Roundabout law concerns North Dakota drivers
Aug. 15—GRAND FORKS — North Dakota drivers are now required to use their turn signal before exiting a roundabout. Since the rule came into effect on Aug. 1, it has received considerable feedback.
The Grand Forks Police Department posted about the rule on Facebook and, within six days, the post received more than 550 comments and 300 shares.
If vehicles inside a roundabout signal before approaching their exit, oncoming traffic can determine when it's safe to enter. However, many people in the comments were concerned that it would be difficult to signal effectively in smaller roundabouts, such as those in Grand Forks.
"(T)he signal can't come soon enough to give anyone good information anyway, because you have to wait until you pass the previous exit point," one person commented. "The exits on the small roundabouts that we do have aren't far enough apart for anyone to have time to register the signal."
Capt. Joel Lloyd, from the Grand Forks County Sheriff's Office, agreed signaling will be brief.
"It's going to be a very small amount of time that your turn signal is going to be on," said Lloyd. "That's just the roundabouts we have here in the city of Grand Forks. They're small, but there's also roundabouts in Bismarck and Fargo that might be much larger."
Failure to comply with the rule may result in a $20 fine, but the violation won't add points to the driver's license. Lloyd suspects this rule will come with a learning curve and, as a result, deputies will be more lenient.
"If our deputies do make a stop for this new violation, they're going to be taking more of an educational approach," Lloyd said. "Just letting the drivers know about the new law and making sure they understand it."
The rule itself came about during this year's legislative session. House Bill 1061, which addressed multiple traffic concerns, was amended after Lincoln Police Chief Robyn Krile brought her concerns to the North Dakota Highway Patrol.
Krile testified that roundabouts are becoming commonplace in the state and the amendment would not "create or change any current law," but clarify it.
In a 2021 North Dakota Supreme Court ruling — City of Lincoln vs. Schuler — the defendant believed his rights were violated when a traffic stop was initiated on him after he failed to signal before exiting a roundabout.
At the time, North Dakota Century Code required vehicles to continuously signal for the last 100 feet traveled before turning. The definition didn't explicitly include roundabouts which, at times, are too small for the 100-foot requirement.
However, the court determined law enforcement had sufficient reason to believe the rule applied to roundabouts and denied the appeal. The court suggested clarifying the law, which was accomplished with Krile's input and other law enforcement testimony.
"Turn signals are one of the few ways we can communicate with the drivers around us," Krile testified. "... The efficiency of roundabouts are diminished when the driver fails to signal their intent to leave the roundabout, as it causes those vehicles attempting to enter the roundabout to halt when they don't need to."
Calls seeking comment from the Grand Forks Police Department were not returned.
