4/11/2016

HowtoNavigateaRoundabout:12Steps(withPictures)

HowtoNavigateaRoundabout
TwoMethods:

NavigatingaSingleLaneRoundabout

NavigatingaMultiLaneRoundabout

Roundaboutsarechangingthewaywedrive.Incertainpartsoftheworld,roundaboutsusedtobeuncommon.Now,theyare
increasinglybeingusedbecausetheyeasecongestion,costlesstooperate,reduceaccidentsbyroughlyhalf,anduseless
energythantraditionallightoperatedintersections.[1]LearnhowtonavigatearoundaboutbystartingwithStep1below.

Method

NavigatingaSingleLaneRoundabout

Slowdownasyouapproachtheroundabout.Atthispoint,youshouldseea"RoundaboutAhead"signfollowed
bya"Yield"sign.Therecommendedspeedisnormally1520mph(2432kph).

Looktoyourleftbeforeenteringtheroundaboutandyieldtoanyoncomingtraffic.Trafficalreadyinthe
roundabouthastherightofway.Donotenterunlessasafegapispresent.Ifthereisnotrafficintheroundabout,

youmayentertheroundaboutwithoutyielding.[2]
Crosswalksareplacedoneortwocarlengthsbeforetheroundaboutitself.Yieldtoanypedestrianswhoarein,
orabouttoenter,thecrosswalk.

Whenthereisasafegapintraffic,entertheroundabout.Maintainalowspeedasyoumaneuverthroughthe
roundaboutandproceedtoyourexit.

Engageyourturnsignalasyouapproachyourdesiredexit.Thiswillinformotherdriversthatyouwishtoexit
theroundabout,easingconfusion.

Yieldonlytopedestriansinthecrosswalkoremergencyvehicleswhenexitingaroundabout.Remember
thatdriversinsidetheroundabouthavetherightofway.Unlessapedestrianiscrossingthecrosswalkoran
emergencyvehicle,suchasanambulance,isenteringorexitingtheroundabout,proceedthroughtheexitwithout
stoppingorslowingdown.
Ifanemergencyvehicleisabouttoenterorhasalreadyenteredtheroundabout,donotstopinthe
roundabout.Instead,exitoutyouroriginaldestinationandonlythenpullover.

Method

NavigatingaMultiLaneRoundabout

Remembertoyieldtobothlanesoftrafficinamultilaneroundabout.[3]Ifyouknowyou'llbeturningright,
andhencestayingintherightmostlane,butyouseeanoncomingcarintheleftlane,waitforittopassbefore
enteringtheroundabout.Althoughfrownedon,thecarcouldmergeintoyourlanejustasyouareenteringthe
roundabout,causinganaccident.

Choosewhichlanetoenterbasedonwhichdirectionyouwanttoexit.Inmultilaneroundabouts,which
usuallyhavethreeormorepossibleexits,thelaneyouchoosetodriveinisdictatedbythekindofturnyouwant
tomake:
Occupytheleftlaneifyoudecidetoturnleft,makeaUturn,orgostraight.
Occupytherightlaneifyoudeicetoturnrunorgostraight.
Lookforsignsindicatingtheallowedmovementsforeachlane.Thesesignsareusuallylocatedaboveor
alongsidetheroadand/orarrowspaintedontheroaditself.

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4/11/2016

HowtoNavigateaRoundabout:12Steps(withPictures)

Neverdrivenextto,orattempttopass,alargevehicleortruckonamultilaneroundabout.Largetrucks
havealargerturningradius,makingthemoneofthemoredangerousobstaclesinaroundabout.Alwaysgive
themampleroomtoturnbystayingbehindthemabitmorethanyouordinarilywouldwithpassengervehicles.

Stayinyourlaneatalltimes.Neverchangelaneswhileinamultilaneroundabout.

OtherConsiderationsWhenNavigatingaRoundabout

Never,everstopinthemiddleofaroundabout.Aroundaboutislikeanintersection,throughwhichtrafficis
continuouslyflowing.Stoppinginthemiddleofaroundaboutwillcausecongestionandincreasethelikelihoodof
anaccident.

Navigatetheroundaboutasacyclist.Ifyouarecyclingthrougharoundabout,youhavetwooptions:

Navigatetheroundaboutasapedestrian.Ifyouwishtocrosstheroundaboutasapedestrian,followthese
steps:

Entertheroundaboutasifyouwereavehicle.Remaincenteredinyourlanetobemostvisibleandavoidbeing
cutoffbyothervehicles.
Ifyouareuncomfortableridingyourbicyclethroughtheroundabout,exittheroadwayandusethecrosswalks.

Looktoyourleftandcrosswhenthereisasafegapintraffic.
Stopwhenyoureachthesplitterisland.
Looktoyourrightandcrosswhenthereisasafegapintraffic.

Canyouanswerthesereaders'questions?

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Tips
Majorruleofthumb:Ifyouareinthecircle,youhavetherightofway.
Crosswalksmaybeprovidedforpedestriansthesearelocatedattheapproachestotheroundabout.Alwayscrossatthe
designatedcrosswalksnevercrosstothecentralisland!
Youwillnoticearaisedsectionofpavementalongthecenteroftheroundabout,usuallycoloredinred.Thisiscalledthe
truckapron.Itspurposeistoprovideadditionalspacefortherearwheelsoflargetruckstousewhileturning.Itisnottobe
usedbysmallervehicles.

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HowtoNavigateaRoundabout:12Steps(withPictures)

Warnings
Donotturnleftfromtherightlane!Thisisoneofthemostcommoncausesofaccidentsinroundabouts.Indoingso,you
maycollidewithavehicleintheleftlanethatisgoingstraight.Thissameruleappliestoothertypesofintersections.

SourcesandCitations
1.http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/safety/roundabouts/benefits.htm
2.http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/safety/roundabouts/
3.http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/00067/00067.pdf

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