You’ve already covered turning and emerging at junctions and crossroad.
In this lesson, you’ll learn how to drive around roundabouts safely.
You’ll follow the same Hazard Routine.
HAZARD ROUTINE
- Mirrors
- Signal
- Position
- Speed
- Look
Roundabouts
Think of roundabouts as crossroads junctions with a circle in the middle.
The aim of them is to keep traffic moving from three or more different roads.
It’s really important to understand roundabouts in order to pass your driving test and to be a safe driver.
In this lesson I’ll go through the basic rules of roundabouts, and how to use the hazard routine to approach and drive around them safely.
You will be giving way to traffic on your right.
Approaching a Roundabout
Firstly, you need to make sure that you notice signs to recognise that there is a roundabout ahead.
Start your Hazard Routine early, so that you can make sure you in the correct lane for the direction you want to go.
Keep a special look out for vulnerable road users such as cyclists’ motorcyclists horse riders and pedestrians.
PLEASE NOTE:
Roundabouts come in all different sizes and with different number of lanes in different positions. This is your first Roundabouts lesson. I’m going to cover the basic four road roundabout, which is just like a Crossroads junction with a circle in the middle.
Turning left at a Roundabout
As you approach the roundabout:
- Check your middle and left door mirrors
- Signal left
- Position in the left lane
- Reduce your speed
- Start to look early
Once you’re in the new road, check your mirrors before speeding up.
As you can see, it’s exactly the same routine as left turns – which you know you can do!
TOP TIPS
- Slowing down enough starting to look early enough are the keys to managing roundabouts well.
- To choose a safe time to go at a roundabout, look for gaps in the traffic rather than looking at the vehicles.
Don’t be too concerned about holding vehicles behind you up, you need to focus on keeping moving if possible and managing roundabouts well.
NOTES
Don’t worry too much about choosing a safe time to go at this point .
Although it is something you need to manage independently in the future , your instructor can help with this while you focus on using the correct hazard routine to approach and drive around the roundabout.
Choosing a safe time to go, independently, is a more advanced skill that you will develop as time goes on.
Going Ahead
As you approach the roundabout:
- Check your middle and left door mirrors
- DO NOT signal
- Position in the left lane
- Reduce your speed
- Start to look early
Remember: you are giving way to the right
Look for gaps in the traffic and once you have the opportunity to go stay in the left lane .
It’s important now that you keep in the centre of left lane.
Straddling the lanes is dangerous and can result in a test failure .
As you pass the exit before the one you want to take:
- Check your middle mirror and your left door mirror
- Signal left
- Look well ahead into the road you’re taking, and especially look out for pedestrians who may be crossing the road
Turning right
As you approach the roundabout:
Check your middle and right door mirrors
Signal right
Position in the right lane
Reduce your speed as you approach carefully
Start to look early
Look for gaps in the traffic! When you have the opportunities to go, drive into the right-hand lane on the roundabout.
It’s important now that you keep in the right-hand lane
Straggling the lanes is dangerous and can result in a test failure
As you pass the exit before the one you want to take:
- Check your middle and left door mirror
- Signal left
- You may need to glance out of your passenger window. This would just be a chin to shoulder check (your chin would NOT go past your shoulder)
- Signal left
- Move across to the left-hand lane and then in to your exit road
- Look well ahead into the road you’re taking, and especially look for pedestrians who may be crossing the road
PLEASE NOTE: these are the basic rules for basic roundabouts. You must look at signs and road marking to see that these rules apply.
FINALLY:
Going the wrong way on your test is NOT a fault. Skipping lanes at the last minute IS a fault.
If you are in the WRONG LANE – GO THE WRONG WAY
You examiner will give you more directions.