Just a third of British Columbia drivers feel confident navigating a multi-lane roundabout, according to a new survey.
The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) said modern roundabouts can reduce injury crashes by up to 75 per cent as they reduce speed and eliminate head-on, right-angle and left-turn crashes. They can also increase safety for pedestrians and cyclists.
However, in a new ICBC survey, conducted by Ipsos, only 29 per cent of drivers said they felt ‘very confident’ about navigating a multi-lane roundabouts. More motorists – 57 per cent – said the same about a single-lane roundabout.
The survey also revealed that 15 per cent of respondents find it difficult to know who has the right of way when entering a roundabout. This correlates with the survey’s findings that drivers’ biggest frustration when it comes to navigating roundabouts is other drivers not yielding to vehicles that have the right of way.
“Road design is critical to keeping everyone on our roads safe,” said Shabnem Afzal, ICBC’s director of road safety.
“Roundabouts are proven to be highly effective in reducing crashes. While common in Europe, they’re relatively newer to Canada. We’re here to offer a refresher and tips so that whether you’re walking, driving or cycling, we all know how to safely navigate roundabouts and share our roads together.”
