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Give way— not "give way to the right", and not a full stop
The single obligation that governs every roundabout is give way. Under the Australian road rule, a driver entering a roundabout must give way to any vehicle already on it. Notice what that does not say: it does not say "give way to the right." Because Australian traffic circulates clockwise, the vehicles you conflict with usually do approach from your right— which is where the shorthand comes from— but your legal duty is to whoever is already on the roundabout, no matter which entry they used. A car that entered two exits earlier and is still coming around has priority, and you wait for it.
Give way also does not mean stop. A roundabout has no stop line demanding a full halt. Slow on the approach, look right and around the island, and if there is a safe gap with nothing already circulating, keep rolling through. Stopping dead at a clear roundabout is a genuine driving-test fault and invites a rear-end collision from behind. Be especially patient with long or heavy vehicles and buses, which may need more than one lane to get around— give them the whole roundabout rather than trying to squeeze past.
Indicating: where most learners lose marks
Signalling is where most learners lose marks, because a roundabout asks for two decisions, not one. On the approach the rules are intuitive: if you are turning left, signal left; if you are turning right or making a U-turn, signal right; if you are going straight ahead, give no signal on the approach at all.
The part drivers forget is the exit. The Australian road rule requires you to signal left as you leave the roundabout— for every exit, including when you have gone straight through— whenever it is practicable to do so. On a tiny single-lane roundabout there may not be time to flick the indicator on and off, and the rule allows for that; on any normal roundabout, the missing left exit signal is a commonly missed element of the whole manoeuvre.
For a right turn the full sequence is: signal right on the way in, hold it while you travel around the island, then switch to a left signal the moment you have passed the exit before the one you want. Cancel the signal once you are safely off.
Choosing the right lane on a multi-lane roundabout
On a multi-lane roundabout, the arrows painted on the road and any lane-use signs are the law— they override every default below, so read them before you commit to a lane.
Where there are no arrows, the defaults are straightforward. Turning left: approach and stay in the left lane, and leave by the left lane. Turning right or making a U-turn: approach in the right lane, keep the island on your right, and hold the right lane until you switch across to exit. Going straight ahead: use the left lane unless markings tell you otherwise— many roundabouts let you go straight from either lane.
Choose your lane before you enter, not once you are on the roundabout, and stay in that lane the whole way around— do not drift or straddle the line as you circle the island. The classic failure is trying to peel off to a left-hand exit while sitting in the right lane, which cuts straight across another driver who is entitled to be there. If you realise you are in the wrong lane, it is safer to continue around and come back than to change lanes across someone.
Exiting, U-turns, cyclists and pedestrians
Leave the roundabout in the same lane you circled in, with your left signal on, and straighten up smoothly rather than clipping the corner across the island. If you miss your exit, do not brake hard, stop, or reverse— simply carry on around and take it the next time you come to it.
U-turns are allowed at most roundabouts unless a sign forbids them. Treat a U-turn as a long right turn: right lane, right signal, drive around past the other exits keeping the island on your right, then signal left and leave where you came in. Always check for a "no U-turn" sign first.
Watch for road users who do not move like cars. Bicycle riders are permitted to turn right from the left-hand lane and must give way to vehicles leaving the roundabout, so give bikes plenty of room and expect them on your left. Give way to any trams, and to pedestrians crossing the road you are entering or leaving where your state requires it. These vulnerable-user details vary between states— confirm the specifics with your state road authority.
Common mistakes learners make
- Forgetting to signal left when leaving the roundabout— a commonly missed element of the manoeuvre on a driving test.
- Stopping when the roundabout is completely clear, instead of giving way and driving through— a common fault and a rear-end risk.
- Believing you must always "give way to the right"— the actual rule is give way to any vehicle already on the roundabout, whichever entry it used.
- Being in the wrong lane: trying to exit left from the right-hand lane, or turning right from the left-hand lane against the arrows.
- Signalling on the approach when going straight ahead— no approach signal is needed for straight through (only a left signal to exit).
- Straddling or crossing lanes while circling the island instead of holding one lane all the way around.
- Braking, stopping, or reversing after missing an exit, rather than continuing around and taking it next time.
Check the official source before you rely on this
Rules and pass requirements are set by each state and territory road authority and can change. Always confirm the current details with the official source for your state — Transport for NSW, VicRoads (Victoria), Queensland Transport, or the equivalent authority where you live. This page is a free study guide, not a substitute for the official handbook.
Last verified 4 September 2026 against the Australian Road Rules and your state road authority. Rules, fees and figures change. Always confirm current details with your state road authority before you rely on them.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Do I have to stop at a roundabout?
- No. A roundabout is a give-way, not a stop, and there is no stop line demanding a full halt. Slow down on the approach and be ready to stop, but if there is a safe gap and no vehicle already circulating, keep rolling through. Stopping dead at a clear roundabout is a genuine driving-test fault and invites a rear-end collision from the car behind.
- Which way do I indicate at a roundabout?
- On the approach, signal left if you are turning left, signal right if you are turning right or doing a U-turn, and give no signal at all if you are going straight ahead. Then, whenever it is practicable, always signal left as you leave the roundabout, for every exit, including going straight through. That exit signal is the step drivers most often forget and the one testers watch for.
- Is the rule really "give way to the right" at a roundabout?
- Not exactly. The actual rule is that you give way to any vehicle already on the roundabout, whichever entry it used. Because Australian traffic circulates clockwise, those vehicles usually do come from your right, which is where the shortcut comes from, but a car that entered two exits earlier and is still coming around also has priority and you must wait for it.