Navigating A Multi-Lane Roundabout

Roundabouts are becoming more common across the country every year. They are designed to maximize safety for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians alike, by slowing traffic and preventing high-risk crashes, and with less delay than typical traffic lights.

This video shows drivers how to navigate a multi-lane roundabout and what to do when large vehicles and emergency vehicles are traveling through the roundabout.

[Xiefux]

roundabouts should stay single lane as God intended

[shxdyneo]

"Don't change lanes in a roundabout" was my biggest confusion with roundabouts.. I'm glad I watched this video!

[JohnJohn-hdqu]

The scary thing is, I've been driving for 2 years and still had to look this up.

[Bobrogers]

My first concern is when the traffic is heavy and there is a constant flow of cars, yet the video tells me I must sit and wait - maybe for a very long time - until BOTH lanes are empty. My second concern is that cars in the inner lane must cross traffic in the outer lane to make their exit. My third concern is that often roundabouts rely on lane markings to inform you, but they may be obscured by the cars ahead of you, leaving only a split second to read them. Also, they can wear down to illegibility.

[Anbregour]

As someone from the UK, I've had great fun reading this comment section. It's a nice reminder that what is commonplace for me (driving through dozens of roundabouts every week) isn't going to be normal for everyone.

[gamestycon]

What makes me mad about the double lanes roundabouts is that sometimes I’m in left lane trying to go straight and some guy in the right is there blocking the way.

[aidenmarshall]

I’m a new driver with my permit (US) and I just had an incident in which i was entering a two lane roundabout with the intention to go straight. A car was coming in the far lane/second lane and i assumed he wasn’t going straight, but rather traveling around the round about, so i went. I almost hit him if it weren’t for my dad saying “You can’t do that!” and grabbing the wheel to pull me to the right. Needless to say, it was scary so i came here to relearn roundabouts. Man i wish they were all one lane.

[the.remnant__]

Roundabout is the best word for someone with a Minnesotan accent.

[roodlyfbuts]

Almost got into an accident in a very small roundabout. Thought I'd watch this video to help me better understand them. Yup, the other driver should have yielded. They were going like 40. I was lucky to not have been in a wreck, especially since we both slammed on our breaks and came to a stop in the roundabout.

[burntoak]

As someone from England who grew up with roundabouts, they are very safe and easy to navigate IF you understand the rules and get in the correct lane. In Edgware where i lived it has a 3 lane roundabout; no problem. In the U.S. I have lived through NJ circles and Massachusetts rotaries, both demolition derbies. For me the most frustrating thing is drivers not using indicators approaching and while in the roundabout. In fact almost all of the Youtube instructional videos don't mention indicators: Big omission.

[TerryB]

For people that are unfamiliar with the area, they may not know which exit to use when they get into the roundabout. This can make it hard to know what lane to get into even before reaching the roundabout. That's why it's always going to be difficult for tourists unless they're using a good GPS.

[Xanderulz]

I'm 21 and have been driving for 7 years now. Had to look this up since I moved to Australia and roundabouts seem to be a traffic fetish here.

[graemehay]

I really enjoyed this film: it makes it all so clear. Living in the UK I have been navigating roundabout junctions since around 1965, as a lad on a bicycle and the principles described here are just the same. The only thing which I noticed was the absence of any advice on drivers using indicators to signal their intent of direction on approach to the roundabout? In the UK we are taught to indicate right or left on approach for those directions and to give no signal for continuing on the same (Straight-ahead) route). We are also taught that once in the roundabout a right signal be given to indicate your intention to leave the roundabout immediately after your vehicle passes the exit before the one that you want to take. That is to say the earliest possible notice you can give to other drivers, without causing any confusion. Unfortunately some drivers do not give exiting signals, which is a shame because where thy are used traffic can enter the roundabout with greater confidence and this adds up to a significant increase in the safe traffic handling capacity of the junction.
I most of Europe such roundabout junctions exist but drivers never give signals and most drivers position their vehicles across either both lanes, in the incorrect lane or simply cut across all lanes in the roundabout. The result of this is that no one know when and where anyone intends to go and the capacity of the junctions reduces to very low levels and there are many minor collisions.
Again, I really did enjoy this films clarity.

[SarahNova]

There was a new roundabout installed in a local city years ago. One late night I was driving around with my mom near the new round about. There was little traffic, but A minivan was in front of us as we approached the roundabout. Instead of using the roundabout as intended, the minivan just floored it across the inner circle and barely made it across the grass to the other side. It absolutely astounds me that we share the road with people like that every day 🤦🏻‍♀️

[caity.bug]

This is helpful for my semitruck-filled dual lane roundabout

[Kuli]

And if the roundabout confuses you, we're throwing crosswalks into the mix :D

[hun_bun_bee]

Thank you for posting this! I’ve navigated many single lane round a bouts but got overwhelmed when I learned I’d be going through a multi-lane! Wanted to make sure I could navigate it safely, and now I’m sure I am :)

[teholbeddict]

Great video, thanks. Very concerning that as a driver for nearly two decades i am just now learning the proper way to nevigate a traffic circle.

[hopeseekr]

I needed to watch this just to play Euro Truck Simulator 2. Man! I kept crashing into cars and even semis left and right, especially in London where it's on the left side :O But even in Paris and Berlin, the multilane round abouts screwed me over. This video helped a lot!

[caity.bug]

Roundabouts are fun to drive in when its single-laned, its like a loop-de-loop