Driver Confusion Leads to Dangers in Roundabouts

Normally, to get home after work you take Georgia Avenue. Since tonight is so lovely, you decided to take a detour down Gist. Unfortunately, you completely forgot about the roundabout at Woodbury Drive.

You absolutely hate roundabouts! They can be extremely confusing and you’re pretty sure the design is more dangerous than regular intersections.

Roundabouts Aren’t Dangerous—People Are Dangerous

Roundabouts can be confusing, but when that confusion pushes you to make poor decisions, it can quickly turn frustration into chaos. Roundabouts are designed to keep the flow of traffic moving, while eliminating T-bone collisions. When traffic is obeying the rules and following the posted signs and directions, roundabouts are extremely efficient and safe. In fact, the Federal Highway Administration, along with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, estimates that roundabouts decrease traffic accident injuries by 90 percent.

However, when a driver becomes confused, distracted, impatient, or feels that his actions are more important than the collective circle’s safety, dangerous consequences can result. Much like most accidents, the majority of roundabout accidents occur as a direct result of driver confusion and incompetence. The three major roundabout errors that you could be making that put you at risk, are the following:

• Entering without yielding. Yield signs are clearly posted to help prevent collisions. When you ignore signs, or try to get ahead of oncoming traffic, you’re not only putting yourself at risk for injury, you’re putting the entire circle at risk. You could potentially disrupt the continuity of the traffic circle, causing a massive accident, traffic jam, or pile-up.
• Stopping in the middle of a roundabout. Stopping for no apparent reason, and without warning, can cause serious consequences. Not only will it increase your chance of a rear-end collision, but it also disrupts traffic flow, causes more unneeded confusion, and may cause a massive pile-up.
• Changing lanes in the circle. Lane markings are clearly indicated before roundabouts to make sure you enter in the correct lane. If you accidentally enter the wrong lane, you must follow it through and either turn around or re-enter the circle. Otherwise, you could confuse other motorists, disrupt traffic flow, or cause potentially dangerous crossover collisions.

It’s understandable that you may become confused or disoriented when driving through or around a roundabout. However, you can’t allow that confusion to cause you to make irresponsible, risky, or dangerous errors. Just as you don’t want someone to make a mistake that would potentially hurt you and your family, don’t make one that could hurt his. Instead of making one of the above mistakes, follow the signs and the flow of traffic, and obey the rules to avoid confusion, and protect against dangerous roundabout accidents.

When a Driver’s Confusion Causes You Harm

Regrettably, even when you follow the rules and avoid making common driving errors, another driver’s actions could still put you and your family in harm’s way. Although staying cautious and alert can help avoid accidents, sometimes the only thing you can do is brace yourself and hope for the best. Sometimes, that “best” could be the difference between a few bruises and broken bones, or the difference between traumatic injuries and death. However, no matter what injuries you may sustain—hopefully the lesser—they aren’t your fault, and you shouldn’t have to live as if they were.

If you’ve recently been in a car accident and suffered severe injuries, a loss of a loved one, or emotional trauma, contact us today for a free consultation. We can help give you the advice, council, and support you need to get the peace of mind, compensation, and justice you deserve.

Make sure your family and friends know what to do and what not to do in a roundabout. Share this page with them via Facebook, or tell them to contact us directly to discuss any potential questions or concerns they may have about a recent accident. Please, share now help keep our community safe.