Crashes are common in aggregate, but a crash at any given intersection is still a rare event. Good planning would be to identify the intersection between places that would benefit from a roundabout, and those capable of being served by a roundabout. Some sort of crash and AADT metric would work I suspect.
Thank you for this thoughtful reflection, Andy. I’ve learned that most DOTs and the economists they sometimes hire never sufficiently and compellingly capture the benefits nor the costs of any project. They focus almost unilaterally on time savings and some myopic measure of job creation
Where I live, close to a major artery that is frequented by emergency vehicles, they are frequently held up by vehicles ahead of them stopped by traffic lights. This means that there are times when willing-to-make-way drivers have nowhere to move to let the emergency vehicles pass (to the traffic lights ahead where the 'accident' happened).
I enjoy watching the YouTube videos by Chris Martin EMS who drives an emergency support vehicle in Eastern (old) England - usually an SUV fitted with sirens and lights as well as his dashcam - bringing special equipment to an emergency site. His navigation of roundabouts, of which there are many in his area, is superb and they also make it easier for ordinary drivers to find a way to let him pass.
Calgary has started to install roundabouts in new areas and some old ones; they illustrate how good design is important, taking traffic flows into account, and not just depending on concentric circles with curved entry paths.
Good driver education is also essential, often lacking in North America.
Crashes are common in aggregate, but a crash at any given intersection is still a rare event. Good planning would be to identify the intersection between places that would benefit from a roundabout, and those capable of being served by a roundabout. Some sort of crash and AADT metric would work I suspect.
Thank you for this thoughtful reflection, Andy. I’ve learned that most DOTs and the economists they sometimes hire never sufficiently and compellingly capture the benefits nor the costs of any project. They focus almost unilaterally on time savings and some myopic measure of job creation
Where I live, close to a major artery that is frequented by emergency vehicles, they are frequently held up by vehicles ahead of them stopped by traffic lights. This means that there are times when willing-to-make-way drivers have nowhere to move to let the emergency vehicles pass (to the traffic lights ahead where the 'accident' happened).
I enjoy watching the YouTube videos by Chris Martin EMS who drives an emergency support vehicle in Eastern (old) England - usually an SUV fitted with sirens and lights as well as his dashcam - bringing special equipment to an emergency site. His navigation of roundabouts, of which there are many in his area, is superb and they also make it easier for ordinary drivers to find a way to let him pass.
Calgary has started to install roundabouts in new areas and some old ones; they illustrate how good design is important, taking traffic flows into account, and not just depending on concentric circles with curved entry paths.
Good driver education is also essential, often lacking in North America.