Roundabouts may take us on a little merry-go-around, but they definitely make intersections much safer in a big way.

They are one of 20 evidence-based safety countermeasures recommended by the Federal Highway Administration.

Road accidents are a common occurrence on SA’s roads, which is why car insurance is so important.

The most common types of accidents at traditional intersections with stop signs or traffic lights are right-angle and head-on collisions.

These types of accidents can be life-threatening because vehicles may be traveling through the intersection at high speeds.

Roundabouts have helped us make a complete safety U-turn, away from such devastating accidents. Here’s how:

 

Fact: Roundabouts reduced injury causing collisions by 76% at intersections where stop signs or traffic lights were previously used.1

Studies of intersections that were converted from traffic lights and stop signs to roundabouts have found reductions of 38% for all crash severities combined and of 76% for all injury crashes. Reductions in the numbers of fatal and incapacitating injury crashes were estimated at about 90%.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Highway Loss Data Institute (IIHS,HLDI), another study of 19 higher-speed rural intersections (speed limits of 40 mph or higher) that originally had stop signs on the minor approaches and were converted to roundabouts found a 62% reduction in all crashes and an 85% reduction in injury crashes. And studies of intersections in Europe and Australia that were converted to roundabouts have reported 25-87% reductions in injury crashes and 36-61% reductions in all crashes.

 

How to run circles around Roundabouts.

Roundabout Rules: Left Turn (taking the first exit)

Signal left and approach in the left-hand lane keep to the left on the roundabout and continue signalling left to leave.

Roundabout Rules: Straight On (taking the second exit)

Select the appropriate lane on approach to and on the roundabout. If there is no marking on the road it is usually safest to keep to the left lane. Stay in this lane until you need to alter course to exit the roundabout. Signal left after you have passed the exit before the one you want.

Roundabout Rules: Right Turn (taking the last exit or third exit)

Signal right and approach in the right-hand lane. Keep to the right on the roundabout until you need to change lanes to exit the roundabout. Signal left after you have passed the exit before the one you want.

Remember that the traditional "yield-to-the-right" rule always applies.

 

Reference: Retting, Richard A. / Persaud, Bhagwant N. / Garder, Per E. / Lord, Dominique American Journal of Public Health, April 2001.1