Jebus Christ!! Just stay on the right side of the road, people. It's not that hard.

this is an IQ test -not surprised at outcome

Perhaps some signs would help.

I'm from the home of the good 'ole roundabout and honestly... I don't get how you are meant to use this thing. Also yes, ours are absolutely plastered with signs and help.

Is this two one way roads, or was it just random chance that all the traffic was going one way? Normally one side of the road would be for return traffic?

Took a wee while, but I found a picture of a normal looking roundabout and even in a country where people use them all the time there are a lot of attempts to tell you how to use it:

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/56302000/jpg/_56302665_roundaboutsofwales2012june.jpg

And arrows on the roads!

*wings view.

Adding video to channels (Wings) - requested by ant.

they have these long-ass medians to prevent people from being confused about where to go but somehow these people are so lost they cross to the wrong side of the road LONG before the actual roundabout.. what a strange reaction.

They installed a double roundabout freeway exit/entrance here, in Arcata, about 4-5 years ago. The only signs are yield signs. Because it's got two one way freeway exits, two one way freeway entrances, and one through street it's pretty hard to mess up.
Now, the roundabouts ON the freeway in Iceland, three lanes wide, those were incomprehensible.

Apparently this is new construction. Newbs.

55 Ky Highway 801 N, Morehead, KY

Here's the issue I have with roundabouts in America.

Merrka! FUck yeah!

We're full of "me first" individualists. In Sweden I dealt with the giant freeway roundabouts and it works because you yield to people entering the roundabout. Sounds counter intuitive but as long as EVERYONE FUCKING COOPERATES it works.

I deal with a roundabout almost daily and the issue is that when an American gets onto it their instinct is to block people entering. It's the exact same mentality that has someone speed up to block you from changing lanes in front of them on the highway.

The end result is everyone pulls up and has to come to a complete stop while the people on their left get on and try to accelerate hard to prevent the people on their right from entering. Fucking absurd.

To be clear:
You don't yield to people already in the roundabout when you're entering.
You do yield to people entering the roundabout when you're already in it.

It depends on what country you're in. In the UK and I believe most countries you yield to people already on the roundabout.

Interesting. It's also possible that I was misinformed about how the right of way works. Mind you, I'm not talking about stopping in the roundabout to let people enter. I mean that you slow slightly if it's necessary to allow people to enter. You certainly don't speed up to block them, which is what happens in my neighborhood right now.

I also know that no one is going to survive a 3-lane freeway roundabout if people aren't being conscious of the traffic that's entering the roundabout.

Hmmmm....in America, and I'm pretty certain Iceland (the only countries I've been in with roundabouts) it's the reverse....the car in the roundabout has the right of way. The yield signs are at every entrance. That works fine on single lane roundabouts.

My big question is, on multiple lane roundabouts like freeways, which lane has the right of way? How does a car in the inner lane exit without just cutting off the outer lanes?

Multiple lanes are for going different directions, left to go left, middle to go straight on and right to go right. If people get in the correct lane ahead of time they shouldn't need to cut anyone off.

In the US for example going left you'd be in the left lane, but as your go around the lane you're in will merge right. If you keep in the lane you'll be on the right by the time you get to your turnoff and you won't be in anyone's way.

Um....once you are in the middle/center lane, you have to cross the outer lanes to exit in any direction. On the freeway roundabouts, three lanes wide, 95% of all traffic in all lanes went straight through, meaning the middle lane cuts off the outer and center lane cuts off both outer lanes. You seem to suggest everyone should be in the middle lane for that, but that simply cannot be correct. The exits had three lanes, so it makes sense they expect all three lanes might exit....or all three might continue around. I saw both things happening, people on the outer ring not exiting, and people on the inner ring going straight through like it wasn't there. It all seemed incredibly dangerous and a total freeforall.

No, sorry, that's not how I've ever seen one, and absolutely not how they work in Iceland. The lanes do not spiral outwards. All three lanes form a circle. If you keep in your lane, you'll be there forever. You have to cut across outer lanes to exit. You've been on some very different roundabouts it seems.

In Iceland, if you're in the fast/left lane, you enter across the two outer rings to the center ring, then cross both outer rings again to exit. I think the inner ring had right of way, but I'm not sure. (Edit: checked, that's correct) My wife just refused and made me drive.

Roundabouts seem to come in many different designs. I assume the key is to have good signage and lane markings. I for one, love me some roundabouts.

Start @1:40

Nice....but I did notice a number of cars in the video weren't following the rules they were describing!

We got caught out in Iceland on the freeway. We had little opportunity to choose the correct lane to just go straight, and no opportunity to read road markings and direction signs at near freeway speeds. Good thing there's almost no traffic there or we might have caused a wreck.

I think single lane roundabouts are great....but with the unintuitive and nonstandard rules paired with poor average driving skills I don't think multi lane versions belong in America. Freeway roundabouts are just plain nuts.

If you were just going straight then you can usually use any lane to enter, just be sure to exit in the same lane. Traffic joining should yield so there should be no one crossing your path.

Yes, but it gets weird if lane three (fast lane) goes straight but lane two (middle lane) wants the third exit or uturn.
If everyone yields to cars on their left, it works, but you gotta keep your eyes wide open and pay attention, and actually yield, all things Americans are loath to do.

In theory that shouldn't happen, cars in the left lane should be going straight or turning left, cars in the middle lane should only be going straight. If they tried to go left they've screwed up, they should have been in the left lane.

In theory, if people understand and follow the rules, actually yield to traffic in all lanes before entering, and have enough warning to be in the correct lane on entry....but just look at the video of this basic one lane roundabout. The chances of Americans getting it right are so close to zero as to be zero.

Maybe in 10-20 years after introducing single lane versions they could start to introduce two lane versions....I don't think we'll ever be ready for more unless they put driver's training back in public schools and make passing it a requirement for a license.

There's a multi-lane roundabout in Long Beach, CA where I used to live. It also has an outer concentric circle for 90-degree traffic (the equivalent of a right hand turn) so they don't have to enter the circle itself. I'm sure it happens, but I've never seen an accident in that circle.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Alamitos_Circle

lived and drove in Qatar for a few years - there were many 3-lane in and 3-lane-out roundabouts. (also drove in UAE where it was the same). You are supposed to yield to those cars already in the roundabout. Several of the roundabouts also had red-lights (aka "signals", aka "robots"). Left lane is for going left (3rd exit on a 4-way roundabout). Middle lane was for going straight (2nd exit). Right lane was for going right (1st exit). Usually works fine once you're used to it. You aren't supposed to change lanes inside the roundabout, and use your right turn signal when you are exiting (and crossing lanes to exit). If you are maintaining speed and people are yielding and exiting as they should, no collisions.
Trickier roundabouts are those with more than 4 exits, or with additional "slip roads".
On the straight roads, there's no notion of fast-lane or passing lane. But if there's a Land Cruiser tailgating you and flashing their high-beams, change lanes. It's not personal, or road rage, the locals just like to drive fast (and often in any lane in the roundabouts)
Another difference between driving in USA is that green means go, in any direction... whereas in US, left turn is yield on green, unless there's a green arrow.