Roundabouts in the Netherlands: who has priority and when do you indicate? (theory B)

Roundabouts (rotondes) are everywhere in the Netherlands, and in the CBR car theory exam they belong to the topics Priority and giving way and Traffic signs and instructions. Who has priority? Do you have to indicate? And what about cyclists? Here are the rules, each with its article from the Dutch traffic rules regulation, RVV 1990.

1. How to recognise a roundabout

• Sign D1 – "Roundabout; mandatory direction" (RVV 1990, annex 1). You drive anti-clockwise around the central island.
• Sign J9 – warning: roundabout ahead (annex 1).

2. Who has priority on a roundabout?

• Usually: traffic already on the roundabout. At almost every roundabout the entries have sign B6 ("Give way to drivers on the crossing road") and/or shark teeth (haaientanden). Shark teeth mean you must give way to drivers on the crossing road (art. 80). So when you enter, you let the circulating traffic go first.
• Signs come before the general rules. Traffic signs and markings take precedence over the ordinary traffic rules (art. 63). Instructions from, for example, a traffic controller take precedence over signs and rules (art. 84).
• No signs and no shark teeth? Then it is an ordinary junction and traffic from the right goes first (art. 15). On a roundabout the traffic wanting to enter comes from the right, so in that case it has priority. You rarely see this, but it is a well-known exam question.

3. Indicating

• When leaving: indicating right is required. Leaving the roundabout is turning right, and before turning you must signal with your indicator (art. 17(2)).
• When entering: not required. The law does not require you to indicate when entering a roundabout; it is not forbidden either (Veilig Verkeer Nederland).

4. Cyclists and pedestrians

• When leaving: you are turning. A driver who turns must let traffic on the same road beside or close behind on the right go first (art. 18(1)). If the cycle path runs around the roundabout, you let the cyclists who carry on round go first.
• When entering: look at the shark teeth. If they are before the cycle path on your side, you give way to the cyclists (art. 80). If they are on the cycle path itself (facing the cyclists), the cyclists must let you go first.
• Zebra crossing: always let pedestrians go first who are crossing on a zebra crossing or are clearly about to (art. 49(2)).

5. Lanes, overtaking and the turbo roundabout

• You may keep left: just before or on a roundabout, drivers of motor vehicles and bromfiets riders on the carriageway may drive other than on the right (art. 47), for example in the left lane of a two-lane roundabout.
• Overtaking on the right is allowed just before or on a roundabout (art. 48).
• Turbo roundabout: the lanes are separated by solid lines, which you may not cross (art. 76). So choose the right lane before you enter. Changing lanes is a special manoeuvre: you let other traffic go first (art. 54).

Tip from The Bro School

Got a roundabout question in the exam? Always work in this order: 1) is there an instruction (traffic controller)? 2) are there traffic lights, signs or shark teeth? 3) if not, traffic from the right goes first. In every picture, look for the shark teeth: they are often small. Since April 2025 the CBR car theory exam has 50 questions; you need 44 correct and you get 30 minutes. Practise with real exam-style questions in our theory packages.

Source: RVV 1990, arts. 15, 17, 18, 47, 48, 49, 54, 63, 76, 80, 84 and annex 1 (B6, D1, J9) · CBR, topics of the car theory exam · Veilig Verkeer Nederland, indicating on roundabouts