Roundabouts - Give way to the right if a vehicle has not yet entered?

badmemory

Most of the big roundabouts near here have now got traffic lights.  I assume that is because it is cheaper to have lights than deal with all the smashes & hold ups.  As for mini roundabouts, well if some didn't give way when it was not really down to them, some junctions would have 10 mile tailbacks.

35har1old

Beeblebr0x said:

Car_54 said:

Beeblebr0x said:

facade said:

You enter the roundabout at a Give Way line, so you have to give way to traffic approaching from the right.

It doesn't matter if they haven't got to the roundabout yet, if pulling out causes them to have to change speed or direction so as not to collide with you, then you are in the wrong.

(Legally, TSRGD 2016 says you give way to traffic circulating on the roundabout, but if pulling out in front of someone just about to enter the roundabout causes an accident.........)

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2016/362/schedule/9/made

Whilst not wishing to cause an accident or for making another vehicle to take evasive action, how far away from the give way line should the vehicle on the right be before I give way? 5 yards, 10 yards? If everyone slowed down on the approach to a roundabout, driving would be a lot safer.

There is no simple 5/10 yards answer, it depends entirely on the speed and position of the approaching vehicle. You have to use your judgement and experience.

I agree. I enter the roundabout if I happen to cross the line before the vehicle to my right does if I judge it's safe to do so.

Mini roundabouts if you have three cars arriving at the same time and they all meant to be giving way it's the case of who makes the first move and you hope the others don't do the same.
There is small round about that the left hand lane can leave at all exits
The righthand lane can only take the third exit

Ectophile

35har1old said:

Beeblebr0x said:

Car_54 said:

Beeblebr0x said:

facade said:

You enter the roundabout at a Give Way line, so you have to give way to traffic approaching from the right.

It doesn't matter if they haven't got to the roundabout yet, if pulling out causes them to have to change speed or direction so as not to collide with you, then you are in the wrong.

(Legally, TSRGD 2016 says you give way to traffic circulating on the roundabout, but if pulling out in front of someone just about to enter the roundabout causes an accident.........)

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2016/362/schedule/9/made

Whilst not wishing to cause an accident or for making another vehicle to take evasive action, how far away from the give way line should the vehicle on the right be before I give way? 5 yards, 10 yards? If everyone slowed down on the approach to a roundabout, driving would be a lot safer.

There is no simple 5/10 yards answer, it depends entirely on the speed and position of the approaching vehicle. You have to use your judgement and experience.

I agree. I enter the roundabout if I happen to cross the line before the vehicle to my right does if I judge it's safe to do so.

Mini roundabouts if you have three cars arriving at the same time and they all meant to be giving way it's the case of who makes the first move and you hope the others don't do the same.
There is small round about that the left hand lane can leave at all exits
The righthand lane can only take the third exit

There's a couple of 3-way mini roundabouts near me.  If it works well, there's a little "dance" as one car at a time from each road gets to go.  As that car goes, it blocks the road to their left, allowing the car on their right to go.

Sometimes everybody stops and looks at each other.  Eventually, somebody moves and the "dance" restarts.  If two people decide to go, then they are going so slowly they won't crach into each other.

QrizB

Ectophile said:

Sometimes everybody stops and looks at each other.  Eventually, somebody moves and the "dance" restarts.  If two people decide to go, then they are going so slowly they won't crach into each other.

This recent Newsthump article seems relevant:

https://newsthump.com/2025/08/07/tense-mini-roundabout-stand-off-enters-third-hour/

molerat

The problem with some roundabouts is that drivers going straight across on a major road treat it as a challenge and as if the roundabout is not there, "I am on a main road so I have right of way".

facade

molerat said:

The problem with some roundabouts is that drivers going straight across on a major road treat it as a challenge and as if the roundabout is not there, "I am on a main road so I have right of way".

In the Imaginary World that road designers live in, the purpose of roundabouts is to slow down traffic flow.

The publicised purpose is to allow traffic from minor roads to join a major one more easily, which can only ever happen if they are approaching from the right of the main traffic flow...

Grey_Critic

Simple answer is we have so many *Professional Drivers who are also qualified as idiots* it is better to leave them to it. 

Saw an accident yesterday on the M62 Traffic at a standstill in all lanes when a gap appeared so one of the above nipped in to gain a few yards on everybody else only to come to an abrupt halt.

Nasqueron

fatbelly said:

I enjoy the dash cam channels ( keep hoping to spot myself in them) but in most cases the cammer is looking for an incident to upload so the tactic seems to be: accelerate into it, brake late and sound your horn while shouting 'sh1tting peugeot' or similar.

I think the 'correct' answer is that vehicles on the roundabout take priority over those attempting to join.

However if it looks like someone with a dashcam is attempting to drive straight across at 80mph the pragmatic thing is to let them. So you do need to be aware of traffic as far as you can see it

To be fair, the original peugeot clip is pure gold, they basically stop on a motorway slip road at the give way line instead of accelerating properly to safely move ahead of the truck and in the original extended one, the driver then cuts up the cammer further down the road

Petriix

This thread has to be a wind-up right?
You give way at any give way line to any vehicles approaching where your manoeuvre would cause them to have to change speed or direction. No one has to slow down on approach to a roundabout other than to be at an appropriate speed to navigate it safely (not withstanding anyone who might pull out in front of them).

If you can see your entry is clear and there's no one approaching from your right (who you should give way to), you're free to enter at any speed you choose. No one should be pulling out or expecting you to slow down. Honestly, if you can't safely enter a roundabout without endangering people to your right, you shouldn't be driving at all.

In the relatively common scenario of being stopped waiting to enter a roundabout, if there is also a vehicle waiting to enter to your right, it is absolutely your obligation to give way to them unless there's definitely space and time to clear their path so that they wouldn't have to change speed or direction as a result of your manoeuvre. 

Sometimes this leads to a comical situation at a mini roundabout where 4 cars end up waiting for each other. In that scenario, you would substantially be at fault if the car to your right went at the same time as you and crashed into you. They would need to give way to cars on their right. Aside from the overriding responsibility to always give way when it would avoid an accident (i.e. don't crash into someone just because you think it's your right of way; you still need to slam the brakes on if they pull out), they would not need to give way to or wait for you.

It's really not complicated. If you think it is then please consider getting some refresher lessons or just giving up your licence. 

Car_54

Petriix said:

In the relatively common scenario of being stopped waiting to enter a roundabout, if there is also a vehicle waiting to enter to your right, it is absolutely your obligation to give way to them unless there's definitely space and time to clear their path so that they wouldn't have to change speed or direction as a result of your manoeuvre. 

Your "absolute obligation" is to give way to vehicles approaching from the right. A waiting (stationary) vehicle is, by definition, not approaching. Further, it has no speed or direction to change.