Roundabout – driving licence theory

Roundabout

Indicated with the sign Roundabout.
Enter turning right and drive counter-clockwise on the roundabout.
Obligation to give way to all those already driving in the roundabout.
Benefits of roundabouts:
- Safe – the low speeds do not lead to any serious traffic accidents.
- Easy to understand – it is very rare for cars to go in the wrong direction or not yield when entering.
- More even traffic flow – traffic is spaced out, which means that the long queues that form at junctions with traffic lights are rare.

Indicating and driving in a roundabout

Driving inside the roundabout

Choose the most appropriate lane for your continued journey.
Follow road signs and road markings.
Use your indicators when changing lanes.
- You are only allowed to change lanes if you can do so without hindrance or danger to other traffic.
Facilitate other drivers’ lane changes by adapting your speed.

Exiting a roundabout

Try to place yourself in the lane furthest to the right before exiting. This is not a requirement, but it increases traffic safety.
You are to indicate your exit (i.e. to the right) when you exit the roundabout.

Driving straight ahead in a roundabout

1. Place yourself to the right. Do not indicate.

2. When you are next to the traffic island or similar device marking the exit before the one where you are exiting, start indicating right.

3. Keep to the right and turn out of the roundabout. Make sure to indicate right.

Turning right in a roundabout

1. Place yourself to the right and preferably indicate to the right already, as this makes your intentions clearer.

2. Keep to the right.

3. Exit the roundabout. Make sure to indicate right.

Turning left – small roundabout

1. Indicate left. If you do not indicate left, it is difficult for those entering the roundabout to discern your intentions, as the distances are so small. Your turning manoeuvre between 1 and 2 will be fairly drastic, which is another reason to use your blinkers.

2. Indicate right to show that you are exiting.

3. Exit the roundabout. Make sure to indicate right.

Turning left – large roundabout

1. Place yourself to the left and enter the roundabout.

2. Keep to the left. Unlike in the small roundabout, there is more distance here and sideways movements can be made smoothly. You may indicate left if you want to, but it is not as important as in the small roundabout.

3. When you are next to the traffic island or similar device marking the exit before the one where you are exiting, move to the right and show your intention by indicating right (same procedure as when changing lanes).

4. Keep to the right and turn out of the roundabout. Make sure to indicate right.

Clarification on indicating left

Are there no clear rules about indicating left in roundabouts?
– No, indicating left is a grey area. The Swedish Transport Agency and Police are very clear that you must always indicate right when exiting. Unfortunately, the same clarity does not exist when it comes to indicating left.

”There are no specific rules about using your indicators in a roundabout specifically. You must always use them to show your intentions when turning or manoeuvring the car sideways. Briefly put, you could say that a small or regular-sized roundabout should be treated as a junction, i.e. you indicate in the direction you are headed. [...] A larger roundabout should instead be treated as a curving one-way street, which means you indicate when exiting the roundabout or when changing lanes.” (Bo Göingberg, Swedish Transport Agency investigator. Translated from Swedish.)

How do I know if the roundabout is “small” or not?
– This is an assessment you must make for yourself. Compare with how you must determine the appropriate speed considering the condition of the road.

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Last updated 2021-01-22.