Roundabouts are a key part of the UK automotive landscape, helping to keep traffic moving in towns and cities across the country without the risk of huge tailbacks.
Whilst motorists will often experience dozens of roundabouts on their everyday journeys, few Brits have ever encountered one that takes them several minutes to travel around.
However, this is the daily reality of motorists who live in the Malaysian city of Putrajaya – home to the world’s largest roundabout by a significant margin.
The Putrajaya Roundabout is one of the cities most important roads of any kind and passes a number of interesting landmarks the area has to offer.
As a result, this traffic-busting sightseeing road is 3.5km (2.2 miles) long and takes around three to four minutes to complete a full circle of.
Named after Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah of Selangor, the 11th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the Putrajaya Roundabout was designed when the city was being modernised in the late 90s.
Built over the space of two years and opened in 1999, the roundabout offers an impressive 15 different exits, with some entry points being controlled by traffic lights to prevent serious accidents from taking place.
Whilst a journey around the Putrajaya Roundabout sounds ambitious, with drivers needing a good amount of knowledge to know exactly when to turn off and which lane to be in, it can be particularly handy for sightseeing tourists.
Within the centre of the roundabout, drivers will find the Istana Melawati, which translates to the Guard’s Tower Palace. This lavish retreat is used by the Yang Dipertuan Agong and features four wings which are sometimes used for functions such as banquets.
Motorists will also find a monumnet to the birth of Putrajaya and the Perdana Putra, a striking building which houses the offices for the Malaysian Prime Minister.
However, if the four-minute journey around the Putrajaya Roundabout is not enough for visitors, they can even stay in a hotel within the centre, with the attraction also being home to the Putrajaya Shangri-La.
Whilst the Putrajaya Roundabout holds the record for being the largest of its kind by a considerable margin, there are a number of alternatives elsewhere in the world.
The Swaraj Round in Thrissur, India is currently the second biggest roundabout at 2km (1.25 miles) long, but has even more connecting roads, with 17 streets from the surrounding financial area linked to it.
Somewhat closer to home, the famous Etoile in Paris, France is also particularly large and features no fewer than 12 different lanes, allowing it to cope with masses of traffic – despite not being the easiest roundabout to navigate.