Entering the intersection
According to the current traffic rules (11th edition, with comments and illustrations, with amendments and additions according to resolutions of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 111 dated 11.02.2013 and No. 136 dated 06.03.2013), you can enter a roundabout from any lane. However, you should consider where you plan to go next in order to choose the right lane in advance and not obstruct other road users.
If we delve into details, clause 10.4 of the Rules prescribes: before turning left or right, including turning towards the main road, or before making a U-turn, the driver must take the extreme position on the carriageway intended for movement in the chosen direction in advance. The exception is turning when entering the roundabout, where the direction of movement is set by road signs or markings 1.18.
Exiting the intersection
Since driving around the roundabout is largely similar to turning right, let us refer to the Rules again: when turning right, you must keep to the right edge of the road, except when exiting a roundabout, where the direction is determined by sign 5.16 or markings 1.18, or where traffic is only possible in one direction. In other words, you are allowed to leave the roundabout from any lane.
Anticipating possible disputes, we note: experts in this matter refer to the manual "Rules for driving through intersections" (authors: Derekh Z.D., Candidate of Technical Sciences, Associate Professor; Zavoritsky Yu.E.), which is coordinated with the Center for Road Safety and Automated Systems under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.
Question: Can a car move along both trajectories indicated by green arrows in the diagram?
Answer: Yes, movement along any of the trajectories indicated by the arrows is allowed, since the traffic rules do not prohibit this. But it is worth remembering about driving culture: for example, from the right lane it is more logical to turn right. This is rather a recommendation, as responsible drivers who think not only about themselves do. By the way, many instructors teach students not just the rules, but precisely the culture of behavior on the road.
Driving through the intersection
Question: A situation that can puzzle a driver – who of the participants in the diagram below has the right of way?
Answer: The maneuver of the red car at first glance looks like a violation. However, upon closer inspection, it is clear that the red car is moving in its lane without changing direction, while the blue car intends to change lanes into its lane. Therefore, the blue car must yield to the red car. This is prescribed by clause 10.3 of the Ukrainian traffic rules: "When changing lanes, the driver must yield to vehicles moving in the same direction in the lane into which he intends to change." How appropriate it is to apply this rule at roundabouts is a separate question.
Question: Who has the right of way (two intersection points) in the diagram below?
Answer: It should be remembered: when changing lanes to an adjacent lane, you must yield to traffic moving in that lane. According to the diagram: at intersection point "1" - the red car yields to the white car, at point "2" – the white car must yield to the red car.
From Karat driving school: Many questions about roundabouts arise due to the lack of a clear rule for driving through this section of the road. If two drivers with different understandings of the traffic rules cross it, the likelihood of an accident increases significantly.
Let us remind you that earlier AutoPortal already published material about driving through roundabouts.
