I think you misjudge the size of the standard city roundabout in Europe.
Let’s take a standard one lane each way road. Reaching the roundabout, the space barely widens. It’s not a giant ring highway, just a circle. There’s a zebra crossing at each entrance, so I (as a pedestrian) have the right of way.
The roundabout slows cars down to a 20-30 km/h speed, so they have ample time to see me and brake. Still for the car driver it’s quicker than standing at a traffic light.
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Roundabouts are very safe for drivers - they suck for pedestrians and cyclists tho. Especially pedestrians have to cover longer distances.
They’re neat for areas with high car volumes, really bad for everywhere else
It depends what we are talking about.
Either way it’s an annoying detour for pedestrians. That’s why this kind of intersection has no place in locations with a lot of foot traffic.
That’s not necessarily the case, and depends on a lot of factors. They’re generally great for cyclists. For pedestrians it varies.
I think you misjudge the size of the standard city roundabout in Europe.
Let’s take a standard one lane each way road. Reaching the roundabout, the space barely widens. It’s not a giant ring highway, just a circle. There’s a zebra crossing at each entrance, so I (as a pedestrian) have the right of way.
The roundabout slows cars down to a 20-30 km/h speed, so they have ample time to see me and brake. Still for the car driver it’s quicker than standing at a traffic light.