Which of the following actions should you take when approaching a roundabout?

When approaching a roundabout, it is essential to check your mirrors and prepare to yield. This action is critical because roundabouts are designed to improve traffic flow while ensuring safety. By checking your mirrors, you gain a clear understanding of your surroundings, allowing you to assess the positions and speeds of other vehicles already in the roundabout and those approaching from different directions.

Yielding is important as it helps you determine when it is safe to enter the roundabout. Vehicles already circulating have the right of way, and by preparing to yield, you ensure that you do not disrupt the flow of traffic and can enter safely when appropriate. This practice also helps prevent collisions and maintains the efficiency of the roundabout system.

In contrast, increasing speed to merge quickly can lead to unsafe situations, as it disregards the need to assess the traffic conditions. Entering a roundabout without signaling creates confusion among other drivers regarding your intentions, and maintaining a distance from painted lines is less relevant than being aware of your surroundings and yielding to oncoming traffic.