“It seems to me that most people dont know how to use the exit 3 traffic circle correctly. By which i mean that traffic entering the circle that will be exiting imediately stay in the right hand lane and all other traffic that wont be exiting immediately stay in the left hand lane…
This doesn’t seem to be just an out of state driver issue. I know many long time brattleboro residents who will stay in the right hand lane the full distance around the circle. My question is: Is this enforced in any way? Who is at fault if a driver in the right hand lane bypasses the immediate exit and a driver in the left hand lane exits into them causing an accident? Why is there no sign better representing how to effectively use the roundabout? It really is a systemic problem.”
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Every BPD officer shares your frustration with this intersection, both driving through it and investigating accidents that occur in it.
Your description of how the circle should be negotiated is correct. If immediate right turn exit is your plan then stay in the right lane. If you are going to any other exit then you should enter in the left lane. In addition to every entry point having two lanes, every exit has two lanes as well. Cars on the outside of the circle (which theoretically just came in at the previous entrance) exit into the right lane. Cars on the inside lane of the circle exit into the left lane. Many people do not travel through it properly, possibly because there is very limited signage related to how to drive through the intersection.
All of the design and signage at this intersection is controlled by the State of Vermont, not the Town of Brattleboro. This is because this portion of Putney Road (Route 5) is a state road. The State does all of the work on it – signage, maintenance, and repairs. They even plow the snow there. I don’t know how or why the signage decisions were made and would recommend directing that question to the state.
As far as enforcement, there is a state law (23 VSA 1037) that requires people to drive to the right of the island in a rotary (one way traffic). There is no state law or local Brattleboro ordinance related to which lane exits where.
However, there is a state law that indicates that a vehicle can not change lanes “until the driver has first ascertained that the movement can be made with safety” (23 VSA 1038). If you are traveling in the inside (left) lane and you exit the rotary, you are technically changing lanes because you are traveling through the outside (right) lane to do so. If a collision occurs, have you “ascertained that the movement can be made with safety?” This does not automatically mean the crash was your fault, but it is certainly something the officer will consider.
Now add the following complication with this intersection. Both Route 5 and Interstate 91 are major trucking routes. I-91 is a very popular route for trucks headed to northern New England destinations to avoid getting bogged down in eastern Massachusetts traffic. C&S Grocers is also a mile up the road. As a result, there is a tremendous amount of tractor-trailer traffic in the rotary.
However, due the narrow circumference, a standard 53 foot TT unit can not go around the two lane traffic circle and remain in one lane. The rear tires of the trailer track inside and toward the center, often sideswiping a passenger car that is traveling in the inside lane. This is the most common type of collision BPD responds to at the circle.
So whose fault is that crash? Is the TT driver for “failure to maintain lane?” Is the car driver for “unsafe passing?” All of these might be contributing factors in a crash investigation.
So what do you do? First, follow the general rotary rules described above. If you are taking the first exit, stay in the right lane. Enter from and stay in the left lane for any other exits. If you are in the inside (left) lane and are going to exit the rotary, be sure to check to your right and yeild to avoid a collision.
As far as TT units go, NEVER try to pass one in the rotary and do not drive next to them. You will notice that many TT drivers enter the circle straddling both lanes in an effort to prevent anyone from getting next to them. They are not being rude. They are just working from experience and trying to avoid a crash.
If you have a question for the Brattleboro Police Ask-a-Cop, please email it to info@ibrattleboro.com and put “Ask-a-Cop” in the subject line.
