Do I have to give way to pedestrians at a roundabout?

Roundabouts can be confusing enough without adding pedestrians into the mix.

Most drivers know the road rules require you to give way to any vehicles already in the roundabout and to drive in the direction of the arrows on the roundabout lanes.

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However, there's a little more confusion about the rules for pedestrians.

So, do you have to give way to pedestrians crossing the road as you exit a roundabout?

Generally speaking – no, legally you are not obliged to give way to pedestrians at roundabouts.

Unless there's a zebra crossing, pedestrians must give way to drivers at roundabouts in Australia – although there are a few exceptions to this rule.

"Roundabouts are a special type of intersection designed to maximise traffic flow. As such, drivers exiting a roundabout are not required to give way to pedestrians wishing to cross the road they are entering," a Queensland Transport and Main Roads spokesperson told Drive.

"Typically, dedicated crossings are provided in cases where higher volumes of pedestrians cross at or near roundabouts. Drivers must give way to pedestrians crossing at pedestrian crossings.

"While there is no specific give-way rule in this circumstance, drivers must drive with due care and attention and reasonable consideration for other road users at all times. This means that drivers should be vigilant and exercise caution when navigating intersections, particularly if there is limited visibility of the exit and it is reasonable to expect that pedestrians may be present.

"Penalties for careless driving are serious and range from on-the-spot fines of $619 and three demerit points up to maximum court-imposed penalties of more than $24,000 or two years' imprisonment."

"When turning left or right at a roundabout, you do not have to give way to pedestrians unless there’s a pedestrian crossing," the official New South Wales Government site advises.

Victoria's VicRoads concurs: "Vehicles do not need to give way to pedestrians at roundabouts unless there is a pedestrian crossing there."

In South Australia, "pedestrians or bicycle riders crossing an exit road at a roundabout must give way to any vehicle or bicycle rider entering or exiting a roundabout," the Department for Infrastructure and Transport states.

The rules for roundabouts are consistent across all states and territories; however, there could be exceptions when it comes to roundabouts on one-way roads.

"On the one hand, the Road Traffic Code 2000 does not explicitly require a driver exiting a roundabout to give way to pedestrians," a spokesperson for Western Australia's Road Safety Commission told Drive.

"On the other hand, if a roundabout is considered to be a one-way road around a central island, it can be argued that regulation 56(4) applies to drivers leaving a roundabout. That rule states ‘If a driver at a T-intersection is turning left … from the continuing road into the terminating road, the driver must give way to any pedestrian or relevant rider who is crossing the terminating road at or near the intersection'.

"The Road Safety Commission can provide information about the Road Traffic Code 2000 but does not provide legal interpretation or advice."

As always, the road rules are subject to interpretation and circumstance, so it's best to play it safe.

Of course, the overarching rule when driving is to always take care to avoid any collisions with pedestrians and to yield to anything in the path of your car.

Valued readers! Soon, we will be recording a podcast series exploring Australia's road rules and safety practices in detail. What questions do you want answered? Let us know in the comments.