Although it was the first place to build roundabouts, the United States seems to have a strong aversion to this traffic regulation method.
For many of us, the term roundabout might not be unfamiliar, especially for those who drive. Roundabouts are considered a common way to manage traffic flow worldwide. However, this traffic participation method seems quite strange in a developed country like the United States.
What is a Roundabout?
In essence, a roundabout is a circular intersection located at the junction of roads to facilitate vehicle movement. When entering a roundabout, drivers must travel counterclockwise (in countries where driving is on the right) or clockwise (in countries where driving is on the left), following directional arrows until they exit onto a branching road.
Typical roundabout in a left-hand driving country.
History of Roundabouts
According to information from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the roundabout was invented by a French architect named Eugene Henard in 1877. However, this was only the initial idea, as all his related works were constructed after 1900.
The first old-fashioned roundabout was realized in 1905 at Columbus Circle in Manhattan, New York City. Just two years later, roundabouts began to be constructed in the United Kingdom and France, with even more being built than in the United States. However, this traffic coordination method quickly encountered issues regarding traffic speed, leading to chaotic conditions and a high rate of accidents. The era of old-fashioned roundabouts entered a crisis phase.
Columbus Circle in Manhattan, New York City.
The modern roundabout era began in the United Kingdom in 1956 with the construction of the first “give way” roundabout. The “give way” rule requires drivers approaching the roundabout to yield to vehicles already within it. As a result, the operational capacity of roundabouts in the UK increased by 10%, while accident rates dropped by 40%.
Roundabouts are increasingly used to regulate traffic.
The current rules for navigating roundabouts in countries where driving is on the right are illustrated in the image above. All vehicles must travel counterclockwise. Drivers wishing to make a U-turn must follow the direction of the dark blue arrow, those turning left must follow the red arrow, the light blue arrow indicates going straight, and the outer yellow arrow is for vehicles wishing to turn right.
Since then, roundabouts have increasingly been applied to regulate traffic in many major cities worldwide. However, it wasn’t until the 1990s that roundabouts started to become popular in the United States, and even then, their numbers were significantly lower than in other countries like the UK, France, and Germany.
Why Do Americans “Hate” Roundabouts?
The American aversion to “traffic circles” stems from the introduction of old-fashioned roundabouts in 1905. Instead of following the “give way” rule as is standard today, the old roundabouts in the U.S. prioritized vehicles entering the roundabout over those already circulating within it.
This led to many high-speed collisions, prompting authorities to eliminate this form and replace it with straight intersections controlled by traffic signals.
Although the modern roundabout rules were subsequently established, the negative impressions from the old model still haunt Americans. As a result, despite being very popular in some European countries, the number of roundabouts in the U.S. remains quite modest.
Americans tend to avoid and are wary of roundabouts.
Additionally, another reason for the scarcity of roundabouts in the U.S. is the lack of a cooperative attitude among traffic participants. According to British journalist Stephen Beard, “Roundabouts are popular in the UK because they align with the British qualities of compromise and cooperation. The confrontational and hot-tempered culture of Americans may explain why this traffic form is less favored here.”
In other words, Americans tend to be quite passive in making decisions when participating in traffic. The use of roundabouts requires drivers to actively signal to alert other vehicles instead of relying on third-party signals like traffic lights or police.
Furthermore, many states in the U.S. do not even include roundabout navigation in their driver training programs, leading to confusion for many drivers when encountering roundabouts.
So, are the advantages of roundabouts worth considering for Americans?
According to data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, roundabouts reduce injury crashes by 75% at intersections where stop signs or signals were previously used to control traffic.
The Washington State Department of Transportation has highlighted several reasons why roundabouts are superior to signs or signals, including: circular movement helps avoid head-on collisions; entering a roundabout requires drivers to reduce speed, preventing them from accelerating to cross as they would on a straight road.
Roundabout combined with an overpass.
In contrast to the negative reactions from Americans, the British take pride in their roundabout intersections. They even have an organization called The U.K. Roundabout Appreciation Society that celebrates these structures. According to them, roundabouts not only make traffic flow smoother but also enhance the beauty of the roads.
These advantages suggest that perhaps it is time for Americans to consider implementing more roundabouts into their traffic systems.
