I am writing, because once again I have felt a strong sense of frustration as I encounter another roundabout in our district.
Many of these were put into play in our communities without much in the way of education as to the etiquette of their use. Even the official rules found linked to Washington State in the Chilliwack municipal website, fail to explain the signalling required in a round-about.
When one approaches the round about and observes a vehicle on the left roadway with no signal light, I assume that they must be going straight ahead and will cross in front of me; but nine times out of 10 that is not the case. Many times they are actually going all the way around with no signal.
Often, if they are turning into my roadway, I will have missed the chance to enter the roundabout myself and if it is a busy intersection that can be really annoying.
Another irritant is those vehicles who assume that they have priority when they reach the round-about as they are on my left. They have not understood that the only vehicle with right of way are the ones already in the roundabout.
I have often come from Rosedale and reached the round-about at Yale and Hwy 9 and seen the traffic coming from the direction of Agassiz, in a continual stream. In the summer, they don’t even bother to look much of the time, but just enter the roundabout right after the vehicle in front of them.
As I live in Harrison I understand that there is a traffic build-up in summer but nevertheless this can be extremely frustrating.
Anyone who has driven in Britain or Europe, where roundabouts have existed for many many years, may share my frustration. I hope this can help in some measure.
- Kirsten Hauge-Browning, Harrison Hot Springs
news@ahobserver.com
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