Roundabouts

A roundabout turns the right-hand rule upside down, and that is what the exam tests. Learn who waits, which way you go round and which lane you need, and these are quick marks.

Who goes first?

Whoever is already on the circle. When you enter an intersection marked with sign 4.3 “Roundabout”, you give way to vehicles travelling in it (point 98.1). In the five-step method, the sign settles this at step 2.

The red car is entering, so it gives way to the blue car on the circle.

Common trap: “The red car is on the blue car’s right” is the wrong answer here. The right-hand rule doesn’t apply at an intersection with sign 4.3.

Which way do I go round?

Follow the arrows of sign 4.3, passing the island on your right. Don’t cut across the front of the island, even for a U-turn: you must go round it.

This U-turn is prohibited: the path cuts across the front of the island.

Which lane do I use?

• Entering: any lane, whatever you plan to do next. Point 40 normally sends you to the edge lane before a turn, but it makes an exception for entering a roundabout.
• Leaving: the right edge lane. Leaving is a right turn like any other.

Remember: Any lane in, edge lane out.

Try it yourself

You are entering past sign 4.3. A light truck and a motorcycle with a sidecar are already on the circle.

Who do you give way to? Both. Everyone on the circle has priority over you.

Two vehicles leave along the arrows. The truck is in the edge lane. The car crosses its path from the inner lane.

Who breaks the rules? The car. It left from a lane that isn’t the edge lane.

Sign 3.18.1 “No right turn” stands beside sign 4.3. Paths Ա, Բ and Գ start in front of you.

Which may you take? Only Բ. Ա is the banned right turn, and Գ passes the island on the left.

Key points

• At sign 4.3, the vehicle entering gives way to vehicles on the circle.
• The right-hand rule doesn’t apply there.
• Go round the island in the direction of the arrows, keeping it on your right.
• Enter from any lane. Leave from the right edge lane.

Practice questions

Question 131. A U-turn along the indicated path

1. Is permitted
2. Is prohibited

Show answer

Correct: 2. Is prohibited

The sign is 4.3 “Roundabout”, under which movement is permitted only in the direction its arrows show - around the central island. The indicated path turns back across the front of the island instead of going round it, which runs against the direction sign 4.3 makes compulsory, so a U-turn along that path is prohibited. “Is permitted” is wrong because at a roundabout the driver must travel around the island in the prescribed direction and may not cut across it.

Question 325. The red car:

1. Has priority of travel, because it approached the roundabout intersection from the right side of the blue car.
2. Must give way to the blue car travelling on the road with circular traffic.

Show answer

Correct: 2. Must give way to the blue car travelling on the road with circular traffic.

The blue sign with circular arrows is sign 4.3 “Roundabout”. In the picture the red car is only just entering the intersection with circular traffic, while the blue car is already travelling on it. point 98.1 of the Rules states that when entering an intersection with circular traffic equipped with sign 4.3 “Roundabout”, a driver must give way to vehicles travelling on that intersection — so it is correct that the red car must give way to the blue one. The other option, that the red car has priority because it approached from the right side of the blue car, is wrong: the general “give way to the right” rule does not apply at an intersection with sign 4.3, where point 98.1 obliges the entering driver to give way to those already circulating.

Question 340. Which vehicle’s driver enters the roundabout intersection correctly?

1. Both drivers.
2. Only the bus driver.
3. Only the passenger car’s driver.

Show answer

Correct: 1. Both drivers.

The sign is 4.3 “Roundabout”, under which traffic is permitted in the direction its arrows show. point 40 of the Rules requires a driver to take the appropriate edge lane in advance of a turn, but that requirement does NOT apply when entering an intersection with a roundabout - it may be entered from any lane. Both the bus and the car are entering in the direction the roundabout runs, so both drivers enter correctly. “Only the bus driver.” and “Only the passenger car’s driver.” are wrong because the point 40 exception covers them equally.

Question 341. Which vehicle has the right of way?

1. The red car, because it enters the roundabout intersection from the right side of the blue car.
2. The blue car, because it is travelling on the road with circular traffic.

Show answer

Correct: 2. The blue car, because it is travelling on the road with circular traffic.

The sign on the right is 4.3 “Roundabout”, which marks an intersection with circular traffic. Under point 98.1 of the Traffic Rules: “On entering an intersection with circular traffic equipped with sign 4.3 ‘Roundabout’, the driver of a vehicle is obliged to give way to vehicles travelling in such an intersection.” The blue car is already travelling on the circular road, while the red car approaches the entry of the intersection on a secondary road — so the red car must give way and the blue car has priority. “The red car, because it enters the roundabout intersection from the right side of the blue car” is wrong, because the right-hand rule of point 98 applies at intersections of equal roads and is expressly set aside by point 98.1 for roundabouts marked with sign 4.3 — priority belongs to the vehicle already travelling on the circular road, whichever side the other car enters from.

Question 353. Which vehicle must give way?

1. The blue car.
2. The red car.

Show answer

Correct: 2. The red car.

The round blue sign with white arrows standing at the entry is sign 4.3 “Roundabout”. The red car is only now entering the intersection, while the blue one is already travelling round the circle. Under point 98.1 of the Rules, on entering an intersection with circular movement equipped with sign 4.3 a driver must give way to vehicles travelling in that intersection, so the red car is the one that must give way. The answer “The blue car” is wrong: priority belongs to the vehicle already on the circle, and the general rule of point 98 — giving way to those approaching from the right — does not apply at such an intersection.

Question 378. When entering an intersection with circular traffic equipped with the «Roundabout» sign, the driver of a vehicle

1. is obliged to give way to the vehicles travelling in that intersection
2. has priority of travel over those already travelling in that intersection.

Show answer

Correct: 1. is obliged to give way to the vehicles travelling in that intersection

Point 98.1 of the Rules establishes that when entering an intersection with circular traffic equipped with sign 4.3 «Roundabout», the driver “is obliged to give way to the vehicles travelling in that intersection”. Priority belongs to those already moving round the circle, and the one entering yields. The option “has priority of travel over those already travelling in that intersection” directly contradicts point 98.1.

Question 387. When entering this intersection the driver

1. Has the right of priority travel
2. Must give way to the truck
3. Must give way to both drivers

Show answer

Correct: 3. Must give way to both drivers

Ahead is an intersection marked with sign 4.3 “Roundabout”, and under point 98.1 of the Rules a driver entering such an intersection must give way to the vehicles already travelling round it. Both the truck and the motorcycle with a sidecar are already circulating, so you must give way to both. “Has the right of priority travel” is the exact opposite of what point 98.1 says, and giving way only to the truck is not enough, because the rule covers every vehicle on the roundabout - the motorcycle included.

Question 681. A roundabout traffic scheme is organized at the intersection. The carriageway by which you approach the intersection has two traffic lanes. When entering the intersection, which lane are you obliged to occupy in order to make the turn?

1. The right lane.
2. The left lane.
3. Either the right or the left lane.

Show answer

Correct: 3. Either the right or the left lane.

Point 40 of the Traffic Rules requires a driver to move in advance into the edge lane matching the intended direction before a turn or a U-turn, but the same point makes an explicit exception for entering an intersection with roundabout traffic. Because this intersection is a roundabout, that requirement does not apply, and from a two-lane carriageway you may enter using “Either the right or the left lane.” “The right lane.” and “The left lane.” are wrong because they apply the edge-lane rule to the very case the rules exempt from it.

Question 721. At an intersection where circular (roundabout) traffic is organized, is the bus driver obliged to give way to the truck?

1. He is obliged.
2. He is not obliged.

Show answer

Correct: 2. He is not obliged.

Under point 98.1 of the Traffic Rules, a driver entering an intersection with a roundabout marked by sign 4.3 “Roundabout” must give way to the vehicles already travelling round it. In the picture the bus is already circulating on the roundabout carriageway around the central island, while the truck, with its indicator on, is only now approaching the entry. The truck’s driver must therefore give way, and the bus driver is not obliged to.

Question 763. Entering the intersection from the indicated lane

1. Is permitted only when making a U-turn
2. Is permitted in any case

Show answer

Correct: 2. Is permitted in any case

The picture shows an intersection with a roundabout - sign 4.3 - together with a “Give way” sign. Under point 40 of the Traffic Rules a driver entering an intersection with a roundabout is NOT obliged to take the edge lane of the road in advance, as he would be for an ordinary turn, so such an intersection may be entered from any lane whatever direction he then intends to take. Entering from the indicated lane is therefore permitted in any case, not only when making a U-turn.

Question 791. Which driver is violating the traffic rules by exiting the roundabout intersection

1. The passenger car
2. Both drivers
3. No one

Show answer

Correct: 1. The passenger car

In the picture both vehicles are leaving an intersection with a roundabout marked by sign 4.3: the truck from the right edge lane, and the light passenger car from the inner lane, crossing the truck’s path. Under point 40 of the Traffic Rules a driver must take, in advance, the edge lane appropriate to the direction he is taking - and although a roundabout may be ENTERED from any lane, leaving it is a right turn like any other. The one breaking the rules is therefore the passenger car’s driver, because he leaves the intersection from a lane that is not the edge one.

Question 1042. Along which trajectories is travel permitted

1. Only Բ (B)
2. Ա (A) or Բ (B)
3. Բ (B) or Գ (C)

Show answer

Correct: 1. Only Բ (B)

Before the intersection stand sign 4.3 “Roundabout”, which permits travel only in the direction its arrows show - round the island, passing it on the right - and sign 3.18.1 “No right turn”. Trajectory Բ (B) follows the compulsory direction of the roundabout, so it alone is permitted. Trajectory Գ (C) is wrong because it passes the island on the left, against the direction of the arrows, and trajectory Ա (A) - the right turn - is prohibited by sign 3.18.1. “Ա (A) or Բ (B)” and “Բ (B) or Գ (C)” are therefore wrong, and the correct answer is “Only Բ (B)”.