What is a Modern Roundabout?

A modern roundabout is a new form of intersection control that provides safe and efficient traffic flow. It is a one-way circular intersection without traffic signal equipment in which traffic flows around a center island. It operates with yield control at the entry points, and gives priority to vehicles within the roundabout.

General Rules for Driving a Roundabout?

• Slow down upon approach to the roundabout
• Watch for traffic signs (one way and yield signs)
• Yield to pedestrians and bicyclists as you enter and exit the roundabout
• Look to the left for traffic
• Enter when it is safe
• Keep your speed low within the roundabout
• Exit carefully to your destination

Why use a roundabout?

Slower vehicle speeds (under 25 kph) mean:

• Drivers have more time to judge and react to other vehicles and pedestrians
• Easier to use for older and novice drivers
• Reduction in the severity of accidents compared to stop signs or signals
• Pedestrians are safer

Efficient traffic flow:

• Traffic always on the move-less delay
• 30-50% increase in traffic capacity

Other Benefits:

• Reduction in pollution and fuel use
• Less noise due to fewer stops and starts
• No signal equipment to install and repair
• Provides traffic calming
• Improves visual quality and character through aesthetic landscaping

Why are Roundabouts Safer?

• The primary characteristics of the modern roundabout reduce many of the safety hazards of traditional intersections and nonconforming traffic circles.
  
  
• The physical configuration of a modern roundabout, with a deflected entry and yield-at-entry, forces a driver to reduce speed during the approach, entry, and movement within the roundabout. This is contrary to an intersection where many drivers are encouraged by a green or yellow light to accelerate to get across the intersection quickly and to "beat the red light" and contrary to old traffic circles where tangent approaches also encourage, or at least allow, high-speed entries.
  
  
• Another important safety factor is that the only movement at an entry and an exit of a roundabout is a right turn, thus reducing the potential frequency and severity of accidents compared to accidents typically occurring during left turns and when traffic crosses an intersection in perpendicular directions.

Roundabouts move traffic safely and efficiently throught an intersection because:

1. Conflicts are reduced. Roundabouts have fewer conflict points in comparison to conventional intersections. The potential for hazardous conflicts, such as right angle and left turn head-on crashes is eliminated with roundabout use. Single-lane approach roundabouts produce greater safety benefits than multi-lane approaches because of fewer potential conflicts between road users, and because pedestrian crossing distances are short.
   
   
2. Speeds are reduced and are more consistent. Low absolute speeds associated with roundabouts allow drivers more time to react to potential conflicts, also helping to improve the safety performance of roundabouts. Since most road users travel at similar speeds through roundabouts, i.e., have low relative speeds, crash severity can be reduced compared to some traditionally controlled intersections.
   
   
3. Pedestrians cross one direction of traffic at a time. Pedestrians need only cross one direction of traffic at a time at each approach as they traverse roundabouts, as compared with two-way and all-way stop-controlled intersections. The conflict locations between vehicles and pedestrians are generally not affected by the presence of a roundabout, although conflicting vehicles come from a more defined path at roundabouts (and thus pedestrians have fewer places to check for conflicting vehicles). In addition, the speeds of motorists entering and exiting a roundabout are reduced with good design. As with other crossings requiring acceptance of gaps, roundabouts still present visually impaired pedestrians with unique challenges.

Studies show that roundabouts provide a:

• 90% reduction in fatal crashes
• 75% reduction in injury crashes
• 30-40% reduction in pedestrian crashes
• 10% reduction in bicycle crashes

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