Roundabout with two lanes Rotonde met twee rijstroken
On a roundabout with two lanes, choose your lane before it by the arrows; give way to both lanes of the ring; keep your lane on the ring, and moving from the inner to the outer lane, let traffic in the outer lane go first.
RVV 1990 art. 15, 54 · CBR: rotondes
Welke rijstrook neem je op een rotonde met twee rijstroken?
Rechtsaf en rechtdoor: de rechter rijstrook. Linksaf en keren: de linker, die op de rotonde de binnenste strook wordt. Verleen voorrang aan beide rijstroken van de rotonde en, als je naar de buitenste strook gaat, aan het verkeer op die strook.
In English: Which lane do you take on a roundabout with two lanes? Right and straight on: the right lane. Left and going back: the left lane, which becomes the inner lane of the ring. Give way to both lanes of the ring, and moving to the outer lane, to the traffic in it.
Why this rule exists
Most crashes on two-lane roundabouts happen when someone leaves from the inner lane straight across a car in the outer lane. Choosing the right lane early and moving out with care prevents it.
The Dutch words you need
- rotonde met twee rijstroken
- roundabout with two lanes
- binnenste / buitenste rijstrook
- inner lane / outer lane (of the roundabout)
- voorsorteren
- to get in lane before a junction or roundabout
- voorsorteerbord
- lane board: shows which lane goes where
- turborotonde
- turbo roundaboutraised dividers between the lanes: you cannot change lanes on it
Step by step on the road
- Get in lane early, by the lane board and the arrows on the road: once the lines between the lanes are solid, you may no longer change.
- Right or straight on: the right lane. Left or going back: the left lane, which becomes the inner lane of the ring.
- Give way to traffic on the roundabout, in both lanes.
- On the ring, keep your lane. Where the lanes have arrows, follow the lane whose arrows match your direction.
- From the inner lane, move out once you have passed the exit before yours: signal right, check your mirrors and over your right shoulder, and let traffic in the outer lane go first.
- Signal right before you leave, and watch for cyclists and pedestrians at the exit.
Common mistakes
- Leaving straight from the inner lane, across a car in the outer lane.
- Taking the right lane to turn left, then cutting across the ring.
- Looking only at the outer lane when you enter, and missing a car in the inner lane.
- Choosing the wrong lane before a turbo roundabout: the dividers keep you in it all the way to its exit.
In the driving exam
The CBR describes lane choice on a two-lane roundabout without arrows. Turning right or going straight on, you use the right lane. Going three-quarters round, you take the left lane and stay in it until you have passed the exit for straight on, then move to the right lane and leave; going all the way round, you stay left until you have passed the three-quarters exit. Where the lanes have arrows, you follow the arrows for your direction as early as possible. You signal when you change lanes on the roundabout and when you leave, and before moving right you check the inner mirror, the right mirror and over your right shoulder, so you do not cut off someone passing you on the right.
Based on the CBR's driving procedure for category B (Rijprocedure B).Questions people ask
What is a turbo roundabout (turborotonde)?
A roundabout with two or more lanes and raised dividers between them, so you cannot change lanes on the ring. The lane you choose before it decides your exit. The Netherlands has hundreds of them.
Can you change lanes on a roundabout in the Netherlands?
On a normal two-lane roundabout, yes: signal, look over your shoulder and let traffic in the lane you move into go first (RVV 1990 art. 54). On a turbo roundabout the raised dividers do not allow it.
How do you signal on a two-lane roundabout?
Signal when you change lanes on the ring, and always signal right before you leave. Going three-quarters round, the CBR exam procedure asks for a left signal on the approach, switched off once you are on the roundabout.
Test yourself
Kees' three questions on this rule, the “Wist je dat?” facts and his tip come with the drive, in Voorrah! Pro.
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