Why People Get Into Accidents in Traffic Circles or Roundabouts

Many communities are taking out four-way stops or stoplights and replacing them with traffic circles or roundabouts. When these new traffic controllers are first installed, they can be confusing. People who are passing through the area might be confused about what to do at a traffic circle. 

Inexperience

Many accidents are caused by inexperience, and this is certainly the case with roundabouts. People don’t know when to yield, when to get in or when to get out, leading to accidents. The rules of traffic circles are rarely reviewed in driver’s education or driver’s license tests.

Multi-lane Confusion

Some roundabouts have two lanes of traffic moving forward simultaneously. Drivers in the roundabout’s left lane might attempt to exit directly, cutting off the driver in the right lane. Drivers in the right lane might not behave as expected. People trying to merge into the circle might not know which lane to go into, and exiting drivers might also get confused.

Pedestrian Crosswalks

Some traffic circles also have pedestrian crosswalks. If a person is trying to exit the traffic circle and a pedestrian is in the crosswalk, the exiting driver must stop. Other drivers might not expect this, which could result in a rear-end collision. Side-impact collisions could occur if a person tries to go around the stopped car while a new car is merging into the roundabout. If a confused driver in a roundabout crashes into you and causes injuries, an accident lawyer in Las Vegas may be able to help protect your rights.