Roundabouts reduced fatalities by 63% and traffic accidents by 36%

Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Effectiveness Analysis of Roundabout Installation Project

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] As a result of implementing the roundabout installation project, the number of traffic accident fatalities decreased by 63%, and the number of traffic accidents decreased by 36%. The roundabout installation project has been implemented at 1,564 locations nationwide since 2010 with the aim of preventing traffic accidents and advancing the traffic operation system. It has been carried out mainly at signal-free intersections or signalized intersections with low traffic volume.

On the 17th, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced that, based on a comparative analysis of the effects of roundabout installation at 179 locations nationwide that completed the project in 2019, comparing the average of the 3 years before implementation (2016?2018) and 1 year after implementation (2020), such effects were observed.

According to the comparison, the average annual number of traffic accident fatalities during the 3 years before roundabout installation was 2.7, but in 2020 it decreased to 1, a 63% reduction. The number of injured persons decreased from 206.7 before the project to 120 after implementation, a 41.9% reduction.

The number of traffic accidents also decreased from 123 to 79, a 35.8% reduction, indicating that the roundabout project is highly effective in reducing traffic accidents. In terms of travel time reduction, the average intersection travel time shortened from 25.1 seconds to 18.3 seconds, a reduction of 6.8 seconds (27.2%), showing that it is effective not only in reducing accidents but also in facilitating smooth traffic flow.

In the case of the Seondan 5-dong intersection in Pocheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, which is a signalized intersection with low traffic volume, unnecessary delay due to signals caused an average of 8 traffic accidents and 9 casualties annually before the project. However, after the installation of the roundabout in 2020, not a single accident occurred.

The second roundabout in Chungju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do, located near a cluster of commercial establishments, experienced an average of 14 traffic accidents annually due to traffic violations before the project, but this number decreased to 2 after implementation, an 85.7% reduction. At the Deokgok intersection in Yeongdeok-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, which had frequent signal violation accidents due to long signal waiting times before the project, there were an average of 5 traffic accidents and 7 casualties annually, but after the roundabout installation, not a single accident occurred.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety plans to install roundabouts at 77 locations nationwide this year. To enhance the effectiveness of the project, it will share proper installation standards and hold an explanatory meeting for local governments in May to explore future development plans. Jung Gu-chang, Director of the Safety Policy Office at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, stated, “For the traffic safety and traffic flow improvement effects of roundabouts to be fully realized, it is important for drivers to be familiar with the traffic rules and to comply with yielding to entering vehicles.” He added, “We will continue to promote the roundabout project and consistently conduct public campaigns on the correct traffic methods.”