This has not been a good idea.
Kentucky has a new roundabout, but it’s not well-known. Although roundabouts are commonplace around the world, they are rare in America. This means that Americans aren’t familiar with roundabouts unless they have lived near them. To improve safety and traffic flow, a roundabout was recently built in rural Kentucky. Let’s check out their progress.
Based on the Reddit video by u/EVOsexybeast, things did not go according to plan. After spending your whole life at four-way intersections, it can be quite shocking to see a roundabout for the first time. Kittelson & Associates research shows that there are approximately 7,100 roundabouts across America, which is a very small number.
According to CBS WYMT coverage, the Rowan County Kentucky-based Roundabout was created to replace an intersection with four lanes that saw approximately 4,000 cars per day. The intersection was prone to collisions, and the town council decided that a roundabout would help keep traffic moving and decrease the severity of accidents. Although this is true on paper, it’s not practical in practice. Drivers need to be familiar with proper roundabout etiquette. GPS services such as Google Maps and Apple Maps can help you navigate around a roundabout.
It’s only been in existence for a few weeks, so there is a lot of room for improvement. The video clearly shows that one misguided driver can lead a whole group of people down the wrong side of the road. We hope that the future will bring us more safety and help confused drivers.