38 CHALDEAN NEWS
38 CHALDEAN NEWS SEPTEMBER 2008
Roundabouts will become a more common sight around the state. driven to distraction Roundabouts may confuse, but they’re safer BY KEN MARTEN The summer of 1999 was a “turning point” for Metro Detroit motorists. That’s when the Road Commission for Oakland County opened the first modern roundabout in the region at the intersection of Tienken, Washington and Runyon roads in Rochester Hills. Roundabouts are now becoming commonplace around the state – to the befuddlement of many residents. The circular intersections have been used in Europe for several decades in place of traditional signalized and/or signed intersections. Traffic moves one way around a central island, and cars entering the roundabout yield to those already in it as well as those turning off. County road commissions and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) have “imported” the concept to replace the traditional signalized intersections and the “Michigan left.” Though they may be driving many local drivers crazy, research conducted by the Federal Highway Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows roundabouts are actually much safer. “Both found that when a roundabout replaces a signalized intersection, they documented a 90-percent reduction in fatalities,” said Craig Bryson, public information officer for the Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC). “From our point of view, that’s huge. It’s those kinds of statistics that moved us from opposing them to supporting them because at first we were skeptical. What we’ve found is that before they’re put in, there’s a lot of opposition. There’s this fear of the unknown.” Other Insurance Institute for Highway Safety statistics reveal that roundabouts result in a 76-percent reduction in injury accidents, and a 40-percent reduction in pedestrian injuries. Most serious accidents such as head-on collisions and broadsides occur at signalized intersections, Bryson said. Tom Vanderbilt is the author of the critically acclaimed book published this summer called Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do. He notes that 50 percent of all auto accidents in the United States occur at traditional intersections – which he calls “crash magnets.” In roundabouts, there’s no stopping and traffic moves at a slower pace, and there are no left turns to be made across oncoming traffic. Roundabouts also help alleviate rush-hour gridlock. “With a signalized intersection, 50 percent of the traffic is stopped at any time,” Bryson said. “But roundabouts allow for the constant traffic flow. But the biggest reason why we like them is because of their safety.” The RCOC now views roundabouts as a standard option whenever it considers improving an intersection. “Roundabouts are not ideal for every situation, like say downtown Royal Oak,” Bryson said. “But you have to evaluate every location.” There are eight roundabouts in Oakland County and about a dozen more are on the construction schedule over the next few years. Roundabouts currently under construction in Oakland include the Grand River/New Hudson Street/Lyon Center Drive intersection in Lyon Township, and the 14 Mile/Farmington Road intersection on the border PHOTO COURTESY MDOT PHOTO-LAB HOW TO DRIVE A ROUNDABOUT • Entering vehicles must yield to traffic already in the roundabout and to pedestrians in crosswalks. • Traffic in the roundabout always moves counterclockwise. • Choose your lane before entering; once in the roundabout, don’t change lanes. • Signal with your right turn signal before exiting the roundabout. between Farmington Hills and West Bloomfield Township. Macomb County currently has five, including the state’s biggest with three lanes at M-53 and 18 1/2 Mile Road in Sterling Heights. MDOT is planning a roundabout for the M-53 and 26 Mile Road intersection in Shelby Township. Livingston County has two at U.S. 23 and Lee Road near Brighton. Wayne County has just one, on Woodward at Campus Martius in downtown Detroit. It stands apart from other roundabouts because it also has traffic lights. Hyassant Najor said she has no trouble negotiating the roundabout near her home at 14 Mile and Farmington roads and wants to see more of them. “It clears up traffic a lot better,” she said. “I just wish they’d add them a lot faster.” SEPTEMBER 2008 CHALDEAN NEWS 39
