This is the first accident study into Dutch roundabouts carried out by SWOV Institute for Road Safety Research in the year 1990. The study selected 46 "new" roundabouts divided into: 38 roundabouts within built-up areas, and 8 roundabouts outside built-up areas. The new priority rule at roundabouts implies that traffic approaching them should give priority to traffic on roundabouts. The accident data were based on more than 1360 accidents occurred on these locations in the 1984-1989 period. It is concluded that, among other things: (1) roundabouts were considerably safer than intersections; (2) there was a higher decline in the number of car occupant victims than in the number of victims among both cyclists and moped riders; (3) no statement could be made about which types of engineering facility were most suitable for cyclists and moped riders. One recommendation is that more roundabouts should be applied to dangerous junctions, both within and outside built-up areas. For the abstract of the second study see C 1640.
Abstract