How do Roundabouts Work? Imagine a simple four-way intersection that allows a car to either go left, straight, or right. If a car is turning left, it has the potential to hit cars that are running a red light, opposite cars that are going straight, opposite cars that are going left, or opposite cars that are turning right. On top of this, every time a car crosses a crosswalk, it has the potential to hit a pedestrian. All of these potential crash spots are what transportation planners and civil engineers call “conflict points”. While intersection timing and design can do a lot to mitigate the potential of a crash happening at each conflict point, these are never full-proof, and the speeds allowed by traditional intersections all-but ensures that when a crash does occur, there’s a significant risk of it resulting in a serious injury or fatality. Roundabouts mitigate these risks by simplifying movement through the intersection, reducing conflict points between intersection users, and lowering speed in the roundabout. •While a normal intersection has 56 total conflict points, a roundabout only has 16 •Roundabouts keep cars moving in the same direction, eliminating the risk of head-on collisions and turning-movement broadsides •Without the need to coordinate movement through stoplights, roundabouts are designed to allow their users to move at a steady 20mph, significantly reducing the risk of any crashes resulting in a serious injury or fatality Roundabouts are able to accomplish all of this, all while reducing traffic delays and giving users a smoother driving experience.