What does Highway Code Rule 79 say?

Rule 79 (Roundabouts (rules 78 to 80)) If you are turning right, you can ride in the left or right-hand lanes and move left when approaching your exit. It is advisory guidance rather than law, but you are still expected to follow it and an examiner can mark a fault if you do not.

Is Rule 79 the law or just guidance?

Rule 79 is advisory, it does not use “MUST” or “MUST NOT”, so it is not directly enforceable as a standalone offence. You are still expected to follow it, and ignoring it can contribute to a careless- or dangerous-driving charge and to faults on your test.

How is Rule 79 tested on the driving test?

Examiners specifically assess how you respond to vulnerable road users, pedestrians at crossings, cyclists, horse riders and motorcyclists. Late or missing observations here are a common cause of a serious fault, so anticipation is marked closely throughout the drive.

What are the common mistakes related to Rule 79?

The faults examiners most often record around this part of the Code are: passing cyclists or horses too closely or too fast; failing to anticipate a pedestrian stepping out near a crossing or parked cars; not giving way at a crossing when someone is clearly waiting. Rehearsing the safe habit during lessons is the most reliable way to avoid them.

Highway Code · Rule 79

Highway Code Rule 79

Rules for cyclists (59 to 82). Advisory guidance you are expected to follow.

Rules for cyclists
Advisory rule
OGL v3.0

What the rule says

Advisory

Rule 79 (Roundabouts (rules 78 to 80)) If you are turning right, you can ride in the left or right-hand lanes and move left when approaching your exit. Position yourself in the centre of your lane if it is safe to do so (see Rule 72) and signal right to indicate that you are not leaving the roundabout. Alternatively, you may feel safer walking your cycle round on the pavement or verge. If you decide to ride round keeping to the left-hand lane you should

be aware that drivers may not easily see you
take extra care when cycling across exits. You should signal right to show you are not leaving the roundabout
watch out for vehicles crossing your path to leave or join the roundabout. Where a roundabout has separate cycle facilities, you should use these facilities where they make your journey safer and easier although you are not obliged to use them. This will depend on your experience and skills and the situation at the time.

Rule text reproduced verbatim from the official Highway Code (Crown copyright) under the Open Government Licence v3.0, see the attribution at the foot of this page.

In plain English

Stripped of the formal wording, Rule 79 comes down to one idea: rule 79 (Roundabouts (rules 78 to 80)) If you are turning right, you can ride in the left or right-hand lanes and move left when approaching your exit. It is advice rather than law, but examiners and the courts still treat it as the expected standard of safe driving.

It belongs to the rules for cyclists part of the Code, the habits a confident, considerate driver builds until they are automatic. The aim is not to memorise the sentence word for word, but to understand the hazard it protects you from, so you apply it without having to think when it counts.

If you are learning, treat this rule as one piece of a connected set rather than an isolated fact. The related rules below sit in the same section and reinforce each other, reading them together is how the rules for cyclists part of the Code starts to feel like common sense rather than a list to revise.

Because this is advisory rather than legal, no one will fine you for the rule alone, but ignoring it can still count against you in a careless-driving case, and it will cost you faults on the test. Either way, the safe move is to build the habit early, while a driving instructor can correct it, rather than relearning it under test pressure. That is exactly what the practice routes and coaching in the DriveRoutes app are designed to help with, turning the rules below into the way you naturally drive.

Why rule 79 matters on the road

Pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and horse riders have little protection in a collision, so a moment of inattention from a driver can cause serious harm. Anticipating and giving them room is one of the clearest signs of a safe, considerate driver.

Common faults examiners record

In the rules for cyclists part of the Code, the faults most often written on the marking sheet tend to be the same handful. Knowing them in advance is the quickest way to drive them out of your own habits:

Passing cyclists or horses too closely or too fast.
Failing to anticipate a pedestrian stepping out near a crossing or parked cars.
Not giving way at a crossing when someone is clearly waiting.

On the day

Imagine approaching a cyclist on a narrow stretch during the drive. Applying Rule 79 means easing off early, holding back until you can see it is genuinely safe, then passing wide and slow before returning to your line. The examiner is watching for exactly that anticipation, not a squeeze past at speed.

Quick checklist

Scan ahead for pedestrians, cyclists and riders well before you reach them.
Give them room and time, pass wide and slow.
Be ready to stop at crossings and side roads.

Related Highway Code rules

Rule 79, your questions

: Rule 79 (Roundabouts (rules 78 to 80)) If you are turning right, you can ride in the left or right-hand lanes and move left when approaching your exit. It is advisory guidance rather than law, but you are still expected to follow it and an examiner can mark a fault if you do not.

DriveRoutes is an independent study aid and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).