Dealing With Roundabouts

Roundabouts are one of the areas new drivers worry about most, but they follow a consistent logic once you break them down into stages. Getting comfortable with the MSM (Mirror, Signal, Manoeuvre) routine, applied at each stage, takes most of the guesswork out of them.

Reviewed by Aqua Driving School. Last checked: 28 September 2026.

Approaching a roundabout

Identify the roundabout in good time and start planning your route through it: which exit do you need, and what does that mean for your position and signalling?
Check your mirrors and adjust your speed well before you reach the give-way line.
Signal only when you know which exit you are taking, and only if your intended signal will actually help other road users understand your plan.

Positioning on approach

As a general rule for a standard roundabout:

Turning left (first exit): signal left on approach, and stay in the left-hand lane.
Going straight ahead: usually no signal needed on approach unless lane markings say otherwise; use the left-hand lane in most cases, following any signs.
Turning right or taking a later exit: signal right on approach, and position in the right-hand lane where there is more than one.

Always follow the specific road markings and signs at the roundabout you are on rather than applying a rule rigidly, because layouts vary and some roundabouts have lane arrows that override the general pattern above.

Giving way

Give way to traffic already on the roundabout approaching from your right, unless road markings or signs tell you otherwise. Look right and only move off when you can see a safe gap. It is far better to wait a moment too long than to pull out into a gap that closes faster than expected.

Exiting the roundabout

Signal left just after you pass the exit before the one you want, not earlier, so other drivers are not misled about which exit you are taking.
Check your mirrors and blind spot before changing lanes towards your exit, particularly on multi-lane roundabouts where vehicles may be crossing lanes around you.
Maintain a steady speed through the roundabout itself, adjusting smoothly rather than braking sharply unless another road user's behaviour requires it.

Mini roundabouts

Mini roundabouts follow the same give-way-to-the-right rule but are compact and often approached at low speed. Treat the painted circle as you would a full-size roundabout: you must give way to traffic from the right and should not cut across the middle, even though it is only a road marking rather than a raised island.

Multi-lane and larger roundabouts

Larger roundabouts, sometimes with two or more lanes and multiple exits, need extra attention to lane discipline. Choose your lane based on your intended exit before you reach the roundabout, using road signs and lane markings as your guide, and stay in that lane unless it is unsafe or road markings indicate a lane change is needed.