Italy is preparing a nationwide change to the way priority is handled at roundabouts. The Council of Ministers has granted initial approval to a preliminary Highway Code reform scheme, which was cleared in mid-October and is now being examined by the competent parliamentary committees. If the proposal completes the legislative process, vehicles entering a roundabout would have to give way to traffic already circulating, unless road signs establish a different arrangement.

For motorcyclists travelling through Italy, the significance goes beyond a single priority rule. The draft also sets out how traffic should position itself on roundabouts with two or more lanes, how a vehicle should move across lanes before taking an exit and when indicators must be used. It would turn the arrangement already found at most Italian roundabouts into the general national default, while leaving the present rules in place until the reform is finally approved and enters into force.

What applies today

Under Article 145 of the current Highway Code, a roundabout is treated as an ordinary intersection. When there are no relevant signs, the general priority-to-the-right rule applies. In practical terms, traffic already on the circular roadway may be required to yield to a vehicle entering from the right. That is the opposite of the arrangement most road users encounter, because municipalities generally place a Give Way sign at the entrance and require entering traffic to wait.

This distinction becomes important when signs are missing, damaged or difficult to read. A removed sign, worn road marking or sign knocked down after bad weather or a collision can leave drivers facing a different legal situation from the one normally associated with that roundabout. The proposed reform is intended to remove that uncertainty by making circulating traffic the default priority, rather than relying on the presence of an entrance sign to produce that result.

Priority for traffic already in the circle

The proposed rule would require anyone entering a roundabout to slow down and, when necessary, stop to let vehicles already using the ring pass. A different priority arrangement could still be created by road signs, but the basic rule would no longer change simply because the Give Way sign at the entrance was absent or unreadable. The reform therefore targets a legal inconsistency that can also lead to disputes after a crash, particularly when the signs or markings at the junction are unclear.

The change would probably be less visible in everyday driving than its wording suggests. More than 95% of Italy’s roundabouts are already equipped with a Give Way sign at the entrance, either on a post or marked on the road. At those junctions, drivers and riders would generally continue to approach and enter in the same way. The more meaningful change would concern roundabouts where the signs are missing or their condition makes the priority arrangement uncertain.

Lane choice on multi-lane roundabouts

The draft introduces specific positioning rules for roundabouts with at least two lanes. A driver taking the first exit to the right would use the outer right-hand lane and remain there. Anyone continuing straight ahead, taking an exit to the left relative to the approach road or making a U-turn would use the inner lane next to the central island. The proposed layout would apply even when no other vehicle is present on the roundabout, rather than treating an empty junction as a reason to choose any lane freely.

The exit manoeuvre would then require a separate lane change. A vehicle travelling in the inner lane would need to move safely towards the outer lane before leaving the roundabout. During that move, it would have to yield to vehicles already occupying the right-hand lane. This is a key point for riders: using the indicator would show an intention to change direction or position, but it would not give the signalling vehicle priority over traffic already in the lane it wants to enter.

The draft treats the indicator as mandatory when the vehicle changes trajectory or prepares to leave. Signalling would therefore remain part of the manoeuvre, but it would not replace the obligation to check the adjacent lane and give way where required. For a motorcycle, that means the proposed system combines an early choice of lane with a separate, controlled move towards the exit, rather than allowing a signal alone to justify cutting across the outer lane.

Fines and licence points

Failure to respect the proposed entry priority would be punished under the sanctions associated with Article 145. The administrative fine would range from €167 to €665, accompanied by a deduction of five points from the driving licence. A repeat offence would bring an additional measure: if the same driver committed the same violation at least twice within a two-year period, the licence suspension would last from one to three months.

The reform is not yet in force

The measure remains a preliminary proposal rather than an operative change to Italian road law. The Chamber of Deputies and Senate committees are expected to issue their opinions by mid-January 2027. After those parliamentary observations, the text is expected to return to the Council of Ministers for final approval, followed by publication in the Official Gazette and its subsequent entry into force.

Until those steps are completed, riders and drivers in Italy must continue to follow the current rules, along with the vertical signs and road markings installed at each individual roundabout. In particular, the presence, condition and meaning of the local priority signs remain decisive under the rules currently in force.