Driver's License Test Prep
New York Practice Right of Way

You are approaching a roundabout. According to the manual, who has the right of way?

  1. A.
    Traffic already in the roundabout has the right of way. Correct
  2. B.
    A driver entering must proceed first, and circulating traffic must slow to let them in.
  3. C.
    The vehicle that reached the yield line first enters the roundabout first.
  4. D.
    Vehicles in the roundabout must yield to any entering vehicle signaling to enter.
The Why

The answer is "Traffic already in the roundabout has the right of way."

Traffic already in the roundabout has the right of way; drivers at the yield line must wait for a gap in the circulating flow before entering. Drivers who bring the four-way STOP first-to-arrive tie-break to a roundabout pick C, missing that here priority follows position in the circle, not order of arrival.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

B. A driver entering must proceed first, and circulating traffic must slow to let them in.

Yield-at-entry means the entering driver waits for a gap; circulating traffic does not slow for arriving vehicles. This answer reverses the yield direction using an older rotary convention where entering traffic sometimes held priority.

C. The vehicle that reached the yield line first enters the roundabout first.

First-arrival ordering can settle a four-way STOP, but roundabouts use yield-at-entry: circulating traffic keeps priority regardless of who reached the yield line first. This answer carries the four-way STOP first-to-arrive rule over as if it settles every intersection tie.

D. Vehicles in the roundabout must yield to any entering vehicle signaling to enter.

A signal from an entering vehicle is a statement of intent, not a grant of priority over circulating traffic. This answer treats a turn signal as a request other drivers must honor, borrowing the courtesy that governs lane changes on a highway.

The Rule

This question tests your knowledge of Right of Way in New York. Source: New York State Driver's Manual, "Roundabouts," p.50..

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