Intersections

Roundabouts are built around a center island. They direct traffic counterclockwise around the island until drivers reach their exit. They have no stop signs or traffic signals. Yield signs, directional arrows and pavement markings guide the way.

Three good reasons to build roundabouts:

Safety
Research shows roundabouts reduce crashes by 50 percent and reduce the severity of crashes by up to 80 percent. That's because drivers have to reduce speeds to get around them, especially if a roundabout replaces a highway intersection controlled by two stop signs. Roundabouts also reduce potential crash points from 32 in a four-way intersection to eight. And roundabouts eliminate head-on crashes and make "T-bone" crashes (one car's front crashing into another car's side) much less likely.

Traffic flow
Traffic at busy intersections doesn't pile up behind roundabouts. Drivers entering a roundabout don't have to stop, but they do have to yield to vehicles already in the circle. Cars continuously move in and out of roundabouts, increasing traffic flow and intersection capacity.

Another tool
Adding stop signs or traffic signals isn't always the solution to a problem intersection. Sometimes traffic signals are only warranted during peak travel times. And traffic signals can result in more severe crashes. Roundabouts give road designers and transportation engineers another solution to consider.

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