Fleet Safety Tip of the Week

This week's tip, taken from the Nevada Driver's Handbook, offers advice on how to navigate a roundabout. They're common in some states, extremely rare in others. You may want to pass this along to your fleet drivers as a friendly reminder -- especially those drivers not accustomed to encountering roundabouts.

A roundabout is a large circular area in the middle of an intersection meant to control the right-of-way of vehicles. It's a traffic management tool that moves traffic through an intersection without the aid of traffic signals and may decrease the traffic volume as well. 

Entering traffic must yield the right-of-way to the traffic circulating within the roundabout and decrease speed while traveling in one direction with traffic already in the roundabout. 

Here is some advice: 

1. As you approach, choose which lane to use as you would for any other intersection. Use the left lane to turn left, complete a U-turn or go straight. Use the right lane to turn right or go straight. 

2. Yield. Those in the roundabout have the right-of-way. Wait for a gap in the traffic. 

3. All vehicles in the roundabout travel in one direction -- counterclockwise. 

4. Never change lanes. If you are in the inside lane and miss your exit, you must continue around until you reach the exit again. 

5. Use your right turn signal when exiting. 

For trucks: 

1. Drive on the circulatory roadway, except large commercial trucks and trailers are permitted to use the truck apron provided around the center island to negotiate the tight turning radius. 

2. Drive (usually with just the rear wheels) on the raised pavement of the truck apron to navigate more easily.

3. Cars should not use the truck apron.