Roundabouts provide a significant potential to improve traffic safety. The paper contributes an overview about research results on safety at roundabouts with a focus on urban intersections. Even if it is written from a German perspective, it includes results from several other countries. As a conclusion from all studies, there is no doubt that roundabouts are the safest type of intersection. Especially the single-lane roundabouts reveal the highest level of safety. Also mini-roundabouts have an extraordinary good safety record. Turbo-roundabouts—regarding safety—are on the same level as the single-laned. This high degree of traffic safety is strictly depending on the speed-reducing design of the whole intersection. In comparison to conventional types of intersections like signalized or two-way-stop intersections, the car occupants and the pedestrians enjoy the highest gains from roundabout safety. On the other hand, bicyclists can become a problem for traffic safety at roundabouts. However, also cyclists can be operated with a sufficient degree of safety—but only if the requirements for design are strictly obeyed. It should be emphasized that the high degree of safety is coherent to road user discipline and to the acceptance of the existing traffic rules. This acceptance should be strengthened by an adequate intersection design. Therefore, the favourable safety effects of roundabouts can only be achieved if the rules for modern roundabout design, as they are documented in many national design guidelines, are strictly applied.
State of the Art of Roundabout Performance for Promoting of Urban Safety
Springer Transactions in Civil and Environmental Engineering
2021-05-20
18 pages
Article/Chapter (Book)
Electronic Resource
English
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