roundabouts should stay single lane as God intended

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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 final boss of intersections

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

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.

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.

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 🤦🏻‍♀️

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 KZfaq instructional videos don't mention indicators: Big omission.

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.

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.

I have learned that when an emergency vehicle enters the roundabout when you are still on it, then you should make an extra loop around the roundabout so that you wont be in the way of the emergency vehicle after exiting. I think this is safer than exiting and pulling over.

Car at 1:19 failed. And the number 1 rule is you MERGE into a round about. Its no different then merging onto the highway. If its clear keep driving and do not stop.

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 :)

Thank you for posting this. I’m about to move out of my hometown where we don’t have any of these roundabouts and my new town has them all over. One in particular is even more trickier than the ones in the video which I’m a little apprehensive about. Not only am I still unsure about navigating my way around town but the roundabout looks sort of scary. Everyone is moving what seems like so fast and I feel like I need more time to figure out where to go and which lane to be in. I get the feeling I’ll be making multiple loops around until I figure out my exit strategy. lol

In a multilane traffic circle, any direction change that exceeds 180 degrees takes place on the inside lane. If you're on the outside lane, attempting 270, or a complete 360, don't assume the inside lane driver to your left is doing the same. In a roundabout, it's best just to proceed defensively. Round here, folks don't know how to use them properly.

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

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.

I think driving in these roundabouts are something that one must "learn" with much practice.

Usually don’t comment, but I e watched so many videos explaining roundabouts and I was left confused but this is the perfect bc I finally understand the rules and how to safely go through one! Tysm!!

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!

Roundabouts have one special ability. They creates traffic jam on places, where it never been before!

There is a 2 lane roundabout in Rosemont, IL near the mall that gets really busy and destroys me every time since it's mandatory to pass through it if turning left while exiting the garage it's attached to. The yield rules are a bit nerve wracking when traffic from the main street entering tends to already be going faster than cars exiting the garage...

Great video! Thank you so much! 🤗

We call them "Traffic Circles" here in my parts, but I specifically looked up this video to make sure I was NOT some idiot after having been nearly side-swiped multiple times by getting into the inner edge of the circle and continuining straight as it says I can on the markings.

If you use your signal, left to circle, right to exit, it makes things much easier.

Great video, I was happy to watch 👍👍

This video was hysterically funny ! Do the people who created this video think this is how traffic works in real life ? It is rare for people to indicate turns, yield to oncoming traffic, and obey posted speeds on straightaways. What person thinks multilane roundabouts are going magically change drivers ?

Thank you, I’ve made all of these mistakes!

Just the other day here in Ohio on the north end of Columbus near 270 I entered a multilane roundabout on my motorcycle. There were two cars to the left just about to enter the roundabout when I entered on the right lane going straight. By the time I got about midway of the two exit lanes to my right, the inner lane car going straight started honking at me. Considering the relatively slow speed limits of roundabouts being 20 miles per hour, I was taken aback by this as there was more than ample time for me to get through without a fuss. I ride a WR250R, which has very low gearing compared to most street bikes as it is essentially a street legal dirt bike and I don't fuss around on acceleration so I had no trouble swiftly approaching the limit to keep up with the flow of traffic. Confused at the time I thought, did I do something wrong? So here I am double checking my understanding of how multilane roundabouts work. In retrospect, I'd have to say that they were in the wrong for going faster than the speed limit, which would have put them at fault. I've accelerated in front of on-coming cars on 50 mph+ roads and freeways having been more than capable of getting up to speed long before they would've ever had a chance to rear end me. Had they been going the speed limit, there would have been no conceivable way for them to have been that close in less than three seconds. The bottom line is; watch yourselves out there, because no one else will... Everyone thinks they have the right of way.

this video really helped me learn

Sign Lane (see sign pick lane) Slow Yield (slow down, yield) Clear Enter (all lanes clear, enter)

Great video to teach yielding I like it a lot

im glad i learned how to navigate a roundabout

Just had someone nearly hit me on the roundabout, the situation was im turning west coming from south and they are going straight into south coming from north's right lane. Because i was in the inner circle and they were in the outer circle they assumed (and missed my left turn signal) that they could proceed in their lane. But on a left turn you need to cross over the outer circle. Thats why you must yield to both lanes

Extra idea!

inside lane -> straight even if you signal is dangerous. I get so many people cutting me off from the right inbound traffic

Clearwater, Florida has one at the beach.

I find it funny that us American’s complain about this, while our neighbors across the pond deal with this dilemma on a daily basis

Glad they brought up semi trucks I been driving tractor trailer for 14 years everytime its scary stuff every time people try to drive traffic circles right beside me I get scared I'm gonna crush someone!!

They always talk about all the benefits of roundabouts, but I think it boils down to side-swipes are better than t-bones.

We had a traffic circle in Daytona before I even got my license in 1967. I was already familiar with it because I used it all the time on my bicycle. I've never been confused by a roundabout or a traffic circle. I wish they were at all intersections. I hate traffic lights!

Where I live, when I’m on the way to the mall, there’s 3 roundabouts within a yard of each other 🙃

Here is what I never understand about a multilane roundabout. If you want to turn left, then you have to go to the inside lane which means that you have to change lanes before you exit. Otherwise,you are trapped in there. So first of all, why do some people say that you can't change lanes. How are you supposed to get out of the inside lane without changing lanes? Secondly, I always thought that drivers were told not to change lanes on sharp curves because your sight distance is limited . Usually when a driver approaches a section of a multilane road with a curve in it, the lines between lanes change from a dotted white line to a solid white line to tell drivers not to change lanes in that section of road. A roundabout is a circle which is obviously curvy. Therefore isn't it dangerous to change lanes on a roundabout, but if you wish to turn left it is unavoidable. I keep hearing people talk about how roundabouts are so much more efficient and safer than other intersections but this is the biggest flaw to roundabout designs.

Must be my age, even after watching this film 3 times, I am still not confident that I understand who goes where and when..

Turning left use your turn signals. Like in the video We have two of the double roundabout on two highway.

In france our roundabouts have no markings on the ground inside, not even lines to separate both lanes.

In Great Britain/UK the rules are different: if you see a roundabout, drive as fast as you can through is (2 wheels on the ground are enough), and honk at everybody, who goes to slow. But follow the rules strictly. If you can't do it, even half asleep, don't drive ANYMORE.

What do you do if you're intending to make a left turn and in the left lane but someone in the right lane is blocking your path? Or is this an impossible scenario if everyone yields correctly?

I found the part where it talks about multi lane roundabouts and what lanes to get in intresting, i never understood that before

Yeilding before entering a round about is very important you don't want to cut other drivers off.

There's a certain multilane round about that i rarely use but need to use more often soon. Every time i used it, i got honked at. I just dont know what I'm doing wrong. Also it's supposed to connect you the high way so i dont know what lane to use until i see the sign.

Yield to all lanes of traffic when entering a roundabout

I love it. Thanks so much. All the countries should have modern roundabouts. I wonder how much traffic volumes a multi-lane roundabouts can take.

Look for and stop for any pedestrians and bicyclists

Always slow down and yield be for entering a roundabout

Was never taught or shown or educated on the proper technique for any round=about..one lane or two. We recently have one installed in my town....after many times going around, and seeing many mishaps and excessive horn blowing..I found another way to where I want to go--is it a little farther, YES. The roundabout gives me instant panic. I may know what to do, but, I don't know if the other guys know what to do....call me old fashioned, I likeed it better the way it was.......we are a snall town not a metropolitan city. Anyone ever been through the rotaries in CAPE COD, MASS., ????? White knucle all the way around.

Does anyone else have the problem I have been having, I will use the graphic starting just before the 2-minute mark. If you are a vehicle coming from the southern portion of the image to enter the roundabout and going on the inside lane to turn left then a vehicle on the north side of the roundabout enters but wants to go straight, they cut off the driver from the south trying to turn left because they assume you will continue on the inner circle and not leave. Drivers who want to go straight enter too soon and nearly cause accidents all the time.

20? I do about 5 all the way through since most people have no idea what "Yield" means. Besides, if the traffic designers want you to stop and yield, just put up a four way stop. These things are such a pain. So many times I have to go down streets I don't want to because I am not familiar with the area and it wasn't clearly marked or because someone else blocked me from where I was trying to go. I hate these things.

I just got my license like 2 weeks ago and got honked at at one of these roundabouts today sooo. yeah just watching this to make sure i wasn’t too much in the wrong...

Perfecto-Este es el modelo de glorieta que debe imponerse a nivel mundial, por cuyo diseño llevo peleando todo lo que va de siglo XXI, y que desde 2004 se implantó en la ciudad de A Coruña. Enhorabuena.

This may work on paper, but it just barely works in practice. Even the simple 4-way stop is more than most people are capable of understanding. Even people that do understand, and also read signs and lane markings are going to do whatever they want when they find themselves in the wrong lane.

Me and my employer argue about this roundabout.....I'm about to cross the round about,(two-lane) I am on the right lane and I signaled left, meaning I'm going to the left after the round about...but suddenly on my left, one driver passed by and he is going straight....am I wrong??I definitely honked on him and he goes faster not minding at all

It’s lovely how people complain about two-lane roundabouts, while we got three or four lanes in ours. 😆

I avoid the roundabout altogether and travel 1/4 mile further and do a turnaround.

3:03 'Boss said change the sign'

They create more accidents due to lane confusion. A traditional 4-way stop works far better and cheaper to construct..

When I have to drive around a roundabout I like to speed up and fasten my seatbelt and say a small prayer to mother mary.

Did not see you mention indicators or how people should indicate.

What if I’m in the left lane wanting to go right?

Waiting for a gap on BOTH lanes is important to not cause an accident while getting in a roundabout.

Most people dont use their blinkers in roundabouts

I just saw this accident at a double round about and i was confused because it's opposite to what this video said but yet the other guy was at fault. so one guy was in the left lane trying to make a right turn and hit a car in the right lane trying to keep going around. the guy who kept trying to go around was at fault. he was at fault because wasn't he suppose to be in the left lane? but why wasn't the guy who was trying to make a right turn at fault? he should have been in the right lane

Your explanation of stopping for all vehicles already in the roundabout is not right. What you are saying is even if there is an opening to enter the roundabout safely, then you can’t because there is someone somewhere in the roundabout already. You need to word that differently. The video even shows that this is not the case.

Just when I think I've got round-a-bouts managed, there are always a-holes who break the rules and make me question why I'm not lucky like them.

So disappointed you didn't mention how to signal. I have seen maybe ONE other person in my entire life use their signals in a roundabout correctly.

What about light signals? ..

I hate the people who think yeild means stop. I mean, if there is a car coming, then yeah, give them the right of way, but I mean the people who stop when there is nobody coming or when someone is 5 seconds away and going at slow speeds.

In Australia, since we drive on the left side of the road, those who are waiting on the right side of the roundabout have the right of way and we give them way. What about in America?

I love the word "roundabout"

People in the comments are saying you don't cross from the inner lane through the outer lane to exit. ??? Then how do you get out? The only thing I fear when using one of these is when I'm in the inside lane and have to cross the outer lane to exit. I'm not staying in there all day. At some point in time I have to exit the roundabout to get home. Otherwise I'll eventually run out of gas and have to abandon my vehicle. So can we please stop claiming that you don't have to cross the outer lane from the inner lane to exit?

Slowing down traffic? Every one I've been in people either go way too fast, or roll right through the yield sign. F roundabouts.

A Traffic Circle

So.....if I wanted to, could I just drive in a circle indefinitely without going anywhere?

roundabouts are really hard to navigate

You forgot to build a separate bicycle lane next to the pedestrian crossing.

Once I’m in the roundabout, I need to be careful because the cars yield to me

Aren't bicyclists subject to the same traffic rules? If so, why treat them like pedestrians who are not subject to those rules? And what happens in a rush hour scenario where traffic is non stop on your left? Do you just sit there forever for 2 hours? :) With a traditional intersection, normally you would be let in by a courteous person. With roundabouts, the courtesy element is eliminated since you should not stop once in.

yield on roundabouts

Keep a slower speed in roundabouts

Confusing as hell!

chaos!

Video doesn't address how important it is to not use your blinker in a roundabout. Left hand blinkers make no sense and unless you're taking an immediate right what's the point in using your right hand blinker and passing two or three exits. all it does is confuse people

Britain: stop sign America: YIELD sign

There are a lot of nuances in this video that are false. 1. The most famous roundabout is in Paris at the Arch de Triumph. It is the only place in France where a person's auto insurance does not cover accidents due to the large number of fender benders in that roundabout. 2. The headlights do not stay in the sight of traffic flow. The point to the outside edge of the circle. Just 10% deviation of the car and headlight angles greatly reduces visibility. 3. As stated, roundabouts are not ideal at all for traffic over 20 mph and should not be used for Hwy intersections. 4. People are not accustomed to Yield signs in the US. This is proven by the number of people that do not yield to traffic exiting a freeway onto the feeder in all lanes. 5. The law in most all states specifically state that you are not allowed to change lanes at an intersection, yet a roundabout violates that law explicitly.

I’ll make sure to always yield to the cars to the left of me