10 Years of Roundabout Operation: 76% Decrease in Fatal Accidents and 21% Reduction in Travel Time

As of the end of 2020, a total of 1,564 roundabouts in operation
Deaths reduced from 17 to 4, serious injuries decreased from 431 to 257

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport have reported that over a decade of operating roundabouts since 2010, the number of traffic accidents and casualties has significantly decreased.

According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on the 29th, the number of traffic accidents before and after the installation of roundabouts decreased from 817 to 615, a 24.7% reduction, and the number of casualties dropped from 1,376 to 921, a 33.1% decrease. This comparison was made by analyzing data from 476 locations where traffic accident analysis was possible (installed between 2010 and 2018), comparing the average data for three years before installation with one year after installation. The government established roundabout design guidelines in 2010 and began actively installing them on national and local roads nationwide, with a total of 1,564 roundabouts in operation as of the end of 2020.

In particular, fatalities decreased from 17 to 4, and serious injuries dropped from 431 to 257, showing a significant reduction in major accidents. The number of casualties by roundabout size decreased from 50 to 14 in small roundabouts, from 778 to 377 in single-lane types, and from 548 to 530 in two-lane types. It was analyzed that the smaller the roundabout, the greater the effect. Additionally, the average travel time through intersections was reduced from 25.2 seconds before installation to 19.9 seconds after installation, a reduction of 5.3 seconds (21%), indicating an improvement in smooth traffic flow.

Based on the performance of roundabout operations over the past decade, the government plans to further expand the installation of roundabouts. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety will establish a mid- to long-term facility improvement plan for systematic roundabout installation and management, and prepare design and operation manuals that include criteria for selecting project sites and specific procedures and methods for installing roundabouts.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to supplement design guidelines to prevent traffic accidents caused by lane changes frequently occurring in two-lane roundabouts and will also establish design standards for ultra-small roundabouts that can be installed in small intersections located in residential areas with high passenger car traffic. Furthermore, videos and card news explaining the correct way to navigate roundabouts will be posted on related agencies’ websites, and leaflets and posters will be distributed at local government offices, vehicle inspection centers, highway rest areas, and railway stations to promote safe use of roundabouts among the public.

Kim Ki-young, Director of the Life Safety Policy Division at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, stated, “It is important to understand traffic rules such as giving priority to circulating vehicles and yielding to entering vehicles when using roundabouts,” and added, “We will continue to expand public campaigns to establish an advanced traffic culture where drivers consider and yield to each other in roundabouts, thereby enhancing traffic safety.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.