Test yourself
What the roundabout sign actually is
The sign at a glance
| Category | Warning |
| Shape | Diamond |
| Colours | Yellow with three black curved arrows |
| Standard | AS 1742 (Australian Standard for traffic signs) |
| Appears in | All states and territories |
The roundabout sign you see beside the road is a warning sign, not a command. Under Australian Standard AS 1742 it’s a yellow diamond with three black curved arrows chasing each other in a circle — the arrows curve clockwise because that’s the direction every Australian roundabout turns. Its whole job is early notice: a roundabout is coming, so ease off the accelerator and get ready to give way. Sometimes a smaller yellow plate sits underneath showing an advisory speed, say 25 or 35. That’s the speed the road authority suggests is safe for taking the roundabout, not a legal limit, but a sensible guide — especially on a wet road or a tight island. It’s worth clearing up a confusion that catches a lot of learners: this yellow diamond is a different sign from the red-and-white GIVE WAY sign (or the broken give-way line) planted at the actual entry. The diamond warns; the GIVE WAY sign and the road rules command. Both point to the same obligation — you give way on the way in — but the diamond is what buys you the few seconds you need to slow down and read the traffic before you get there.
The rule that really governs a roundabout
Here’s the single most important thing, and it’s national law: when you enter a roundabout you must give way to any vehicle already in the roundabout (Australian Road Rules, rule 114). Not "give way to the right" — that’s the rough shortcut instructors use, and it works most of the time because traffic circles clockwise, so cars already on the roundabout usually come from your right. But the legal test is simpler and stricter: is there a vehicle already on the roundabout whose path you’d cross? If yes, wait. If no, you can go — you do not have to stop for an empty roundabout, and stopping when it’s clearly safe to proceed is itself a fault on many tests. "Give way" means slow down, and stop if necessary, to avoid a collision — it does not mean come to a dead halt every single time. Once you’re on the roundabout, you drive to the left of the central island (clockwise) and never cut across or over the middle. You give way only on entry; the moment you’re on it, drivers waiting to enter must give way to you. Getting that direction of obligation right — who waits for whom — is the whole system.
Signalling: the part that fails learners
Signalling trips up more test candidates at roundabouts than the give-way does. The pattern is: turning left — signal left on approach and left as you leave. Going straight ahead — no signal on approach, but you must signal left just before you exit. Turning right or doing a U-turn around the top — signal right on approach, keep to the right lane, then switch to a left signal as you pass the exit before yours and peel off. The one almost everyone forgets is that final left signal on the way out. The Australian Road Rules require you to indicate left as you leave a roundabout whenever it’s practicable, no matter which way you went around. Testers watch for it every single time. It tells the driver waiting to enter that you’re getting off, so they can move — skip it and you’ve both broken a road rule and left another driver stuck guessing. Then cancel the indicator once you’re straight, so you don’t confuse the next entry. Practise the exit signal until it’s automatic; it’s the cheapest mark to lose and the easiest to fix.
Multi-lane roundabouts and where you’ll meet them
On a single-lane roundabout the only decisions are give way and signal. Multi-lane roundabouts add lane choice, and that’s where both crashes and test faults cluster. The general rule: to turn left or go straight ahead, approach in the left lane; to turn right or go most of the way around, take the right lane. Then follow your lane around — don’t drift across the painted lines mid-roundabout, and don’t change lanes on the roundabout unless the markings clearly allow it and it’s safe. Always look for the painted arrows on the approach: on larger roundabouts they override the general rule and tell you exactly which lane feeds which exit, so read them before you commit. You’ll meet the yellow roundabout warning sign anywhere sight distance is short or speeds are high — on the approach to a suburban intersection converted to a roundabout, on a rural road where a roundabout appears after a fast straight, and near schools and shopping strips where councils use them to calm traffic. The warning exists because a roundabout only works if everyone arrives already slowing and already expecting to give way. The sign is what gives you that head start.
Where you’ll see it
On the approach to any roundabout, mounted as a yellow diamond warning sign — commonly at suburban intersections turned into roundabouts, on rural roads where a roundabout follows a fast straight, and near schools and shopping strips where roundabouts are used to slow traffic. It appears before the GIVE WAY sign or line at the actual entry, sometimes with an advisory speed plate below it.
Common mistakes learners make
- Treating "give way to the right" as the law — the actual rule is give way to ANY vehicle already in the roundabout, which is usually from the right but not always.
- Forgetting to signal left when leaving the roundabout — the most common roundabout fault on a driving test, and required whenever practicable.
- Not signalling right on approach when turning right or going most of the way around, and sitting in the wrong (left) lane to do it.
- Coming to a full stop at a completely empty roundabout instead of giving way and proceeding when it’s clearly safe.
- Entering when a vehicle is already on the roundabout and about to cross your path — a failure to give way.
- Drifting or cutting across lanes on a multi-lane roundabout instead of following the painted arrows and staying in one lane around.
- Ignoring the advance warning sign and arriving too fast to read the traffic or choose the right lane in time.
Last verified 4 September 2026 against the Australian Road Rules and your state road authority.
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.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What does the roundabout sign mean?
- The roundabout sign is a yellow diamond warning sign with three curved arrows forming a circle, and the arrows curve clockwise because that is the direction every Australian roundabout turns. It tells you a roundabout is ahead, so slow down, move into the correct lane, and get ready to give way to any vehicle already in the roundabout before you enter.
- Is the advisory speed on the small yellow plate a legal limit?
- No. Where a smaller yellow plate under the sign shows a number such as 25 or 35, that is the speed the road authority suggests is safe for taking the roundabout, not a legal limit. Treat it as a sensible guide, especially on a wet road or a tight island.
- What’s the difference between the yellow roundabout sign and the GIVE WAY sign?
- The yellow diamond is a warning sign that gives you early notice a roundabout is coming, buying you the few seconds you need to slow down and read the traffic. The red-and-white GIVE WAY sign, or the broken give-way line, at the actual entry is what commands you to give way. Both point to the same obligation to give way on the way in.