Road Rants: Roundabout rules are pretty simple

Driving around Central Oregon can feel like you’re driving in circles sometimes.

With all the roundabouts in place or on the way, you’d think we’d be experts, but many drivers fail to master some simple rules.

According to Oregon law, you must signal out of a roundabout when you exit.

Diana DeLand pointed out many mistakes made at a roundabout in Redmond in a very short period of time.

She explained the proper way to navigate a roundabout.

“And you can start scanning your left zone, and if there is no traffic, you can in one fluid motion just enter the roundabout,” DeLand said. “And you are watching for other traffic as you are going around, you’re watching for pedestrians, bicyclists, and when you get to the exit that you want to leave on, you turn on your turn signal.”

Right now, there are 32 roundabouts in the city of Bend, with five more in the works.

The idea behind a roundabout is not only to increase traffic flow, but also to keep people safe.

And that includes pedestrians. While you are not supposed to stop in general while you are in the roundabout, you are supposed to stop for someone crossing the street.

Bend city Transportation Engineer Robin Lewis said as the population grows, roundabouts aim to keep traffic flowing.

“Some of the studies we have done on capacity of roundabouts in Bend vs. nationwide, we actually have about 30 percent better capacity from the same style of roundabout,” Lewis said. “And I think that’s because our drivers are so used to them.”

Because drivers are forced to slow down, studies show a 76 percent drop in the number of people injured, if an accident occurs in a roundabout.

At Southeast 15th Street and Reed Market Road, after a roundabout replaced a traffic signal, the number of crashes dropped from 18 to two in a single year.

The city of Bend has a list of frequently asked questions and answers about roundabouts online at: https://www.bendoregon.gov/government/departments/streets/bend-roundabouts/rab-faqs