Spiral Roundabouts

Navigating a spiral roundabout

Ah, the mystical spiral roundabout—a place where lanes twist and turn like a plot in a soap opera! Picture it: you’re driving along, minding your own business, when suddenly, the road starts spiralling like a confused snail on caffeine. Fear not, intrepid learner! Let us guide you through this motoring labyrinth.

There may not be a spiral roundabout in your driving test centre area and therefore you will not encounter one on your driving test. However it is worth finding one and making sure you understand them as you will encounter them once you pass your test and have your driving freedom. Checkout or top tip at the bottom of the page once you have read our step-by-step guide.

Step 1 - Preparation

Before entering the spiral, just tick a few of those mental boxes:

• Mirrors: Check what is lurking behind you and on either side.

• Signal: You will be following the lines of the road, but you still need to signal as you exit the roundabout.

• Position: Choose your lane - left for the exit, right for continuing round the spiral.

• Speed: Adjust your velocity to match the other traffic on the spiral. This way you can see where the lines and the traffic are taking you.

• Observe: Keep an eye out for what other drivers are doing, remember not everyone has read this page and some people may never have encountered a spiral roundabout previously.

Step 2 - Lane Choice

• Left lane: First exit this is nice an easy.

• Middle lane: Straight ahead.

• Right lane: Third exit or beyond.

Step 3 - Navigating the Spiral

• Watch for traffic from the right (unless traffic lights say otherwise).

• Stay in your lane.

• Follow the spiral markings and calm those nerves as the traffic starts to drift towards the outside of the roundabout.

Step 4 - Exiting the Roundabout

• Check your mirrors.

• Signal left.

• Exit gracefully.

Top Tip - If there is a spiral roundabout in your test centre area, make sure to drive it from each direction trying each of the exits so you familiar with the flow.