Legal Considerations

The legal environment in which roundabouts operate is an important area for jurisdictions to consider when developing a roundabout program or set of guidelines. The rules of the road that govern the operation of motor vehicles in a given State can have a significant influence on the way a roundabout operates and on how legal issues such as crashes involving roundabouts are handled. Local jurisdictions that are interested in developing a roundabout program need to be aware of the governing State regulations in effect. The following sections discuss several of the important legal issues that should be considered. These have been based on the provisions of the 1992 Uniform Vehicle Code (UVC) (8), which has been adopted to varying degrees by each State, as well as the rules of the road, and commentaries thereof, from the United Kingdom (9) and Australia (10, 11). Note that the information in the following sections does not constitute specific legal opinion; each jurisdiction should consult with its attorneys on specific legal issues.