Which Way? The World’s Most Confusing Junctions

Junctions, roundabouts and intersections are something that every driver will have to tackle on a daily basis but can often be one of the most anxiety inducing parts of being behind the wheel – after parking, of course!

Although drivers in the UK are taught to give way to the right; use the left lane of a roundabout to go left or straight on; or the right lane for any turning past 12 o’clock, unclear road markings and signage (and the habits of other drivers) can make things quite confusing – particularly when it comes to larger junctions near motorways.

The UK is home to many notorious junctions that may well strike fear into the heart of any driver who realises they have to tackle them; from Swindon’s Magic Roundabout to the Spaghetti Junction in Birmingham and the Hanger Lane Gyratory in London. But which junctions around the world are most confusing to drivers?

We wanted to find out, so we surveyed thousands of drivers and asked them to rate junctions and roundabouts based on four unique metrics: confusion, anxiety, fear and confidence. We then analysed the responses to create a unique ‘Stress Score’, allowing us to reveal which junctions around the world drivers are the most stressed about tackling.

Ethiopia Junction Revealed As Most Stressful For Drivers

Our research shows that Meskel Square Roundabout in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa is the junction that evokes the most stressed response among drivers, scoring 56 out of 100. Meskel Square is a major public space in the city but also connects some of the most major roads in the city, making it one of the busiest junctions too. Though it appears chaotic thanks to the lack of road markings, it’s reported to be a surprisingly functional junction, with drivers relying on intuition, eye contact and horn beeping as well as a healthy dose of mutual understanding. However, for any British drivers who are very used to traffic lights and road markings, it’s easy to see why it would be intimidating at a first look!

The Judge Harry Prengerson Roundabout in Los Angeles places in second spot, scoring 51 out of a possible 100 overall, just five points behind first place. With eight major traffic levels in a stacked multi-level formation that stands at more than 40 metres high, it’s quite the junction! It’s one of the few interchanges in the U.S. that offers full directional access, meaning that traffic entering in all directions, can also leave in all directions. Due to its size and layout, it can be quite nerve wracking for drivers to navigate, resulting in the high stress score.

Paris’ Arc de Triomphe roundabout follows in third, also scoring 51 on the Stress Score. Officially called the Place Charles de Gaulle, the roundabout is without doubt one of the most famous, and notorious, in the world. Found at the northwestern end of the Champs-Élysées, 12 major avenues all meet at this point, and similar to the Meskel Square roundabout, there are no road markings to allow vehicles to freely navigate their way through. To make matters more confusing, priority is given to the cars entering the roundabout rather than those already on it – the reverse of what we’re usually taught!

The Newark Airport Interchange in Newark, USA places in fourth spot, with Place de la Bastille Roundabout in Paris also making the top five with a score of 48.

Overall, European junctions make up half of the top 10, with three North American junctions also placing in the top flight. Japan’s iconic Shibuya Crossing places top for Asia, though in reality, it may be easier for drivers to navigate than expected, thanks to the 90-second window that allows traffic to flow, before the strict pedestrian-only phase.

Rank	Junction	Location	Country	Stress Score (/100)
1	Meskel Square Roundabout	Addis Ababa	Ethiopia	56
2	Judge Harry Pregerson Interchange	Los Angeles	USA	51
3	Arc de Triomphe Roundabout	Paris	France	51
4	Newark Airport Interchange	Newark	USA	48
5	Place de la Bastille Roundabout	Paris	France	48
6	Shibuya Crossing Intersection	Tokyo	Japan	47
7	Piazza Venezia Roundabout	Rome	Italy	45
8	Plaza de Cibeles Roundabout	Madrid	Spain	45
9	I-5/I-8 Interchange	San Diego	USA	45
10	Hanger Lane Gyratory	London	England, UK	44
11	Magic Roundabout	Swindon	England, UK	42
12	Five Points Intersection	Raleigh	USA	40
13	Cromer Road & Boundary Road Junction	Norwich	England, UK	40
14	Central Motorway Junction (Spaghetti Junction)	Auckland	New Zealand	40
15	Eastlink & Monash Freeway Intersection	Melbourne	Australia	39
16	Ynysforgan Roundabout	Swansea	Wales, UK	38
16	The Crooked Billet Interchange	Waltham Forest	England, UK	38
18	Black Cat Roundabout	Bedfordshire	England, UK	38
19	City Center Drive & Carmel Drive Junction	Carmel	USA	36
20	Larne Road Roundabout	Ballymena	Northern Ireland, UK	36
21	Shalesmoor & Netherthorpe Road Roundabout	Sheffield	England, UK	36
22	Springwell Road & Queen Alexandra Road Junction	Sunderland	England, UK	35
23	Victoria/Edgeware Road intersection	Sydney	Australia	35
24	Sheriffhall Roundabout	Edinburgh	Scotland, UK	35
25	Merriman Road & Bosman Road Intersection	Stellenbosch	South Africa	33

London’s Hanger Lane Gyratory Revealed As UK’s Most Stressful Junction

When it comes to the UK, London’s Hanger Lane Gyratory is revealed as the country’s most stressful junction, scoring 44 out of a possible 100 on our Stress Score system. One of the most complex and infamous junctions in the nation’s capital, the confusing layout, high accident rate and bottleneck for traffic make it one that many drivers would much rather avoid. Sitting at the junction of the A40 Western Avenue and the A406 North Circular Road, and with an underground station at the centre, drivers navigating the gyratory will encounter 10 different entry and exit points, many of which require lane changes to access the correct route through – the advice of ‘stay in your lane’ definitely isn’t one that applies here.

Though it may be the roundabout that we love to hate the most, Swindon’s notorious Magic Roundabout places in second, with a score of 42 out of 100. A multi-mini roundabout system, the roundabout is actually made up of five mini roundabouts arranged in a circle around a central island. Though the mini roundabouts are all driven in a standard clockwise movement, it is possible to navigate the central island in an anti-clockwise direction, allowing drivers to navigate via the shortest route available to them. As a result, though daunting, it does cater for drivers of all abilities and confidence levels – drivers that are less familiar can follow the roundabout in a more conventional fashion, while those who are more experienced may take more direct, efficient routes.

The Cromer Road & Boundary Road Junction in Norwich follows closely behind in third place, with a score of 40 out of 100, while The Crooked Billet Interchange in Waltham Forest and Ynysforgan Roundabout in Swansea complete the UK’s top five.

Rank	Junction	Location	Stress Score (/100)
1	Hanger Lane Gyratory	London	44
2	Magic Roundabout	Swindon	42
3	Cromer Road & Boundary Road Junction	Norwich	40
4	The Crooked Billet Interchange	Waltham Forest	38
5	Ynysforgan Roundabout	Swansea	38
6	Black Cat Roundabout	Bedfordshire	38
7	Larne Road Roundabout	Ballymena	36
8	Shalesmoor & Netherthorpe Road Roundabout	Sheffield	36
9	Springwell Road & Queen Alexandra Road Junction	Sunderland	35
10	Sheriffhall Roundabout	Edinburgh	35

How To Keep Calm When Tackling A Confusing Junction

At Scrap Car Comparison we understand how daunting driving can be, even if you’ve been on the road for many years. It’s likely that many drivers will drive the same local routes on a routine basis, so may not be as exposed to tackling ‘new’ junctions and roads for the first time – which can often be where feelings of confusion, anxiety and stress arise. With the summer holidays ahead, people may be heading off on trips to pastures new, which will no doubt involve navigating some unfamiliar roads, so we’ve put together our top tips for driving in unfamiliar areas with confidence…

1. Plan Ahead with Street View or Route Planners
   
   

It’s always worth taking the time to familiarise yourself with your route before hopping in the car and setting off on your journey, particularly if you’re likely to be tackling larger junctions that you’re unfamiliar with. Take some time using a tool like Google Maps and Street View to ‘drive’ through the junction in the direction you’ll be travelling, so you know what to expect from the junction and its layout. Similarly, using an app like Google Maps to navigate while you’re driving can also be helpful, as their lane guidance features will show you the correct lane to be in.

• Get In Lane Early
  
  

If possible, when you’re driving, try and pay close attention to road signs and markings as you approach any junction. Try to move into the correct lane and positioning as early as possible on your approach to avoid needing to make any last minute or unpredictable moves that could increase your risk of being involved in a collision.

• Keep Calm and Take Your Time
  
  

Though roundabouts and junctions can be very overwhelming, particularly when there’s a lot of traffic, try to keep calm and remember that it’s absolutely fine to take things at your own pace. We know seeing other drivers following closely in your rear-view mirror can cause stress to spike, but don’t let yourself feel rushed – take the time to take a deep breath and only move when you feel safe to do so.

• Use Your Indicators Clearly and Confidently
  
  

Unpredictability is one of the biggest causes of crashes on the road – drivers aren’t mind readers, and although they can pick up on subtle signs and driving behaviours, it’s important to make sure you’re always as clear as possible with your intentions when behind the wheel. Using your indicators to clearly signal that you intend to change lane or direction, and doing so in good time, will avoid leaving other drivers guessing what you’re about to do. Similarly, it’s absolutely fine to change lane if you’re clearly indicating that you intend to do so, so don’t panic if you do find yourself in the wrong place, you can find your way back to the right path!

• Drive When It’s Quieter
  
  

Though this is often easier said than done, try to drive any unfamiliar routes when it’s quieter if you’re feeling particularly nervous. For example, we know that the roads in built-up areas are likely to be much busier during rush hour, so if you can avoid driving through during these times, you may find it a much more relaxing experience. Leaving an hour earlier or later can make all the difference in some cases and help to put your mind at ease.

If you can relate to finding junctions and roundabouts stressful to navigate and are likely to be driving during the holidays this year, you can find out more about the most nerve-wracking countries around the world to drive in here.

Methodology 

We partnered with Censuswide to survey 1,000 UK drivers. Each driver was shown two images of each junction/roundabout, one from a ‘street view’ perspective, and one satellite image. They were then asked to rate from 1-10 how much each of the four feelings of confusion, fear, anxiety and confidence were evoked at the thought of driving through the junction/roundabout.

The scores for confusion, fear and anxiety were then combined to create an overall ‘Stress Score’ for each location, with the scores then used to reveal which junctions/roundabouts are perceived to be most stressful for drivers overall.

Survey conducted in May 2025.