Roundabout Safety

When approaching and travelling through a roundabout slow down. Observe the lane signs and choose the correct entry lane. Remember to yield to traffic in the roundabout because drivers in the roundabout always have the right-of-way.

• Slow down 
• Look and plan ahead
• Pedestrians go first. When entering or exiting a roundabout, yield to pedestrians at the cross walk.
• Look to the left, yield to all traffic in the roundabout, find a safe gap, and then go.
• Signal 

All roundabouts in Grey County are a single 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.

Turning Right

1. Always yield to traffic currently inside the roundabout.

2. Enter when safe, traveling counterclockwise with your right turn signal on.

3. Exit the roundabout at the first exit.

Straight Through

1. Always yield to traffic currently inside the roundabout.

2. Enter when safe, traveling counterclockwise, with no turn signal on.

3. When approaching the second exit, turn on your right signal.

4. Exit the roundabout at the second exit.  

Turning Left

1. Always yield to traffic currently inside the roundabout.

2. Enter when safe, traveling counterclockwise, with your left turn signal on.

3. When approaching the third exit, turn on your right signal.

4. Exit the roundabout at the third exit.

A roundabout is an intersection. You need to signal the direction in which you are going to take. When turning right, signal right. When going straight, don’t signal. When turning left or doing a U-turn, signal left. The only difference is that whenever you exit a roundabout you need to signal right to show you are exiting.

If you encounter an emergency vehicle in a roundabout:

• Do not stop inside the roundabout.
• If you have not yet entered the roundabout, pull to the right and let the emergency vehicle(s) pass you.
• If you are in the roundabout, exit as normal, then pull to the right and let the emergency vehicle pass you.

When approaching a roundabout, slow down and move to the left side of the entry lane to avoid the likelihood of going onto the right-hand apron. In single lane roundabouts, the centre median has banking to allow larger vehicles to ride up. Once in the roundabout, the driver should move to the outside (right hand side) of the lane to minimize the need for the back end of the trailer to ride up on the inside apron.

Step to the curb and point your finger across the crosswalk, look and listen for a safe gap in traffic flow.  Do not start to cross if the driver cannot safely stop.  As you cross, keep pointing until you reach the far side of the road.  Remember to watch for drivers in the next lane to ensure the driver sees you crossing.   

Pedestrians cannot cut across to the middle of the roundabout.  You need to use the sidewalks and crosswalks around the outside of the roundabout.  Pedestrians wait on the splitter island if needed until there is a gap in the traffic flow. 

• Step to the curb and point your finger across. 

• Look and listen for a safe gap in traffic flow. 

• Do not cross until the driver stops. 

• Keep and make eye contact with drivers in all lanes. 

• Do not cross across the middle of the roundabout. 

• Wait on the splitter island. 

• Drivers are more likely to yield the crosswalk to you if your body language shows you intend to cross. 

• Walk to the crosswalk briskly and deliberately. 

• Look at the drivers - make eye contact. 

• Start to cross as soon as you are sure that the driver intends to slow or stop. 

A cyclist has two choices at a roundabout.  Your choice will depend on your degree of comfort riding in traffic.

Experienced Cyclists

• Ride as if you were driving a car.
• Merge into the travel lane before the bike lane or shoulder ends.
• Ride in the middle of your lane; don't hug the curb.
• Use hand signals and signal as if you were a motorist

Turning right

• Signal right as you approach the roundabout.
• Maintain your signal through the roundabout.
• Maintain your signal as you exit.

Straight through

• Do not signal as you approach the roundabout.
• Signal right prior to your exit only.

Turning left

• Signal Left as you approach the roundabout.
• Maintain your signal through the roundabout.
• Signal right prior to your exit.

Going full circle (U-Turn)

• Signal left as you approach the roundabout.
• Maintain your signal through the roundabout.
• Signal Right prior to your exit.
• Watch out for drivers' blind spots.

Less Confident Cyclists

• Dismount and walk your bicycle.
• Follow tips for pedestrians:
  • Step to the curb and point your finger across.
  • Look and listen for a safe gap in traffic flow.
  • Do not cross until the driver stops.
  • Keep and make eye contact with drivers in all lanes.
  • Do not cross across the middle of the roundabout.
  • Wait on the splitter island.

• reduces 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

• The Region of Waterloo has built several roundabouts in the past 20 years and have developed helpful community resources.

  Safe Roads Waterloo Region

*Thank you to the Region of Waterloo for sharing roundabout educational materials.