Comparing safety at signalized intersections and roundabouts using simulated rear-end conflicts

The safety implications of adopting roundabouts in place of conventional signalized intersections have not been adequately assessed. A microscopic simulation model was used to compare the pattern of traffic conflicts at roundabouts with conflicts for signalized intersections. Three indicators of safety performance were defined: (a) time to collision (TTC), (b) deceleration rate to avoid the crash (DRAC), and (c) crash potential index (CPI). For each indicator, traffic conflict profiles were obtained in terms of number of vehicles in conflict and number of conflicts per vehicle for selected directional maneuvers. The exposure time to conflict for each maneuver and vehicle was also determined. Twelve combinations of geometric and traffic attributes (traffic scenarios) were simulated over a 15-min period. The results suggested that roundabouts yield reduced exposure times to rear-end conflicts compared with signalized intersections. On average, signalized intersections also reflected increased number of vehicles in conflict and percentage of vehicles in conflict compared with roundabouts. This relationship was found to be independent of input volumes and pavement surface condition and applied consistently to all safety indicator measures (TTC, DKAC, and CPI).