Roundabouts "Part 2": Traffic Rules confusing for Pedestrians

What are the rules for pedestrians crossing at a roundabout?

Roundabouts can be confusing for pedestrians, and the rules of behaviour published by government websites within Ontario are not entirely consistent.  This seeming inconsistency may increase the likelihood of motorist-pedestrian collisions on a roundabout, as both drivers and pedestrians may be unsure about their right-of-way.

According to the Ministry of Transportation document on roundabouts as well as the Ontario Driver’s Handbook, drivers should ‘watch’ for pedestrians but it is notable that they are not being asked to yield to pedestrians.  Rather, the Ministry requires pedestrians to be on the lookout for a safe opportunity to cross.  The message is that vehicles have the right-of-way in a roundabout.  Also, pedestrians are told not to ‘shortcut’ across a roundabout by crossing to the center island.  This means that during busy traffic times, a pedestrian may have to wait a significant amount of time to cross at a roundabout, particularly if they need to transverse across multiple streets.

Somewhat in contrast to Ministry guidelines, a Region of Waterloo website titled “How to Use a Roundabout” tells drivers that they should anticipate the presence of pedestrians in a roundabout and also, drivers must yield to pedestrians when entering and exiting. Pedestrians are advised not to begin crossing until oncoming vehicles have stopped or are clearly slowing, which implies that drivers should be stopping or slowing when they perceive that a pedestrian wants to cross.  On the other hand, pedestrians are directed to wait for a gap in traffic and then use body language (including pointing their finger across to indicate their intention to cross) before crossing.

 The seeming inconsistency in roundabout rules for pedestrians published by Waterloo Region is confusing.  One of the key advantages to roundabouts is to allow the continuous flow of vehicular traffic but yielding to, and stopping for pedestrians would appear to stifle that advantage.  Also, it can be difficult for a pedestrian to predict whether an oncoming car is planning to exit in front of them or continue through to another exit; therefore, if a pedestrian tries to cross even if a driver appears to have slowed down on the roundabout, it may actually be unsafe to cross.

A CBC article titled Roundabout right of way for vehicles ‘frustrating for Ottawa (Oct 8, 2014) reported that vehicles have the right-of-way on roundabouts, unlike most pedestrian crossings in Ottawa, and further, “the City said there’s no legal way it can give pedestrians the right of way at roundabouts under provincial law, besides installing a stop sign or traffic light.”

The fact of the matter is that the continuous flow of traffic from different entry points on a roundabout requires that a driver always be on the lookout for other vehicles and cyclists, and this means that there is a greater likelihood that a driver will miss spotting a pedestrian. The safety and needs of pedestrians appear to have been overlooked in the construction of roundabouts, which may further discourage people from walking in many neighbourhoods.

On one of the Waterloo Region roundabouts, at Ira Needles Blvd and Erb St, there have been multiple instances where a pedestrian was hit by a car while attempting to cross. When a 26 year old woman was hit by an SUV in October 2013, the 53 year old driver was charged with failing to yield to a pedestrian at a crosswalk. This incident sends a message to drivers that the fact that the Ministry guidelines give the right-of-way to motorists at roundabouts does not preclude the potential for being found liable in a pedestrian-vehicle collision.

If you or a loved one were injured, whether as a pedestrian or driver, call Injury Lawyers of Ontario (ILO) to find out about your legal right to compensation.  The ILO group are respected and highly experienced personal injury lawyers who specialize in civil suits and insurance claims to compensate accident victims who were injured in a motor vehicle accident.