Safety > Motorists and pedestrians > Road design >

Roundabouts

Note: View two new videos on driving roundabouts. (Posted December 27, 2010)

Modern roundabouts are the newest form of intersection in the U.S. Several can be found in Wisconsin, including a new urban roundabout on Milwaukee's south side. Several others are in the planning stages around the state.

Roundabouts provide safe and efficient traffic flow and make use of extensive safety and traffic research conducted over the past 25 years in other countries.

Today's roundabouts are much smaller than the "traffic circles" of earlier years.

Roundabouts move traffic safely through an intersection because of:

• Slower speeds
• Fewer conflict points
• Easier decision-making

Studies by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) show that roundabouts provide a:

• 90% reduction in fatal crashes
• 76% reduction in injury crashes
• 30-40% reduction in pedestrian crashes
• 10% reduction in bicycle crashes

Questions about the content of this page, contact:
Pat Fleming, Patrick.Fleming@dot.wi.gov
Last modified: March 2, 2011