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[Cyberpunkd]

Probably a few users heard about this incredible contraption: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Roundabout_(Swindon)

I was inspired to make this thread because I was getting home with my kids and in Paris you have roughly 75% chance of being led to Place Charles de Gaulle via the GPS. For those that don't know it's this thing:

That things has SIX axes, TWELVE exits with ZERO lanes being drawn on it and priority goes to the car on the right i.e. the ones coming on the roundabout have priority over the ones already on it. Here's how it looks in practice:



Each time it makes my blood boil to drive there, however surprisingly enough I read this design is considered rather safe and there has been no excess incidents there as compared to a regular roundabout. Which btw is also way safer than a simple crossing of the two roads, which explains why France is just crazy about building them vs. e.g. Eastern Europe.

How about other places where you thought people were crazy to drive?

 

[nush]

I've driven both of those, I was a car chad and didn't know it. Place Charles de Gaulle if fucking insane, my rental Merc got a couple of dings from there.

 

[funkygunther]

 

[Maiden Voyage]

Going-to-the-Sun road in Montana was gorgeous.

Road to Hana in Hawaii was similar.

 

[AJUMP23]

I have driven this amazing tunnel into Zion national park.



17 mile coast road near San Fran, and it is amazing. Over by Pebble Beach.



The Vancouver Lions Gate to Whistler coast road. amazing


I drove From Zagreb to Dubrovnik, then took a taxi from there to Albania....Long day but amazing.

I road in a bus in Switzerland on a winding mountain pass in a snow storm leaving St. Maritz. Very fun and terrifying.

 

[DKehoe]

That things has SIX axes, TWELVE exits with ZERO lanes being drawn on it and priority goes to the car on the right i.e. the ones coming on the roundabout have priority over the ones already on it. Here's how it looks in practice:

What the fuck?

 

[Cyberpunkd]

What the fuck?

Watch the YT video I linked. It's not that ridiculous if you just apply regular road priority rules, it's just strange to see this in a roundabout. In Warsaw there was one roundabout like that, although looking closer it is not exactly the same - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roundabout#Turbo_roundabouts . I know when they made the switch they painted the lanes very carefully showing the possible ways to change lanes and even there there was still complete chaos for months.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

What an incredible part of history of cinema and Paris. Thank you friend.

 

[DKehoe]

Watch the YT video I linked. It's not that ridiculous if you just apply regular road priority rules, it's just strange to see this in a roundabout. In Warsaw there was one roundabout like that, although looking closer it is not exactly the same - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roundabout#Turbo_roundabouts . I know when they made the switch they painted the lanes very carefully showing the possible ways to change lanes and even there there was still complete chaos for months.

Yeh i checked the video out and it's interesting to watch. It's just an odd thing to imagine since I'm used to right of way being given to the person on the roundabout. I wonder why they made the decision to not have lanes painted on.

 

[poppabk]

Magic Roundabout in Hemel Hempstead.
6 mini roundabouts ringing around a large central roundabout.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

Yeh i checked the video out and it's interesting to watch. It's just an odd thing to imagine since I'm used to right of way being given to the person on the roundabout. I wonder why they made the decision to not have lanes painted on.

I think with right of way on the right it doesn't make sense, as it would just confuse everyone. The roads from where you enter the roundabout have 1-3 lanes, so you cannot even match each lane (as the roundabout is approx. 6-7 lanes wide).
I read the best strategy is to know exactly where you are entering and exiting - the longer the distance between two points the more innermost lane you should take, as it will shield you from traffic getting off, then you use the traffic slowing down 1-2 exists before to begin moving off the roundabout. If that's the case this has to be the most French way of thinking about traffic - "know where you are going. Also if you are a tourist - fuck you.".