How should you approach a roundabout?

When approaching a roundabout, yielding to traffic that is already in the roundabout is essential for maintaining a smooth flow of vehicles and ensuring safety. This approach allows you to assess the traffic conditions inside the roundabout before entering. Vehicles already circulating in the roundabout have the right of way, which helps prevent collisions and reduces confusion at these intersections.

The design of roundabouts aims to minimize delays, promote continuous movement, and reduce the severity of accidents, which is why yielding is a critical part of the process. By yielding, you can wait for a safe gap in traffic and then merge smoothly into the flow, which is safer for everyone involved.

Other approaches, like speeding up to enter or coming to a complete stop, can result in unsafe conditions either by increasing the likelihood of collisions or by disrupting the flow of traffic in the roundabout. Therefore, understanding the importance of yielding to traffic already in the roundabout is key to navigating them safely and effectively.