Traffic Roundabouts Are Better for the Environment—Here's Why

In terms of your daily environmental footprint, the vehicle you drive is a contributor. A typical passenger vehicle emits roughly

4.6 metric tons of CO₂ per year, with the average passenger vehicle emitting about 0.9 pounds of CO₂ per mile.

Public transportation offers a worthy alternative, as do grassroots solutions like walking, biking, or even

working from home. But for the times when hitting the road is a necessity, it seems that

modern roundabouts—a mode of traffic infrastructure ubiquitous in the UK, and quickly gaining popularity in the U.S.—could help us cut down on our collective emissions. They're safer, too.

A roundabout is a

circular intersection with a series of curved entrances that trades stoplights for yield signs. The yield format requires cars to slow down, decreasing accident frequency and severity. In fact, according to the

Federal Highway Administration, roundabout locations result in a 35% reduction in total crashes.

The U.S.'s slow rollout of roundabouts—which began in the '90s—has seen fewer accidents

in each area of implementation. And, in recent years, a recognition of the climate benefits of the modern roundabout makes an even stronger shift toward the ilk of intersection a national no-brainer.

Roundabouts are all about the yield. Sans stoplights, cars can skip the idling,

resulting in fewer carbon emissions overall. No stoplights also means a reduced energy footprint, as roundabouts and yield signs require no electricity to function.

As

noted by

Forbes, research related to the environmental influence of roundabouts in Carmel, Indiana, estimated an annual savings of 24,000 gallons of gas, a decrease in nitrogen oxide, and a decrease in superfluous land development.

So, the next time you encounter a traffic roundabout, pay extra attention—not only to your fellow drivers, but to the eco intersections of a more sustainable future.