Roundabouts have replaced some traditional intersections in Hardin County over the past one to three years. They’re meant to improve traffic flow and make travel safer. Given how dangerous traditional intersections are, safety improvements shouldn’t be difficult.
If you’re injured or a family member is killed in a vehicle accident at an intersection or roundabout, you may have grounds to file an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit to obtain compensation for the harm you suffer. To learn more, call The Fleck Firm at (270) 446-7000 today.
What is a Roundabout?
A roundabout is an intersection with yield control for entering traffic, islands on the approaches, and a circular design to reduce vehicle speeds, according to the US Department of Transportation (DOT). Roundabouts are usually smaller than high-speed rotaries, but are normally larger than neighborhood traffic circles used to calm traffic.
Roundabouts have the following characteristics:
- Vehicles move in a counterclockwise direction
- They have one or more lanes
- Their shape should slow vehicle speeds
- Drivers entering the roundabout should yield to oncoming traffic
- Drivers shouldn’t need to change lanes to exit the roundabout
The use of roundabouts in the US dates back to the 19th century.
How Dangerous are Traditional Intersections?
More than half of all vehicle accidents causing injuries and deaths in the US occur at intersections. The most common accidents involve vehicles colliding at an angle. A quarter of intersection accidents involved older drivers, but they’re only about 12.4% of the population.
Common intersection accidents include the following:
- Rear-end: Vehicles stopped at an intersection are struck from behind
- T-bone: A driver ignores or fails to see a stop sign or stop light, goes into the intersection, and strikes the side of a vehicle that had the right of way. It can also happen if a driver takes a left turn without looking for oncoming vehicles or fails to leave enough space for oncoming traffic
- Head-on: A driver in the opposite lane steers into oncoming traffic or loses traction and slides into an oncoming vehicle
- Sideswipe: A driver changes lanes into another vehicle’s side, or takes a right turn from a connecting street into a vehicle
The Kentucky State Police report that, statewide, for 2024, intersections accounted for 31.3% of all vehicle accidents, 35.7% of those causing non-fatal injuries, and 20.5% of vehicle crashes resulting in deaths.
Why Should Roundabouts Be Safer Than Traditional Intersections?
The DOT claims that studies establish that roundabouts are safer than intersections, given the following statistics:
- More than 90% reduction in fatal accidents
- 76% reduction in injuries
- 35% reduction in the overall number of vehicle accidents
The agency states that roundabouts’ slower speeds are safer for pedestrians and that head-on and high-speed T-bone accidents are virtually eliminated. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety/Highway Loss Data Institute (IIHS/HLDI) states that studies of European roundabouts show they can cut pedestrian-vehicle collisions by 75%.
According to Roadwurx, roundabouts are safer for the following reasons:
- By design, head-on and T-bone accidents are almost impossible. Traffic flows in a circular motion, and vehicles approach each other at slower speeds at predictable angles
- Slower speeds cut the risk of high-impact collisions and the severe injuries they cause
- Intersections with stop signs or traffic signals cause vehicles to accelerate and brake suddenly, while roundabouts force vehicles to reduce their speed as they approach the intersection
- Vehicles in the roundabout should maintain a steady, slower speed compared to traditional intersections. This is particularly helpful for bicyclists and pedestrians
- Traditional intersections, especially those with multiple lanes, create several points where vehicles cross paths. Roundabouts reduce, but don’t eliminate, areas where vehicles may collide with each other, or with pedestrians and bicyclists
Roundabouts don’t have a perfect safety record. Impaired, incompetent, inattentive, distracted, or reckless drivers are dangerous wherever they go. Drivers new to roundabouts may not know how to navigate them safely.
Drivers may not slow down when they approach a roundabout or yield to those traveling in one. A multiple-lane roundabout may have sideswipe accidents because drivers aren’t used to rounding curves with another vehicle next to them. Drivers who miss an exit instead of continuing to circle and try again may stop suddenly, causing a rear-end crash.
Are Hardin County’s New Roundabouts Safer Than the Intersections They Replace?
Given the overall safety improvements with roundabout design, there would have to be serious problems with the county’s roundabouts, the drivers using them, or both, for them not to be safer.
The state’s Transportation Cabinet reports that compared to the intersections that were replaced, the 11 new roundabouts in Hardin County show the following:
- 31% fewer crashes (from 33 annually before replacement to 23 afterward)
- 81% reduction in injuries (from six each year to one)
From a safety standpoint, the money invested in creating these roundabouts has paid off and will continue to do so.
Roundabouts and Intersections Show That Drivers Aren’t the Only Ones Causing Accidents
If you’re injured in an accident, it’s easy to focus blame (rightly or wrongly) on other drivers who were involved. But dangerous road designs, like intersections with multiple accidents, show that government agencies responsible for our roads (and possibly the contractors who build them) can also play a role in causing vehicle accidents and injuries.
Agencies that don’t consider safety, or don’t make it a high enough priority, in designing or changing intersections could be additional defendants and sources of compensation, depending on the facts of the situation, which we may uncover during our crash investigation.
Are You or a Loved One Injured in a Vehicle Accident?
If so, this is not the time to try to settle a case yourself. Depending on the circumstances, your potential recovery could be substantial. You may have a lot to lose by taking a DIY approach.
Call The Fleck Firm at (270) 446-7000 to schedule a free consultation. We’ll discuss the accident, what happened, and your best options to proceed. Insurance companies have lawyers. You should have one, too.
