Roundabouts — what applies differently
| What the rule is | Where it goes wrong | What you do | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No need to keep right | Art. 47: just before and on the roundabout you may drive other than on the right. The ordinary duty to keep right does not apply here. | Clinging to the right lane on a two-lane roundabout. It is not required, and whoever continues further round belongs on the inner lane. | On the roundabout keep to the outer lane unless the markings or signs say otherwise. |
| Overtaking on the right is allowed | Art. 48, one sentence: just before or on a roundabout drivers may overtake on the right. This is the fifth statutory exception to “overtaking is done on the left”. | Thinking you may not pass a slower car on the right on a roundabout. Here you may — and that is exactly why you need your mirrors. | Do not overtake on the ring; leave whoever is on it their place. |
| Priority at the roundabout | Not regulated in §18. Priority is set by the signage: shark teeth before the entry mean giving way to traffic on the crossing road (art. 80). | Thinking traffic on the roundabout always has priority. That follows not from the roundabout but from the signs; without shark teeth the ordinary priority rules apply. | Look at what is there: shark's teeth or B6 decide who waits, not the shape of the junction. |
| Indicating on the roundabout | Art. 55 requires a signal for “all other significant lateral movements” — leaving the roundabout is one of them. | Signalling right on entry “just in case”. That tells others you are leaving at once, which is not true. | Signal right when leaving the roundabout, and only then exit. |
The law itself
RVV1990 art. 47RVV1990 art. 48RVV1990 art. 55RVV1990 art. 80
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