Accidents at intersections claimed the lives of more than 10,000 road users in in 2018 according to the Federal Highway Administration, which is why many local authorities in Georgia and around the country are replacing traditional stop signs and traffic signals with roundabouts. Cars entering a roundabout reduce speed and travel in the same direction as other vehicles, and studies suggest this can reduce fatal accidents by up to 90%.
Most fatal motor vehicle accidents that take place in intersections are caused by a vehicle that runs a red light. This is the type of crash that roundabouts eliminate. When accidents do take place on roundabouts, they occur at slower speeds and injuries are usually minor. The mayor of an Indiana city that has built 126 roundabouts says that property damage accidents have fallen by 40% and injures are down by 75% at the intersections where lights and signs have been replaced. A study conducted by the FHWA and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found similar reductions in other parts of the country.
Replacing a traditional intersection with a roundabout also reduces traffic congestion and shortens commute times. Roundabouts have been known to eliminate daily quarter-mile traffic backups and greatly improve air quality. They can also reduce pedestrian fatality rates by as much as 40%.
Identifying the driver responsible for causing a car accident is sometimes easier when collisions take place at intersections because traffic signals are often fitted with cameras that take photographs of red-light runners. Experienced personal injury attorneys could use these photographs to encourage reckless drivers to settle car accident lawsuits at the negotiating table or establish negligence in court. Litigation initiated on behalf of road users injured in intersection accidents could seek compensation for their medical bills, property damage, pain and suffering, and lost income.
