Why are there so few roundabouts in the U.S. despite their safety benefits?

A traffic circle, commonly known as a roundabout, is a well-used method of traffic control in Europe but is less familiar in most of America.

Roundabouts are said to significantly decrease accidents, injuries, and fatalities, enhance traffic flow, and even save cities money. However, their adoption in the U.S. has been met with opposition.

That is, except in Carmel, Indiana.

While studying in the U.K. as a young man, Mayor Jim Brainard became fond of roundabouts. Since then, he has incorporated approximately 150 of them into the city's streets, which has a population of 100,000 people.

Brainard receives monthly requests to remove traffic lights near his house or business, but he cannot do so even if he desires.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, funded by the insurance industry and known for its widely watched crash test ratings, states that roundabouts are significantly safer for drivers and pedestrians and cause less congestion than traffic lights. Additionally, they are better for the environment.

Despite their popularity, roundabouts have their detractors. Some argue that they may not handle heavy traffic effectively, and studies suggest that certain designs can be hazardous to cyclists.

But Brainard says they have helped transform his community.

Carmel has 150 corporate headquarters and has been consistently rated as one of the best places to live, retire, raise families, and be single. The city's success was built on the foundation of providing a functional transportation network.

Watch the video to learn more.

The video with this article contained incorrect roundabout markings and showed the improper way for a car to travel through a roundabout. The correct markings can be found in the latest federal Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices. Additionally, the roundabout should not have depicted cars traveling in overlapping paths.