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i believe the other successful Dutch experiment was to cease the use of traffic lights. Apparently has a marked effect on driver behaviour. can't take anything for granted, theerfore proceed with caution.
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Around here (Lancashire) they have been planting shrubs on central reservations near roundabouts, to block sight lines on the approach. The aim of this is to make drivers slow down and check properly that nothing is on the roundabout before going on to it. It sounds daft, but it works. Another thing I've heard is that removing raised pavements and making the pedestrian area a different colour or texture instead makes pedestrians and drivers much more aware, and wary, of each other.
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It will be interesting to see any statistics that WCC might be keeping on the effects of this experiment in terms of accident numbers and any change in average speeds. If it works, it has to be cheaper than another more widespread method currently in use, whose name I will not mention.
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Around here (Lancashire) they have been planting shrubs on central reservations near roundabouts, to block sight lines on the approach. The aim of this is to make drivers slow down and check properly that nothing is on the roundabout before going on to it. It sounds daft, but it works.
Sounds daft because it is daft. And irresponsible. And defeats the object of roundabouts. If I wanted to make it easier for drivers to check what was happening on the approach to a roundabout, I would enhance visibility of the whole roundabout in every direction as much as possible. Which includes removing trees and art from the middle. The more you can see on the roundabout and approaching on other roads as you approach on yours, the easier it is to plan your arrival to filter in to the traffic pattern.
A safe, alert, concentrating, responsible driver (of which there are not enough) will slow down and adapt their driving to the reduced visibility with no problem. But how can you justify reducing the amout of information available to help a driver make the right decision.
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I guess the idea is to slow traffic down sufficiently to be able to negotiate the roundabout safely, and stop safely should an obstruction be encountered. This does seem high risk, maybe works for some ? is their any proof that it works -Chris?
We have lots of (high speed) roundabouts in Milton Keynes and plenty greenery obscuring vision, doesn?t seem to stop the high speed ?motor cycle display team? way in which most negotiate them.
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We have lots of (high speed) roundabouts in Milton Keynes and plenty greenery obscuring vision, doesn’t seem to stop the high speed ‘motor cycle display team’ way in which most negotiate them.
Which is precisely the point. A safe, responsible and generally 'good' driver (the type we all think we are more than we probably actually are) will properly negotiate a roundabout with any level of visibilty on the approach. The rest of them (rest of us) need all the help they (we) can get. Even with the best of intentions, the more you can see what's going on, the less opportunity there is for a sub-conscious assumption that leads to an accident.
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I have no figures, but my experience is this. The road in question is a moderately busy dual carriageway, with the roundabout having four exits, including the main dualled road. The two minor exits take you to villages, so they are also quite busy. Until they did this it was extremely nervewracking turning right, because the traffic didn't slow down. It was very common to see tyre smoke as drivers spotted you were going to cross their path, and of course right-turners held up traffic on the roundabout rather than throw themselves in front of the oncoming vehicles. Turning right is a breeze now, because everyone stops and has a good look. The laws of physics don't apply to motorcyclists, of course, but it may be that they can see over the obstruction.
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I thought this was to increase congestion, eg free flowing traffic can see nothings coming round the island, so carry on with caution. Traffic that has to slow to a stop so they can see around the island, soon enough you've got a queue of traffic. Then the council can come in and charge for congestion.
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