A new “turbo roundabout” has been unveiled to slash the number of accidents on a busy road, potentially costing more than $11million.
Planners in California have rolled out the use of a “turbo roundabout” despite fears that drivers could be confused by the European road feature.
The three-lane road measure has been dubbed as “turbo” because of its shape rather than encouraging drivers to speed.
This particular type of road feature was originally used in the Netherlands but is now being trialled in San Benito County after 45 collisions in 2022.
It has been reported that the roundabout cost more than $11million
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The California Department of Transportation, CalTrans, acknowledged that people could become confused by the roundabout.
CalTrans and San Benito County created a video instructing people on how to properly use the roundabout.
It explained how the structure will feature three lanes separated by three-inch high dividers to discourage lane changing once a vehicle has entered the roundabout.
Previous measures designed to calm traffic have failed including signal timing and the installation of signs and flashing beacons.
This is only the second time the so-called “turbo roundabout” has been implemented in the United States.
The intersection of Highways 25 and 156 has been notorious for accidents, with the area seeing more than twice as many crashes as similar intersections in the state.
Jim Shivers, spokesperson for Caltrans, said: “Wherever we have installed a roundabout, the number of collisions drastically decreases.
“And this is pretty much true for roundabouts around the country,” he told SFGATE.
Hollister, which is around an hour away from San Jose, has seen high levels of road traffic accidents.
The Mercury News reported that there have been an “unusual number” of rear-impact and T-bone collisions at the intersection, resulting in the need for the $11.1million (£8.7million) project.
Roundabouts are relatively rare on roads in the United States with many experts suggesting that they take up too much space and seem unattractive to drivers.
Jim Shivers added that the roundabout has been well-received by the public, with no major collisions taking place yet.
Construction of the turbo roundabout began in 2022, with the facility becoming fully operational when the third lane opened for traffic in December.
However, he did issue a warning to people who may be calling for more roundabouts in their state.
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There were 45 collisions on the particular stretch of road in 2022
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Shivers said: “No two locations are exactly the same … There’s not a one-size-fits-all.”
