Roundabouts are designed to slow traffic and decrease hard left and right turns. In doing so, roundabouts are supposed to decrease crashes. More importantly, roundabouts are designed to decrease high impact crashes. Frankly, they do just that. When a traditional intersection is converted to a roundabout, the amount of crashes at that intersection, on average, decreases 40%. Additionally, the amount of injury accidents decreases as well. Lastly, the amount of high speed and high impact crashes decreases resulting in the amount of fatal injury accidents at intersections converted to roundabouts decreasing by 90%.

Despite that reduction in major injury and fatal accidents, roundabouts increase confusion for many motorists. Additionally, roundabouts are susceptible to minor fender bender accidents that rarely result in major injuries.

The Rules of The Road for Roundabouts

• Reduce your speed as you approach a roundabout. Beware of cars that are in front of you, behind you, and beside you.
• Be aware of the road designations or markings for the lane that you are entering the roundabout. These road markings will indicate what your lane is allowed to do for exiting the roundabout. Additionally, there will be road signs before entering the roundabout indicating what each lane is allowed to do.
• Remember to stay in same the lane that you started the roundabout all the way through the roundabout.
• You must yield to cars that have entered the roundabout before you.
• Do not ever stop in a roundabout even if an emergency vehicle was in the roundabout. Stopping in a roundabout causes immediate traffic jam and confusion.
• Be careful to watch for large trucks who may inadvertently enter your lane due to the size of their truck and the curvature of the roundabout. Also, never pass a truck or any other vehicle in the roundabout.

Following these simple rules will allow you to safely navigate a roundabout. If you fail to follow these rules and this results in an accident……you will be found at fault for causing an accident in a roundabout.

The most dangerous roundabout in the State of Michigan is the roundabout connecting 18.5 mile road and Van Dyke in Macomb County.  This roundabout saw 229 crashes in 2019.  Of the other top ten most dangerous roundabouts, 6 are located in Oakland County, 1 in Livingston County, 1 in Kalamazoo County and 1 in Washtenaw County.

Be Careful and Follow the Simple Rules to Avoid an Accident

If you’ve been injured in an accident in a roundabout or elsewhere, call the experienced attorneys of Femminineo Law. For nearly 30 years, the attorneys of Femminineo Law been successfully handling Michigan auto accident injury cases.  Call 855.65.CRASH or contact us today.