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Diverging diamonds have only been around since 2009. Are these recent changes in American roadways proving to be more safe and efficient then the conventional intersections we have been used to?
Lot of people unfamiliar with traffic circles have no idea how to navigate through them thus causing many accidents, i live adjacent to a 3 lane traffic circle and the traffic is chaotic as drivers invariably are in the wrong lane to make their exit .https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/car-flip...-dies-1.662454
Driver education, stricter regulations, carpooling, and mass transit would be much more effective. A shuttle van carrying 8 people would be like taking 5 cars off the road. The average car is about 15ft long. Assuming a car leaves an average of 20ft of spacing, that would be saving 175ft of road. Now imagine if that 8 passenger van were a 50 passenger bus or a 500 passenger train. That's your best bang for the buck.
Not gonna change in America, people are too used to having their own living room on wheels. Americans like to drive at their own pace and whichever lane of their choosing. That's what democracy is about.
Lot of people unfamiliar with traffic circles have no idea how to navigate through them thus causing many accidents, i live adjacent to a 3 lane traffic circle and the traffic is chaotic as drivers invariably are in the wrong lane to make their exit .https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/car-flip...-dies-1.662454
People are unfamiliar with traffic circles.
The use of portable digital signage can supplement existing permanent signs. This would be similar to MPH speed report trailers in existence today, They can announce that a drivers use of more caution ahead is necessary. Traffic in the roundabout can be slowed to a crawl by signage during a roundabout break-in period.
Drivers ed programs should be a requirement before a new license being issued. Public service announcements and advertisements would all help in a smoother transition to these new intersections. Merge and right-away laws in roundabouts can be written similar existing to move over laws. Traffic cams can document the causation of problems,with that data there all sorts of tools can and should be used to eliminate future problems.
Aside from the obvious (better designed roads, more attractive mass transit, the right enforcement) how about a continuing education requirement? Most professions have licenses that require education to renew. Yet most of us never take a driving course after getting our initial license. Exceptions include traffic school if you get too many tickets or a defensive driving course after 55 to get an insurance discount.
I am not familiar with Double Crossover Diamond intersections, but know roundabouts very well, and find them very safe, effective and efficient. They are commonly used everywhere in Europe, even in park houses and underground garages. I like them so much better than stopping a car every 4 ways stop intersection.
Of course, stop signs are a lot cheaper than a roundabout and in the US the cost often wins against efficiency or safety.
If you have ever used a 4-way stop, you know that confusion abounds between drivers who arrived at the same time, making the method even slower. Roundabouts also have safety advantage with less severe crashes, they save time and calm the traffic too.
According to a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety roundabouts reduced injury crashes by 75% at intersections where stop signs or signals were previously used for traffic control.
There are a few important reasons why roundabouts are so much safer than stop signs: lower speed, one-way driving and no need to beat the traffic light.
90% of the traffic jams I sit thru, have NO cause!
I think I started a thread on this awhile back, Im sitting there in traffic, moving slowly for 5-8 miles, and then all the sudden, it will clear up, no road work in the area, no lanes closed, no accidents...???
I am not familiar with Double Crossover Diamond intersections, but know roundabouts very well, and find them very safe, effective and efficient. They are commonly used everywhere in Europe, even in park houses and underground garages. I like them so much better than stopping a car every 4 ways stop intersection.
Of course, stop signs are a lot cheaper than a roundabout and in the US the cost often wins against efficiency or safety.
If you have ever used a 4-way stop, you know that confusion abounds between drivers who arrived at the same time, making the method even slower. Roundabouts also have safety advantage with less severe crashes, they save time and calm the traffic too.
According to a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety roundabouts reduced injury crashes by 75% at intersections where stop signs or signals were previously used for traffic control.
There are a few important reasons why roundabouts are so much safer than stop signs: lower speed, one-way driving and no need to beat the traffic light.
You can see it here:
"If you have ever used a 4-way stop, you know that confusion abounds between drivers who arrived at the same time" That does happen but I think it is more about indecisiveness then confusion.
The roundabouts are more efficient but sometimes at a huge cost to existing businesses which end up relocating for the public good. The Diamond intersections are also a huge undertaking which involves a large area being reconstructed. The gas saved, businesses created, and commuter time saved is sometimes hard to envision with such long term projects.
Not gonna change in America, people are too used to having their own living room on wheels. Americans like to drive at their own pace and whichever lane of their choosing. That's what democracy is about.
1) I agree. You should see the entitlement / attitude on two-lane rural roads in California, home of the "free to do my own thing, man!" All through the 1990s I would double-line pass those *******s maybe 20, 30, 50 times in a long ride on my sport bike. Get...off...the...road...onto...the....turnout, or you WILL be exited, popsy. Statute of limitations is long since expired. Yep, I did that, a hundred or maybe a thousand times. You don't "own the road" and enforce speed limits via crappy attitude.
2) I wrestle with SOV here in Seattle. When I can, I take the bus, it's not that difficult. Current job is in a weird place necessitating SOV, though fortunately is counter-commute for me going and coming. If it wasn't, train wreck.
3) Pardon, to the point: I've never heard of diverging diamonds, though odds are we have some around here: this area is good on trying things to reduce the congestion. Circles demonstrably do this, fortunately. I personally obey the lane rules and lay on my horn for every idjit doing something stupid like just pulling in, crossing lanes, etc. That tends to wise people up.
I think they're a great idea, assuming diverging diamonds work as-advertised.
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People are unfamiliar with traffic circles.
