Newsweek notes safety record of Carmel’s roundabouts

Driving culture writer Tom Vanderbilt gave kudos to Carmel for its roundabouts—and decline in injurious crashes—in a recent Newsweek magazine item.

Vanderbilt, author of “Traffic,” bemoaned recent statistics that show other countries are doing a better job than the United States of preventing road fatalities. He noted that in many other parts of the world, roundabouts are a common alternative to traffic lights and dicey left-turn-yield situations.

“Fortunately, the U.S. is also starting to think inside the circle,” Vanderbilt wrote. “Maryland, Missouri, and Georgia have built dozens of roundabouts in recent years … . But Carmel, Ind., is leading the nation, having built about 60 since 2001.”

Carmel has seen an 80-percent drop in injury accidents in its revamped intersections, Vanderbilt noted.