Entering a Roundabout and See Flashing Lights Behind You? Keep Calm, and Carry On

It’s 5:30 p.m., and you’re just hitting the road for your commute home. With kids buckled in the back seat and the bag of groceries you just picked up tucked away in the trunk, you’re homeward-bound – and then you see flashing emergency lights in your rearview mirror. And to complicate matters, you’ve just entered a roundabout. What to do?

Kevin Kuhlow, a roundabout designer in the transportation division at Ayres Associates, assures you there’s no reason to panic – and he and the accompanying graphic can fill you in on just what to do.

“Before you reach a roundabout, if there’s an emergency vehicle behind you, pull over to the right side and let that vehicle pass you before entering the roundabout,” says Kevin, a nationally known roundabout designer who helped develop the instructional graphic. “If you happen to be in the roundabout and an emergency vehicle is coming, you should not stop within the roundabout. Instead, get to your exit and pull to the side to let the vehicle pass once you’ve exited.”

The problem with stopping while in the roundabout is the potential to plug up the natural traffic flow. “You don’t want things to stop operating,” says Kevin, who’s been involved in developing hundreds of roundabouts throughout North America. Never stop in the roundabout. Get to an exit, and then pull over to the side.

The same advice is true whether you find yourself in a single- or multi-lane roundabout. The general philosophy is, if you’re in a roundabout, get out of the roundabout. You’re already moving, so it’s better to exit the roundabout and then pull over.

“Navigating through a roundabout, whether you’re the only motorist in the roundabout or if you’re joined by an emergency vehicle, isn’t as complicated as it sounds,” Kevin says. “Use common sense, follow these general guidelines, and you’ll be just fine.”

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation offers detailed information about roundabouts on its website.

The following links also provide additional roundabout expert-approved information on what to do when encountering emergency vehicles in roundabouts:

• “What To Do When You Encounter an Emergency Vehicle in a Roundabout”
• “How to Navigate a Roundabout with Emergency Vehicles”

Next time you approach a roundabout and hear a siren, you’ll know what to do. If you have more questions about roundabouts, contact Kevin.