Drivers from other parts of the world are often terrified by New England’s use of traffic circles at busy intersections. We’re not the only people to use them – Washington, D.C., has some of the worst – but they do become landmarks. In New Hampshire, for instance, a set of directions might mention the Portsmouth Traffic Circle, or the one at Epsom or Stratham or Alton or Lee, shown here.
Other terms for the routing around a central island include “rotaries” and “roundabouts.” What Romans call theirs would be unprintable in a family-friendly blog like this.
Jnana's Red Barn 
They use them on some military posts, they can be wonderful if folks are taught to use them properly. If not it’s a death spiral.
Very common here. What I find terrifying about yours, if I’m reading the sign correctly, is that they go the “wrong” way around!
Hadn’t thought of the impact of having the steering wheel on the right-hand side of the dashboard. Or even of tackling one of these “down under,” in New Zealand or Australia.
What are yours called, by the way …
They’re becoming more common in other parts of the country because they are more efficient (if designed properly) than stop signs. They are especially useful at intersections where there are more than four ways in/out. The Kentucky community where I live has had a roundabout for a few years, with two more under construction, and several Indiana communities I know of have added them in recent years.