Maneuvering a Roundabout

Driving Modern Roundabouts Video

This video is courtesy of the City of Lacy, the City of Olympia and the Washington State Department of Transportation. Approximate running time is 7 minutes.

    Play video.

The following link is to the Wisconsin DOT website where a 2-minute version of "Roundabouts: The Wisconsin Experience" video can be viewed.

http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/safety/motorist/roaddesign/roundabout-works.htm

Automobiles

Roundabout - Rules of the Road

Driving a modern roundabout is safe and easy when you follow a few basic rules of the road:

• Always slow down as you approach a roundabout. Roundabouts are designed to permit average speeds of 20 to 25 miles per hour while passing through the intersection.
• As with any multi-lane intersection, choose your lane before entering the roundabout based on your destination. At a 2-lane roundabout, the right-hand entry lane is generally marked for right turn and through traffic only. The left-hand entry lane is generally marked for through and left turn traffic only. Never change lanes within the roundabout.
• When entering, always yield to circulating traffic within the roundabout. This is the most important rule. Remember, vehicles within the roundabout have the right of way. If there is no circulating traffic approaching, then you may enter the roundabout without stopping.
• Always watch for pedestrians in the marked crosswalks located at each entry and exit point of the roundabout.

Pedestrians

Roundabouts are safer for pedestrians than signalized intersections for a number of reasons:

• Slow vehicle speeds (20 – 25 MPH) at the crosswalks.
• Because the lanes approaching and leaving roundabouts are separated by splitter islands, pedestrians need only negotiate one direction of vehicular traffic at a time. Refuge is provided for pedestrians in the splitter island prior to crossing the outbound vehicular lanes.
• Two-lane roundabouts have 16 pedestrian/vehicle conflict points as compared to 28 or more for an equivalent signalized intersection depending on the number of lanes. Despite the use of "WALK" indicators at signalized intersections, crosswalks are still traversed by vehicles turning left and right on red, both movements causing the driver to focus on approaching vehicular traffic and not pedestrians in the crosswalk.
• Since crosswalks are only located at the approach/exit lanes and are set at least one car length back from the entrance to the circle, drivers do not have to split their attention between pedestrians and oncoming vehicular traffic.

Bicycles

Cyclists have a choice of methods for how to negotiate a roundabout:

• Less experienced cyclists can dismount their bikes and use the crosswalks as a pedestrian.
• More experienced cyclists can claim the appropriate traffic lane and negotiate the roundabout as would an automobile. Motorized and non-motorized traffic move at similar speeds within a modern roundabout.

Typical Signage

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