Roundabouts can be intimidating upon first approach, but they are designed to be safer and more efficient than traditional intersections. 

NCDOT’s Traffic Safety Unit found that roundabouts, which replaced intersections with 55 mile-per-hour speed limits, helped reduce crashes by 41% and fatal and injury crashes by 79%. 

Though they are becoming more popular on North Carolina roads, not everyone feels comfortable using a roundabout. To help you during your next trip, follow these simple tips: 

• Yield to any traffic already in the roundabout, entering only when you see a gap in traffic. 
• Never enter a roundabout while an emergency vehicle with lights and sirens is passing through. If you are already in the roundabout, exit as soon as possible and pull over.  
• Bicyclists should always stay in the middle of their lane while in a roundabout. 
• Drivers should never pass bicyclists while in a roundabout.  

For more roundabout safety tips, visit NCDOT’s roundabout page.