As a newly licensed driver, I have become a roundabout maniac due to the joy I find driving in a circle. Although multi-laned roundabouts can prove to be confusing at times, they always provide a thrilling change of pace to liven your daily commute. 

Based on extensive observation and questioning, I found that an alarming number of people choose not to signal out of roundabouts, despite the simplicity of the task. After a thorough late-night read-through of the Oregon DMV manual to prepare for my written license test, I discovered that the guideline was printed clearly on page 34: “Exit – Indicate your plan to exit using your right turn signal.” Listed underneath the ‘Roundabouts’ section, it’s an obvious indication that this is something Oregonians should be doing. 

Despite the fact that this isn’t technically a law, using your turn signal to indicate your intended direction of travel is simply a common courtesy, not to mention it’s more efficient than keeping drivers guessing and making them wait to enter the roundabout until after they’ve confirmed your path of travel. Signaling could cut down the amount of yield time incoming drivers encounter, making roundabouts quicker and ultimately reducing traffic, allowing you to arrive at your destinations earlier than initially anticipated. It’s a win-win! You get to be courteous while getting places on time. 

So why is it that so many drivers don’t signal out of roundabouts? 

“The roundabout is said to have flourished in Britain because it requires the British virtues of compromise and cooperation. The U.S.’s more aggressive, confrontational culture may explain why the roundabout has not been widely adopted by Americans,” according to a theory from a British journalist featured in the BBC article “Why Americans Don’t Understand The Roundabout.”

People’s lack of roundabout exit signaling could be due to not having read the entire DMV manual or America’s aggressive driving culture. Either way, the gesture creates a more coordinated experience for all. However, you can rest assured knowing that you likely won’t be pulled over for failing to signal when leaving a roundabout, but you may not be able to avoid the public shame and deep guilt of deliberately disregarding the thoughtful choice of using your turn signal.