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

Yikes shirley that sounds prety scarey to, We do not have any roundabouts just stop signs and traffic lights. but believe me you better make sure who is givin way first,,lol

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