Roundabouts ??

No mystery Debbie-----keeps traffic moving instead of a 4-way junction ( for example) where one of the roads is going to have to stop, or give way. At a round-about, the traffic should flow faster through the junction.  The best one is at Swindon, Wilshire where there's 5 mini  round-abouts together, nick named the Magic Roundabout.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wiltshire/content/articles/2005/11/22/pwaod_roundabout_feature.shtml

And here explains a more simple cross-roads version, as you'll find countless in Basingstoke, Hampshire where they love round-abouts.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_070338

OMG!!!! that is just about the scarest roundabout i have ever seen paul!  I hope they do not let tourist go down that way,,,lol and i hope I do not run into that one,,lol i will just have to get out of my car and push,LOL

  Well i think i kinda get what you are saying and it makes since i guess instead of having to stop  Thanks Paul!;-)

Yes, that roundabout he shows looks fearsome....we got some simple little roundabouts here in an wealthier section of Portland that make the area quite charming I think....I've been across the entire nation pretty much driving, the worse road I think is the 8 wide Interstate near San Francisco..why becaue there's turns off to the left, turn off to the right, everyone is going 70 and not one wants to let you in to change lanes,and by golly, you better know where your going before you get there and work into the right lane...or it could be an 50 to 70 car instant "pile-up" at those speeds. I mean it's bumper to bumper at high speed....all 8 lanes.  

You havnt driven around a round-about untill you've driven round the Arch-de-Triumph lol, in Paris.

English round-abouts are usualy fairly simple, slow down on approach (signed) give-way to traffic coming from the right. They save on time lost waiting for traffic-light systems to change.

Some of the larger round-abouts also have traffic-light signals controlling them.

Mini round-abouts are usualy a small white painted circle on the road surface, with signs. These are easy but put there to help traffic flow through a junction thats not wide enough to build a large round-about, again, give way to traffic from the right but beware also, if the guy driving towards you is indicating he is turning right, (only at a round-about though), he has the right of way and will turn across your path. Dont worry, its all easy when you do it a couple of times (Think what we Brits have to put up with when we holiday abroad, they all drive on the 'wrong' side to us) lol.

Point of order! If the sign says Give way, you must, but if theres no one to give way to, there is no need to stop your wheels. If the sign tells you to Stop!, you must stop your wheels at the white line, before checking its safe to carry on. even if the road is clear, failure to stop at a stop sign is a traffic offence.

POLICE- The British Police are usually polite and fair minded, give them 'agro' and they'll politely give you agro back .

Comunity police usualy handle local crime such as anti-social behavour, theft etc

Traffic police usualy take care of traffic related incidents.

Fraud etc.,and serious crime is usualy taken care of by crime-squads and special teams.

Transport Police usualy take care of railway etc crime

You can still ask a policeman for the time/ directions etc and yes you can (in places) still see 'Bobbies on bicycles, two by two', as Roger Millers 60's song says (England Swings' by Roger Millar - you tube lol)

Traffic wardens are usualy polite but work to rule and are not generaly 'flexable'.

 Hey! debbie, you'll know more about us than we do before you get to England in Sept. lol

Ok i know its not a roundabout but check this out, its about 20 mins from my house, its a nightmare to navigate!!  its nicknamed SPAGHETTI JUNCTION!!

We have something similiar here...called circles!! I live near the infamous Somerville Circle!! The most hated place in New Jersey!! I won't drive around it unless it's 3 am and there are no cars on the road!