One of the new traffic roundabouts in the Florence area is located at the Florence Mall at the Starbuck's, Cox Creek Blvd, entrance but if just the limited views that I have had concerning traffic samples that attempt to negotiate it are an indication then the citizens of Florence have a long way to go before the local Government considers adding more in our area.
The number of people that appear not to understand the basic traffic directions and negotiating a traffic roundabout is staggering and vast. I can't use my hands and feet to count the number of drivers that incorrectly negotiate, or attempt to negotiate, the traffic roundabout. So many that cut short and in the wrong direction as they go from the Cox Creek entrance directly over to Starbucks property. I haven't had that many opportunities to be around the roundabout at the Sweetwater area but I can imagine the number of accidents and near misses that must occur in one day around the one at the mall entrance.
I'm wondering which will occur first? People will finally learn to negotiate a traffic roundabout in the correct way or the mall management or city officials decide to eliminate the one at that mall entrance? I'm betting on the removal of the roundabout first as even if it remains I can imagine that there will continue to be a vast number of people either unfamiliar with how to negotiate roundabouts or unwilling to learn. I don't want to sit in the judgment of other drivers who may have never seen or encountered them and may never have been instructed on how to negotiate one but given that they are gaining in popularity in many suburban areas and cities if a person drives enough then they are bound to eventually have to negotiate one.
It could be that the issues is one of education or driver education and maybe signage is the problem or contributing to it but either way There are plenty of resources out there that describe how to negotiate a traffic roundabout successfully.
Here is yet another example of how to negotiate a roundabout.
Be safe out there but just watching traffic flow through and around one of these roundabouts can be both exciting, comical, frustrating, and dramatic all at the same time.