- Enter from the right lane.
- Travel in the outer lane of the roundabout.
- Exit directly from the right lane (Black arrow)
Roundabouts
Since 2004, roundabouts have been an important part of our roadway landscape in Waterloo Region. These circular intersections improve road safety, manage increased traffic demand, and help improve air quality by eliminating unnecessary stops and idling.
How to drive in a roundabout
When approaching and travelling through a roundabout slow down. Observe the lane signs and choose the correct entry lane. Wait for a gap in traffic before entering the roundabout. Remember to yield to traffic in the roundabout because drivers in the roundabout always have the right-of-way. Do not pass other vehicles in the roundabout and give large vehicles extra space because they might use both lanes.
Quick list of things to remember:
- Slow down
- Look and plan ahead
- Pedestrians go first; when entering or exiting a roundabout, yield to pedestrians at the crosswalk
- Look to the left, yield to all traffic in the roundabout, find a safe gap, and then go
- Don't pass vehicles in a roundabout
- Signal
Choosing your lane
Reducing your speed when approaching a roundabout will give you time to choose the right lane. Watch for signs and road markings that help you decide what exit to take and what lane to be in.
- You may enter from either the left or the right lane.
- Exit directly from the lane you are in. (Black and yellow arrows)
- Enter from the left lane.
- Travel in the inner lane of the roundabout.
- Exit directly from the inner lane. (Yellow arrow)
Roundabout safety benefits
- reduce speeds of vehicles
- eliminate right-angle crashes
- reduce the number of vehicle-vehicle and vehicle-pedestrian conflicts at an intersection
- reduced speeds allows for all users to judge better when they should enter the roundabout, and to detect and correct their mistakes
- eliminate any type of high-speed collision, opposing left turn collisions, and head on collisions
Why is there landscapting in the middle?
Landscaping is designed to prevent drivers from seeing the headlights of oncoming vehicles at night. It gives drivers a clear indication that there is an obstruction in the roadway and that they cannot drive straight ahead. As a driver entering a roundabout, you should look to the left, not across the roundabout, to see what traffic is approaching.
A roundabout is similar to an intersection with signals you need to signal the direction in which you are going to take. When turning right, you need to signal right, when going straight you don't signal, and when turning left or doing a U-turn you signal left. The only difference is that whenever you exit a roundabout you need to signal right to show you are exiting.
A Region of Waterloo study at multi-lane roundabouts shows that motorists using their left-turn signal improve driver yield rates, improve vehicle-to-vehicle communications, and improves motorist decision making.
I'm not a confident driver. Should I just drive in the outer lane?
No. You must drive in the proper lane. Do not change lanes in the roundabout.
What if an emergency vehicle comes through the roundabout?
- Do not stop inside the roundabout.
- If you have not yet entered the roundabout, pull to the right and let the emergency vehicles pass you.
- If you are in the roundabout, exit as normal, then pull to the right and let the emergency vehicle pass you.
Why are roundabouts different sizes?
The amount of traffic and appropriate travel speed generally determine the size of a roundabout. They are large enough for buses and large trucks, but small enough that you need to slow down to go around them.
Yes. At a roundabout, drivers of large trucks should:
- Straddle the entry lanes.
- Use both lanes within the roundabout.
- Don't try to leave space for another vehicle to pass you.
What are common types of collisions?
- Entering collision, when a vehicle entering the roundabout does not yield to a vehicle already in the roundabout.
- Rear-end collision, usually at the entrance to the roundabout.
- Turning collision caused by drivers using incorrect lane. Example: Turning left from right lane
