Study demonstrates roundabouts’ safety

New Urban News Article with images, 9/1/2002

A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has determined that roundabouts — popular among many New Urbanist designers — are much safer than other kinds of intersections.

The Institute examined 24 intersections in eight states that were converted from stop signs or traffic signals between 1992 and 1997. The results that emerged are remarkably favorable:
• Vehicular accidents overall declined 39 percent.
• Accidents resulting in injuries fell 76 percent.
• Accidents resulting in death or incapacitating injury plunged 90 percent.

“Roundabout construction should be strongly promoted as an effective safety treatment for intersections,” said the four-person team of Bhagwant N. Persaud, Richard A. Retting, Per E. Garder, and Dominique Lord.