Nova Scotia Roundabout and Rotary Rules: Who Yields and How to Exit

Who has to yield at a roundabout in Nova Scotia?

The driver who enters. Under section 18(1) of the Using the Road Regulations, a driver who enters the circulatory roadway, the roadway that circles the central island, must yield to two groups. The first is traffic already in the circle that is so close as to be an immediate hazard. The second is pedestrians stopped at the edge of the roadway facing a crosswalk, or lawfully in a crosswalk.
In practice, traffic in the circle goes first. Wait for a gap, then enter. The idea is the same as when you merge from a highway ramp: traffic already on the road has priority.

1. 1
   Slow down and read the signs

   Slow down as you approach. Roundabouts are designed for speeds of 30 to 50 km/h. Follow the signs or pavement markings that show which lane to use.

2. 2
   Yield to pedestrians and close traffic

   Stop for pedestrians at or in the crosswalk. Then check the circle for traffic that is close to your entry.

3. 3
   Enter when there is a gap

   Enter the roundabout or rotary when there is a gap in traffic.

4. 4
   Drive counterclockwise to your exit

   Go around the central island in a counterclockwise direction until you come to the road where you want to exit.

5. 5
   Get in the correct lane early

   In a circle with more than one lane, move safely into the correct lane before you reach your exit. A practice question covers the checks before a lane change.

6. 6
   Signal and exit

   Turn on your turn signal and exit to the right. Look, signal and use caution as you change lanes and leave the circle.

Which direction do you drive in a Nova Scotia roundabout?

Counterclockwise. Section 18(2) says a driver must drive in a counterclockwise direction on the circulatory roadway of a rotary or roundabout. Traffic circulates around a central island, so the island stays on your left as you go around. Even when your exit is just to the left of your entry, do not turn left into the circle. Go around to the right until you reach it.

Which lane do you exit a Nova Scotia roundabout from?

The right lane. Section 18(3) says a driver must exit from the right lane, with two exceptions. The first is when a separate lane is provided for traffic that exits from a lane other than the right lane. The second is when an exit from the right lane is impracticable, which means not possible in practice.
The Driver's Handbook is stricter: it says never to exit a roundabout or rotary from an inside lane. Make that your habit. Where signs or pavement markings show a separate exit lane, follow them.

How do cyclists use roundabouts under the new rules?

Under section 125 of the Using the Road Regulations, a new Traffic Safety Act rule, a cyclist who enters, travels around and exits a rotary or roundabout must do so in the same manner as required for a vehicle.
Outside a bicycle lane, a cyclist usually keeps to the right: as far right as possible in the lane that leads to their destination, as far right on the roadway as practicable, or on the right-hand shoulder. In a roundabout, a cyclist who uses a lane other than the far-right lane like a vehicle does not have to keep right.

Pedicabs, Segways and other road users in a roundabout

Section 18(4) applies the same roundabout rules to a driver of any other conveyance that the regulations permit in a roundabout. A pedicab driver may enter, travel on and exit a roundabout in the same manner as a cyclist who is not in a bicycle lane. A personal transporter, a self-balancing electric device with 2 side-by-side wheels such as a Segway, must not be driven on a rotary or roundabout unless a sidewalk or bicycle lane is available.
Intersections with stop signs on every side use other rules. See how a four-way stop works in Nova Scotia.

Nova Scotia roundabout rules: common questions