Minnesota Study Shows Safety Improvements at Roundabouts
St. Paul, MN (KROC-AM News) - The Minnesota Department of Transportation says it has statistical proof that roundabouts are reducing serious injuries and saving lives.
A new study released by MnDOT looked at the state’s nearly 200 roundabouts and found there has not been a single multi-vehicle fatality at any roundabout in Minnesota. The report shows there was an 86-percent reduction in the fatal crash rate at intersections where roundabouts were installed and an 83-percent reduction in the serious injury crash rate. The overall injury rate was down 42-percent when compared to the same intersections before the installation of the roundabouts.
State officials also note roundabouts have comparable initial construction costs and lower life-cycle costs than traditional turn signal controlled intersections. Minnesota’s first roundabout was built in 1995 in Brooklyn Park and the use of the traffic control system has since spread to every county in the state.
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