Roundabouts or lights?
Sir, —The claim that traffic lights are preferable to roundabouts is not borne out by my experience of motoring in North America and New Zealand. Roundabouts in the United States are not so efficient because traffic entering them has right of way. Our own system is the most efficient way of disposing of traffic I have met. Also traffic lights can hold up traffic even if there is cross-traffic, but there is no delay at roundabouts in non-peak times. The best style of car for lights is the automatic drive, of which there are comparatively few here. Temperamentally New Zealanders are slow away at lights compared with the quick movers
of North America; roundabouts seem to appeal to some competitive instinct in us, which encourages alertness. Yet is the New Zealand accident rate for efficient, large roundabouts any worse than for important light-controlled intersections?—Yours, etc., V. F. WILKINSON. January 19, 1972.
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Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32819, 20 January 1972, Page 10
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154Roundabouts or lights? Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32819, 20 January 1972, Page 10
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