Traffic and car travel make up a large portion of our lives, and our worlds are shaped around the curves and crosses of our streets. Because of this, it’s always worth thinking about how we could improve our roads. Here in America, there’s one route of improvement we resist: the Traffic Circle. Even though they’re safer and more efficient, we resist them. So, here’s a case for why roundabouts are better for our towns, cities, cars, and environment.
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Video Transcript:
Hi there, we're Epipheo.
We've been thinking about traffic. Particularly, the dreaded *roundabout*. Or traffic circle. Or rotary. Same difference.
If you live in the US, you probably see them as European killing machines. You can't get into them, you can't get out of them, or you avoid them altogether. But we've learned that there's only one thing worse than the roundabout... and that's this terrifying thing called the intersection.
Don't believe us? Let's see what happens when intersections and roundabouts go head to head. First, let's agree on the rules. There are three things matter with traffic: Safety, Efficiency, and Environmental Impact. Those are the factors we want to maximize.
So 3, 2, 1, let's go!
Lap 1: Safety. Intersections encourage you to speed up as you approach, and they have 32 possible collision points. That's lots of fast, deadly crashes.
In fact 9000 people die at intersections in the US each year.
Compare that to Roundabouts, which only have 8 collision points, and when they happen, they happen at much lower speeds. Roundabouts have been shown to reduce crashes by 40%... so it's safe to say that Roundabouts win on safety.
Lap 2: Efficiency. Which is better at getting traffic through the junction quickly? Cars at intersections waste a lot of time slowing to a stop, waiting their turn, and then crawling through the crossroad. Compare this to a roundabout, where the cars are constantly in motion, slowing only to merge on or off.
This simple fact about the way roundabouts work means that roundabouts reduce delays by about 65%. Roundabouts get you home faster, and that means they win by a huge margin on efficiency.
Finally, Lap 3: Eco Friendliness. Accelerating from a complete stop is the least efficient thing a car can do. Guess what you do at intersections...
Meanwhile, the constant motion of cars in a traffic circle reduces emissions by 46%... and you'll likely spend less on gas, so Roundabouts are an eco win AND a wallet win.
If all this is true, why do we shudder at the sight of this sign?
Well, sometimes we fear the unfamiliar... We don't want to crash and risk expense, injury, or death.
There's a bit of history behind this too... they were really dangerous, but they're better now. We see roundabouts as distinctly Eurpoean, but the first one was built in New York City... and these early roundabouts gave incoming traffic the right of way, making them high speed death traps.
Europe saw this, and reversed the rules to create the modern, safer traffic circle.
It's true that roundabouts are a little more complicated than green and red lights, so we're going to show you what to do the next time you hit a traffic circle...
Slow to approach, let any pedestrians cross, and use your turn signal to show the person behind you where you plan to go.
Merge into the traffic circle, yielding to cars that are already circulating.
If you're going right or straight, stay in the outer lane.
If you're going left, get into the inner lane if that's possible...
When you approach your exit, signal your merge and then leave the circle.
Roundabouts are the norm in many countries, while the US still resists them. But a lot is at stake. This epiphany about roundabouts could easily save thousands of lives each year, and it's up to you to encourage roundabouts in your area, share this video... and the next time you see this sign, take a traffic circle for a spin. It'll help your city, and make your life better.
