Roundabouts

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Roundabouts

Articles 14-A Roundabouts was added to the Highway Code, approved by Decree-Law 114/94 of 3 May published in the Official Gazette of 3 September 2013 that came into force on 1 January 2014. The gazette has the following wording:

Article 14-A

Roundabouts

1 - At roundabouts, drivers must behave as follows:

a) Enter the roundabout after giving way to vehicles travelling on it, regardless of which way they are travelling;

b) If they want to leave the roundabout in the first exit lane, they must take the right-hand lane;

c) If you want to leave the roundabout via any of the other exit lanes, you must only take the rightmost traffic lane after passing the exit lane immediately before the one you want to leave, progressively approaching it and changing lanes after taking the necessary precautions;

d) Without prejudice to the provisions of the previous paragraphs, drivers must use the traffic lane most convenient to their destination.

2 - Drivers of animal or animal-drawn vehicles, cyclists and heavy goods vehicles may use the traffic lane furthest to the right, without prejudice to their duty to give way to drivers travelling under the terms of paragraph 1(c).

3 - Anyone infringing the provisions of paragraphs 1 b), c) and d) and 2 shall be penalised with a fine of (euro) 60 to (euro) 300.

As per the above wordings we can conclude the following key points.

Article 14-A provides specific rules for drivers when approaching and navigating roundabouts. Following these rules is important for smooth and safe traffic flow. Here are the key points:

1. Entering a roundabout:

• Always give way to vehicles already on the roundabout.

• If you plan to exit using the first lane, stay in the right-hand lane.

• For any other exits, move gradually to the rightmost lane after passing the previous exit.

2. Special consideration:

• Drivers of animal or animal-drawn vehicles, cyclists, and heavy goods vehicles are allowed to use the rightmost lane.

• However, they must still yield to other drivers.

Penalties for violating these rules range from €60 to €300, so it's essential to understand and follow them correctly.

The National Road Safety Authority's guide on "Circulation on Roundabouts" provides instructions for how vehicles should navigate based on the number of exits:

• Yellow vehicle: Aiming for the first exit.

  
  
  

• Red vehicle: Going for the second exit.

  
  
  

• Green vehicle: Planning for the third exit.