Journal of Civil and Architectural Engineering

Received: Nov 06, 2015, Accepted: Dec 10, 2015, Published: Dec 14, 2015
J Civ Archit Eng, Volume 1, Issue 1
http://crescopublications.org/jcae/JCAE-1-001.pdf
Article Number: JCAE-1-001

Research Article Open Access

Roundabouts: Geometric Design and Road Safety – Case Study in the City of
Kavala, Greece

Despoina Spanou1*, Fotini Kehagia2 and Magdalini Pitsiava-Latinopoulou3

1
MSc Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Postgraduate Specialization Program, Department of Civil
Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University Campus, 54642 Thessaloniki, Greece
2
Assistant Professor of Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University
Campus, 54642 Thessaloniki, Greece
3
Professor of Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki,University Campus,
54642 Thessaloniki, Greece

*Corresponding Author: Despoina Spanou, MSc Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Postgraduate
Specialization Program, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki,
University Campus, 54642 Thessaloniki, Greece, E-mail: despoina-spanou@hotmail.gr

Citation: Despoina Spanou, Fotini Kehagia and Magdalini Pitsiava-Latinopoulou (2015) Roundabouts: Geometric Design and
Road Safety – Case Study in the City of Kavala, Greece. J Civ Archit Eng 1: 001.
Copyright: © 2015 Despoina Spanou, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons
Attribution License, which permits unrestricted Access, usage, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the
original author and source are credited.

Abstract

Roundabouts are circular intersections with specific design and traffic control features, offering improved road safety,
operational efficiency and level of service, as well as aesthetic upgrade. Compared to other types of intersections,
roundabout installation is strongly promoted as an effective safety intersection treatment, mainly because, the potential
conflict points between vehicles, pedestrians and other prone users are limited and speeds into and through the
intersections are decreased. According to statistical studies relating to fatal accidents and injuries, roundabouts are
proved to be safer in low or moderate traffic capacity conditions. The main objective of this paper is twofold: i) to
present and analyze accident statistics in roundabouts from various countries relating them with the type of road users
and ii) to highlight their benefits on road safety by the provision of the findings from before and after studies, where
the conversion of traditional intersections into roundabouts led to significant reduction in the number of accidents.
Moreover, a case study is presented, where the conversion of at-grade, non-signalized intersection to a roundabout in
the city of Kavala of Greece is designed with particular reference to issues of landscaping changes and road safety.

Keywords: Roundabouts; Geometric design; Accidents; Road safety

© 2015 Despoina Spanou, et al. Volume 1 Issue 1 JCAE-1-001 Page 1 of 12

 1. Introduction
Roundabouts are designed in such a way so as to
effectively control the traffic flow at intersections without
the use of stop signs or traffic signals. They are widely used
throughout Europe and the United States and are
increasingly being used in many other countries around the
world in place of traditional intersection designs. In recent
years researchers have shown particular interest on the
benefits of roundabouts, which constitute basic elements in
both urban and rural traffic networks. Improvements in
capacity and road safety are included in these benefits and
make roundabouts an effective measure for improving the
overall traffic conditions. The main attributes contributing to
these benefits are the reduction of conflict points and the
prevailing lower speed levels in comparison to other types
of at-grade conventional intersections. However the
improved safety of roundabouts is related to their geometric
design, which determines their efficiency and operation
level.
This paper examines the main features and advantages that
roundabouts offer, as an alternative to other types of
conventional intersections. At the same time, the basic
geometric design features are described, with special
reference to their contribution to the level of road safety that
roundabouts offer to all their users. Towards this direction
the paper presents and analyses accident statistics in
roundabouts from various countries relating them with the
type of road users and highlights their benefits on road
safety providing the findings from before and after case
studies where the conversion of traditional intersections into
roundabouts led to significant reduction in the number of
accidents. The paper is completed with a case study in the
city of Kavala of Greece, where the conversion of at-grade,
non-signalized intersection to a roundabout is an ideal
solution for the area, with particular reference to issues of
landscaping changes and road safety. In specific the impacts
from the proposed conversion of the existing at-grade, non-
signalized intersection to a roundabout on the safety, the
level of service and on the environmental upgrade by the
adaptation to area’s landscape are presented.
2. Basic Elements of Roundabouts
2.1 Definition
Roundabouts are circular intersections with specific design
and traffic control features. Basic elements of these
intersections are the counter clockwise circulation around a
central island (for right-hand traffic countries, like Greece),
© 2015 Despoina Spanou, et al. Volume 1 Issue 1 JCAE-1-001
yield control of all entering traffic to all on coming
circulation already moving into the roundabout, channelized
approaches and appropriate geometric curvature, ensuring
the desired speed into the circulatory roadway [1].
2.2 Roundabout Categories
Depending on the size and number of approach lanes,
roundabouts are divided into three main categories:
 Mini-roundabouts
 Single-lane roundabouts
 Multilane roundabouts
Taking into account the external environment of the
roundabout, namely, depending on whether a roundabout is
constructed in urban, rural or suburban area, there is a
further differentiation in the following subcategories:
 Mini-roundabouts
 Urban compact roundabouts
 Urban single-lane roundabouts
 Urban double-lane roundabouts
 Rural single-lane roundabouts
 Rural double-lane roundabouts
Generally, urban roundabouts are characterized by smaller
inscribed circle diameter, due to spatial constraints.
Moreover, special attention should be given to the choice of
the geometric characteristics of the roundabouts according
to its location securing thus the safety of vulnerable road
users i.e. pedestrians and cyclists. More specifically in rural
areas approach speeds are higher and therefore great
importance should be given on adequate visibility and
section detail issues. Generally it could be said that, keeping
the external environment constant, roundabouts with the
same number of lanes tend to show similarities in specific
design elements [1-4].
3. Geometric Design of Roundabouts
Roundabouts require specific geometric design and show
some peculiarities in their operation. The general idea of
their design is based on the reduction of conflict points of
traffic and of prevailing speeds. Roundabouts’ main
characteristics are the curved entries and exits to ensure low
speeds, the giving way to the already moving within the
roundabout traffic, the deflection of traffic when entering
the roundabout, the traffic circulation around the central
island, the existence of splitter islands along the approaches
and the pedestrian traffic only through the appropriate
crossing locations.
The basic principles that should govern the geometric design
of each roundabout category are:
Page 2 of 12
 Adequate traffic deflection to ensure low entry speeds
and consistent speeds within the roundabout.
 Proper alignment of the approaches, in order to avoid
exiting-circulating conflicts.
 Appropriate number of lanes to achieve the desired
traffic capacity.
 Smooth channelization aimed at comfortable driving.
 Adequate accommodation for the design vehicle.
 Design to meet the needs of pedestrians and cyclists.
 Adequate visibility, for driver recognition of the
existence of the roundabout and the conflicting traffic.
The main design elements relating to roundabouts are
listed below and are shown in the following figure (Figure
1):
Figure 1. Key roundabout geometric dimensions [2]
 Inscribed circle diameter
 Circulatory roadway width
 Entry width
 Exit width
 Entry radius
Figure 2. Vehicle and vehicle-pedestrian conflict points in a crossing junction and roundabout respectively (4 approaches) [6]
© 2015 Despoina Spanou, et al. Volume 1 Issue 1 JCAE-1-001
 Exit radius
In countries where roundabouts are constructed and used
mainly for reasons of road safety and protection of
vulnerable users, there are no guidelines for design elements
that increase their traffic capacity and therefore roundabouts
aremuch smaller compared to those of other countries. The
opposite occurs in countries in whichthe priority is given to
increased traffic capacity, where roundabouts are having less
compact form [1, 2, 5, 6].
4. Road Safety at Roundabouts
4.1 General
The level of safety provided by a roundabout is mainly
related to its particular design characteristics. In specific,
their design converts all traffic movements into right turns
minimizing thus potential conflicts (Figure 2). A second key
advantage that is achieved by the operation of a roundabout
and ensured bythe appropriate geometry is speed
management, which provides multiple benefits for users,
regarding the safety factor such as:
 Reduction of the frequency and severity of collisions for
vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists as well as for other
vulnerable groups (elderly, children, people with
disabilities, etc.).
 Provision of more time for drivers approaching the
intersection and consequently better visibility in order to
adjust their speed and carefully enter the roundabout
(particularly at the intersections of urban with rural
roads, where speed limits are different).
 Insurance of safer penetration of incoming circulation
into the roundabout.
 Provision of more time to all users so that they could
identify and correct any traffic behavior faults, which is
very crucial especially for new users [1, 2, 6].
Page 3 of 12
4.2 Statistics Referring to the Impact of Roundabouts on
Road Safety
Numerous "before and after" studies are internationally
undertaken, in order to investigate the positive impacts on
road safety derived from the conversion of a conventional
intersection to a roundabout [3].
The results of a study by Robinson et al. [7] given in Table 1
reveal significant reductions in accidents after the
conversion of conventional intersections to roundabouts in
various countries. Specifically, the reduction for the United
States rose to 51%, for the United Kingdom ranged between
25-39%, for France between 57-78% and for Australia
between 45-87%. In addition the same study for single-lane
roundabouts resulted in a reduction of 73% in the number of
accidents involving injuries,while in multi-lane roundabouts,
Table 1. Mean crash reductions in various countries after conversion of roundabouts.
Country
All crashes
United States
United Kingdom
Germany
France
Australia 41-61
* Source: Robinson et al., [7].
However, the statistics that have emerged from these studies
do not show the same level of road safety improvements for
the various countries. This is likely due to the existing
differences from country to country:
 Ιn traffic volumes.
 Ιn the design of the various geometric and operational
elements (operation of only single-lane roundabouts in
some countries).
 In the definition of accidents occurred at intersections as
each country defines different distance, over which an
accident is not considered to be associated with the
specific intersection.
 In the definition of accidents involving injuries and more
specifically in the definition of death due to accident as
this varies among countries depending on the period in
which death occurs (just on the spot or some days after
staying in hospital).
 In cultural differences which influences driving
behavior.
In any case, the comparison of statistics should be made for
roundabouts with similar geometric and operating
characteristics, taking into account as well any existing
differences. In this way, wrong assessments are avoided and
correct and reliable conclusions can be made, in order to
© 2015 Despoina Spanou, et al. Volume 1 Issue 1 JCAE-1-001
the accidents involving injuries have been decreased by
31%. Also Ogden [8] demonstrated that the construction of
roundabouts can reduce accidents by 60-80% in high-speed
intersections and by 50-80% in low-speed intersections.
Later, Elvik [9] found slightly smaller road safety
improvement rates, in cases of roundabouts which replaced
signalized intersections instead of intersections regulated
only with STOP and give way signs (i.e. reductions of 59%
and 46% instead of 64% and 53% for fatal and serious
accidents respectively) [10, 11].
Finally, a 2004 study in the UK showed that out of a total of
207,400 road accidents involving injuries, the 18,000 (8.7%)
occurred at roundabouts with the rate of fatal accidents at
roundabouts being 0.35%, while at other crossings 0.88%
[12].
Mean reduction (%)
Injury crashes
37 51
- 25-39
36 -
- 57-78
45-87
proceed with the appropriate measures that should be taken
towards the improvement of road safety at roundabouts [13].
Regarding the impact of roundabouts on vulnerable users’
safety, the survey results are not so clear. Schoon & van
Minnen [14] reported that the reduction in the number of
accidents involving cyclists at roundabouts reaches 30%,
well below 47%, which represent the overall road safety
improvement rate that roundabouts induced. On the other
hand, the same survey indicated that roundabouts reduce the
number of accidents involving at least one pedestrian by
89%. Hydén & Várhelyi [15] also demonstrated reductions
of 60% and 80% in the number of accidents involving
cyclists and pedestrians respectively. Brüde & Larsson [16]
found that the rate of reduction for vulnerable users is highly
related with the roundabout category. More specifically for
accidents involving cyclists they found reductions of the
order 21% at single-lane roundabouts and 112% for multi-
lane roundabouts, while the respective reductions for
accidents involving pedestrians were 79% and 12% for the
two roundabout categories. Stone et al. [17] showed an even
lower reduction percentage in accidents involving
pedestrians, of around 7%.
In addition a survey conducted in Great Britain found that
accident rates involving pedestrians are much higher at
signalized intersections than roundabouts (Table 2) [2].
Page 4 of 12
 Table 2. British crash rates for pedestrians at roundabouts and signalized intersections.

Intersection type Pedestrian crashes

per million trips
Mini-roundabout 0.31
Conventional roundabout 0.45
Flaredroundabout 0.33
Signals 0.67
* Source: Federal Highway Administration, 2000 [2].

However a French survey in 15 cities concerning the
comparison of accident distribution per user category,
between roundabouts and the rest conventional intersections
showed that accidents involving bicycles and mopeds
constitute almost the one quarter of the total accident
percentage occurring at the roundabouts, while the
respective value for the rest of intersections is around 15%
(Table 3). The above result shows that nevertheless the
overall reduction of accidents involving vulnerable road
users at roundabouts they continue to remain significantly
high, a fact that should be treated properly [2].

Table 3. Crash percentage per type of user at roundabouts and conventional intersections in 15 towns in western France.

User category Other crossings (%) Roundabouts (%)

Pedestrians 6.3 5.6
Bicycles 3.7 7.3
Mopeds 11.7 16.9
Motor cycles 7.4 4.8
Cars 65.7 61.2
Utility vehicles 2.0 0.6
Heavy goods vehicles 2.0 3.0
Bus/coach 0.8 0.6
Miscellaneous 0.4 0.0
Total 100.0 100.0
* Source: Federal Highway Administration, 2000 [2].

4.3 Distribution of Accidents by Accident Type in
Relation to Geometric Design Elements
The main accident types that occur in a roundabout are:
 Single-vehicle accidents, mainly due to crashes towards
fixed objects and elements of the roundabout.
 Other accidents between vehicles, including collisions
between vehicles already moving into the roundabout,
collisions between vehicles which are already moving
into the roundabout and those exiting the roundabout,
Table 4. Percentage of accidents by accident type at roundabouts in various countries.
collisions between vehicles leaving and vehicles entering
the roundabout, collisions at the entrance and exit etc.
 Accidents involving pedestrians and other vulnerable
users, when one of them is hit by a passing vehicle.
 Accidents between the incoming and already moving
into the roundabout traffic.
 Accidents during approach (e.g. due to lane changing
and path overlapping when approaching the roundabout).
Table 4 gives the accident distribution by accident type, for
various countries [13].

Country Single-vehicle Approaching Entering-circulating Other vehicle Pedestrian

accidents (%) accidents (%) accidents (%) accidents (%) Accidents (%)
United Kingdom 30 25 20 18 6
Germany 28 17 30 - -
France 28 7 37 15 10
Australia 18 22 51 9 9
*Source: Kennedy J [13].
**Values for Germany and Australia refer to accidents that caused only property damage.

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The accident distribution by accident type depends on the
roundabout category i.e. Small roundabouts with small
diameter of the central island have many more accidents
between incoming and already moving into the roundabout
traffic, while double-lane roundabouts have more single-
vehicle accidents and accidents during the approach to the
roundabout. The most important geometric elements
affecting accidents and are related directly or indirectly to
their incidence are:
 The curve of the entry path: By increasing this curve and
thereby the deflection of the vehicle path when entering
(reduction of the entrance path radius), accidents
between incoming and already moving into the
roundabout traffic are being reduced, while accidents at
the entry and single-vehicle accidents are increasing.
 The entry width: The larger the entrywidth, the greater
effect it has on the increase of accidents between
incoming and already moving into the roundabout
traffic, while reducing the accidents at the entry.
 The ratio of the inscribed circle diameter to the diameter
of the central island. Great value of this ratio leads to
greater chances of accidents due to large traffic width
within the circulatory roadway.
 The angle between the center lines of two successive
approaches. A wide angle reduces the necessary vehicle
path deflection and thereby increases the risk of an
accident, both at the entrance and at the exit.
 The approach width relative to the entry width, as this
indicates the level of widening and therefore the
possibility of an accident due to collisions with adjacent
vehicles.
 The visibility to the left: Increased visibility at the
entrance and to the left leads to increased entry speed
Table 5. Accident frequency and severity at roundabouts in different countries.
and eventually causes more single-vehicle accidents, but
also accidents between incoming and already moving
into the roundabout traffic [13].
4.4 Accident Frequency and Severity
Kennedy [13] tried to summarize, from a number of surveys
that took place in various countries, the average accident
frequency values at roundabouts - expressed in accidents per
year. The results of this study are given in Table 5 and they
are based on the sample of roundabouts selected for the
surveys referring to four-arm roundabouts with single-lane
circulatory roadway. Specifically it was found that in the
United States the frequency was 1.5 accidents per year for a
small number of roundabouts (11) and with reference to the
year 1998. In the UK, a 2007survey gave a frequency of
1.77 accidents per year, while accident severity, expressed
as the percentage of fatal and serious accidents of total
accidents, was 7%. In France it was found a frequency of
0.05 accidents per year, based on data of a 2005 survey for
about 27,000 roundabouts, while in Australia a frequency of
0.6 accidents per year for a sample of 290 roundabouts,
according to a research undertaken in 1998.
According to surveys and as expected, the frequency of
accidents at roundabouts increases with the number of
approaches and the number of lanes, due to the increased
traffic flow and hence the increase of conflict points for both
cases. Table 6 presents the results of a survey conducted in
2004 in Great Britain, on the frequency and severity of
accidents, for a sample of 1162 roundabouts and for a five-
year period, depending on the number of approaches and
lanes [12].

Country No. of roundabouts Accident frequency Accident severity

in study (accidents per year) (% fatal and
serious)
UnitedStates 11 1.5 -
UnitedKingdom 1162 1.77 7
France 27000 0.05 -
Australia 290 0.6 -
* Source: Kennedy J [13].
Table 6. Average accident frequency and severity at UK roundabouts by number of arms, for the period 1999 to 2003.

No. of No. of Accident frequency

arms sites (accidents/year)
Single Double Grade separated Accident severity
cway roads cway roads junctions (% fatal and serious)
3 326 0.63 1.28 0.79 9.3
4 649 1.08 2.65 1.79 7.1
5 157 1.72 3.80 3.66 7.1
6 30 2.11 4.62 5.95 5.2
All 1162 1.00 2.60 1.87 7.2
* Source: The Highways Agency, Transport Scotland, Welsh Assembly Government, the Department for Regional Development
Northern Ireland, 2007 [12].

© 2015 Despoina Spanou, et al. Volume 1 Issue 1 JCAE-1-001 Page 6 of 12

Here it should be pointed out that accident rate-defined as
accidents per 100 million vehicles traveling through the
roundabout is a more representative indicator for
comparisons between sites but its estimation depends on the
availability of traffic flow data, which is not feasible in most
cases. Thus, the table below (Table 7) provides values of the
accident rate for the countries studied so far, where data
acquisition was feasible. The values given refer to single-
lane roundabouts, except for the United Kingdom, where
they refer to larger roundabouts. In the United States, the
accident rate is 8% for a sample of just 11 roundabouts,
based on data for the year 2003 and in the United Kingdom
it appears to be quite high, reaching 36%, based on a 2007
survey referring to a sample of 44 roundabouts with traffic
flows ranging between 10,000 and 50,000 vehicles per day,
with an average value of 28,000 vehicles. In Germany the
accident rate ranges between 53 and 162 according to data
from a research undertaken in 2005, a value too high which
is due to the inclusion of only property damage accidents.
The average accident rate in 179 urban roundabouts in
France according to data of a 1991 research is only 4.5%,
while in Australia it ranges between 4 and 8 accidents per
100 million vehicles, also including only property damage
accidents, based on a 1993 survey [13].

Table 7. Accident rates at roundabouts in different countries.

Country No. of Accidentrate Mean total vehicle

roundabouts (accidents per 100 inflow
million vehicles) (vehicles per day)
United States 11 8 -
United Kingdom 44 36 28000
Germany - 53-162 5000-25000
France 179 4.5 -
Australia - 4-8 -
* Source: Kennedy J [13].

5 Designing Urban Roundabout - Application 5.2 Study area and its Road Environment
to the City of Kavala The study area is situated in the eastern district of Kavala
and in front of its Arches, a historic monument of the city
and famous landmark of the area that separates the old from
5.1 Introduction
the modern city (Figure 4).
A case study of the design of the conversion of an existing
non-signalized intersection to an urban roundabout in the
city of Kavala of Greece is presented [3]. The city of
Kavala is located in northern Greece, 168 km far from
Thessaloniki and has a population of about 10,000
inhabitants. Motorized traffic in the city center is relatively
high as the private car dominates the citizens’ travel choice
(Figure 3).

Figure 4. Study area (Google Earth)

The specific 5-legged intersection is located in a

characteristic point of the city as it is combining traffic that
exits and enters the city, leading to the center and the traffic
that goes to or exits the port of the city. The land use of the
Figure 3. The city of Kavala (Google Earth)
surrounding area has a commercial and residential character
(Figure 5).

© 2015 Despoina Spanou, et al. Volume 1 Issue 1 JCAE-1-001 Page 7 of 12

 is considered to be particularly important at this point, as it
is located in an urban environment with residences and
intense commercial activity nearby. Pedestrian mobility is
facilitated by the existence of crossings at all the study road
legs. Finally, parking is permitted along all the five legs of
intersection on both sides of the roadway. The level of road
safety offered by the operation of the existing intersection is
particularly low. The possibilities of through and turning
movements provided by the specific configuration pose high
risks, as they increase conflict points between motorized
traffic and vulnerable users.

5.3 Basic Design Criteria for the Intersection’s

Conversion to a Roundabout
Figure 5. Site of existing intersection
(http://gis.ktimanet.gr/wms/ktbasemap) The examination of the current situation with the traffic
characteristics described above combined with the
The five legs of the intersection have different operating and
surrounding area’s specific needs led to the necessity to
traffic characteristics, namely, one or two-way direction,
replace the existing intersection type to a roundabout in
width of lane, parking availability. Management of traffic
order to increase its operation and safety.
mobility is conducted in the absence of signaling and in
Towards this objective some basic criteria should be
accordance with the yield control rules. In order to facilitate
fulfilled concerning efficient mobility and safety issues
better guidance of passing vehicles, three triangular splitter
while addressing pedestrian and environmental aspects at
islands have been constructed. The intersection is mainly
the same time. In order the above criteria to be examined a
used by passenger cars, with frequent transit of buses and
typical sub-step procedure was followed, shown in the
HGVs (Heavy Good Vehicles). The presence of pedestrians
diagram below (Figure 6).

Figure 6. Decision making steps for the construction of a roundabout in urban area [6].

© 2015 Despoina Spanou, et al. Volume 1 Issue 1 JCAE-1-001 Page 8 of 12

A systematic and comprehensive approach has been signalized), for all the reasons mentioned above. It is worth
implemented in order to achieve a development process, mentioning that signaling the area would cause undesirable
which could provide an outcome where mobility delays, particularly on its main roads, with completely
requirements will be in harmony with community needs and immobilized vehicles at peak hours, complicating the
values. Specifically, the basic criteria of the development already problematic situation. Finally, a signalized
process plan were: intersection would not ensure the desired safety, since high
speeds due to geometry and also the violation of traffic
 The improvement of traffic conditions and level of lights, are phenomena encountered in similar categories.
service at the intersection, since the prevailing great
congestion on the main sections of the intersection 5.4 Traffic Data Collection
during peak hours lead to undesirable delays.
 The secure of vehicles’ continuous flow as well as The assessment of the existing traffic demand is based on
better management of all legs’ traffic flows eliminating accurate measurements on site. Towards this objective the
thus the overall waiting time. traffic on each leg has been counted and recorded separately
 The improved level of safety as the number of conflict for each movement. Moreover the traffic on legs with more
points will be reduced through its geometry while it will than one lane have been counted and classified by direction
impose low speed maintenance both at the entry and of traffic flow.
into it. The recording was made using a private camera, which was
 The aesthetic landscape improvement of the area due to placed at a point of appropriate height to cover the
green space configurations combined with the existence movements of vehicles of all directions.
of the historical monument of the Arches. This will lead
The Figure 7 below shows all the turning movements at the
to a general redevelopment of the area, highlighting the
existing intersection. Moreover, the potential conflict points
natural and historical richness of the city, attracting new
(33) are noted including all the conflicts between the various
economic activities and contributing to the overall
traffic flows (diverging, crossing and merging ones).
development of the city.
 The space availability for the construction of the
roundabout: This is fulfilled as the surface occupied by
the intersection is already large enough to cover the
required size of the roundabout (circulatory roadway
diameter, approach width etc.). Ensuring the desired
operating level and taking into account the heavy
traffic.
 Additional expropriations of property will not be
needed as the only interference of the proposed design
will be with existing sidewalks. It should be emphasized
that the increased roundabout space requirements
compared with other alternatives will be offset by the
creation of more green spaces and parking spaces,
larger pavements etc.

According to what is discussed above, it was considered that Figure 7. Movement and turning possibilities of traffic in
the construction of an at-grade roundabout is desirable and
the existing intersection and potential conflict points [3].
feasible, in order to address the various operational and
safety problems encountered in the study area. Having
knowledge of all the benefits offered by a roundabout (more
In addition the composition of peak traffic by movement
environmentally friendly, lower maintenance cost, more
was recorded. This was achieved by a visual assessment of
configurations for pedestrians etc.), its construction is
the vehicle size and configuration of axes. The data
expected to bring numerous benefits for the area and its
collection results are presented below, in Table 8.
users, even compared with other intersection categories (e.g.

© 2015 Despoina Spanou, et al. Volume 1 Issue 1 JCAE-1-001 Page 9 of 12

 Table 8. Hourly traffic volumes in peak season per vehicle category by movementin the intersection.

Movement Vehicle categories

possibilities Motorbikes Passenger Light Heavy goods Buses
cars trucks vehicles
1 64 198 16 1 3
2 16 16 1 - 1
3 61 93 9 1 12
4 23 84 1 - -
5 19 14 1 - -
6 94 411 30 5 6
7 2 11 2 - -
8 144 258 11 - 5
9 38 123 9 5 3
10 8 5 - - -
11 7 6 - - -
12 5 5 - - -
* Source: Spanou J [3].

It is important to note that the significant volumeof buses

and light-heavy trucks in this non-signalized intersection
delivers conditions of low level of service and safety. It is worth nothing that the entries and exits of all the
approaches were designed in such a way that the right
5.5 Roundabout Geometric Design border line of each traffic lane is tangential to the inscribed
circle of the roundabout and the left to the perimeter of the
Designing the geometry of a roundabout involves the trade- apron respectively. In addition to horizontal design,
offs between safety and capacity. Roundabouts operate more elements of vertical design, including profiles, super
safely when their geometry features force traffic to enter and elevation, approach grades and drainage are examined and
circulate at slow speeds. designed. The design of the new proposed roundabout is
The overall geometric design of the proposed roundabout presented in Figure 8, with all potential movements. The
was based on the Greek design guidelines. The process of number of new conflict points is reduced to 8 and includes
designing roundabout determining the basic form and only conflicts between diverging and merging traffic flows.
features depends on the geometric layout, speed
environment, desired capacity and safety evaluation. The
choice of the form of the present roundabout as an urban
compact was made mainly due to space limitations in the
intersection as well as to the very favorable environment
offered for sensitive users. The design speed was set to 30
km/hour. For roundabout optimal location, center lines of all
approach legs will pass through the center of the inscribed
circle. This location allows the vehicle to maintain slow
speeds through both the entries and the exits. In Table 9, the
basic geometric elements of the proposed roundabout are
presented.

Table 9. Geometric elements

Geometric elements meter

Inscribed circle diameter 28
Central island diameter 17
Circulatory roadway width 5.5 Figure 8. New movement and turning possibilities of traffic
Entry curves 10 in the proposed roundabout and potential conflict points [3]
Exit curves 14
* Source: Spanou J [3].

© 2015 Despoina Spanou, et al. Volume 1 Issue 1 JCAE-1-001 Page 10 of 12

 of service reflects the contribution of roundabouts to the
increase of traffic capacity and to the general functional
benefits.

Technically, the geometry of roundabouts aims to reduce

Figure 9. The final design of the roundabout depicting the
aesthetic configurations and pedestrian crosswalks [3]
A main concern in the use of roundabout is providing
adequate safety for the pedestrian. Pedestrian crosswalks
with a width of 3m were placed on the design of the
horizontal layout, at appropriate distances from the
perimeter of the inscribed circle, to ensure a smooth and
convenient service for sensitive users.
6. Discussion and Conclusions
Roundabouts are often a standard solution when it comes to
the conversion or the original design of an intersection, in
both urban and rural environment. The attitude of the public
is favorable towards them, as both drivers and pedestrians
benefit from the minimization of delays, even at peak hours,
as opposed to signalized intersections. This improved level
speeds, contributing thereby to a higher safety level, which
is considered to be the most important advantage
roundabouts offer. Examples include the reduction of the
number of accidents and in many cases the limitation of
their seriousness only to property damage. Crash reductions
resulting from conversion of conventional intersections to
modern roundabouts can be attributed primarily to two
factors: reduced traffic speeds and elimination of specific
types of motor vehicle conflicts that frequently occur at
angular intersections. These conflicts include left turns
against opposing/oncoming traffic, front-to-rear conflicts
(often involving the lead vehicle stopping or preparing to
stop for a traffic signal or stop sign), and right-angle
conflicts at traffic signals and stop signs.
The design study of the urban roundabout in the city of
Kavala described above proved that the conversion of the at-
grade intersection to a roundabout is an ideal solution for the
area, as it will bring significant benefits in the sectors of
operation, safety and aesthetics. Especially for the impact
that the construction of the roundabout will have on safety it
is pointed out that this will substantially improve road safety
by, eliminating the conflict points - especially the crossing
ones - and ensuring a safer environment for both drivers and
pedestrians.

References

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10. Brabander B, Nuyts Ε, Vereeck L (2005) Road safety effects of roundabouts in Flanders. Journal of Safety Research 36: 289 –
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