By Tim Cherry
Staff Writer
Wednesday, November 21, 2012

The roundabout near Pence Gate may be the only one of its kind on post, but that doesn’t give motorists the right to disobey traffic laws.

Oncoming traffic must yield right of way to vehicles inside the circle and drivers within the circle must yield right of way to vehicles in the outer lane of the circle, according to Belvoir Police Chief Timothy Wolfe.

“Just yield and be patient,” Wolfe said.

The roundabout, which was completed in July 2011, connects Pence Gate, Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, the Community Center and Belvoir Road.

The circle has a 20 mile per hour speed limit, can handle any type of vehicle, is open to bicyclists and has crosswalks for pedestrians. The intersection keeps a steady traffic flow entering and exiting Pence Gate while keeping traffic congestion on U.S. Route 1 to a minimum.

Wolfe said traffic congestion isn’t an issue but motorists’ driving habits are causing concerns. He estimated seven or eight accidents have occurred in the roundabout with many additional close calls.

The issue stems from traffic entering the circle from Pence Gate or Belvoir Road. Motorists in the inside lane of the circle traveling from either direction are not yielding right of way to drivers on the outside lane traveling around.

Instead these motorists are attempting to exit the roundabout via Pence Gate or Belvoir Road by cutting across drivers in the outside lane.

The result is a side collision accident or close call.

Wolfe said motorists in the roundabout should use their turn signals to inform other drivers of their intentions. Motorists driving in the inside lane should only exit when they have a clear path. If a clear path isn’t available, Wolfe said motorists should travel around the circle and exit when possible.

“If everybody was patient and yielded, we’d have no problems there,” Wolfe said. “You must be aware of your surroundings and you have to understand once you get into that center lane, you have to yield to the world at that point.”

Despite the number of accidents and close calls, no person has been seriously harmed maneuvering through the roundabout. Roundabouts are one of the safest intersection designs, according to Virginia Department of Transportation’s website.

These circular intersections provide a 90 percent reduction in fatal crashes, a 75 percent reduction in injury crashes, a 30 to 40 percent reduction in pedestrian crashes and a 10 percent reduction in bicycle crashes.

The reasons behind these reductions are the speeds and angles at which motorists drive. The typical roundabout in Virginia is 25 mph or slower. This gives drivers more time to react to each other’s vehicles and pedestrians. The circular dimensions of the roundabout also minimize the chances of severe collisions.

“Traffic circles work very well, but everybody has to yield,” Wolfe said. “The traffic circle depends on people being patient and yielding.”