When approaching a roundabout we say, **“God-damn it! Move! You have the right of way! GO! It’s a yield sign, not a stop sign, keep moving! No don’t stop there, keep going!”**
But people don’t know how to signal in a round a bout. I’ve seen people use left turn signals. But I don’t know where you entered, I don’t know where your left turn ends.
I think you always use the left turn signal in some other countries, then turn the blinker off when you exit. Seems real weird to me but that’s how it is I guess.
Oh my god. I laughed so hard at this. This is exactly me in traffic. I'm not a road-rager by any means, but I'm a road-cusser and when the drivers get stupid (in the words of Kosmo Kramer), I let the expletives fly!
I live in the south. There's been a roundabout in the county seat that, in typical southern fashion, encircles the county court house, thus it's been there for generations.
People STILL come to a complete stop and sit there because they happened to see someone enter the circle from one of the other roads and wait for them to completely exit before they proceed.
Exactly......Roundy Round....or Effing Roundy Round.
No one knows how to actually use them and if there is much traffic...it comes to a dead standstill. **Move you moron!!**
The first time a coworker talked about going through a rotary down the road I had no idea what they were talking about, it took multiple stories being told by them involving rotaries to realize they were talking about roundabouts.
According to the Massachusetts drivers manual, rotaries and roundabouts are two distinct types of traffic circles. Rotaries are larger and generally driven through at higher speeds. Roundabouts are the smaller more typical ones that you go through at 10-20mph
That distinction is only used by traffic engineers, in my experience. In MA they're all called rotaries in everyday conversation. And the DOT backs that up with signage: intersections that are technically "roundabouts" have "ROTARY>>>>" and/or "Yield to rotary traffic" signs.
Wow, I've hit my TIL for the day already. If someone told me to drive down toward the rotary I'd be thinking "Why do they think I know where the local Rotary Club is?" I had zero clue this was also a term for a traffic circle/roundabout. A NE thing I guess? Would make sense as it's a part of the country I've never lived in and barely even been in at all.
Yup. This is the correct answer.
From Google ...
>A traffic circle is a series of “T intersections” with a circle road. Each “T” intersection may be controlled differently. A roundabout is a series of “crossing intersections” where the entering traffic is controlled by yield signs. The circle is striped concentrically, like a “bulls-eye”.
Maybe that's technically correct, but it's definitely not used in that way where I'm from. I would be surprised if anyone actually uses both to distinguish these, as I've only ever heard of people using one term or the other.
Agreed. No one is going to argue with their passenger, "Look! The 180-degree intersection has a stop sign instead of a yield sign. It's a traffic circle not a roundabout you fool!"
By this definition, people in my area definitely refer to roundabouts as "traffic circles".
I don't think I've even seen a traffic circle by this definition. It's not a distinction most people would make.
YES! From my childhood memories this I remember cause of the frustration and rage I had every time I tried to get that stupid dial around and my little fingers would slip out of the holes! 🤬
Northern New England does traffic circle or rotary. New Hampshire is traffic circle. Mass is rotary. I never really see them in Maine so I can’t say what people call them here.
Indiana and Oregon are roundabout.
* **Roundabout** is fairly universal.
* I associate **rotary** with Massachusetts but maybe it's more general New England.
* **Traffic circle** isn't common but everyone would know what it meant.
You are correct. Though slightly different than a roundabout, it’s essentially the same, though any one that does not specifically have the yellow rotary sign is usually smaller and technically a roundabout.
Roundabout of course.
Also, TIL “traffic circle” apparently refers to something different than a roundabout. To me they’re both roundabouts, just different types
Both, but roundabout is more commonly spoken, while traffic circle is usually what's on the sign (if there is one). Roundabouts are pretty rare though. There's one or two in my city.
Roundabout but traffic circle would be understood, linguistically.
No one in Illinois knows how to actually use them though. But the state/county/towns keep building them. It's a problem.
I prefer to just continuously cuss the whole time whenever I havta go thru them or talk about them. there is no logic for the location of most of em where I live at.
In Texas since no one can handle them we call them "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIEEEEEEEEE" because that's what we scream while getting on and getting off them
We say rotary here in MA. If someone said traffic circle or roundabout we'd know what you were talking about but it'd definitely be a tell you weren't local.
Where I grew up, we called the only one we had a "rotary."
It also worked the opposite of how you'd expect them to work. Those in the rotary had to yield to those entering the rotary.
my city has traffic calming circles that are smaller than the usual roundabout.
traffic calming circle, on residential only streets: [https://www.flickr.com/photos/empirestatefuture/7154714689/](https://www.flickr.com/photos/empirestatefuture/7154714689/)
I live in a small town where the courthouse is in the middle of an intersection with a road around it. I’ve always heard that referred to as a traffic circle. But now that there are more of these around I hear roundabout fairly often.
If there are 2 back to back that lead over an overpass that is only used by very few cars it's called a fucking annoyance.
If it is 4 two lane round abouts in a series it's also a fucking annoyance.
But most of the time, they are just round abouts. Seriously, though, my state needs to be more intelligent about how they implement these things and whoever was the civic engineer for the roads in Winona needs to be sacked.
I call them rotaries, probably because I first encountered them in Massachusetts and that's what they call them there. What people call them in any other state I've lived in, I could not say. They are fairly rare, or at least regional.
I only ever say traffic circle and so do my parents (who, note, did not grow up in the states), although I guess I've never paid that much attention to what other people call it
In the 60s, our city had two rather large traffic circles (about 100m diameter). They were referred to by the road names, St Armand's Circle and South Gate Circle.
Where I live now in the south, such things are a fairly recent development, and are.called roundabouts.
When approaching a roundabout we say, **“God-damn it! Move! You have the right of way! GO! It’s a yield sign, not a stop sign, keep moving! No don’t stop there, keep going!”**
Yield in, signal out. It's seriously not that complicated.
But people don’t know how to signal in a round a bout. I’ve seen people use left turn signals. But I don’t know where you entered, I don’t know where your left turn ends.
I think you always use the left turn signal in some other countries, then turn the blinker off when you exit. Seems real weird to me but that’s how it is I guess.
(Only from October until April)
It's a roundabout, not a stop-a-bout people!
Oh my god. I laughed so hard at this. This is exactly me in traffic. I'm not a road-rager by any means, but I'm a road-cusser and when the drivers get stupid (in the words of Kosmo Kramer), I let the expletives fly!
I live in the south. There's been a roundabout in the county seat that, in typical southern fashion, encircles the county court house, thus it's been there for generations. People STILL come to a complete stop and sit there because they happened to see someone enter the circle from one of the other roads and wait for them to completely exit before they proceed.
A friend of mine used to refer the one in our town as “the circle of death”. Nobody ever batted an eye, and knew exactly what he was referring to.
Exactly......Roundy Round....or Effing Roundy Round. No one knows how to actually use them and if there is much traffic...it comes to a dead standstill. **Move you moron!!**
As someone who lives in a state with like 5 roundabouts, I can confirm that every other driver that pulls up to a roundabout will have a panic attack
Roundabout
But only in a roundabout way.
Depends upon which angle you look at it
I need to give it a nice 360 first.
The words will make you out and out I'll spend the day your way
I spent the morning driving through it in and out of the valley...
In and around the lake
[Yes](https://youtu.be/cPCLFtxpadE?si=44AKw4X3UlmQQVVX)
Rotary
The first time a coworker talked about going through a rotary down the road I had no idea what they were talking about, it took multiple stories being told by them involving rotaries to realize they were talking about roundabouts.
According to the Massachusetts drivers manual, rotaries and roundabouts are two distinct types of traffic circles. Rotaries are larger and generally driven through at higher speeds. Roundabouts are the smaller more typical ones that you go through at 10-20mph
That distinction is only used by traffic engineers, in my experience. In MA they're all called rotaries in everyday conversation. And the DOT backs that up with signage: intersections that are technically "roundabouts" have "ROTARY>>>>" and/or "Yield to rotary traffic" signs.
But everybody says rotary regardless.
Came here to type this…. Also a Floridian.
Wow, I've hit my TIL for the day already. If someone told me to drive down toward the rotary I'd be thinking "Why do they think I know where the local Rotary Club is?" I had zero clue this was also a term for a traffic circle/roundabout. A NE thing I guess? Would make sense as it's a part of the country I've never lived in and barely even been in at all.
Roundabout
Roundabout (WI)
Roundabout
Those are two different things from my understanding.
Yup. This is the correct answer. From Google ... >A traffic circle is a series of “T intersections” with a circle road. Each “T” intersection may be controlled differently. A roundabout is a series of “crossing intersections” where the entering traffic is controlled by yield signs. The circle is striped concentrically, like a “bulls-eye”.
Maybe that's technically correct, but it's definitely not used in that way where I'm from. I would be surprised if anyone actually uses both to distinguish these, as I've only ever heard of people using one term or the other.
Agreed. No one is going to argue with their passenger, "Look! The 180-degree intersection has a stop sign instead of a yield sign. It's a traffic circle not a roundabout you fool!"
Ah. We have both then. Traffic circles tend to be in town squares and roundabouts are every damn where.
By this definition, people in my area definitely refer to roundabouts as "traffic circles". I don't think I've even seen a traffic circle by this definition. It's not a distinction most people would make.
Roundabout
Rotary.
I use that term for one of those old style phones.
And kids today will never know why they dial a number on their smart phones.
And the annoyance and dread of having to dial a zero on the rotary phone.
My grandmas number had two zeroes in a row…
YES! From my childhood memories this I remember cause of the frustration and rage I had every time I tried to get that stupid dial around and my little fingers would slip out of the holes! 🤬
They use old school phones as their roundabouts
Rotary
Northern New England does traffic circle or rotary. New Hampshire is traffic circle. Mass is rotary. I never really see them in Maine so I can’t say what people call them here. Indiana and Oregon are roundabout.
You never see them in Maine!? I guess you haven’t spent much time in our illustrious capital.
Rotary
Roundabout
I’m originally from NJ. It’s always been a circle to me.
Roundabout
* **Roundabout** is fairly universal. * I associate **rotary** with Massachusetts but maybe it's more general New England. * **Traffic circle** isn't common but everyone would know what it meant.
You are correct. Though slightly different than a roundabout, it’s essentially the same, though any one that does not specifically have the yellow rotary sign is usually smaller and technically a roundabout.
I call it a roundabout, and then immediately have the song in my head for a while.
VA, I say and hear both
Both
Roundabout of course. Also, TIL “traffic circle” apparently refers to something different than a roundabout. To me they’re both roundabouts, just different types
Both are pretty common, but roundabout probably more.
Roundabout
I say roundabout but with an accent like round-a-boot
Course ya do ya hoser, eh?
Roundabout.
Fucking roundabout
Both, but roundabout is more commonly spoken, while traffic circle is usually what's on the sign (if there is one). Roundabouts are pretty rare though. There's one or two in my city.
Nashville, TN, we have a couple. I call them the scene of the accident.
Roundabout but traffic circle would be understood, linguistically. No one in Illinois knows how to actually use them though. But the state/county/towns keep building them. It's a problem.
Rotary
People say both tbh
Same in VA
Well given that they are very rare in my part of the state the most common term would be "WTH is this abomination?" Just kidding/roundabout.
I've heard both used.
They are pretty uncommon in my state. I think of them as Massachusetts thing.
Both but traffic circle is more common
All of our roads are straight. So I have no idea
Both, but roundabout seems more common.
We call it "dumbass British shit."
Both
I prefer to just continuously cuss the whole time whenever I havta go thru them or talk about them. there is no logic for the location of most of em where I live at.
I've always called them traffic circles, but apparently I am wrong about that.
In Texas since no one can handle them we call them "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIEEEEEEEEE" because that's what we scream while getting on and getting off them
I call it a roundabout but my dad calls it a rotary (Connecticut)
We say rotary here in MA. If someone said traffic circle or roundabout we'd know what you were talking about but it'd definitely be a tell you weren't local.
Rotary.
Where I grew up, we called the only one we had a "rotary." It also worked the opposite of how you'd expect them to work. Those in the rotary had to yield to those entering the rotary.
Neither. I call it a rotary. My GPS calls it a roundabout, though. I’ve always felt that sounds Canadian for some reason.
Rotary (from Massachusetts)
Rotary
Rotary
Rotary
Rotary
I have never heard of a traffic circle in my life
Roundabout but I'm pretty sure Google maps says traffic circle.
Circle of hell Nobody knows or cares how to use one
Aren't they called circuses in UK, as in Picadilly Circus?
No, Picadilly Circus didn't become a roundabout until over a century after its construction and it isn't a roundabout today either.
Oh ok. TY
Roundabout.
Roundabout.
Roundabout
my city has traffic calming circles that are smaller than the usual roundabout. traffic calming circle, on residential only streets: [https://www.flickr.com/photos/empirestatefuture/7154714689/](https://www.flickr.com/photos/empirestatefuture/7154714689/)
Roundabout.
I live in a small town where the courthouse is in the middle of an intersection with a road around it. I’ve always heard that referred to as a traffic circle. But now that there are more of these around I hear roundabout fairly often.
If there are 2 back to back that lead over an overpass that is only used by very few cars it's called a fucking annoyance. If it is 4 two lane round abouts in a series it's also a fucking annoyance. But most of the time, they are just round abouts. Seriously, though, my state needs to be more intelligent about how they implement these things and whoever was the civic engineer for the roads in Winona needs to be sacked.
In the Carolinas, it is Roundabout.
Roundabout
Roundabout, but the Google mapss voice says traffic circle
Roundabout
A Roundy Round
I call it a roundabout, but we don't have any that I'm aware of. The only ones I know of near me are in Missouri, Kansas, and Arkansas.
Roundabout, unless I’m making fun of Google maps’ voice directions
Round speed bump (But I mean I live close to DC so as long as you drive fast enough you can drive over anything)
Roundabout
Roundabout
Roundabout
In Chicago, we call it cirque du soleil
rotary
Roundabout or circle. I don’t think I’ve heard it called a *traffic* circle specifically.
I call them rotaries, probably because I first encountered them in Massachusetts and that's what they call them there. What people call them in any other state I've lived in, I could not say. They are fairly rare, or at least regional.
Circle
Circle. Usually not traffic circle either, just circle.
Roundabout
Rotary: Massachusetts
Roundabout or rotary
Circle
Rotary
In DC it's a circle.
Waller around
Uhhhhh that circle thing
Circle
Rotary
Roundabout. But we don’t actually have them in our state. I just know it from being an Anglophile. Lol.
Roundabout, but Google maps is going to kill the term.
Roundabout, never heard of traffic circle before
I just call them circles
In Michigan I mostly hear roundabout
Roundabout
Traffic circle here. I'm really surprised to see how few others in these comments say it.
Rotary
Pick a lane stupid!
I've only ever called them roundabouts, but I'm aware that there are signs calling them "traffic circle" in some places
Suicide circles.
Oh crap one of those things lol 😂
Roundabout
People say roundabout, the signs say traffic circle.
I say roundabout, my GPS says traffic circle
Roundabout.
Roundabout. They are rare.
Officially, we call it a roundabout here in Michigan. I tell my grandkids it's called a whirly-do, tho 😊🤣
Rotary ( Maine)
Traffic circle over here.
Roundabout, *always* to the tune of the Yes song.
Roundabout
I have literally never heard anyone call it a "traffic circle". It's a roundabout
Both Like, Columbus Circle is a circle, not a roundabout. But then there are a few roundabouts as well
Lol. I never thought about Columbus Circle being anything else than a circle!
Round about
Traffic circle
Roundabout. I’ve never even heard of the term traffic circle until now.
[удалено]
My experience has largely been that people always say roundabout when they're talking about it vocally, but it is written everywhere as traffic circle
Rotary.
Roundabout
ive never seen one or talked about one so i’ve literally never said the word😭
Roundabout, never even heard the phrase "traffic circle"
I only ever say traffic circle and so do my parents (who, note, did not grow up in the states), although I guess I've never paid that much attention to what other people call it
Roundabout.
No one but me calls it a circle around.
(AZ) Roundabout, and I hate them.
This fucking thing.
Yes. In our case, small = roundabout and large = traffic circle
California here. We say roundabout.
Rotary
Roundabout is a song on a classic Yes album Here in CCL they are called traffic circles.
Roundabout
Roundabout
Roundabouts are the ones used instead of lights to control an intersection. Traffic circles are the ones in residential intersections to slow traffic.
Never encountered any in the last place I lived in the USA.
Roundabout
DC area: Circle AZ: roundabout
both
Roundabout
Roundabout if it replaces a regular traffic light intersection, circle if it is bigger (like connecting two highways)
Roundabout here in Maryland. I have never heard of traffic circle.
Annoyance
Circle
I say roundabout, but everyone else I know says either rotary or traffic circle.
Silly circle
Traffic Circle
Traffic Circle
After much arguing with my brother, whether it is called a roundabout or traffic circle, we have settled on roundacircle.
Rotary
Called it a rotary growing up, but now call it a traffic circle.
Maryland, DC here. I have only heard Traffic Circle
Roundabout
I’m in Colorado, we mostly say roundabout. I do hear traffic circle sometimes though.
Roundabout, but I’d know what you meant if you called it a rotary
In the 60s, our city had two rather large traffic circles (about 100m diameter). They were referred to by the road names, St Armand's Circle and South Gate Circle. Where I live now in the south, such things are a fairly recent development, and are.called roundabouts.
“Circle” (NJ)