[talk-au] *Round*abouts

Darrin Smith beldin at beldin.org
Fri Dec 12 09:42:37 GMT 2008


On Fri, 12 Dec 2008 19:31:34 +1100
Liz <edodd at billiau.net> wrote:

> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roundabout#Mini_roundabouts
> 
> "Mini-roundabouts can be a painted circle, a low dome, or often are
> small garden beds. Painted roundabouts and low domes can easily be
> driven over by most vehicles, which many motorists will do when there
> is no other traffic, but the practice is dangerous if other cars are
> present."

Right, 3/4 of that backs up what I'm saying. Yes it says small garden
bed but further down in the same section it proceeds to eliminate it as
a mini roundabout.

> "Whilst it may be physically possible, it is illegal for vehicles
> like cars, which can turn around the mini-roundabout, to go over the
> painted island, or around the wrong way- vehicles should treat it
> like a solid island and proceed around it. (In practice, few
> motorists obey these rules). "

This backs up what I'm saying exactly. Notice how they talk about it
being physically possible for a normal car to go *over* the island. I
challenge you to find an example in any of the pics of the roundabouts
we've discussed where a conventional car can cross them in any manner
at speed and not be significantly damaged. 

> When I read this I see that motorists may be found driving over these
> things, but it's illegal; it's dangerous

Yes, so, it's illegal and dangerous to go through a red light, but we
map traffic signals. It is very useful however to know one is
approaching a roundabout which DOESN'T have a centre island for exactly
this reason however since there are drivers who will break the rules it
helps to be fore-warned to be a little more careful.

> "A slightly larger version of a mini-roundabout, sometimes called a
> "small roundabout", is designed with a raised centre surrounded by a
> sloped "overrun area" of a different colour from the roadway and up
> to a meter in thickness called a "truck apron" or a "mountable
> apron"."

The wording in this sentence is inconsistent with the rest of the
article, as further down in that same document it says:

"The centre island also MUST BE ABLE TO BY OVER-RUN BY LARGE
VEHICLES. If this is not possible, perhaps due to plants, or street
furniture it is considered a small roundabout NOT A MINI ROUNDABOUT and
as such must adhere to the stricter roundabout guidelines."

(My emphasis added)

It doesn't say parts of the centre island, it says THE center island. A
little flange is not the whole center island. And I fully suspect
the roundabouts in the area where you put a mini in the other day that
there was no flange there anyway, so it's a little academic in those
cases.

And did you know how the sentence I quoted indicates a small roundabout
is NOT a mini roundabout. So the text of the document is doubtful at
bet. I challenge you to find a picture posted by someone NOT furthering
this lists mini_roundabout agenda that show a mini with a raised centre
island. English wikipedia won't help you, neither will the german one,
nor will the OSM Wiki.

-- 

=b




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