Torque shop: How to negotiate roundabouts safely

How should drivers negotiate roundabouts and what lane should they take before exiting them?

In the early days, Singapore had several roundabouts, each with its own name followed by the word “circus”. These were gradually phased out – mostly after the 1970s – to be replaced by traffic light-controlled junctions. Today, there are fewer than a dozen circuses left in Singapore.

Many other countries, especially those in Europe, continue to have roundabouts at junctions, usually outside city centres. If you are intending to drive on a holiday abroad, it is useful to learn how to negotiate a roundabout.

In countries with left-hand-drive cars, you drive in the counter-clockwise direction at a roundabout, but the basic techniques are the same.

The best known roundabout in Singapore is Newton Circus. It is located between Scotts Road, Newton Road, Bukit Timah Road, Dunearn Road, Clemenceau Avenue North, Keng Lee Road and Kampong Java Road.

Over the years, it has evolved from being a near-perfect circle to being oval-shaped, with five entry roads and seven exits, a four-lane viaduct overhead and traffic lights at three of the entry roads.

The traffic lights help to regulate traffic during peak hours. Yellow boxes and the absence of pedestrian crossings help to increase the efficiency of traffic.

For less experienced drivers, entering the circus and taking an exit can be nerve-racking.

At most of Singapore’s circuses, there are clear arrows and lane markings to help prevent cars getting sideswiped by another vehicle when entering or exiting.

Specifically at Newton Circus, there is a mid-circus stop light for traffic that will continue to the next exit. It is critical to follow the lanes marked by the arrows.

When entering any roundabout, whether from a two- or three-lane carriageway, you must strictly adhere to keeping left if your exit is the first.

From a road with three lanes, you may keep to the leftmost lane or the middle one if your exit is the second one. Indicating the correct direction sufficiently early is crucial.

Also, as you enter, keep a lookout for vehicles on your right which are already in the circus, to avoid cutting sharply across their path.

The extreme right lane, or Lane 1, causes the most confusion because this is the correct lane to enter a circus if you intend to traverse beyond 180 degrees, which would usually be to the third, fourth or fifth exit.

The trick is to keep your car’s right-turn indicator on while going past the second exit, then switch to the left-turn indicator as you simultaneously and gradually change lanes from Lane 1 to 2, then eventually Lane 3, just before your exit.

Never attempt to make a quick exit from the inside lane of the circus. This is highly risky because there will be traffic entering the circus from your left, and you may be caught in a criss-cross situation.

If you missed your intended exit because of heavy traffic, remain in the circus and try again to filter to the left lane for a safe exit.

Using your indicators early, entering the circus safely and progressing smoothly to the extreme left to take the exit is the cleanest and safest way out of the circus and back on the road.