A new fashion as absurd as it is dangerous has taken by storm TikTok. Hundreds of drivers film themselves crossing the middle of a roundabout rather than going around it, all to the backdrop of rap music and phone in hand. This phenomenon, called the “roundabout trend”, has taken on considerable proportions in a few days, accumulating million views and alerting law enforcement. For a young motorist, the adventure ended suddenly, with a license canceled and a car seized.
What exactly is this viral phenomenon?
This challenge consists of ignore the roundabout and to drive directly on the central reservation of roundabouts. The videos, systematically shot from the passenger compartment, show cars or motorcycles committing the offense.
To amplify virality, each publication is accompanied by the same song: Bar-Mitzvah by rapper Heuss l’Enfoiré, although the music has no thematic connection with the act. According to platform data Visibrainnearly 500 videos were posted in a single week, generating more than 3 million views and at least 200,000 likes.
Is fuel economy a valid excuse?
Some participants try to justify their action by invoking the gasoline priceclaiming that cutting through the roundabout allowssave fuel. This argument is quickly brushed aside by driving professionals.
In reality, theeco-driving relies on flexible, fluid and smooth driving, quite the opposite of the brutal maneuver represented by crossing a median. The potential gain of a few centimeters of travel is completely wiped out by the need to accelerate suddenly and by the shocks inflicted on the vehicle.
What are the actual penalties for violators?
Although the Traffic Laws does not provide for a specific offense for “crossing a roundabout”, drivers are exposed to multiples sanctions. The authorities may retain several qualifications, such as failure to respect the direction of traffic or dangerous traffic.
In the most serious cases, the act can be qualified as endangering the lives of othersa criminal offense. Using the phone while driving is added to the list of offenses. For the arrested driver, whose points balance was already low, this cocktail was fatal: his license was canceled on the spot. The final bill, between the impound, the fines and the steps to retake the license, will far exceed the potential profits from a viral video.
