Navigating the roundabouts in Grand Junction is like walking through a mine field. Not that I have ever done so, of course, but it has to be similar.

It seems as though the drivers locally cannot or will not learn to accept the roundabouts, or how to drive them.

Now, some roundabout etiquette may actually be necessary so we can all navigate these dastardly things without fear of an accident. Well, I'm your huckleberry.

First of all, the one rule that seems to fail every single driver is:

The vehicle already in the roundabout has the right of way.

Now, this seems to confuse some people, as their thinking goes; "I can punch it and get to that little curve there before he can, so here...I...go!" This thinking of course results in accidents, increased blood pressure, and the one finger salute all the time.

If you are approaching a roundabout, and you see a vehicle or vehicles in it already, just wait. It will clear and you can be on your merry way. Wait not, and you could be going home much later than you planned.

The idea behind these awful things is it keeps the flow of traffic moving, eliminating the need for stop signs and traffic lights. In most cases, I would agree, but for some reason, they don't seem to work here.

Many people think it's because they are too narrow, and truck drivers will agree with that. But honestly, the people who navigate them every day have no issue with them. It's the occasional driver who is unused to how to drive them.

So, let's run this simple rule down one more time. If you're not in the roundabout, wait until you can be in the roundabout by waiting for the traffic approaching your position to clear.

It's as simple as that.

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