Why don't we build safe roundabouts?

In New Zealand, we are currently being told that "it's time we stopped paying the road toll". Yet our roundabout design philosophy utilising a tangential design is based on maximising efficiency. In contrast, the continental European focus based on radial designs is on maximising safety. Recently, Australasian designers have begun using raised safety platforms for speed control. This presentation assesses design philosophies, their underlying reasons, and recommend actions that aim at improved safety.

infographic

An abstract and a presentation (with speaker notes) are available from our website. The photo below is by Kenn Beer.

Axel presenting
Where presented/published

Australasian Road Safety Conference (ARSC) 2022, Christchurch