Safe In 60: How To Safely Navigate A Roundabout
Jan 13, 2020, 12:04 PM | Updated: 1:14 pm
SOUTH JORDAN, Utah – Roundabouts are becoming much more common in Utah, but that doesn’t mean everyone knows the traffic rules surrounding them.
A roundabout is a counterclockwise circular intersection. It was developed in the United Kingdom in the 1960s. They are widely used in many countries and are becoming more common here in Utah.
Roundabouts are designed to make intersections safer and more efficient.
Because all of the cars are going in the same direction at low speeds, roundabouts prevent serious crashes and injuries. Think about it – you can’t T-bone another car in a roundabout.
Roundabouts can be very large to accommodate many roads or small with only a few entry points. They reduce the number of points where conflict can occur between vehicles and pedestrians. According to the Utah Driver’s Handbook, a regular “4 leg” intersection has 56 potential points of conflict, where a roundabout only has 12.
A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found roundabouts have reduced injury crashes by 75% in intersections that previously had traffic controls/stop signs
Unlike a four-way stop, where you always yield to the right, in a roundabout the right-of-way goes to the car that is already inside the circle.
To enter a roundabout, slow down and yield to traffic and pedestrians inside the circle.
Keep your speed slow and steady and use your blinker to indicate when you will be exiting a roundabout. If you miss your exit, just continue around the circle until you reach it again.
Most importantly, never stop or pull over in a roundabout.
Roundabouts can also be better for the environment, because they prevent cars from sitting or idling. And they are generally safer for pedestrians, who only have to cross one direction of traffic, with cars going lower speeds.