If you’ve ever come across a roundabout and weren’t sure what to do, you’re not alone. Roundabouts (also known as traffic circles) are large circles in the middle of an intersection that are supposed to keep traffic flowing through smoothly. While you can find some roundabouts throughout the U.S., the idea is very prominent in the U.K.; here in the U.S., we tend to stick to the traditional four-way stop sign method.
There are differing opinions about roundabouts – while some people believe they’re much easier to navigate, others tend to be confused by them and feel they cause more harm than good. Last year, on an episode of Myth Busters, the show’s Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman decided to put the two traffic elements to the test to see which does a better job of directing traffic.
The two built a traditional four-way stop intersection and after collecting several volunteer drivers, had them drive through the course (making different turns, periodically) for 15 minutes. They clocked the number of cars that were able to make it through the intersection, which turned out to be an average of 385.
After the four-way stop intersection course, the Myth Busters built a roundabout intersection and sent the same drivers through the course for 15 minutes. After clocking the number of cars able to make it through, it turns out that an average of 460 were counted.
In conclusion, it turns out that roundabouts are a much more efficient way to keep traffic flowing smoothly.
Watch the segment here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvoFjirrgYA
We took a little survey and found out that most of our fleet fuel card company members prefer four-way stops. Tell us – which way do you prefer?
