Sullivan: A course in roundabouts; They are not that hard

As promised, it’s another episode of Roundabouts 101. It appears our drivers need a refresher course.

I’m not sure why so many have issues with roundabouts. They really aren’t that difficult. My best guess is that because they are somewhat new to the Pacific Northwest, and drivers just don’t have much experience with them.

Why am I bringing this up again? Overwhelming demand from the text line and here at MyNorthwest after last week’s Chokepoint on roundabouts coming to North 145th Street on either side of Interstate 5 (I-5).

Construction on them began last night. The City of Shoreline’s Eric Bratton told me he expects a learning curve when they open in seven months.

“Wherever you go into a roundabout, there is a roadmap for you and signage to tell you what lane you need to be in for wherever you want to go,” he said. “Just make sure you look at that before you get into the roundabout. We know that this is going to take some time for people to get used to.”

More from Chris Sullivan: Major disruptions to impact drivers who use I-5 overpass at 145th Street

And Bratton hit on the key to understanding and navigating roundabouts: Just follow the signs. But, even before that, I recommend that you know where you need to go before getting to the roundabout. That way, you will put yourself in the best possible position.

Let’s start with single-lane roundabouts. They are quite easy to understand (I will be using the Washington Department of Transportation video guide on how to drive both single- and multi-lane roundabouts).

Rule No. 1: Cars in the roundabout always have the right of way.

“Traffic that is inside the roundabout has the right of way,” the video said. “Drivers entering the roundabout must yield to vehicles already inside and look left, as traffic always moves counterclockwise.”

That last one sounds simple, but I have seen people try to take a left when entering a roundabout. That is a no-no. Traffic always goes counterclockwise.

I think it’s the double-lane roundabouts where most drivers get anxious and confused, but they really aren’t much different. You still must yield to traffic already in the roundabout.

But here is where knowing where you want to go is key. You have to pick your lane before you enter. Back to the video.

“As a rule of thumb, to turn right be in the right lane and to turn left be in the left lane,” the video states. “Straight is usually either lane but check the signs to be sure.”

Do not change lanes in the middle of a two-lane roundabout. That is illegal and dangerous.

More from Chokepoints: Driving with headphones, windshield obstructions in Washington

I get a lot of questions about sharing roundabouts with big rigs. Truck drivers also plead with me to tell drivers to give them plenty of room.

As the video states, “keep a safe distance behind trucks and large vehicles. Freight trucks are allowed to use both lanes prior to entering the roundabout while driving inside the roundabout and for a short while after exiting. Sometimes trucks use the edges of the center island to maneuver. That’s OK as the center island is designed to help. Do not pass a truck in a roundabout. It is very dangerous.”

My best advice is to let those trucks go through solo. It’s just much safer.

This question comes up a lot too. What happens if you’re approaching or in a roundabout when an ambulance or fire truck comes up behind you? Where do you pull over?

“If an emergency vehicle approaches, drive through the roundabout and pull over just like you would at any other intersection,” the video said.

I hope this helps. Roundabouts are not going away. In fact, they are being used more and more to eliminate T-bone crashes and other issues at intersections.

Don’t get freaked out. Follow the signs. Follow the rules. And you should be fine.

Check out more of Chris’ Chokepoints here. You can also follow Chris on X, formerly known as Twitter. Head here to follow KIRO Newsradio Traffic’s profile on X.

Follow @https://twitter.com/newsguysully