QUESTION:
My question concerns the traffic circle or roundabout at the top of Taylor Way in West Vancouver's British Properties. I use it several times a day and never know what I'm going to encounter there.
I believe that the rules of a roundabout require that drivers give way to traffic entering the circle (or already on the circle) from the left. When I have stopped at the "Give way" sign to allow traffic from the left, I have been honked at from behind. When I have continued around the circle to my desired exit, I have been honked at by a vehicle waiting to enter. I have seen cars stop mid-circle, and I have witnessed numerous near-misses, as well as road rage on occasion from frustrated drivers.
It seems there is confusion all round. Please clarify (and consider calling for instructional signage on the circle).
Debra Hann
West Vancouver
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Dear Debra:
Thank you for your question.
I empathise with your frustration. Traffic circles can be confusing and some drivers simply don't understand the rules. Hopefully, the following will help to explain in a direct, and not roundabout, way.
These types of intersections date back to 1877, when Eugène Hénard, an architect working for the City of Paris, designed one-way circular intersections to help manage rush-hour horse-and-carriage traffic. The practice was adopted in the U.S. in the early 1900s by William Phelps Eno, the inventor of such traffic staples as the stop sign and the pedestrian crosswalk, and the author of New York City's original traffic code, the first such code in the world.
Traffic circles and roundabouts are not the same thing. Traffic circles, such as those described above, are typically larger, operate at higher speeds and often give priority to entering traffic. They fell out of use by the mid-1950s because, to accommodate fast-moving vehicles, the circles needed to be 100 metres in diameter or larger. Also, the rule requiring vehicles inside the circle to yield to vehicles entering meant that the circle would often become congested.
By contrast, roundabouts are smaller and give priority to vehicles traveling inside the circle. They were developed in the '60s by engineers from the U.K. Their invention created a resurgence in the popularity of circular intersections and the installation of more roundabouts throughout the developed world.
Roundabouts are statistically safer than traditional intersections because they require slow speeds to navigate.
The roundabout on Taylor Way that you have referenced is governed by yield signs that require traffic entering the circle to yield to traffic already in the circle.
To put it simply, before entering the circle, you must wait until there is a clear, safe space to do so. Vehicles already in the circle have the right of way, and are not required to yield to traffic wishing to enter.
As I'm sure you've experienced, when one person doesn't follow the rules, everyone suffers. Unfortunately, ensuring drivers are informed about these rules seems to be the only way around the problem.
Sgt. Peter DeVries
North Vancouver RCMP
Follow Peter on Twitter at www.twitter.com/rcmpdevries
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