS]

Also known as a Michigan left.

[@K.Kelly87]

New Jersey... These are called "jug-handles" and "Jersey Lefts". To make a left, you first exit RIGHT, then LEFT under the signal. These are usually VERY tight, and can be problematic for semi trucks.

[@robertsmith2956]

How does Tesla handle them? Or does it just stop and refuse to go in.

[@duanebuck193]

At the 6:25 mark, I immediately think of the back to back 3 lane roundabouts in Galway, Ireland. I made a few enemies the first time I hit them since I had zero clue how to drive in them, let alone drive in them on the wrong side of the road/car. After one loop around and paying a little bit better attention I figured them out, and once you get into them and see how they flow, they are awesome for moving the traffic. There were 4 or 5 exits for each of them, so you learned really quickly to use your signal as soon as you were past the exit prior to the one you wanted - otherwise you would hear the horns behind you!

[@davekaylor458]

Carmel Indiana is the city with the most roundabouts in the US, they are everywhere. I like them, but my wife hates them, but I have been to Europe where people know better how to use them, plus it works for more aggressive drivers. Near there, in Noblesville, you get to experience driving on the wrong side of the road, which is even better at night. Many Indiana towns have adopted the roundabout strategy, and I think people will eventually get the hang of it. As to turn signals, I'm not sure of the practicality in roundabouts, which are one-way roads and I have seen as many as six exits from them which would make signalling confusing.

[@leevanruler119]

I very rarely miss your excellent videos - and this one is especially great! In South Dakota, we are just starting to get them installed within the growing city. Generally, it's not a major problem until you need to deal with the local farmers during harvest season. (I work for one that farms ground within the city.) The grain is transported to local elevators and the semi-trucks need to negotiate the rather small round-about(s) by taking the entire section or lanes of the roundabout and the rear axles of the trailer will still ride over the curb of the roundabout. The same is true for the equipment that needs to be transported. Just don't get caught during school exits or quitting time as we quite often get a single finger salute.

[@1pcmedic]

They are great for light traffic, with heavy traffic they are a ClUsTeR-F

[@mezmerizer0266]

Yeah, roundabouts were made with lorries in mind, not long tractor trailers.

[@TheRealScooterGuy]

Properly designed roundabouts have an "apron" on the inside. It is there specifically to allow large vehicles to navigate the roundabout. For everyone: Never drive into a roundabout next to a semi or a bus or other oversize vehicle. They need extra room.

[@mezmerizer0266]

@@TheRealScooterGuy or, or, or, they could take designated trucking routes and not use the roundabouts in the first place.

[@BadDadio]

Roundabout PSAs is an excellent idea. I’ve seen too many people not enter a roundabout because they’re too cautious

[@johnw8578]

Question for Steve for Michigan: On my way home from work on a Sunday night (11pm) -- no traffic at all and I come to a red light (cross traffic of which there was none had a green light). I stop at the red light and wait for it to turn green. It does not. I wait 15 minutes. I wait 10 more minutes. I get frustrated as I must go straight. What is the LEGAL thing to do in this situation? (I ended up turning right, driving a way and entering a parking lot, and came back to the light (and made a right). I assume this light was set to a motion-detector at this time of day and it failed to detect my car.

[@serpent77]

So many points in this video triggered me 😂🤣😂🤣 I've been trying to get my fiancé to understand how roundabouts work. And why they're superior in so many cases, I wish there were PSAs to explain it, hell even a pamphlet when you renew your DL would help. I'm in GA, where turn signals are optional at best, and where FL drivers visit and forget that signals can be turned off again after completing a maneuver. But I constantly have that last issue where I wait and wait for a driver to go past only to find that they're making an unsigned turn that I didn't have to wait for, but I can't just go if they're slowing down, because people will randomly slow for intersections here (as if they're going to turn) only to floor it when they hit the intersection. I had this argument about why it's just better to ALWAYS use your signal, even if you don't see a point in it, when I lived in Indiana. My buddy insisted that slowing down was more than adequate signaling "if others are paying attention", he couldn't see the flaw in that argument after a week of back-and-forths with him. Just use your signals please, it makes it so much easier on everyone, and it barely requires any effort on your part. If you're in a roundabout, or on a stretch of road with short blocks, signal right after any confusing points (i.e. signal after you cross the exit/road that is immediatly before your intended turn) otherwise put your signal on in enough time that others around you can choose a response to your signal... do it even if no one is there. Thanks for attending my TED talk.👍

[@Khorne926]

I think the roundabout issue could be broken down much more easily if yield signs were more common, I rarely see them outside of roundabouts or occasionally when getting on highways.

[@nodak81]

I've never seen a roundabout in my life that didn't have a yield sign at every entrance.

[@disorganizedorg]

Cities are shy of lawsuits; this is why the recent work near me resulted in conversion of stops to 4-way and the painting of double-yellow lines on a stretch of pavement that takes about 400' to go from a (4 way, of course!) stop and the end of the road. I have a camera that views the road and going over the footage on a typical weekday there are a total of under 3 dozen vehicles passing in either direction. The stop sign was fine; the other street wasn't busy by any stretch of the imagination. They were too busy doing that and screwed up civil engineering 101 -- the newly relocated storm drain in front of my house catches ZERO runoff and only gets water from direct rainfall on the grating. They also paved over a step of mine without permission.

[@philipashley9723]

The problem with yield signs in the US is, nobody yields, especially when they are joining a freeway, even when there is heavy traffic in all lanes, Americans expect the person on the freeway to stop for them.

[@Br3ttM]

@@philipashley9723 Some people don't yield at all, other people treat them as stop signs.

[@Khorne926]

@@Br3ttM so my experience with this is the way we are taught yield signs, or rather aren't taught. Most people treat them like a stop sign because that's all we see daily. I'm not certain how it is elsewhere but for me driving I rarely see yield signs outside of entering the highway. Once you see one in a roundabout most people don't know how to treat it.

[@Acein3055]

All these driving problems. I look forward to a time when ai takes over ALL vehicle driving and driving decisions on public roads and probably all private roads for the most part. Humans will be unable to drive on public roads. There won't be a steering wheel or gas and brake pedals in the vehicle. Huge decrease in accidents, huge decrease in crime, no more tailgaters, no more cutting people off, no more road rage, no more traffic tickets, no more traffic cops, probably cheaper insurance. Just relax and enjoy the ride.

[@irdmoose]

Well, I think I need to move to Indiana and become a police officer. I really like their use of "reasonable" here, since in my manufactured opinion, "reasonable" equates to a minimum of 1 mile. If you don't signal your turn at least 1 mile before your actual turn to give other motorists a "reasonable" notice that you intend to turn, then I'll write you up. This is going to be such a great idea for my future fellow road pirate thugs in costumes with badges and guns! We'll be getting military-style APCs and Bugatti Chirons for traffic enforcement pretty quick with all the money we rake in.

[@_aurora_2086]

The problem with your plan is the legal definition of reasonable. A judge won't used your definition unless you pay him off.

[@irdmoose]

@@_aurora_2086 Considering how corrupt our injustice system is, that shouldn't be a problem thanks to Qualified Immunity.

[@Wehra96]

as a European this is quite funny but also quite understandable, it takes a bit of experience to make roundabouts flow properly but once people are used to them it works really really well.

[@name67live]

Unfortunately in Canada and the US they put up way to many signs and slip lanes at roundabouts, making them more confusing and dangerous. I found that roundabouts in Europe and the Caribbean islands are much better then the ones in Canada and the US

[@goldenhate6649]

Roundabouts work best in areas with unpredictable or highly variable traffic flow rates (ie supermarkets, schools, etc) but fail miserably in super high traffic areas where things like diverging diamonds are king

[@jupitercyclops6521]

They're popping up all over kansass They go crazy with them in places. There might be 3 or 4 In A row. I like them. I like taking an extra lap or 2 , esp at the small ones. It gets my passengers dizzy & disoriented. Sometimes test their g force tolerance

[@TwoHams]

The issue is the US people hardly even use turn signals normally. I've seen two pairs of vehicles IN A ROW almost collide at a 2 way stop because they weren't using turn signals.

[@dbill7486]

there are just so few of them in the USA

[@MrGrumblier]

In my opinion, the reason why Americans have so much trouble using roundabouts is because the roundabout requires drivers to yield the right of way to vehicles already in the roundabout. I don't think that most American drivers know the meaning of the word "yield".

[@kenbrown2808]

the official way to signal for a roundabout, as told by a UK driving instructor, is that when you are approaching the roundabout, you signal as though is was a normal intersection. I.E. your ultimate exit goal. once in the roundabout, you cancel that, and then signal your exit as you pass the exit before yours. and really, all a roundabout is, is a very short freeway. you get on it at your entrance, you leave it at your exit.

[@famousamoso7]

And that's is stupid AF..... because 1 many people cant use their turn signal properly to begin with so it can lead to potential accidents as a result.... and 2 its moot which "exit" you're getting out at. Nobody can enter until its clear to do so and you exiting doesn't affect anyone else in the roundabout and 3 once you're in the roundabout the driver who was behind you as you approached may have had to yield to others and since you're inside the roundabout those other drivers coming around have no idea what exit you're intending to exit at which takes it back to point #2 that it's moot.

[@no_peace]

@@famousamoso7 a lot of the time people still have their signal on from turning into the roundabout anyway. People make mistakes, I'm just not pulling in front of any cars whether they say they're going to turn or not

[@famousamoso7]

@@no_peace right and thats why if I see someone in the roundabout with a turn signal on I assume they are an idiot and just yield until its safe to enter.

[@mourka01]

Roundabouts in general confuse me

[@bltvd]

Yes, they are psychotic and only work if you are the only car in them!

[@pauljanssen7594]

I love a roundabout I'm in America so what I'm in a roundabout that should not be in America I stop at every corner my way of protesting I hate those things so if you're behind me I'm going to stop at every one of those intersections in the roundabout but I love sneaking when nobody's looking nobody's around I will go the wrong way 😉🤫🤭😚

[@garybonz]

In New Jersey there were many "Traffic Circles"(round-abouts) up into the mid 80's. The most famous were the "Woodbridge Circle" and "Freehold Circle" (yes, the town where the Horse Racing Track is/was). As the volume of cars using Traffic Circles increased so did the traffic collisions, so they were replaced with Intersections, which was a HUGE construction project. The Traffic Circles were 300 to 400 yards in diameter.

[@AlexandarHullRichter]

A traffic circle and a roundabout are not the same thing. A traffic circle is a circular intersection surrounding a central island. Many traffic circles have stop signs or traffic lights to stop the traffic moving around the circle. A roundabout is a type of traffic circle where in cars are instructed not to stop in the roundabout at any place under any circumstances except that they have to wait to enter the roundabout until it is safe to do so. Which type did you have in New jersey?

[@garybonz]

@@AlexandarHullRichter that was not the case in NJ back then and is not the case in AR now. There is only one type that I have seen in the last 30-ish yrs. all circular with yeild signs at the entrances and no traffic lights. The Woodbridge(4 lanes) and Freehold(2 lanes) Circles only had yield signs and were enormous. There were were signs Calling them by name, Woodbridge Circle and Freehold Circle.

[@AlexandarHullRichter]

@@garybonz so you just can't say the type you're talking about is the one called a roundabout, and not the older 'traffic circle' intersection? I believe I asked a question, not a request for a lecture that could be seemed up in one word.

[@Bargle5]

The problem I've seen at roundabouts is many people still think they have the right of way if they are going straight through and you're turning. They only slow enough to get around the curved bit and expect you to come to a stop for them. They definitely should have made PSAs about these things.

[@contumelious-8440]

You make no sense. Car already in the roundabout, yield to it! If your car is entering roundabout, yield to cars in the roundabout! If that car was in before you, then STOP your entitled ass!!

[@qgc3426]

Forget about roundabouts (personally I like them as well). How about all those that travel in the left lane. Mandatory 10 year sentence without parole.

[@tomlawrence6302]

I love roundabouts. Its so nice because you don't have to stop on days where there is no traffic. Where with stops signs/lights it so annoying to have to stop when you can't even see another car. They put in three near my house that are in very close proximity to each other. At first it was a nightmare because people didn't have a clue what to do with them. But its about 5 years later and I can say it was worth the time to let people get acclimated. Now I seldom see an issue(no more issues than I see at a 4 way stop with people not knowing whose turn it is) and they are a huge time saver.

[@user-hi8jf1hu4p]

Good point I wish we had more of them here. I work at night and waste so much time waiting at red lights on my way home at 3 in the morning with not a single other car on the road. It's even worse in this town because for some reason the lights automatically give green left turn arrows when there's not even anyone making a left there.

[@woodman4550]

Traffic signals are safer! I hate round a bouts! People stop when they have no need to!

[@Br3ttM]

@@woodman4550 There is actual data proving that roundabouts are far safer than signaled intersections. There's a significant decrease in accidents, and a 90% decrease in fatalities, because all collisions are at shallow angles instead of head-on or T-bone, and the collisions are at lower speed.

[@ronniepirtlejr2606]

I currently have a CDL license & use it to drive a bus for my employment. On my daily bus route, I encounter a roundabout 4 times a day. You are right!. "A large portion of people on the road have no clue how to drive through a roundabout!" I get people all the time who, stop at the yield & wait for people who have not even entered the roundabout. They will continue to sit there & let multiple vehicles who have not even approached the roundabout, go by. The way I interpret the proper way to use a roundabout is ....... (Yield to the traffic that is IN THE ROUNDABOUT & is immediately to your left, approaching you.) To properly signal when exiting a roundabout,.. start signaling just before you plan to exit the roundabout. Make sure you are past the previous exit & prior to your planned exit. Or if you plan to exit the roundabout immediately after entering it. ( like you are making a right-hand turn) turn your signal on before you enter the roundabout because, you are immediately existing the roundabout after entering it. Thank you for this video!👍

[@delcorick9967]

Most common I see in my state are drivers only using turn signal as they turn with no warning ( brakes and turn signal all at once ) no matter how much space you give in front it's still n issue,, people in my state really need 2 go to school,,, absurd stupidity

[@wngimageanddesign9546]

Simple, the 2 second rule. We use it to prevent tail gating on highways at speed, in order to have enough time and room to react to an emergency stop. Use your turn signals/indicators 2 seconds prior to initiating a lane change. BTW, roundabouts/rotaries/traffic circles don't apply given the yield to those in the roundabout rule. If you're exiting the roundabout, you engage the turn signal. I usual don't even bother as I have right of way inside the circle.

[@starboard9551]

What's a turn signal? My favorite move is when someone makes a left turn from the right lane in a roundabout and almost hits you and then acts like you're in the wrong. Also what's with all the idiots that come to a full stop on a main road to let someone out of a parking lot? You have the right of way now get the f outta my way.

[@rsanders1413]

To Lehto’s point of irritation about drivers not using turn signals to signal their turn the corollary is that the only conclusion that you can be sure of when you see a vehicle approaching with its turn signal activated is that vehicle’s turn signal light has not burned out. That vehicle may or may not turn where you expect them to turn or even turn at all.

[@greatgreyowl2583]

Some places say you need to turn your turn signal on at least 3 seconds before you turn or change lanes. so how far before the turn vary depending on how fast you are driving.

[@nealdietz7063]

Warning ⚠️ at 200 Feet you need to go around 3 times before you exit the Roundabout.....