Priority to the right

[Lori]

Yes, right on red is allowed at many intersections in the USA (most in fact). I had to remind OH that it is NOT allowed in France.

[elsie]

In Turkey, if you are on the roundabout you give way to traffic joining it!! Most unnerving to start with!

There are two types of "roundabout" in France, rond pont and carrefour. Rond-pont have priority to the right for traffic joining when you are on the roundabout; carrefour have stop markings on the road at the entrance to the roundabout.
The signs for carrefour and rond pont

rp.jpg

[Hotrodder]

I'll have to get a photo, but in the bourg of our commune, they've spent months on various road works and what have they come up with ? A little roundabout where a vehicle on the roundabout has to give way to the right !!!! I do remember roundabouts like that about 30 + years ago but as they seem to have disappeared, everyone is astonished to see the resurrection of such idiocy.

The last time I drove on Etoile/Arc de Triomphe it was like that. That was where I learned that a Renault Twingo door was no match for my Volvo 740 rear bumper.

My first encounter with that circus was on my first ever trip to France, in an 850 Mini. If I hadn't been totally lost I would never have seen (or believed) what goes on there. Jaw dropping to watch a 2cv hammering around wobbling from side to side with far too many people aboard cutting across much larger cars. Potential carnage. I was well accustomed to London's finest white knuckle rides like Hyde Park Corner but Paris had it beat. Of course that was all 50 years ago when traffic was fast, not nose to tail at a walking pace.

[Lori]

I have never seen the blue sign.

[Blaze]

I have never seen the blue sign.

The blue sign tends to be for the small roundabouts, particularly in urban areas, obliging you to go round and not cut the corner. A circular sign is an order not a warning.
I doubt there would be "stop" markings for roundabouts, whatever the type, because that defeats the object of making traffic flow more freely. There are more likely to be dotted lines and a triangular "give way" sign or even "Vous n'avez pas le priorité".

[Lori]

obliging you to go round and not cut the corner

I'm not sure I'm following you. If it is a roundabout, then there must be more than one sortie. What do you mean by 'not cut the corner?'

[Hotrodder]

A bit of ancient history. The first roundabout in California I ever saw was built in 1932 and was legendary at the time (in the 60s) for the false claim that the designer was later killed on it. He survived until 1973. Checking with uncle Google I find that it is still the only major one in the state. It is remarkable that only four people were killed on it in the first year, as the brakes on a 1932 car leave a lot to be desired. The idea of a roundabout never really gained popularity like they have in Europe.

[RobertArthur]

@ Blaze, and probably you would smell and hear those Trabis in "die songeannte DDR" before you saw them, time enough.

[Blaze]

@RibertArthur, Oh yes, I remember them well, made of cardboard, appalling to drive, no brakes !! The only other cars we saw were big black long beetle-like things, Soviet staff cars - type Zim or Gaz.
We went there in a very old VW Beetle and one time we came back to find loads of children ooh aahing it. It was a bit of a heap but the height of luxury for them.

[RobertArthur]

@ Blaze, tourist attraction now, for hire. Give it a try next time you visit Berlin.