traffic lights at roundabouts...

Good Morning,

unfortunately I left and didn't follow the discussion but anyway traffic chaos is in most countries, the worst country I ever drove in was Iran. The country which makes me most afraid when I am Driving is Qatar because there is no respect under most drivers.

most of us..we are still experiencing it and are most likely still scared speechless from driving to where ever..The British are and always will be, great drivers..due to the fact that they FOLLOW THE RULES...here..anything goes..sliding, gliding, smooshing,...honking, flashing(lights, not bodies!) and fly squashing on the bumpers between cars..

As far as thinking ahead..they do..right before they have to be in the left hand lane from the right..swoosh...there they go even if 4 cars are in the way.

qatarisun i agree with you. Here people are more careful near r/a than at traffic signals. Statistics prove that.

nothing like it..except maybe the Corniche on a VERY busy weekend.

Never seen anyone get shot on the highways, but could happen...due to some idiotic driving I've seen and road rage. I personally ENJOY traffic..get to do a LOT of people watching...

heh..i have often compared the tarffic here to Houston (and Mexico for that matter)

heh..i have often compared the tarffic here to Houston (and Mexico for that matter)

Did you see that news item a week or so ago where a Russian (in Moscow) got out of his car and shot 3 pedestrians because he thought they were walking too slowly across the Zebra Crossing????

Almost wet myself when I read that.

Was sorry for the injured, of course, but ........ LMAO

Now THAT's what I call real road rage.

All you clever people out there, the main point you are missing is that British know how to use the roundabouts and in a courteous way. The British have traffic rules which are followed where people are driving with two hands on the steering wheel and two feet where they belong on the pedals or the floor.

It is not the roundabouts nor the traffic lights that are the problem it is the drivers themselves who are the problem.

Unfortunately the Brit who is resposible for the traffic lights forgot to circulate user manuals to all those who are colour blind, don't know right from left, and drive straight across three lanes to get to their lane which they should have done a Kilometer before.

About the Germans, and having lived there myself for a long time, Germans are not programmed for the unexpected situation, but they do have disciplined traffic on their roads. They also have traffic jams and building sites, however, instead of everyone trying to be first they manage in a civilised manner to move into postion at bottlenecks construction sites without a hitch. They are not driving 80 -100 kms an hour but 50kms and where schools are 30 kms outside cities and on highways there are also speed limits.

I have seen TV reports about people shooting each other in traffic jams in the US.

stealth, you know, if one doesn’t slow down before entering r/a and jumps to r/a without looking around and without letting other cars pass by, it will cause a “dead accident” exactly the same as running a red signal. No difference. But at least traffic lights makes you stopping at red signal, while at the roundabouts nothing really stops you, because it's up to the driver to decide at which moment he/she can enter r/a. As black prince said: at r/a driver has to THINK.. and this kind of brain activities is not popular among drivers in Doha… so it’s better to physically STOP them, without thinking. BTW, I noticed that there are not too many Stop signs in Doha, and even those are usually ignored by the drivers. In Doha only physical obstacles are working and not signs.

I think r/a should substitute an “All-Ways Stop sign” at not too busy intersection which is not regulated by the traffic signal. R/a shouldn't substitute a traffic signal at the busy intersection. Specially in Doha. But of course the drivers shouldn’t run the red signal. If drivers violate the law, nothing will help, no matter WHAT method is used to try and reduce accidents as Jauntie said.

black prince, you are right, r/a works for the drivers, who has to think before acting. And that’s why roundabouts are not supposed to be built in Doha at the first place..lol…

I don't say roundabout is a bad invention. I personally like them...as adventure, as some attraction in Wonderland, they add a bit of spice into my life every single day...lol...

After enjoying a nice relaxing driving for 10 days in Toronto (with no one roundabout on the roads by the way), the first thing I saw from the aircraft’s window in Doha airport upon arrival to Qatar was a damaged pick-up… it was sooo funny.. I said to myself: welcome back in Doha..lol…

the Germans are doing the Traffic Studies at present.

I wonder who, 20, 30 or more(!) years ago, would have been able to predict the traffic situation in Qatar (Doha particularly) as it is today.

anybody thought of using flyovers!

rubbish brit technology in road and civil work, the brits didn't know what's coming in doha!ask the germans they know!

more than roundabouts traffic signals are easier to commit suicide and take along with you another one or two innocent souls.

Ha ha ha, sorry about that Freon. That would be me, the chick in the death car, straddling the line and utilizing my car horn liberally with folk who don't go fast enough to suit my agenda.

Hey everyone else does it. When in Rome...

I'm in a hurry though. I've got books to look after, you know.

sorry..lol.. i just tried to be a bit sarcastic.. What i mean is roundabouts are good for committing suicide, aren't they? lol...since british like the roundabouts so much, I thought may be people of these nation don't have any problem with the idea of killing themselves..lol...

Roundabouts work well to reduce waiting time vis-a-vis a traffic light. However each roundabout will have a capacity limit beyond which they lose their purpose and instead cause endless chaos. This limit is dependent on the number of vehicles expected and the diameter of the roundabout. Roundabouts on corniche at peak hours are prime examples where they have crossed capacity and are thus redundant.

(Qatarisun, to answer your question,) when this happens, the options then are

1. Resort to traffic lights

2. Increase diameters (Usually impractical)

3. Build flyovers / underpasses. (Expensive)

4. Make one-ways. (You need alternative routes for the other corresponding one-way

5. Or some others that dont come to mind.

So now if you want to install a set of lights (cheapest option), you can either do it WITH the central circle being left there as it is or by removing the circle. Removing a circle means labourers breaking it down and then a road (asphalting or cementing as applicable) being made over that place. For all this, the road will have to be decommissioned for some time while these works are being carried out. Hence the roundabouts will remain.

"The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it"

I'm glad and very glad, I'm not a lefty driver...

Roundabout is just another battle zone to be conquer.

Jauntie

Using a 10 year old report is obsolete. I drove many times in California and a few times, I saw one or two roundabout. Most of those roundabouts where build in low traffic density areas.

You are right about one thing, If people follow the rules of accessing the roundabout, it will not be circles from hell. Is the speed of access and lack of steadiness in their own lane and using signal lights.

The Red Pope of Qatar Living

Abba, Abba, Padre!

I don't know i've got face off, when I go to souq having to much traffic including roundabout, but I don't know also if U.A.E got a sense because they have signals in roundabout.

You know what's the sense is...there is no traffic if there's no cars everywhere accross the globe.

Traffic in the road are one among the problems of the president...lol

In United State not only Road Traffic but also Air Traffic...I don't know if it make sense too.

AND BESIDE WE DON'T KNOW YET WHAT'S THE PLAN OF QATAR GOVERNMENT, MAYBE TOMORROW THEY WILL ABOLISH THE ROUNDABOUT TO PUT SIGNAL LIGHT ALONE, OR THEY WILL PUT SOME STATE OF THE ART MONUMENT AT THE CENTER OF ROUNDABOUT WITH SIGNAL LIGHT, SO THAT WILL MAKE SENSE..LOL..."peace"

and stealth...now there is a very heft fine and should be quite a bit less of that kind of action.

thats the way of it Stealth, you know you cant go too fast around a r/a so you slow down a little at a traffic light, these nutters put there foot down passed V1 get to V2 and suddenly realise they cant make it but by then they are at V2, state of no return.......just God help any poor bastar?d thats coming across the other way

If you see over here most of the deadly accidents takes place at signals rather than roundabouts.

Did someone say that roundabouts made no sense becasue there were no rules? Despite the apparent lack of rules for driving in Doha I am sure that there must be some, and as a Brit I know for the sure we do have rules on how to enter and exit a round about. Perhaps the British Highway Code should be given out here and people might actually learn to drive properly. Round Abouts are not rocket science and I have never understood why people find them so difficulty to navigate.

split second changes...you have to be QUICK not to run them..its kinda like greeeennnnnn...yelaRED...

in the scenario I just posted, had the lights changed faster he would have been a dead man!

I guess road safety is only ever going to be as good as the drivers who use the roads, no matter WHAT method is used to try and reduce accidents.

Oh well ... Actually, I noticed for the first time some madness yesterday when the car in front of our very deliberately shot the red light. The light was at red as we approached it, so it wasn't just trying to go just as it changed.

All the driver achieved was to cause a tail back on the traffic the other side of the junction - he got nowhere any faster and was lucky someone didn't emulate his action and jump the amber light coming from his side!

I just cringe...if I hear a honk..I just ignore

Scarlett , do the Italian thing, they remove their interior rear view mirror and all door mirrors when they buy a car. Reason for this is that an Italian tells you, look after whats in front of you and whats happening, whats going on behind you, thats the problem for the guy behind.

at roundabouts..due to the havoc I probably just created...

Jauntie, the r/a I really love are in France, you know them, its an r/.a with a cross roads in the middle with a traffic light, it the lights green go straight over, if its red you go staight by going round the ouside using the r/a............only the French could think of that one, a cross roads and a r/a in one

Most accidents happen at roundabouts, cause there's no definite rule, everyone just "glides" in and out. There's only roundabout with traffic lights...right ? the one near the Mall ? I was surprised when I saw it, it's either traffic lights OR roundabout, not both! But then again it's Qatar, everything's possible ;)

in the States...we're too hard headed and set in our ways...cetainly in Texas..nah..won't sell there.

And the one statement about the roundabout replacing a 4 way stop...that's because too many idiots RUN the stopsigns..so in that case, yes, a roundabout is a good thing. At least they have to slow down to get through it.

the trouble is that was it.........in 10 years they still havent worked it out........over the pond a r/a is an acception rather than a rule....they have the same problem with our Climate........its takes them 10 years to realise theres a problem and taht they are one of the main causes of it

http://www.tfhrc.gov/pubrds/fall95/p95a41.htm

"Roundabout Safety Comes to America

The superior safety record of modern roundabouts is well-known in Western Europe and in most British-influenced countries around the globe. Still, many in North America question whether drivers who are unfamiliar with this type of intersection can safely adapt to it.

But many American highway engineers have become advocates for modern roundabouts, and they are designing and building roundabouts to reduce accidents and increase capacity. Modern roundabouts have recently been built in California, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Nevada, and Vermont. (1-4) Additional modern roundabouts are proposed for freeway interchanges in Maryland and California, and one modern roundabout interchange was built this summer on Interstate Highway 70 in Colorado...

Accidents Fall as Roundabouts Spread to America

The first modern American roundabouts were built in the spring of 1990 in Summerlin, a rapidly growing planned community on the west side of Las Vegas. (See figures 2 and 3.) With rapid growth of the surrounding community, daily traffic has increased from very low flows to about 7,000 vehicles in the north roundabout and to about 11,000 vehicles in the south roundabout. Only four accidents have been reported at the two roundabouts over their five-year history.

The first modern roundabout on the California state highway system was installed by the city of Santa Barbara in October 1992. The roundabout replaced an intersection of five two-lane streets regulated by stop signs. The old intersection averaged four accidents per year. Since installation of the roundabout, accidents have averaged 2.1 per year, with only five accidents reported in a 28-month period."

etcetera etcetera etcetera ....

like the ones that run up your bumper flashing their lights, when the other lane it totally open for them to pass.

The trouble with a r/a is it needs the driver to think, before he acts unlike a traffic light, he just needs to know what the colours mean. So r/a only works when you have inteligent drivers who think before they act...........thats probably why you dont see some in some countries

you guys have curved... ;) See..still like in old days..we americans fix what you brits broke...(just teasing ya!)

Since I quite like you, I shall ignore "there are not too many admirers of suicide in North America unlike in Britain..."

:P

Brits are still building the roads here :P

Well, in partnership with 'the colonials' from across the Pond.

Maunsell & Parsons (Brit/US) doing the roads up towards Al Khor, around Qatar Uni and the Golf Club. AND it's the Germans who are doing a traffic survey as to how many lanes required.

I suppose the existing roundabouts stay, but with traffic lights installed?

thought it was cause I woke up at 4 this morning and was still groggy

scarlett this was a reply to namabiru!!

you're talking straight lanes and I have the curved ones in mind...I can tell its the weekend..neither minds are working right!

i luv roun abouts much betetr then signal junction

If you can't change your fate, change your attitude.

eight lane highways, first class roads though the drivers are not that good.

of way...usually its the other way around. this still does not make sense to me..makes for more chances of accidents. Plus..you get the yahoos that are in the middle lane going into the roundie and then slide into you, who are in the inside lane, squeezing you into the curb so that you have to brake hard to avoid collisions...The logic escapes me on this one

The fact is roundabouts do work, its the people who use them not having any lane discipline or road skills.

For example, accelerating whilst on the roundabout to stop other cars entering.

Stealth, what are the roads like in Saudi? Sorry, I'm afraid I've not been, or seen photographs, but I'm interested in getting the analogy.

sarcasm is not necessarily heavy and mean.. it could be light, soft and witty.. YOUR sarcasm is good one..lol...

BTW, I am ready to confess.. when shall we start?...

The Pope always full of sarcasm??? Come on people, I'm such a naive person with lots of tolerance...

My Confession Booth is open for sarcasm....

The Red Pope of Qatar Living

lol

Pope is all about sarcasm..always.. and not "dripping" - Pouring!!... lol.. i like his sarcasm though..

timed much faster as they learn how to deal with traffic and traffic signals. Its taken them this long to GET lights, so will take a bit longer to get it totally corrected. Its a togh job to try and stay ahead (if not catch up) with the mass quantities of traffic that has occurred over the past few years. Its way outgrown the current roadways. I am guessing that there will be constant construction for the rest of the time now...kinda like Houston! lol

surely not, as the British were the conquerers of the world...(ducking to avoid being hit by jauntie...)

yeah, lights timing in Doha is too long ... this is a first thing I realized while driving these days in toronto...you go through traffic lights so fast in here! you join a long tail in front of the traffic signal, you expect to spend in queue at least 6-7 minutes like in Doha.. but.. 2-3 minutes and you cross the intersection! it is great!

Hurrah! and 3 cheers! for the british road design input in Doha! You are the most smartest fellows in earth....

The Red Pope of Qatar Living

qatarisun...there used to be one out that we called Dante's roundabout because it was total H*ll to get through as it was a 3-4 lane roundie and always busy, and if i'm not mistaken, had 5 arms that fed into it. I wouldn't even drive that way due to it..its now replaced with a signal and it flows quite nicely. I do wish they'd time the lights a bit better here tho...they run quite long and that ends up backing up traffic too much. (ohh and I think I ran what they consider a red light yesterday...darn it...better check my record...shoot)

thanks for the trust..lol

how long "back"? in qatar all the roads maybe 10 years old maximum...lol...why they didn't look at North America while building the first r/a? there are not too many of r/a in canada.. in toronto for instance there are non of them...as seen, there are not too many admirers of suicide in North America unlike in Britain...

I trust you Scarlett !!! lol...that's what exactly i am talking about ...

take 20 years at least. I've been here around that much.

Check with Brits they were the ones handling the road works initially and that was the solution given.

If they had taken the Germans or the Americans they would have had a

different set up.

See Saudi Arabian roads.

Some of those roundabouts are horrendous to attempt to get through without smashing into someone or getting smashed.

the traffic lights will REPLACE the roundabouts

The roundabouts have been there long back. The legacy of British rule.

NOw the easier soultion would be to put traffic lights on the roundabouts.