No, a modern roundabout is not a four-way stop. Both intersections are what the engineering community calls a “method of moving traffic,” but four-way stops require all traffic to stop prior to entering the intersection. Modern roundabouts require motorists to yield at entryways. All traffic entering a modern roundabout must follow the golden rule of the modern roundabout: Never merge. Here are some other differences between roundabouts and four-way stops.
- Four-way stops yield to the right, while roundabouts yield to the left (similar to a right turn at a red light).
- Traffic in a modern roundabout circulates counterclockwise.
- Motorists coming from different directions take turns in a first-come-first-served order at a four-way stop. This is not the case with roundabouts, where each driver chooses a safe gap to enter.