Reader Question: We notice many times on rural roads vehicles already on roundabouts give way to vehicles approaching the roundabout. There are no special signs in place, so why might this happen? M.B.
There are two kinds of roundabouts in France, officially called rond-point and carrefour à sens giratoire.
You might assume they all had the same rules, but in fact that is not the case.
While rond-point is still the more common everyday term for a roundabout, carrefours à sens giratoire, literally meaning ‘junction with a turning direction’, are becoming common in practice, especially in the case of larger roundabouts seeing a higher volume of traffic.
One famous exception to this is the roundabout at Place de l’étoile in Paris, which is still a rond-point.
As the smaller roundabouts follow traditional rules, there does not need to be any signs reminding drivers to give way to the right – this should be your automatic reflex.
Give way/yield signliyapo/Shutterstock
However, roundabouts classified as giratoire will have signs informing drivers pulling up to one they they must give priority those already driving in it, via a ‘Yield’ sign (Cédez le passage).
These are an upside down red triangle, as seen below.
There will also typically be a dotted line across the entrance to the roundabout, indicating that approaching traffic should pause and give way.
If when you are approaching a roundabout, there is no yield sign or marking on the road, then follow the traditional rules.
