And suddenly there was a roundabout …

Roundabouts, also known as traffic circles, are those circular intersections where you drive around a centre island like you’re on a never-ending merry-go-round.

If you want to come to us and you are on the connecting road from the motorway, you first have to drive around 6 of these roundabouts. It’s like a round of roundabout roulette, where you’re betting on getting through without being hit by another car.

As in many countries around the world, roundabouts are becoming increasingly popular with traffic planners in Australia as they are believed to have some advantages over conventional intersections:

Roundabouts: A round thing for traffic flow

1. Safety First: Roundabouts are great at reducing accidents. That is a good thing because we all know how much of a headache dealing with accidents can be (literally and figuratively).
2. Improved Traffic Flow: Roundabouts keep the traffic moving, like a good dance party. There are no stop signs or traffic lights to slow things down, so you can just keep on rolling.
3. Reduced Congestion: Roundabouts can help reduce traffic congestion, which means less time spent sitting in traffic and more time enjoying life.
4. Lower Cost: Roundabouts can save money because they require less infrastructure and maintenance than traditional intersections. Who doesn’t love saving a few bucks?

Great for Cars, Not so Great for Pedestrians and Crowded Cities!

1. Increased Complexity: Roundabouts can be confusing for some drivers, especially those who are directionally challenged. It’s like trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube while driving.
2. Pedestrian Perils: Pedestrians might have to dodge traffic to get across a roundabout.
3. Larger Footprint: Roundabouts require more space than traditional intersections. But that can be a challenge in densely populated areas with limited space.
4. Gridlock Gremlins: While rare, roundabouts can get clogged up if too many cars try to enter at once or if people forget how to yield, which can be a recipe for chaos (or at least some honking).

Roundabouts reduce speed – sometimes quite abruptly

OK, the theory sounds pretty good: roundabouts are supposed to reduce the risk of accidents. But I wonder if anyone can explain that to the hoons in Australia. Because on Saturday and Sunday nights, the roads get wild and crazy. These incapacitated racers have only one goal: to pimp their modified cars and race around. And that works great on wide roads, as long as it weren’t for those damn roundabouts…

After every weekend, at least a few traffic signs on the six roundabouts on our arterial road are flat as a flounder. The city council then puts them back up the following week, but the next weekend the madness starts all over again. The hoons will probably even brag about their “adventure” when a roundabout suddenly emerges from the darkness and their spoilered and roaring vehicles are suddenly abruptly slowed down to a standstill.

Roundabouts: confusion about right of way and lane choice

It is not only on hoon nights that there are problems around roundabouts. When driving at roundabouts, many people don’t seem to know exactly who has the right of way or which lane to take. And often they forget to indicate. This confusion increases with the size and complexity of the roundabout, especially if there is more than one lane going in the same direction.

Yet the rules to follow on a roundabout in Australia are actually quite simple:

Rules on the roundabout

Probably the most important rule is that you must always give way to vehicles already on the roundabout. In addition, you should only enter when there is a sufficient and safe gap in the traffic, and of course always drive clockwise around the island.

If the lanes leading to the roundabout are marked with arrows, you must follow their direction.

If you intend to turn left:

1. Approach the roundabout in the left lane or lanes.
2. Blink left as you approach the roundabout.
3. Continue to signal to the left as you leave the roundabout.
4. Switch off the indicator after you have left the roundabout.

When driving straight ahead on a roundabout:

1. Approach without indicating.
2. However, turn left when exiting if appropriate.
3. Switch off the indicator when you have exited the roundabout.

To turn right:

1. Approach the roundabout in the right-hand lane or lane.
2. Blink to the right as you approach the roundabout.
3. Continue to signal to the right until you are ready to leave the roundabout.
4. Blink to the left before leaving the roundabout.
5. Switch off the indicator after you have left the roundabout.

However, every day we see people entering the roundabout in the left lane and then turning right. Or they indicate right but turn left or go straight ahead. And very often, when entering the roundabout, people do not pay attention at all to the vehicles in the roundabout that have the right of way. Basically, one must always drive carefully and defensively at roundabouts.

If you ever wonder why it’s called roundabout or traffic circle and not squareabout or traffic hexagon – now you know: it’s all about going clockwise around the island, not wildly geometric.

And if you are really unsure which direction to take at the roundabout, just take the exit back home and try again tomorrow.