What is so difficult about traffic circles???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is the thing about Chevy Chase Circle. Actually two things, one obvious, one lying in wait.

- Connecticut Ave cars forget to yield to the traffic in the circle. Not only are they supposed to yield, according the Laws of Circles and Roundabouts, but there are many signs reminding people to yield. (One exception to this yield rule is Tenley Circle, where the traffic in the mini-circle is told to yield to the Nebraska Ave traffic.)

- The bigger issue: Unlike any other big circle in DC, ALL THREE LANES can exit onto Connecticut. That means if you are in, say, the middle lane, and want to stay in the circle and not exit on Connecticut, you are screwed. (This setup is contrary to the way circles and roundabouts usually work, and the signage and lane markings are lacking.)

Say you are driving southbound on Connecticut and want to get off on Chevy Chase Parkway. You need to get in the far left lane of the circle, fend off the merging cars coming northbound from Connecticut, then swing across two lanes to exit on the right on CC Parkway.

No one wonder this circle is such a nightmare when we have people posting authoritatively who have no idea how to drive it.

There is never, ever, a reason to switch lanes in CC Circle.

If your destination is CT Ave regardless of which road you enter from you can enter in any lane as all 3 lanes offer the option to continue on CT. There is never a reason to switch lanes once you are in the circle if you are bound for CT.

If, however, you are exiting onto any of the other roads you should approach the circle in the right lane, enter the circle in the right lane, and exit from the right lane and again never need to switch lanes in the circle.

In the PP's example there is no reason whatsoever to do what she suggests. Yes you do have to be careful if your trip takes you past a CT Ave exit because cars not exiting to CT have to get around cars that are exiting and it is true that the innermost lane doesn't have to negotiate that but as long as you drive defensively that is no big deal

But most people seem to drive like PP and think they need to get around the circle as fast as possible and zig zag across the lanes to find the fastest path rather than just staying in their lane and going a bit slower.

If three lanes exit onto CT Ave, but are not required to, and can take a different exit, how does the inner most of the three lanes not hit someone in the out two that is continuing on to a different exit?