If you want to be a good driver, you should practice. There are some roads where it is difficult to drive. Roundabouts are one of those. Even an expert driver will have a tough time going through it. You may find roundabouts in many sizes. These circular junctions let traffic keep moving without stopping. The traffic travels in a clockwise direction from right to left. As a driver, you should know the following things about driving through roundabouts.
- The thumb rule is that you should give way to the traffic that is on your immediate right when you are on a roundabout. When you approach a roundabout you must check your mirror to see the traffic behind you and signal your intended direction.
- When you want to turn left towards the first exit on a roundabout, you should first position your car on the left. You should move slowly so that you can stop if necessary. You should give way to the traffic that is on the roundabout.
- If you are going straight you need not give any signal. You should keep left this time as well. After you pass the first exit, you should signal left.
- For turning right at a roundabout, you should check the mirrors on the right and signal towards the right. You should position your car in the right lane of the roundabout.
- Before turning to your desired exit you should check your mirrors and then signal left. You should be careful not to hit any pedestrian before moving towards your exit.
- You must know that the cyclists use the outer lane of the roundabouts. So, you should be careful and give them a lot of room when you are on a roundabout.
- When you are on a roundabout with multiple lanes, you should choose your lane appropriately. If your exit is on the left then choose the left lane, if it is on the right then choose the right lane. If you want to go straight ahead then choose the center lane. Some of these roundabouts have traffic signals to guide you through the proper lanes.
It can be confusing driving through roundabouts. If you don’t know the proper driving rules, you may cause accidents. So, learning these rules is very important. You should always check your mirrors before making a turn and be careful not to hit any other car on the roundabout.