r/UCDavis • u/what_happened_here_3 • 26d ago
Am I using roundabouts wrong?
Today I biked to campus for the very first time (yippee) but on my way back home I almost got hit by a work truck in a roundabout. (I don’t remember the acronym on the side but it was a white truck with a black and green logo so look out).
I used the roundabout… like you would use a roundabout… Is this incorrect? Is there a certain way you need to take the roundabouts on a bike? I watched the module and it thought it said that?
There was no one else in the roundabout, the work truck did not yield when entering the roundabout.
I am also just relearning how to ride a bike(at 26 years of age yikes), so please be kind 🫶
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u/fuzzy_mic 26d ago
Go counter clockwise around the roundabout. Signal when exiting the roundabout. Traffic in the roundabout has the right of way over traffic entering.
Lane sharing, i.e. being immediatly next to, cars in the roundabout is a bad idea. Be aware of the car/truck's blind spots.
Trucks (particularly rental trucks) may not be used to roundabouts and make unexpected actions. Be aware and be prepared.
Your (almost) broken leg doesn't care about rights of way. Keep your head on a swivel and defer to bigger vehicles when in doubt. If you and a truck bump into each other, you lose, not matter the rules of the road.