Car control
Changing gears on the approach to a roundabout
Select the right gear as you slow for a roundabout so you keep full control through the give-way point and away again. (Automatics handle the gear change themselves - your job is reading the roundabout and controlling your speed.)
This video has no narration. Follow the written steps below.
Practical test
Why it matters
Approaching a roundabout in the wrong gear is a common cause of hesitancy or loss of control at the give-way line - examiners look for early, controlled gear changes.
What to look out for
Stay in gear, don't coast
Rolling up to the give-way line in neutral or with the clutch held down is coasting: you lose engine braking and it's harder to select the right gear when a gap appears. Stay in gear until you've stopped or committed to your gap.
Key steps
- 1 Read the roundabout early - traffic, signs, and your exit - before deciding how much you need to slow.
- 2 Ease off the accelerator and change down in good time, before you reach the give-way line, not at it.
- 3 Choose a block change (for example 4th to 2nd) if you need to lose speed quickly, or step down sequentially if you have more space.
- 4 Keep enough gear in hand to move away smoothly and match traffic speed once you have priority.
- 5 Change gear without looking at the lever, keeping your eyes on the roundabout and other traffic.
Common mistakes
Arriving in too high a gear
Change down early enough that you're already in the right gear as you reach the give-way line, not searching for it while traffic waits.
Coasting in neutral or with the clutch down while slowing
Stay in gear until you're fully stopped so you keep steering and braking control.
Highway Code
This lesson is a revision aid, not a replacement for The Highway Code.
Rule 122
Coasting - travelling in neutral or with the clutch pressed down - reduces your control: you lose engine braking, the car can gather speed downhill, heavy footbrake use can fade, and steering response suffers. Stay in gear.
Read Rule 122 on GOV.UK