Transport authorities in the country’s most populous state are reminding the public about an important road rule many unwittingly flout, which they said has long been considered a “myth” among drivers.
NSW Road Safety, a division of the state government, issued a statement on Tuesday to “bust the myth” that you only need to give way to vehicles on your right at the roundabout.
It said: “The rule is actually that you need to give way to any vehicle already in the roundabout, whether they’re entering on your right, left or directly opposite you”.
‘Grossly ignored’ road rule under spotlight
While that may seem common knowledge to some, many responding to the reminder agreed it’s often ignored on our roads.
“This road rule is grossly ignored or misunderstood in NSW,” a passionate driver wrote in response. “Vehicles on the right enter the roundabout at excessive speeds and, of course, make it almost impossible for other traffic to enter, even if they have right of way.”
He added that “much more driver education is needed” and “perhaps more police action” for this rule to “be observed correctly”.
Another said they thought it seemed “most users have confused” give way to someone on the roundabout, with “enter at the highest possible speed and get ready to stand on the horn”.
A third argued: “The only way to get drivers to give way to their left and right is to have speed humps at roundabout thresholds”.
NSW Road Safety said it’s important to know this and be aware of “all vehicles in the roundabout before entering to avoid a crash”.
Incorrect use of roundabouts can result in fines and demerit points in NSW. For example, failing to indicate appropriately when entering, navigating, or exiting a roundabout could see you slapped with a $194 fine and two demerit points.
Failing to give way to vehicles already in the roundabout when entering could attract a penalty of $349 fine and three demerit points.
In 2024, NSW recorded 340 road fatalities, matching the previous year’s total. This equates to 4.01 deaths per 100,000 population, a slight decrease from 4.08 in 2023.
During a two-week Christmas and New Year period, NSW Police conducted 438,328 breath tests, resulting in 720 drink-driving charges.
Additionally, 9,719 speeding infringements were issued, and 1,725 positive drug detections were recorded.
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