Every year, car manufacturers add new safety features to their vehicles, ranging from systems that automatically brake when an obstacle appears to systems that plainly display you who is behind you in traffic. Manufacturers are not the only ones making adjustments; local governments are as well.
Adding roundabouts to intersections has been suggested as a possible remedy to some car accidents. But do these traffic circles, often known as roundabouts, actually help? People who are familiar with these traffic patterns feel they are extremely beneficial, whereas those who are unfamiliar with them find them perplexing and dangerous. What do the data say, though? Continue reading to find out. If you have been injured in an accident, contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 for a consultation.
For drivers, intersections are exceedingly risky
First and foremost, let us state the obvious: intersections are dangerous. Car, bus, and truck accidents can occur at any intersection where two or more roads intersect. Cars arrive at the intersections at various speeds and from various directions, and they are not always paying attention. Intersections can be hotbeds of accidents for several reasons.
The roundabout has been discussed and introduced
More roundabouts are one approach that has been examined in terms of improving the safety of roadways. Instead of crossing a standard perpendicular junction, a car must slow down and enter a circular.
More than 140 roundabouts in rural and urban regions were studied by the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Roundabouts, they discovered, have a considerable impact on accidents and fatal injuries. In fact, fatal car accidents were reduced by 86 percent and serious injuries in car accidents were reduced by 83 percent in locations where roundabouts were erected. Car accidents involving any form of bodily injury were also reduced by 61 percent, according to the study.
Why are roundabouts so effective at reducing the number of collisions?
The opportunity to T-bone another car is eliminated when traditional crossroads are replaced with roundabouts, according to the study. This occurs when the front of one car collides with the side of another, resulting in considerable damage and injuries. Because vehicles do not collide at straight angles in a roundabout, t-boning is difficult or impossible.
Road modifications are only one aspect of making our roads safer
We are pleased to see that genuine efforts are being made to make our roads safer at Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas. Changing the roads and traffic patterns is just one of the many things that must be done. If we wish to see a major reduction in traffic mortality in today’s world, two aspects must be addressed: Driving while texting and driving while inebriated are both dangerous.
You may have a personal injury case if you were injured in a car accident or if a loved one died in one. Contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 today to learn more about your choices. We will begin with a no-obligation legal consultation during which we can discuss our future steps.
