Road rules reviewed
At a Queensland roundabout, choose your lane before you enter, give way to vehicles already on the roundabout and signal for the turn you intend to make. The signs and lane arrows matter, especially where the layout is less familiar.
If you find yourself concentrating so hard on the indicator that you lose track of the traffic, practise the whole sequence with your instructor. You can practise everyday road skills with Coastwide, with time to discuss the part you find difficult.
Give yourself time on the approach
Look ahead for the direction signs and arrows while you still have time to choose a lane. Reduce your speed as needed so you can observe traffic, follow the markings and stop to give way. Your attention needs to cover the roundabout and its approaches, rather than one vehicle alone.
Discuss your observations with your supervisor during practice. For example, identify a car already circulating, a car waiting at another entrance and the exit you plan to take. Working through those separate observations can make the decision easier to understand.
Choose the lane, then use the appropriate signal
These examples describe a usual layout. Follow any signs or lane arrows that specify a different permitted movement.
Turning left
Use the left lane unless signs or arrows direct otherwise. Indicate left on approach and continue signalling through the turn and exit.
Going straight ahead
Either lane may be available unless the markings say otherwise. Do not signal on approach just to show that you are going straight. Signal left when leaving, if practicable.
Turning right or making a U-turn
Use the right lane unless signs or arrows allow another choice. Indicate right on approach and while continuing around. Change to a left signal when leaving, if practicable.
Follow the exit lane markings and cancel your indicator once you have left. Queensland's exit-signalling rule includes the qualification if practicable. It is still something to plan for, rather than routinely omit.
If you need to change lanes within the roundabout, indicate, give way to traffic in the lane you want to enter and move only when it is safe. An exit signal does not give you priority to cross another vehicle's path.
Let the actual layout guide you
The familiar clock-face explanation can help you picture a turn, but roads do not always meet at tidy angles. Queensland's rules distinguish between leaving less than halfway around, halfway around and more than halfway around. Read that together with the lane arrows and signs at the roundabout you are using.
Spiral markings can guide a circulating lane towards an exit. Keep following your marked lane and check the direction it serves. Do not assume that the left lane at every roundabout lets you continue past the first exit.
Before a practice drive, ask your instructor to explain an unfamiliar layout while you are parked. On the road, choose a route that matches the lane you are permitted to use. A missed turn is a reason to find another route, rather than make an abrupt lane change.
See the signalling sequence
This Transport and Main Roads video shows left turns, straight-ahead travel and right turns. The written explanation above covers the sequence too.
Watch TMR's roundabout video on YouTube, or read the transcript and diagrams in Queensland's roundabout guide. The exit-signal qualification is set out in section 118 of the Queensland Road Rules.
For practice, pick one focus with your instructor: reading the approach arrows, judging when to enter or coordinating the exit signal. Then bring those parts together over a few different roundabouts.