Injury crashes with bicyclists at roundabouts: influence of some location characteristics and the design of cycle facilities.
OBJECTIVE
Previous research indicated that conversions of intersections into roundabouts appear to increase the number of injury crashes with bicyclists. However, it was assumed that the effectiveness of roundabouts could vary according to some differences in design types of cycle, facilities and other geometrical factors.


METHODS
Regression analyses on effectiveness-indices resulting from a before-and-after study of injury crashes with bicyclists at 90 roundabouts in Flanders, Belgium.


RESULTS
Regarding all injury crashes with bicyclists, roundabouts with cycle lanes appear to perform significantly worse compared to three other design types (mixed traffic, separate cycle paths, and grade-separated cycle paths). Nevertheless, an increase of the severest crashes was noticed, regardless of the design type of the cycle facilities. Roundabouts that are replacing signal-controlled intersections seem to have had a worse evolution compared to roundabouts on other types of intersections.


CONCLUSIONS
The results might affect design guidelines for roundabouts, particularly for the accommodation of bicyclists.
Daniels
Stijn
S
Hasselt University, Transportation Research Institute, Wetenschapspark 5 bus 6, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium. stijn.daniels@uhasselt.be
Brijs
Tom
T
Nuyts
Erik
E
Wets
Geert
G
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D001642:Bicycling / Q000293:injuries*; D004779:Environment Design; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors