”Are roundabouts better than traffic lights? Can it be more efficient to have Roundabouts instead of traffic lights, with pros and cons”

Roundabouts vs Traffic Lights Name Institution Due Date Roundabouts vs. Traffic Lights With more people dying on the roads every day, countries all over the world are trying to find new ways or methods to help prevent accidents. Traffic lights were thought to be the solution, but even with the technological improvements around the world, accidents continue to happen and claim lives with each passing day. The World Health Organization (2018) reported that “approximately 1.35 million people die each year as a result of road traffic crashes.” This means that children’s dreams never get to be fulfilled, and the world loses important people who play great roles in making sure the world is a peaceful place. Road accidents are also expensive, and the WHO reports that they “cost more countries 3% of their gross domestic product.” Are they preventable? The answer is no because a significant percentage of road accidents are caused by people’s recklessness. However, traffic accidents are indeed manageable. It is possible for countries to reduce the number of road accidents and even reduce the severity of accidents. When it comes to what can be done, people have different answers with some saying more traffic lights while others say re-introduction of roundabouts. So, this paper seeks to delve deeper into the issue at hand and discuss the notion that roundabouts are better or more efficient than traffic lights. Roundabouts are said to have several benefits with the first one being that they help improve safety on the roads. An article from the Washington State Department of Transportation (2019) notes that roundabouts “are safer than traditional stop sign or signal-controlled intersections.” Using information from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the article notes that roundabouts reduce 75% of road crashes “at intersections where stop or signals were previously used for traffic control.” The numbers provided in the image shown below all show that roundabouts will indeed improve road safety. The reasons given for why roundabouts will improve safety are that they force drivers to travel at low speeds. In roundabouts, there are designated speeds, and they range between 15 to 20 miles per hour. With such speeds, drivers will indeed be forced before they enter a roundabout. The second reason is that drivers will not be under pressure to beat any traffic signal or light. This brings about an important factor with regards to roundabouts, which is that they ensure there is a continuous flow of traffic. As a driver, one only needs to obey the rules before entering a roundabout and the basic traffic or road rules. /Safety/roundabouts/benefits.htm Unlike traffic lights or signals, roundabouts help ensure a continuous flow of traffic. Roundabouts are designated for the above reason. They are to help ensure vehicles never stop in any intersection. So, in the end, they help reduce delay and improve the flow of traffic. There is a misconception that traffic lights are slow and will thus slow down traffic and thus cause congestion. However, this is not true. Looking at traffic signals or lights, at intersections, drivers are forced to stop and wait a few seconds for the green light. However, with roundabouts, vehicles will not...