Arizona Driving Permit Written Practice Test

How should you navigate a roundabout?

1. Speed up to enter quickly

2. Yield to traffic already in the roundabout

3. Ignore traffic signals

4. Only stop if necessary

The correct answer is: Yield to traffic already in the roundabout

To effectively navigate a roundabout, yielding to traffic already in the roundabout is essential. This rule ensures smooth traffic flow and enhances safety by allowing vehicles already circulating to maintain their path without interruption. Roundabouts are designed to reduce the likelihood of collisions by promoting a continuous flow of traffic, and yielding appropriately helps prevent accidents that can occur from vehicles trying to enter the circle at the same time as those that are already inside. When approaching a roundabout, it is important to assess the traffic conditions. If there are vehicles already circulating, yielding gives drivers the time to gauge when it is safe to enter. This practice reduces the risk of conflicts and encourages orderly navigation, which is the primary function of roundabouts in managing intersections. Other approaches, like speeding up to enter or ignoring traffic signals, can lead to dangerous situations. Similarly, the idea of stopping only if necessary could create confusion for other drivers, as entering the roundabout too abruptly can disrupt its flow. Thus, understanding and applying the rule of yielding are critical for safely navigating these traffic features.