Roundabouts — Colorado Permit Test

A roundabout is a circular intersection where vehicles travel to the right around a center island and entering traffic yields to circulating traffic.

Nothing stops in a roundabout, so the only rule that makes it work is that the cars already going round keep going.

Vehicles travel to the right around a center island while entering traffic yields the right-of-way to circulating traffic

Before entering a roundabout, Colorado law requires drivers to yield to the driver of a truck, bus, emergency vehicle or recreational vehicle when it is entering, exiting or driving in the roundabout.

A long vehicle has to swing across more than one lane to get round at all. Holding back costs you a few seconds and saves the side of your car.

Colorado law requires drivers to yield the right-of-way to the driver of a truck, bus, emergency vehicle or recreational vehicle

Where two drivers of large vehicles enter, exit or drive in a roundabout at the same time, the driver on the right must yield to the driver on the left.

Two long vehicles need the same piece of the circle. Colorado picks one of them in advance so neither has to guess.

The law also requires when two drivers of large vehicles enter, exit or drive in a roundabout at the same time, the driver on the right must yield the right-of-way to the driver on the left

As you approach a roundabout, if no large trucks are present, you must yield to approaching traffic on the left.

Traffic in the circle is coming round from your left, so that is the direction the gap has to appear in.

As you approach a roundabout, if no large trucks are present, you must yield to approaching traffic on the left

Do not stop completely at a roundabout unless existing traffic prevents you from merging.

Stopping when the way is clear surprises the driver behind and holds up everyone else. A roundabout works by keeping traffic moving.

Do not stop completely unless existing traffic prevents you from merging

As you enter or leave a roundabout you must yield to pedestrians or bicyclists in a crosswalk and to any traffic already inside the roundabout, and yield to pedestrians waiting to cross.

The crossings sit just outside the circle, where a driver is watching for a gap rather than for people. That is why they get named separately.

As you enter or leave a roundabout, you must yield to pedestrians or bicyclists in any crosswalk and to any traffic already inside the roundabout

Use your turn signals when changing lanes in a roundabout and when exiting it.

Drivers waiting to enter are reading your car for a clue about whether you are leaving. The signal is that clue.

To alert traffic of your intentions, please use your turn signals when changing lanes and exiting the roundabout

A diverging diamond interchange crosses traffic to the opposite side of the road across an interchange so vehicles have uninterrupted movements onto the freeway ramps.

The left turn onto a ramp is where most interchange crashes happen, so this design removes it entirely by swapping the sides over.

A diverging diamond interchange crosses traffic to the opposite side of the road across an interchange so vehicles have uninterrupted movements onto the freeway ramps

Who has priority at a roundabout?

Traffic already circulating in it. Nothing stops in a roundabout, so the only rule that makes it work is that the cars already going round keep going. Colorado Driver Handbook, p.10: “Vehicles travel to the right around a center island while entering traffic yields the right-of-way to circulating traffic”