Roundabouts 101: a brief guide

Roundabouts are becoming increasingly common on our roads, and most drivers would benefit from knowing more about them. Here’s a brief introduction.

Benefits of roundabouts
The main advantage of roundabouts is that they’re safer than traditional intersections, which present considerable risk for high-speed T-bone and head-on collisions.

When constructed with the same number of lanes as a cross-shaped intersection, roundabouts present eight conflict points compared to 32 for their counterparts.

Moreover, the circular design forces drivers to slow down, which means that any collisions that do occur are likely to be less severe.

Aside from being safer, roundabouts enable more fluid traffic flow and reduce noise pollution. This is because drivers don’t need to stop if the lane is clear and heavyweight vehicles don’t need to use their engine brakes as much.

As a bonus, the central island in a roundabout allows for the addition of greenery.

Safely using a roundabout
When driving through a roundabout, there are certain rules to follow. Drivers should:

• Slow down as they approach the roundabout
• Read the signs to ensure they choose the correct lane
• Enter the ring from the right if the lane is clear
• Yield to bicycles or cars on the left
• Yield to pedestrians who want to cross
• Always move counter-clockwise
• Keep moving, unless there’s an emergency
• Signal their intentions

If the driver misses their exit, they can simply drive back around the loop.