Buffalo: What Is Your Problem With Navigating Roundabouts?

I don't know what it is about people when they approach these amazing traffic control devices, but it seems that people of the 716 lose their minds when it comes to traffic circles.

Why are we so awfully bad when it comes to driving through roundabouts? They're so simple to maneuver and exponentially better than dealing with stoplights. You yield for a second or two and then keep driving.

Now, I realize that some traffic circles in Western New York are kind of confusing and take a little practice so you don't end up in the wrong place at the wrong time, but this is by far the exception and not the rule.

Most of the roundabouts in WNY are easy to deal with; you just need to drive through them,, it's truly not difficult, at least I don't think it is:

• When pulling up to a traffic circle, you yield to the traffic coming from the left, then you go to the right,
  • Do you remember what yield means?
• Then merge into traffic like any other turn,
• Soon you can turn out of the traffic circle and be on your merry way.

Now that doesn't seem that hard, right? Remember, common sense is the main key to navigating a roundabout. However, therein lies the problem since we're short on that these days.

Whatever we do, we better get used to the idea of traffic circles in Western New York because the New York State Department of Transportation has its eye on installing a few more in the area.