How to Navigate a Roundabout

Often the problem is a failure to yield the right of way. Because all traffic flows counterclockwise through a roundabout in the U.S. and more slowly than at a traditional intersection, any collision is more likely to be minor.

The secret to seamless navigation through a roundabout is to remain focused — and yield to traffic already in the circle — experts say. Treat a roundabout like a right turn on red.

"It's very, very easy,” says Jose Hernandez, a veteran driving instructor with Dexterity Driving School in Washington, D.C., who has been teaching there for five years. “You follow the lights. You follow the signs. Follow the arrows on the ground."

Even though his advice sounds easy, roundabouts confuse drivers for many reasons, which may prompt them to make risky maneuvers. Hands-free calling, in-car infotainment systems and dashboard touch-screen technology are among the distractions that cause disorientation, Rider says. Focus is key.

That focus needs to start when a driver approaches the intersection. Many have signs and street markings that indicate the traffic pattern ahead, Hernandez says.

"Look at the picture and memorize it before you enter,” he says. “It's usually visible from far away. It usually has a circle with all of the exits [named]. Then you know what exit you need."

Of course, some drivers are caught unawares. Rider recalled one case of a motorcyclist on an unfamiliar suburban street in South Carolina. The biker crashed over the roundabout's unlit center island and into a fountain. He was critically injured.

Yet even those who anticipate roundabouts should take extra care.

"Most drivers know what the rules are, and we expect everyone else to follow them,” Rider says. “When other drivers fail to follow the rules, we're put in the position of evaluating what's happening, what might happen, and what we need to do to prevent something from happening. When there isn't enough time for a driver to make the best decision, unfortunate and sometimes tragic incidents occur. Safety in roundabouts comes through preparation, patience and progressing through. Don't stop unless you have to."

Learn the roundabout rules

When you approach a roundabout, pay special attention to signs and pavement markings. Then slow down so that you can merge safely into traffic.

"The biggest mistake is the failure to yield properly,” says Kurt Gray, the Bowie, Maryland-based director of driver education at AAA Club Alliance, which covers the District of Columbia and parts of 13 states. “You always have to yield to pedestrians at crosswalks and traffic that's already in the circle. They have the right of way. I think that can be confusing to some drivers."

Other common mistakes:

• Following another car too closely
• Making sudden, last-second moves from one lane to the next
• Driving beside another vehicle in a two-lane roundabout

This last one is “very dangerous because drivers’ mirrors aren't always properly aligned, and another vehicle could be in your blind spot,” Gray says. “Give yourself space so that you have adequate spacing and a margin of error.

"We know that more than 90 percent of crashes are due to driver error,” he says. “All drivers make mistakes. And you have to anticipate that other drivers will make mistakes."

If you miss your exit, don't try to change lanes quickly. Instead, go around the circle again, merge into the correct lane and then exit. No one is counting the number of times that you go around.

"It takes just [a little while] to get back where you started [in the circle],” Gray says. “Don't feel bad about having to go around again."