Roundabouts in Kansas
Story by: I&R Staff
Kansan's are newly experiencing this form of traffic.
For those of you arriving from overseas
the rules you used may be different.
The information below is provided by
the Kansas Department of Revenue, Division of Vehicles.
Modern roundabouts can improve safety, operation and aesthetics versus a standard intersection with STOP signs or traffic signals.
Modern roundabouts have the following characteristics:
A Central Island
A Truck Apron
(designed for large trucks to put their rear tires on)
Splitter Islands
A circular roadway on which all vehicles travel counter clockwise
Slow Speeds (15 mph to 25 mph)
Yield Signs At Entry
On approaching the modern roundabout, yield to vehicles and bicyclists within the circulating roadway. Look to your left to see if there is an appropriate gap in traffic. If one is not available, you may need to stop. Always enter the roundabout to the right and proceed on the right side of the central island.
Within the modern roundabout, proceed slowly; don't try to pass bicyclists within the roundabout as your speeds should be nearly equal. Continue until you near your exit, at which time you should put on your right turn signal to tell drivers that you intend to exit.
On a multilane modern roundabout, do not overtake or pass any vehicles. Be prepared to yield to vehicles turning in front of you from the inside lane to exit the roundabout.
When there is more than one lane (two) entering a roundabout, use the following general rules to determine which lane you should be in (unless signs or pavement markings indicate otherwise):
If you intend to exit the roundabout less than
halfway around it, use the right lane.
If you intend to exit the roundabout more than
halfway around it, use the left lane.
Watch for pedestrians in or approaching the crosswalk and stop for them. This is important when entering or exiting the round about.
Do not enter a modern roundabout when an emergency vehicle is approaching on another leg. This will enable traffic already in the roundabout to clear in front of the emergency vehicle. When an emergency vehicle is approaching, in order to provide a clear path to turn through the roundabout, proceed to beyond the splitter island on your leg before pulling over.
For additional information on this or other Kansas Driving Laws check this link:http://www.ksrevenue.org/vehicle.htm