Roundabouts are become more popular in Pennsylvania and throughout the country as a way to eliminate some of the traffic headaches that often result from backed-up intersections. With the rise in popularity, state departments of transportation are working to ensure that drivers are comfortable using roundabouts, but many motorists are still unconvinced.

If you're like many Pittsburgh drivers, you consider traffic roundabouts to be confusing, intimidating, and more dangerous than traditional four-way stops or traffic lights. But according to a new study, the opposite is actually true: roundabouts have been proven to reduce the occurrence of fatal car accidents while also increasing intersection efficiency.

The study was conducted through an examination of 14 multi-lane roundabouts using video taken at each intersection. Specifically, researchers looked at various aspects of the traffic in the roundabout, such as the type of vehicle, the driving speed and how drivers entered the roundabouts. They also focused on the time gap needed by drivers to ender a roundabout.

Researchers found that roundabouts appeared much safer than four-way stops, due largely to the speed of the drivers traveling through the intersection. Because motorists were driving at a fairly slow speed through the roundabout, there was time to react if they encountered another vehicle.

In addition to the video analysis, researchers also analyzed accident data for 24 intersections both before and after the installation of a roundabout. They found that the number and severity of car accidents decreased, and that there had been no fatal crashes after the roundabout was built.

What do you think? Have you found roundabouts to be safer than four-way stops?

Source: University of Wisconsin-Madison News, "Roundabouts emerging as the ideal intersection between driver safety and efficiency," Renee Meiller, Feb. 1, 2012