Road Warrior: Reversing course on roundabouts

It was a less than triumphant return to form with last week’s Road Warrior column. Many readers pointed out that the advice to yield to the right-hand driver is actually not appropriate for navigating a roundabout.

Since I typically handle roundabouts by crossing my fingers and offering a little prayer to the road gods, it slipped past me. I’m beginning to see why drivers on Sunset Road drove straight through the traffic features (the Bernalillo County roundabouts were removed last year).

My apologies. A note: there were too many messages to respond to each individually. If you reached out, please know that I appreciate your time and readership. Several readers handled an embarrassing error of mine with grace, tact and even humor.

But let’s take a metaphorical U-turn and try this again. Here’s how to actually handle a roundabout, per the city’s Department of Municipal Development.

Although roundabouts can help increase safety, said DMD spokesperson Dan Mayfield, “unfortunately, many people can be confused about how to properly use a roundabout.”

Let’s change that! One simple instruction does the trick: “There is one good rule to remember for a roundabout: those inside have the right-of-way,” Mayfield said.

That means vehicles on the left have the right of way — and they’re not obligated to slow down or stop to let you in.

“Only enter a roundabout if you have a safe gap,” Mayfield continued. “Once in the roundabout, don’t stop for cars that are waiting on the outside; this could cause a rear-end collision.”

Now, back to your regularly scheduled Road Warrior content.

SURPRISE STOPS: Pump those brakes!

West Side Tony writes: “There are numerous intersections in this city where you are driving down a steep hill (usually at a speed over the limit because of the steep slope) where one will encounter a traffic signal. Why doesn’t the city install warning signals that a traffic signal ahead is about to turn red? Many other states have these signals.”

That’s one downside to the high desert life.

The city considers adding warning signs — but not necessarily signals notifying an upcoming red light — if there are visibility issues like those Tony described. That includes anything that could keep drivers from knowing when to hit the brakes, including when a hill blocks a traffic light.

One such sign is located on the southbound frontage road heading toward Mountain.

“After several severe crashes in the area, a sign and warning flashers were added to let drivers know about the upcoming light,” Mayfield said.

I might advise drivers to take hills slowly, but my driving tips should be taken with a grain of salt.