Roundabouts, priority changes with the new Highway Code: what the reform provides

Anyone entering a roundabout must yield to vehicles already circulating on the ring road , even in the absence of the traditional triangular sign. This is one of the new provisions contained in the draft of the new Highway Code , approved by the Council of Ministers on October 13. The provision, however, has not yet entered into force: until the legislative process is completed, motorists must continue to respect the current rules and the signs at intersections.

The amendment aims to standardize driver behavior at roundabouts by introducing a specific rule that currently does not automatically apply in all cases. Currently, in the absence of signs establishing a different right of way, the general principle set out in the Highway Code applies: whoever comes from the right goes first.

Roundabouts: What happens today when the priority sign is missing?

Most roundabouts have a triangular sign that requires entering vehicles to yield to those already on the ring road. However, there are intersections where this sign is missing.

In these situations, as established by Article 145 of the Highway Code , priority goes to those coming from the right , unless otherwise indicated by the signs.

This means that those who are already inside the roundabout do not always automatically have the right to go first.

Depending on the intersection's layout and vehicle trajectories, right-of-way may be given to those entering the ring road. This is a situation the new arrangement aims to address, making traffic flow more uniform.

The new rule and when it will come into effect

The reform plan approved by the Council of Ministers introduces a specific principle: those entering a roundabout must give way to vehicles already on it , unless the signs state otherwise.

The rule will also apply when there is no give way sign , thus aligning Italian law with a principle already widespread in many other European countries.

The government's approval, however, does not make the change immediately applicable. The legislative process must first be completed and the reform must enter into force. Until then, drivers must abide by current regulations and road signs.