roundabouts have become the showcase a favorite sculpture of our cities, fountains, and other ornamental elements that give a note of color to the cities. But the roundabouts remain one of the trouble spots for drivers, common scenario of shocks body and paint, and even heated discussions horn in hand. The funny thing is that the roundabouts were designed precisely to avoid these scenarios, to regulate with efficiency and safety of traffic at intersections. And even more curious the fact that all of us to think that we know how to properly take the roundabouts, but in practice it is easy to see that is not so. Hence I have prepared this decalogue, 10 rules for proper driving in roundabouts, following exactly the rules of the General Directorate of Traffic. 10 standards that you can avoid a penalty, a discussion with another driver or, in the worst case, an accident.
Although in general the priority is for the vehicles that are located in the interior of a gazebo, be very careful and pay close attention to the signage vertical and horizontal, which can occasionally make it in to the interior of the same vehicles must yield to those entering the intersection.
1. The priority is always the vehicle that is located on the roundabout. That is to say, when you come to a roundabout, we have to yield to vehicles that are in its interior. We have to be especially careful of the signaling, since it is relatively common to find in some cities with scenarios in which the vehicles are located in its interior have to yield to those who are incorporated into it, either using a semaphore or using a signal of yield.
2. Imagine a roundabout as a dual carriageway of two or more lanes in the form of a circumference. With that vision may be easier to understand important aspects such as not riding in the left lane, the inside of the roundabout, if we want to take the next exit.
you should Never have to shorten the trajectory, and take an exit from the inside lane. Even when the roundabout is empty.
3. To join a lane, the priority is always the vehicle that is in that lane. It seems a truism, don’t you think? But it is important to keep in mind and make sure that we drive correctly for our lane, and do not invade other lanes.
4. you should Never have to take an exit from the inside lane. It is a standard, very basic, but probably also one of the which is breached with greater frequency. As mentioned above, by the fact that a roundabout can be understood as a projection of a road with multiple lanes, never we would come to understand that to take the next exit circulásemos for the left lane. We must always leave the roundabout from the outside lane. If we could not join this lane to take the exit, we give a complete turn at the roundabout to anticipate better, and take the outside lane with security before taking the exit that we have chosen.
5. As a general rule you should move on the outside lane. Probably the aspect that most discussions generated, the choice of the lane in which we circulate. Traffic explicitly says that as a general rule we have to use the outside lane, which a priori is in crossing fewer lanes, and in a maneuver more safely.
The inside lane should not be used, as a general rule, to turn left or taking the last exit. But we can use it if traffic conditions dictate. What is important is that we take into account this large difference between the verbs of duty and power.
6. it is NOT true that you need to use the inside lane for turning left or taking the last exit. The DGT makes special emphasis on this aspect, given the number of drivers who are still considering, almost as a dogma of faith, that the left lane has always be used to turn left or taking the last exit, even when the roundabout is empty. It is not true, precisely why I commented in the point 5.
7. it is NOT true that you cannot use the inside lane. If, as a general rule, we should use the outside lane to do so, what the hell is there an inside lane? Of course you are allowed to use the inside lane, but only when the traffic circumstances warrant. Traffic points to two scenarios in which it is advisable to use, for example when the outside lane is very congested by withholding one of the outputs, or when we want to take the last exit, and it is advisable to use it to facilitate the movement of cars in the outside lane, you have to take the exits above. But obviously we have to be very careful and respect the priority of other drivers (point 3) and not crossing from the inside lane to take an exit (point 4).
8. Facilitates the manoeuvre of vehicles of large tonnage. The trucks and vehicles of big dimensions, have to signal with the intermittent left their displacement, whether by their size, and to avoid turning up to a curb, they need to occupy part or all of the inside lane of the roundabout. In any case, drivers of passenger cars must be aware that these vehicles may require more space to perform this manoeuvre, something very important in the cities, with the presence of buses, and sometimes articulated buses really long. These vehicles must comply with the standards of the right of way, but being conscious of the peculiarity of your driving we can avoid accidents.
Think of a peloton of cyclists as in a single car. Once he has entered the first cyclist on the roundabout, it is considered that the whole pack is in it, and therefore enjoys the priority of step. Facilitates the maneuvers of buses and heavy goods vehicles, which by their dimensions may occupy more than one lane.
9. did you Know that cyclists in a group are considered as a unit? That means that the priority of a group of cyclists mark the first of the bunch. Imagine that this platoon is not formed by X vehicles, but set out a single vehicle, whose front is the first cyclist, and whose back is the latest. In this way, the time in which the first rider of the peloton enters the roundabout, it is considered that all of them have entered the roundabout.
10. Indicates all the maneuvers. Again we speak of a rule of platitude, the marking of our maneuvers, but especially critical for the number of moves possible existing when you reach a roundabout. Don’t signal properly, a move can make the difference between a maneuver correctly, or suffer a collision. According to Traffic, in addition to signaling lane changes, we have to use the flashing right when we go to leave the roundabout, not before having passed the longitudinal axis of the previous exit to avoid that is to misunderstand our action.
the thread of the signaling of the maneuvers, it is also important to remember that the use of the flashing left to take a left exit, the last exit or circulate through the interior of the roundabout, it is not correct and Traffic remember that we should not do it. The intermittent left only what we must use to signal lane changes.
In motor: