halle1@houxz.UUCP (J.HALLE) (11/09/84)
Everyone is ignoring the absolutely correct answer to the question of who has the right of way on traffic circles (or anywhere else for that matter). NOBODY has the right of way. The right (as in correct, not as in not-left) of way is something to be yielded, not something you have. Thus the correct law is that vehicles entering a circle must yield the right of way to those vehicles already on the circle. I am pretty sure that this is the law in 49 states. In Messachusetts, the right of way is to be yielded to those entering. Perhaps the law is different there because Mass. doesn't have circles, but ROTARIES. (Only semi :-) )
jpexg@mit-hermes.ARPA (John Purbrick) (11/11/84)
> In Messachusetts, the right of way is to be yielded to those > entering. Perhaps the law is different there because Mass. > doesn't have circles, but ROTARIES. (Only semi :-) ) Not true--the law used to be that way up here, but was changed a couple of years ago. However, relying on that fact is a good way to meet charming hospital personnel. What's especially bad is small circles, of which we have many in the Boston area. You can regard them as circles (rotaries in New England, roundabouts in Britain) in which case entering traffic yields, or as just some excrescence in the center of an intersection, in which case through traffic has priority and "yield to vehicles on the right" applies. A safe rotary is one in which the entering traffic has to slow down to a crawl in order to make the right turn on entering, which makes the law easier to follow. Entering roads should *not* be tangent to the circle!