B.C. drivers struggle with roundabout in viral TikTok

A new roundabout intersection in Willoughby has been going viral after footage of confused drivers going the wrong way made its way to TikTok.

The new roundabout is being built at the intersection of 82nd Avenue and 207th Street, with traffic from two large condo and townhouse complexes feeding into the roundabout from the north and south sides.

A resident who lives in a nearby condo unit shared footage to TikTok of about half a dozen drivers heading into the intersection the wrong way at various times.

A majority of drivers managed the roundabout the correct way, despite the fact that it has temporary construction signage while it’s being built.

The failures by some drivers to understand how to drive into a roundabout happen despite the fact that Langley, and that neighbourhood specifically, has multiple roundabouts.

There is another roundabout a block to the north on 207th Street, and another just to the west down 82nd Avenue. Two more are on 77A Street east of 208th, and 232nd Street has a pair of roundabouts at major intersections, including at 56th Avenue.

Lower Mainland drivers are also likely to have encountered roundabouts at major intersections in Abbotsford and South Surrey.

@wiggyonair Those damn roundabouts… 🤦🏻‍♂️ #fyp #foryoupage #comedy #funny #traffic #canada #britishcolumbia ♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys - Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey

Roundabouts have become more popular ways to build intersections in recent years because they make some kinds of serious crashes less likely and slow down traffic. Unlike traffic signals, they also function just as well in a power failure.

According to the B.C. Ministry of Transportation’s website, the rules for roundabouts are simple:

• Reduce speed as you approach, watching for pedestrians

• Always yield to traffic in a roundabout

• Enter by turning right, and continue counter-clockwise until you reach your exit

• Signal right before exiting

The important thing to remember is that you enter a roundabout turning right, and you leave it turning right.

If you are turning left, something has gone wrong.