Safely Navigating the Morgantown Roundabout

With Morgantown’s first roundabout set to open this week, its important to understand how to safely navigate a roundabout.  Roundabouts are designed to make intersections more efficient and safer for drivers and pedestrians.  When entering a roundabout, there are a few things to remember when driving in a roundabout:

• Stay in your lane
• Do not stop in the roundabout
• Avoid driving alongside oversized vehicles
• Yield to drivers already in the roundabout.

The new roundabout in Morgantown, much like those in Fairmont, are multi-lane roundabouts.  When traveling in a multi-lane roundabout, you choose your lane the same way you would in a traditional multi-lane intersection.  To go straight or right, get in the right lane; to go straight or left, get in the left lane. Once you have chosen your lane, be sure to watch for pedestrians in crosswalks as you approach the round about.  Upon entering the roundabout, at the yield line, look to your left and yield to drivers already in the roundabout.  In a multi-lane roundabout, you must yield to both lanes of traffic prior to entering the roundabout.  When a gap in traffic appears, merge into the roundabout and proceed to your exit.  If there is no traffic when you enter the roundabout, you may proceed without yielding.

To help instruct drivers on roundabouts, the West Virginia Department of Highways has created this instructional video

Roundabouts offer a more efficient and safer method of travel.  However, people unfamiliar with roundabouts can cause collisions.  Be sure when traveling through the new roundabouts in our area you are cautious and understand the traffic flow.