Utah lawmaker aims to change law requiring drivers to signal when entering or exiting roundabouts
Jan 23, 2026, 4:32 PM | Updated: Jan 24, 2026, 9:14 am
Traffic flows through the two new roundabouts at the Jeremy Ranch exit on 1-80 in Summit County on Monday, Aug. 24, 2020. (Steve Griffin, Deseret News)
(Steve Griffin, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah lawmaker is hoping to keep you from breaking the law the next time you exit a roundabout.
Rep. Ariel Defay, R-Kaysville, has introduced HB128 to remove the requirement to signal before entering or exiting a roundabout. Did you know that was a law? Most of KSL’s newsroom didn’t.
“You are among the majority. I have not talked to anyone thus far that was aware that they were supposed to signal in a roundabout,” Defay said.
Some KSL listeners texted in saying they did know, but the vast majority of those weighing in were also in the dark.
Defay told Midday with Maria Shilaos that she wasn’t aware of the law until a friend of hers was pulled over for failing to signal in a roundabout.
“She came to me and said, ‘Is this really a law? I don’t even know if it’s true.’ And, I looked into it. It was true,” she said.
She said drivers are often thinking about things other than signaling when they’re going through a roundabout.
“Roundabouts by their virtue are used to slow down and yield, and you’re looking,” Defay said. “First of all, to enter a roundabout … there’s only one way you can go, so signaling to enter doesn’t do anything.”
Additionally, she said signaling when exiting a roundabout isn’t “intuitive.”
“There are many exits while you’re going in a circle,” Defay said. “By the time you have signaled, you may be beyond one exit to another exit. It’s very confusing which exit you’re intending to leave from.”
Under Defay’s bill, other rules for roundabouts would remain in place, such as signaling before changing lanes and only entering the roundabout when it’s safe to do so.
Her proposal got its first hearing on Friday afternoon before the House Transportation Committee. She believes the bill will be enthusiastically well-received.
“I don’t know how law enforcement will feel about it, but I think from the general population it will be a very enthusiastic ‘Yes,’ for this legislation,” she said.
Ultimately, Defay said she’s excited that she was able to find a solution to a problem brought to her by a constituent and that the Legislature is able to remove a statute that “doesn’t make sense and is inconsistent with our traffic laws.”
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