Why do they plant these, I know they may look nice but you can’t see things coming around the roundabout!
Probably to keep the speed of traffic down. But not ideal if you are in a slow accelerating vehicle as it helps to see ahead.
MrFaulconbridge:
Probably to keep the speed of traffic down. But not ideal if you are in a slow accelerating vehicle as it helps to see ahead.
That has failed miserably. The same experts who decided a hard shoulder was unnecessary. Oh hang on, half of us on here think they are right.
cav551:
MrFaulconbridge:
Probably to keep the speed of traffic down. But not ideal if you are in a slow accelerating vehicle as it helps to see ahead.That has failed miserably. The same experts who decided a hard shoulder was unnecessary. Oh hang on, half of us on here think they are right.
The original trial had lots of emergency refuges and good surveillance didnt it? A Gov Minister decided that....to save money....it would work just the same without the safety measures. After all, we know ministers dont need experts!
Awkward isnt it? As drivers of slowly accelerating vehicles we want to time our entry onto a roundabout so we can keep our momentum up. We need a clear view. We also need traffic on the roundabout not to be whizzing around it too fast. So slowing down their entry with a poor field of view seems good. . Fast traffic on roundabouts obstructed by us as we slowly enter, [u]although we started out with nothing in sight[/u], might do well to consider they may be *travelling too fast around a blind bend*. Obviously, they wont.
Macski:
Why do they plant these, I know they may look nice but you can’t see things coming around the roundabout!
This is what messed me up on my first test, could not see a thing coming from the second and third exit due to trees and bushes, looks clear though, proceed. Then, before you know it, a blue KA comes whizzing round and slams on. Just didn’t look hard enough! Whoops!
It’s deliberate design to blind and stop approaching traffic sometimes also fences.Thereby defeating the object of a roundabout.
Might as well make it a 4 etc way stop.
I was always under the impression it was to stop oncoming traffic being dazzled by headlight’s?
Cookyonthemove:
I was always under the impression it was to stop oncoming traffic being dazzled by headlight’s?
If you’ve got oncoming traffic on a roundabout then one of you has right royally screwed up.
the maoster:
Cookyonthemove:
I was always under the impression it was to stop oncoming traffic being dazzled by headlight’s?If you’ve got oncoming traffic on a roundabout then one of you has right royally screwed up.
I was more meaning on the approach on the other side , but these days let’s not pretend it hasn’t happened
Fair point 
those "sponsored by " signs on roundabouts are a menace. If i recognize the firm doing the sponsoring i make a mental note never to buy from them
Macski:
Why do they plant these, I know they may look nice but you can’t see things coming around the roundabout!
Roundabouts were initially invented and implemented to aid the flow of traffic, and the reason trees are placed in them is because trees produce oxygen and roundabouts produce a lot of pollution, hence air quality is relatively held in check. 
Over here there are a number of cities that have a traffic light controlling vehicles entering a freeway, Now that’s a pain, how can you enter at highway speed from a standing start ■■
Sabretooth:
Macski:
Why do they plant these, I know they may look nice but you can’t see things coming around the roundabout!Roundabouts were initially invented and implemented to aid the flow of traffic, and the reason trees are placed in them is because trees produce oxygen and roundabouts produce a lot of pollution, hence air quality is relatively held in check.
Except for the fact that they also cut down trees to use as wooden fencing as screens which they’ve admitted is to stop traffic before entering a roundabout.
It’s like traffic light phasing deliberately set against the highest traffic flow directions to create artificial congestion.
Bending the subject a little, around 1980 Hemel Hemstead was the worst roundabout I ever encountered.
It had a large roundabout surrounded by 4 /5 ? mini roundabouts with traffic going in both directions. Someone tell me the practice has been abolished and the person who thought of it is not allowed to breath ! And there used to be a few cities with Roundabouts that had traffic lights, that only worked at rush hour. I think the A13 was better with bridges over for straight on traffic. 
the maoster:
Cookyonthemove:
I was always under the impression it was to stop oncoming traffic being dazzled by headlight’s?If you’ve got oncoming traffic on a roundabout then one of you has right royally screwed up.
Sabretooth:
Bending the subject a little, around 1980 Hemel Hemstead was the worst roundabout I ever encountered.
It had a large roundabout surrounded by 4 /5 ? mini roundabouts with traffic going in both directions. Someone tell me the practice has been abolished and the person who thought of it is not allowed to breath ! And there used to be a few cities with Roundabouts that had traffic lights, that only worked at rush hour. I think the A13 was better with bridges over for straight on traffic.
It’s still there, as is the one at Swindon. Both built around 1972.
Sent from my VOG-L09 using Tapatalk
Traffic lights on roundabouts can be really useful when traffic is heavy. What really pees me off is when I am forced to stop when they are completely deserted at 3am.
Roymondo:
Sabretooth:
Bending the subject a little, around 1980 Hemel Hemstead was the worst roundabout I ever encountered.
It had a large roundabout surrounded by 4 /5 ? mini roundabouts with traffic going in both directions. Someone tell me the practice has been abolished and the person who thought of it is not allowed to breath ! And there used to be a few cities with Roundabouts that had traffic lights, that only worked at rush hour. I think the A13 was better with bridges over for straight on traffic.It’s still there, as is the one at Swindon. Both built around 1972.
Sent from my VOG-L09 using Tapatalk
And Hounslow and somewhere near Croydon. They’re seriously not confusing at all, just a series of smaller roundabouts and saves you going the long way if you don’t want to.
Santa:
Traffic lights on roundabouts can be really useful when traffic is heavy. What really pees me off is when I am forced to stop when they are completely deserted at 3am.
They actually prove that the original design of give way to traffic entering a roundabout was the correct one.Which is why if you enter a roundabout on green you’ll then get stopped by the red phasing on the roundabout at every entry point after that.
It would also reverse the need for screening because traffic on the roundabout needs to give way to traffic at every entry point so needs all the vision it can get.