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Committee removes roundabout signaling requirement except in multi‑lane maneuvers
Summary
The committee approved a bill removing the statutory requirement to signal entering and exiting roundabouts in ordinary single‑lane situations, preserving signaling when drivers change lanes in multi‑lane roundabouts; the sponsor said the old rule was inconsistent with real‑world driving.
The House Transportation Committee on Tuesday advanced legislation that removes a statutory requirement to signal when entering and exiting a roundabout in typical single‑lane situations, while retaining a signaling requirement for multi‑lane roundabouts or when a driver changes lanes.
"Current law requires you to signal to go in and out of roundabout, but it's really inconsistent with how it's practiced in reality," sponsor Representative DeFe said. She said the existing two‑second pre‑signal requirement can cause drivers to miss their exit or confuse other road users in roundabouts.
Law‑enforcement representatives said they had raised concerns about exiting signals that might be misleading in multi‑lane roundabouts. The sponsor said she worked with public safety, including the Utah Highway Patrol, to narrow the exemption so that drivers still must signal when switching lanes inside a roundabout.
A committee amendment struck the phrase 'driving through' so the statute makes clear signaling remains required when lane changes occur in multi‑lane roundabouts. The committee then passed HB 128 as amended with a favorable recommendation by voice vote.
Committee members asked whether any crash data supports the change; the sponsor said she was not aware of statistics but invited others in the room to comment. No public speakers testified against the bill in committee.
