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The Dangers of Roundabouts

Posted by Farhan Naqvi | Nevada Personal Injury Information

By Farhan Naqvi, Personal Injury Lawyer in Las Vegas

If you’ve ever been to a major European city, you’ve probably seen a traffic roundabout. Instead of traditional crossroad intersections where some traffic must stop before proceeding, roundabouts aim to create a continuous traffic flow by “absorbing” motorists into a circular roadway from which they can exit when they reach their intended outlet.

There are roundabouts in many parts of the U.S. as well, including Las Vegas. But because many Nevadans aren’t used to seeing them, the drivers may get confused when approaching one – and that creates the potential for a traffic accident.

That’s what happened early Thursday morning in Summerlin when a motor bike operator was involved in a single vehicle fatal crash. Metro Police say that the 20-year old man was operating a 2006 Suzuki motorcycle on Flamingo Road near Granite Ridge Drive when he lost control at a roundabout at around 3:25am. The unidentified driver was pronounced dead at the scene. There’s no word on what caused the accident or whether alcohol was involved.

We can only speculate about how this motorcycle accident occurred. Maybe the man didn’t notice the roundabout in the darkness until it was too late. Perhaps there was another vehicle that the motorcyclist swerved to miss which then left the scene of the accident. However it happened, this incident highlights the dangers of roundabouts if you do not navigate them correctly.

Here are some roundabout tips:

  • Decrease your speed before you enter the roundabout.
  • Watch for traffic coming from the left. If you cannot enter the roundabout safely, stop and wait until there is an opening in the traffic flow.
  • If the roundabout is more than one lane, get into the outside lane before you get to your exit street. But be wary of merging traffic if you drive past an entry point while in the outside lane.
  • Try to anticipate other drivers switching lanes in front of you as they try to enter or exit the roundabout.
  • Don’t feel bad about making an extra lap around the roundabout if it means avoiding an accident. 

If you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident in a roundabout, you may consider consulting a personal injury lawyer to see about getting compensated for your medical bills.

About the Editor: Farhan R. Naqvi is a Las Vegas personal injury lawyer who has experience representing victims injured in car accidents, drunk driver crashes, truck wrecks, slip and falls, taxi cab accidents, and bicycle crashes. He also has experience handling spine injury, product liability, underinsured/uninsured driver, and wrongful death cases. If you’ve been seriously hurt in an accident in Summerlin, North Las Vegas, Clark County, Henderson, Boulder City, Green Valley, or Pahrump, give Farhan a call at 702-553-1000 for a free, no-hassle consultation.