Wisconsin troopers set the record straight on who has the right-of-way in roundabouts

On Wednesday, the Wisconsin State Patrol (WSP) took to social media to remind motorists that big rigs have the right-of-way in roundabouts.

From WSP:

Who goes there?

Have you ever approached a roundabout next to a semi tractor-trailer and wondered who has the right of way? (Spoiler alert – it’s the semi)

Wisconsin state statute 346.18 ( 8 ) specifies that drivers shall yield the right of way to vehicles longer than 40 feet or wider than 10 feet when approaching or driving through a roundabout at approximately the same time.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation shared additional information on how drivers should share roundabouts with large trucks:

• 2015 Wisconsin Act 139 requires drivers at roundabouts to yield right-of-way to trucks and other large vehicles (and combinations of vehicles, such as trucks towing boats or RVs towing cars) measuring at least 40 feet long or 10 feet wide.
• Motorists are required to give space to larger vehicles when approaching and driving through roundabouts.
• The law was passed in the interest of safety, as commercial trucks can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, and most larger vehicles have an expanded turning radius.
• Drivers are asked to remain mindful that all motorists approaching a roundabout must yield to any traffic already within a roundabout, as signed and per law.
• If two large vehicles approach a roundabout at the same time, the vehicle on the right must yield right-of-way to the vehicle on the left.