Roundabout facts for kids
A roundabout (also known as a traffic island) is a road circle joining three or more roads. Drivers follow a simple rule to avoid crashes.
In countries that drive on the left:
- At the island, give way to traffic coming from your right.
The driver goes round the island in a clockwise direction.
In countries that drive on the right:
- At the island, give way to traffic coming from your left.
The driver goes round the island in an anticlockwise direction.
Images for kids
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The Hotel Indonesia Roundabout in Jakarta, Indonesia
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The United Kingdom's first roundabout (1909) in Letchworth Garden City
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One famous roundabout is the Place Charles de Gaulle, Etoile, where 12 avenues come together, drawing a star, which explains the word "étoile", star in French. In the middle of the roundabout is the Arc de Triomphe.
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A roundabout next to the Elovainio shopping center in Ylöjärvi, Finland
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Roundabout at Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands, with modern art animals on the central island, and an apron that can be used by large trucks.
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A fountain dominates this roundabout in Aix-en-Provence, France.
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This roundabout in Shanghai, China, has a pedestrian bridge in the form of another, raised roundabout.
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Traffic approaching Chiverton Cross roundabout in Cornwall, UK
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Small modern roundabout in the United States, where vehicles are driven on the right
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Roundabout in the United States with separated side lanes. Vehicles entering the roundabout give way to vehicles in the roundabout.
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A small roundabout in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
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A mini-roundabout in the United Kingdom, where a painted white circle is used for the centre. The arrows show the direction of traffic flow.
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Small roundabout in Kargilik, Xinjiang, China
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A hybrid raindrop roundabout in Zagreb, Croatia, 45°48′33″N 15°59′55″E / 45.809296°N 15.998648°E. These two roundabouts are more akin to a "magic roundabout" since the left turns need not drive through both of them.
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Motorway junction with roundabout near Opatovice nad Labem, Czech Republic
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Dutch-style roundabout
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Haymarket roundabout, Melbourne
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The Main North Line railway bisects the State Highway 1/Main Street roundabout in Blenheim, New Zealand.
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National Register of Historic Places plaque on the first traffic circle in the United States, at the intersection of River and Pleasant streets in Yarmouth, Massachusetts
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Thomas Circle in Washington, D.C., 1922
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Traffic ten abreast traverses the Place de l'Étoile. This traffic circle surrounds the Arc de Triomphe at the intersection of ten two-way and two one-way streets. It has no lane markings.
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Roundabout, Haarlem, Netherlands, 1990. Cyclists may also be users of a roundabout.
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Small roundabout in Barzio, Italy
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Roundabout signs in Linköping, Sweden
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Roundabout in Straßwalchen, Austria
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Roundabout in the centre of Colombo, Sri Lanka
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Double-lane Raindrop Fountain Roundabout in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, where roundabouts replaced all traffic lights since 2011.
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The Hovenring bicycle roundabout in the Netherlands is an innovative design, completely separating bicycles from vehicular traffic.
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Pavement markings invite cyclists to enter sidewalk on approach to roundabout in Mesa, Arizona. Cyclists are still permitted to use the roundabout like any other vehicle.
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Cyclists can choose to ride on the sidewalk on far right, or in the main lanes of this roundabout in Mesa, Arizona.
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The Swindon Magic Roundabout
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Throughabout road sign in the Netherlands 51°51′02″N 5°49′54″E / 51.850517°N 5.831576°E
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Throughabout road sign in Australia 31°53′25″S 115°52′12″E / 31.8902952°S 115.8698988°E
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