Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/162450
es drive smart: Rounding It Up With roundabouts here to stay, and more on the way, it's time to get smart about the basics A ny new road technology comes with a learning curve, and roundabouts are no exception. In fact, the consensus according to traffic safety experts, police and B.C. motorists, including Westworld readers, is that roundabouts are a great idea – though there's a real need for a refresher course on how to use them (see sidebar). The biggest complaint: drivers not slowing and yielding to those already circling these new single- or multi-lane intersections (which allow traffic to flow counter-clockwise around a central island). In fact, according to RCMP Sgt. Andre Dentoom of South Island Traffic Services in Chemainus, drivers who don't slow down enough when entering roundabouts are the number-one problem, followed by drivers not watching for pedestrians (who retain the right of way) and those not yielding to vehicles already negotiating the circle. Ed Miska, chief traffic engineer for B.C.'s Ministry of Transportation & Infrastructure, says British Columbians also need to get savvy about roundabout use soon, because "more are on the way." For while B.C. has yet to come up with its own data, the evidence from other jurisdictions is conclusive, says Miska. "Roundabouts promote better traffic flow and reduce the severity of any collisions that do occur – because everyone is travelling in more or less the same direction." Insurance Institute for Highway Safety research in the U.S., notes Miska, shows "roundabouts reduce injury crashes by 75 per cent at intersections where stop signs or signals were previously used." Dentoom doesn't need official stats, though. Traffic patrol work already has him convinced roundabouts are a great leap forward. "At regular intersections, for instance, there's always the risk of someone running the stop sign or red light, resulting in a T-bone collision. But roundabouts keep traffic moving, and any collisions are invariably fender benders – little more than property damage to vehicles. Rarely is there a serious injury collision or fatality." –Ian MacNeill istock, courtesy Ministry of Transportation & Infrastructure p28-33_Hikes_DriveSmrt.indd 33 Roundabout Savvy Innies To enter any of the province's multi-lane roundabouts — first, reduce speed and watch for signage designed to guide you toward your exit while keeping an eye open for pedestrians and cyclists (be ready to stop). Remember: yield to traffic already in the round bout coming from a your immediate left — it has the right of way. When there is a safe gap in traffic, enter the roundabout, driving counter-clockwise. Outies To exit, signal right to let other drivers know you are exiting, then drive — slowly — out of the roundabout while again watching for pedestrians and/or cyclists on the crosswalk (again, be ready to stop). If you miss your exit, continue around a second time until you reach your exit again. Note: never come to a full stop unless traffic conditions require it. Truck tracks Some drivers express surprise when a truck driver drives over the 'traffic island' located at the centre of a roundabout. But in engineering-speak, these centre circles are 'traversable islands' (higher-than-grade concrete strips) that, along with 'truck aprons,' are designed to discourage car and pedestrian access while remaining 'mountable' by trucks and buses requiring additional room to manoeuvre. Calming it down, Officially 'Trafficcalming circles' — designed to slow traffic in residential neighbourhoods — are not considered roundabouts, though like the latter they are increasingly common in communities throughout B.C. And, as with roundabouts, drivers in trafficcalming circles continue to make key mistakes: cutting left rather than going around the circle counter-clockwise (and causing head-on collisions at blind corners because of it); and, not yielding to motorists already in the circle. Remember, all vehicles — including bicycles — already in a trafficcalming circle have right of way, even when exiting. Hikes and bikes Pedestrians have the right of way at roundabouts. But, as always, a pedestrian's best protection is to use common sense — which at roundabouts means using crosswalks and not crossing onto the roundabout's centre island. Cyclists, on the other hand, can function as vehicles or pedestrians — which means, as vehicles, cyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as drivers and, as pedestrians, that cyclists need to dismount and use designated crosswalks. • ℹ For more roundabout navigation tips: th.gov.bc.ca/roundabouts/ —I.M. Westworld >> fa l l 2 0 1 3 33 13-08-19 1:15 PM