Police in Michigan will be on hand to enforce safe driving in high crash roundabouts during a month-long campaign.
The roundabout enforcement project will run from April 4 through May 1. Officers from the Michigan State Police, the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office, the Ann Arbor Police Department, and Pittsfield Township Department of Public Safety will be patrolling roundabouts and stopping unsafe drivers. They’ll also be handing out educational materials to instruct drivers on the proper usage of roundabouts.
The goal of the enforcement project is to reduce crashes in roundabouts, which police say are most often caused by failure to yield or improper lane usage.
Washtenaw County offers the following “golden rules” for motorists and commercial vehicle drivers on safe and legal roundabout usage:
- Yield and wait for a safe gap in circulating traffic before entering the roundabout. Do not merge into the roundabout like you would with a high-speed freeway entry ramp.
- Avoid changing lanes within a multi-lane roundabout.
- Do not stop inside the roundabout unless traffic conditions require you to do so.
- Use your signals to show others you are exiting.
MDOT offers the following guidance for truck drivers using roundabouts:
Roundabouts are designed to accommodate commercial and other large vehicles. Trucks require more room to turn and may use the truck apron – the raised pavement around the central island – for additional space. Drivers should be aware of large vehicles on the approach and within the roundabout. Do not drive next to a truck or try to pass a truck on the approach while traveling in a roundabout.
Unlike other states such as Wisconsin and Oregon, Michigan does not give commercial vehicles the complete right-of-way in roundabouts.