Traffic Circle Demonstration

I looked this up so I wouldn’t be as scared driving in roundabouts. Now I’m more scared

Jeez this looks terrifying.

I can't keep up with the animation. I need to pause and rewind a bunch of times.

For people that still seem confused. To make it more simple. The three most important things to remember are:
1. You may only use the right lane if you plan on exiting the traffic circle on the first or second exit only (the first two right hand turns). But not if you want to use any exit after the second exit.
2. You can use the left hand lane if you plan on exiting traffic circle from any exit except the very first right hand turn. (You can use it on the second exit, the third and to go all the way around the circle if you want, but never use the left lane if you want to use the first exit on your right)
3. Don't change lanes inside the circle.

Animations were confusing. Took me awhile to realize what car I’m supposed to be looking at

Roundabouts are much safer with just one lane.

I looked this up because I almost got into an accident today in the traffic circle I go through on my away home from work. I've gone through it about 1000 times without incident. I take the 2nd exit so I always get in the left lane. Today someone from the entrance right before my exit flew through the yield sign and tried to shoot ahead of me essentially cutting me off. I slammed on the breaks, as did they because we were essentially facing each other since they were going to the next exit. I admit to being a timid driver and in general. We both had our windows down and the person screamed at me saying they had the right of way and asked what was wrong with me. I honestly felt I had the right of way but to avoid a situation I apologized profusely and went around the circle a 2nd time since they were blocking my exit and to avoid hitting their car I had to turn left. After watching this I feel much better as I can say I honestly did nothing wrong, especially since I wasn't speeding.

What always throws me off is the "exiting from the inside lane" concept. To do that you're always crossing over the outside lane at the last second which causes confusion.

Anyone else come here after so many people cutting you off in a roundabout? It made me second guess the rules lol

If you think about roundabouts as normal intersections it is much easier to wrap your mind around. Don't be distracted by all the cars in the animation. The only thing i would add is that because it is possible for people to miss their exit, cars on right side lane should yield to the left lane if they miss the second exit, which forces the driver to have to go all the way around. If you think about it, if you're on the right lane, you typically shouldn't be making left hand turns anyway.

Just started driving and there's this roundabout I have to go through to get to the gym I hate it because it's kind of confusing and scary also someone honked at me I think I might have cut them off sorry 😅 I'll just go around next time 😭

Indicating left for when you are driving into the roundabout?!?!
-European

This video would have been a lot better if there weren't 74 vehicles coming into the animation at once. I've been driving these things for over 15 years and know them inside and out, but after watching the video I can see how people would become confused. Absolutely failure of an animation. You used so many cars it became distracting and I wasn't even sure what car to watch.

This made me cry

I've never seen such a horrifying thing

i love how, it is not just the cars that appear that matter, just normal traffic simulation also happens, like, some cars that just are there to simulate traffic are NOT necessary, but it looks way better if you have them

As a 20 year+ truck driver I have yet to come across a roundabout large enough for a modern semi; on the whole continent! Either the radius is too small and my trailer rides on the center curb or I take both lanes, angering the car drivers to no end.... Thank you ever so much; as if I need another reason to damage my vehicle or more people hating me and trying to 'teach me a lesson'!

ILL BE THE ROUNDABOUT, YOUR WORDS WILL MAKE YOU OUT!!!

If you want to U-turn in a roundabout or a whole way around, you have to enter the very left lane, signal left, yield and proceed when safe. Exit by signaling right and stay on the very left lane, a similar rule to turn left of ¾ way around.

As a non-driver I have a hard time crossing at roundabouts because so many drivers don't change their indicators when they leave the roundabout I have wait and see if they are continuing around or coming off at the exit I am trying to cross.

Simply amazing! Congratulations buddy!

When I was first learning how to drive I started in a roundabout just because there were two in the area I was practicing but I swear mine were only a one lane turn right only typa thing so to see one so big and complicated is interesting to say the least

Traffic circles, or rotaries, are much larger than modern roundabouts. The graphic at right shows the size of a traffic circle (in green) compared to the smaller modern roundabout (in grey). Traffic circles often have stop signs or traffic signals within the circular intersection.

Use outside lane for taking first exit or going ahead and use inside lane for taking any exit except the first.

I never knew you were supposed to exclusively use the inside lane to go halfway or 3/4 around. Fortunately I've never been in a busy roundabout. So do they have signs with these instructions for people approaching? A simple double diagram showing the correct paths - one with a right turn, and another diagram showing a combination of proper 1/2, 3/4 or full turn - would illustrate it well, that is, assuming people know what they mean. But people planning their trips driving to a location with roundabouts for the first time won't be giving this much thought until they arrive at the roundabout and collapse a building or something.

I mean it’s a good demonstration, but I had a very difficult time keeping up with the animation and what was being said. But it really helped me understand a double land around about. Because I’m not very good with them myself. Innoway for me they are kind of confusing.

if the right lane is used ONLY for turning right, you don’t have to worry about drivers cutting off the left lane

When yielding to oncoming traffic, is it like a 4-way intersection where whoever stops at the line first has the right away??

weird, in manitoba you only signal when exiting the traffic circle, not when entering (unless you are immediately exiting to the right)

The video is very much effective. Every driver should watch and understand the learning. May we use the videos for the drivers of Bangladesh prior to acknowledging your credentials.

Great video, very correct explanation. Just missed the full u-turn explanation, although its pretty clear what the correct maneuver is.

Totally help full For UAE thanks

Two questions:
1) Why all the cars have blinkers on all the time? They are only necessary when exiting the roundabout
2) Why are the back blinkers red and not orange?

People should not signal before entering the round about. Purpose of signal is to inform other road users about your intention, when the you have multiple options. Reason for why we do not signal while driving straight, for the same reason we should not signal before entering a round about too. Watch the video from 0.16 sec onward until 0.18 sec, blue car approaching from the left side of the roundabout(from our point of view) put a left signal before entering the round about which may easily confused the yellow car entering the round about straight(from our point of view). However, while exiting the round about traffic must signal the intention. Apart from this, it's a good video on the matter, very helpful to understand the procedure.

Sorry UK guy here. In the UK, you are normally expected to exit roundabouts in the outside lane. So looking at the example at 0:58, indicating and switching to the outside lane as you pass the exit before the one you intend to take is the right approach. The car coming into the roundabout in this example is supposed to yield to you anyway as you are already in the roundabout, so, there should be no collision. But we are required to check mirrors anyway and make sure idiots like that don't exist

Perfect video. Thanks 👍

So many more people need to know this... stupid drivers are everywhere.

damn confusing

I just came home form from visiting a friend in a town where there were 6 of these in a Row. It was terrifying and confusing!!! What a mess!

most important thing in traffic is:
"if you will getting inside the elevator, bus, or train.., make room for people that will going outside first."
it will save much of your time..

Before entering roundabout as vehicle approached at yield sign; If u are on Right Lane intended to exist 1st exit , use Right signal before entering into roundabout, (otherwise no need for signal) same for Left lane vehicle (if intended to exit 1st exit) but if the Vehicle at Left or Right Lane intended Not to exit at 1st Exit, No need for any signal, and will use signal when both has entered inside the roundabout; right signal for 2nd exit for 3rd use left signal (shows not going straight)and immediately right signal to exit at 3rd exit;

What if there's two vehicles in the circle side by side, the inner car is exiting right, and the car on the outside lane is going straight, who has the right of way, the one turning right or going straight?

Can't wait for self driving cars..

Please forward to St George Utah .

In the Netherlands there is a small difference. You start to blink before you get on the roundabout for left (3/4) or right (1/4). You don't blink if you want 1/2. But you blink always if you leaving the roundabout. In the video in Canada you blink left (3/4) before you hit the roundabout, and you go 1/2. Why ? Confusing the one at the first (1/4) round who wants to get on the roundabout. Can I get 1/4 without any problems.

0:25
Pedestrian: *i just got hit buy a car!*
Also Pedestrian: *eh*

These roundabouts did not exist years ago when I first took my driving test. I encountered one, didn't know what it was, and almost had an accident, because nobody was taught what to do.

These rules are a little different than what I learned in New England's rotaries. While most rotary circles have the "yield to traffic already in the rotary" rule, there are some where traffic in the rotary must yield to entering traffic.
Also, around here, we are taught not to change lanes when *entering* the rotary, but to always merge to the right to *exit*. Using the left lane to go straight ahead would be frowned upon unless the exit had multiple lanes. The right-hand lane is our default "straight-through" lane at a rotary. With the left lane only being used by traffic going more than half-way around.
With signalling, it makes no sense to me to signal left to take an exit that is straight ahead. Certainly, I would always signal right once I've passed the exit immediately prior to my intended exit, but I would not signal left unless I my exit was to the left of where I entered.
The rules for signalling and lane usage in New England's rotaries mostly mirror those of Old England's roundabouts.

Question, if you enter the inside/left lane and you want to exit on the opposite side/straight across/half-way around but you have someone beside you in the outside/right land, do you have the right of way to exit? If the person in the right lane decided to go to the next exit, you'd collide when you cross into their lane.

4 way stop, Still the safest and fastest method. There is a Mythbusters episode on it.

Hi what software did you use to create such an amazing animation videos?

Amazing!

One case the video does not make clear is whether when turning right from the right lane one should yield to the traffic in the inside/left lane of the circle.
0:07 speaks about that, but it shows not yielding to the right lane. One would think it does apply to both lanes, but the rest of the video shows many cases when the car on the right lane enters the circle when there is already a car in the left/inside lane in the circle.

so to summarize: use proper indications/signals and exit on the same lane you enter the roundabout, ie do not switch lanes within the roundabout

nice short and clear 👌

I have a problem with roundabouts i think there is not a common rule for all of them which is very bad... for example if you have a roundabout that has two exit but both are more than half of the roundabout distance from entry? Or if the roundabout has 3-4 lanes? but exits and entries have like 1 or 2 or a mix of 1 and 2?

Question: if I’m coming from bottom on left side lane and going to the top, and another vehicle is coming from right on right side lane and going across to left, who has right of way when I am about to turn right to get across?

This is freaking difficult. Sounds easy but is not. The driver must know the route in order to NOT miss the traffic circle rules..

What about going all the way around? What are common mistakes when driving all the way around the circle?

Unfortunately - AMA isn't correct at the 18 second mark... you are allowed to make a right hand lane turn from the inside lane (and you have right of way if there is a car in the outside lane - you just have to yield right of way if there is a car coming from inside the traffic circle on your left.) Edmonton Police Services confirmed it: twitter.com/sparken_87/status/1156275251765899264

This and a multi lane roundabout takes the cake. Shittin bricks man

I look up roundabout by yes for jojo reasons and get this. Thanks Alberta.

Complex, simpler might be best. However, good idea.

1:38 Why is it not preferred to use the first lane when going straight? Also, why signal left? And not just signal right when exiting?

For safety and cultural reasons, it's time Ontario drivers used unambiguous Canadian language like "traffic circle" instead of innately ambiguous, and therefore unsafe, British and American terms like "Roundabout", which is contextual and has many meanings. Roundabout can mean a kids ride, a train or record turntable and many other things, therefore a source of uncertainty and confusion on the road. "Traffic circle" has one meaning, reducing uncertainty, confusion, and therefore road risks around traffic control devices.
Both roundabouts and traffic circles eliminate "stop" signs at entrances to avoid slowing down, and require that an incoming driver must yield to vehicles already in the circle, stay in her lane, and signal her departure from the circle.

Thank you so much I’m getting my letters here in Alberta

The loading circle fits PERFECTLY inside the circle in the middle of the roundabout

little difference here when going straight on through a roundabout you don't signal left - when approaching you signal as if you approaching a normal intersection as if no circle,
left for left, right for right, NONE when going straight on as if there is no "roundabout" -
you signal left (but going straight) then person on the other road (to ya right) ALSO like to go straight is not surprised when they are not following you in your left turn

In Canada, does the law say you have to turn left at the entrance?
In Romania, the law only provides that the signaling of the change of direction is made 50m before the maneuver ... in a roundabout you rarely travel 100m. Then the entrance to a decentralized intersection should be signaled ...
In the present example, you say that you signal left at the entrance in the direction but in fact you turn right to bypass the marking!
However, by signaling to the left at the entrance, you imply that you are climbing in the center of the direction.

It’s the same as an intersection with a dedicated turn lane just it been made into a circle look at the outside lane far right lane as the turn right only lane now he did say you can go straight but it’s not permitted mostly and look at the far left lane as your turning left lane at a normal intersection. If you wanna take your first exit stay in the far right lane yield to traffic in the circle then just go right if you wanna take exit 2 3 or do a complete u turn and go back the way you came stay in the left lane yield to traffic in the circle and just go around the circle and exit on the 4th exit. To make it simple stay in whatever lane you entered on and exit with that lane and if a traffic circle dose allow you to go around in the far right just exit in the far right lane it’s really simple

If you go straight you dont use a blinker only when the next exit you take is straight you turn the blinks to the right.

Does this apply to all nation or just some?

I love these

Which car am I looking at?

We only have single land Round Abouts where i am thank god. Makes things a lot simpler :)

Those who are complaining about many cars, the car they want you to look at is highlighted.Its as simple as that .

The paint is worn off on one near me, people drive in as straight a line as possible going through on one side, crossing between the two lanes as if there was only one. Can't say I recall anyone using turn signals at all. I won't drive anywhere remotely beside another car in it. One exit has a right turn exit right after it, making the 1/4 turn from the outside/right lane very inconvenient.

The pedestrian crosswalks are too close to the traffic circle entrance. They should be 25 ft away, which is less convenient but much safer

Clear as mud 😳

Well, in Spain (I don't know about the rest of Europe) this is not the way people drive in roundabouts. However, I personally think this is the only way in which roundabouts should be taken. Please, do us a favor and spread the word around here.

I hope they add this to the high school driver's education curriculum learning how to do roundabouts I'm sure our state might be smart and do it but then again you know Alabama roll tide I'm looking up how to drive it not to drive it and more than anything I want to see one in use with heavy traffic sort of equivalent to a highway intersection in a large town but this is in Anniston Alabama. Maybe a Canadian Brothers can teach us something I'm going to be looking for the fails though because I want to see how they screwed up. I know it's going to make me fear the damn thing more but once I relax I think it will help.

Helpful video

Hi @Alberta Motor Association, can you tell me if this is a Traffic Circle or a Roundabout? Thank you!

I'm comfortable driving in bad construction areas, highways, etc, but one day, while driving on the wealthier side of town, I stumbled onto one of these, and i was so confused. Traffic circles suck

There are 2 roundabouts being built on roads that I use regularly and I’m terrified. This looks so complex and hard to wrap your head around. Not only that, but the roundabouts are being built next to 2 SCHOOLS. Do they honestly think that teenage drivers will be able to use these safely? It’s just asking for a wreck to happen. I’m not sure if the roundabouts are going to be one lane or 2 lane, ODOT just says their building 2 roundabouts. The existing intersection is already pretty bad, why make it worse?

Just seems like a terrible idea in general, imagine never having seen a two lane traffic circle before and approaching it on the "inside" lane, and being utterly confused about how to proceed to get into it, not to mention having wait on traffic from the outer circle to properly get to the inside circle that you are meant to be in. Not to mention the 'preferred' method is to signal to the inside lane ahead of the circle, which depending on traffic may not be possible unless you are already familiar with the area and if traffic isn't bad. I play Eurotruck Simulator 2 a lot, and this monstrosity is the bane of my existence in that game.

I had to watch this video more than once to fully understand.

Put two cars beside each other in the roundabout. Right lane car stays straight while the left lane car tries to turn off.
Which do you think should yield?

AMA: When can we see you, and other driver education companies... Be a mandatory requirement of drivers, regardless the driver license applicant?

Wouldn't it be better to have a solid line on the inside lane for leaving on the first exit so people know not to pass into the inside lane on exit?

They're about to create around about in the busy intersection where a government installation is and it high volume employees, the intersection is always had a lot of accidents now I wonder if they're going to actually make it better or worse because I don't know anyone in Alabama that I've ever heard of using around about but I guess it's sort of like a square? Maybe yes no oh man yeah I don't know whether I want to drive it.

Never understood signaling when entering a roundabout, where I live you don't do it cause it litteraly makes no sense. Where else are you able to go? Why signal when you only have on option?

This is helpful. I'm so overwhelmed. I grew up in a country where women were not allowed to drive no matter what. So I never payed attention when anyone else drove, as I thought I wouldn't get the chance to drive. Now, I've moved countries and am getting overwhelmed by things which are common sense to teenagers here

THESE ROUNDABOUTS

thank you so much...this is very useful...but it is one lane...if was 3 lane...we must what do?

It is strange to see signal to the left when entering the roundabout, because the do NOT turn left. Not familliar with that I whould think (s)he might relly turn left (wrong way) into roundabout or just doing an instant 180°

dubai license is make me crazy before two years i am behind the license this license is give me too much hurt

I have two years until I start driving and this looks super simple but I live in California and the drivers suck so I’m also kinda terrified

Why were traffic circles created?

Absolutely hate these things almost been an accident every time I go through one