Roundabouts: Not a safer alternative?

HAMBURG, N.Y. (WIVB) - Are roundabouts creating more harm than good? News 4 selected to locations, one on Grand Island and the other in Hamburg, and then we pulled the accident data to see the numbers before and after the roundabouts were installed.

A year long News 4 investigation has discovered that some of these circular intersections have actually experienced more accidents after they were installed.

We began looking at the roundabout at Big Tree and South Park in the Town of Hamburg after Kenneth Braun's fatal accident about a year ago.  After he hit boulders in the middle of the circle, Braun's truck started on fire and he was burned to death.

According to the State Department of Transportation, 11 accidents happened at the Hamburg intersection during the year before the roundabout was installed. The number of accidents jumped to 19 in the year after the roundabout became operational.

Is this a case of some people just not familiar with the rules of the roundabout? Our cameras documented a man riding through the middle of the circle instead of using the lanes. We caught a motorist driving across the center of the roundabout instead of using the lane. And another motorist signaling to go left, but actually going right. And several drivers were navigating the roundabout while talking on a cellphone.

WEB EXTRA | What is the proper way to navigate a roundabout? Whether you think you know the proper procedure or not, watch these videos to ensure your safety and the safety of other drivers

Joe Raczynski of the Erie County Sheriff's Office watches the roundabout on Grand Island. He says the key is to yield the right-of-way to vehicles already in the circle and pedestrians in the crosswalk.

"It is somewhat confusing to people who aren't used to them. We have entered the crosswalk and this is considered part of the crosswalk. They should stop. This lady here should have stopped," Raczynski said.

But News 4 quickly found out not everyone is following the rules of the road. Raczynski pulled the woman who should have stopped over.

WEB EXTRA | Find out exactly what you need to know to navigate a roundabout here

Raczynski said, "We were standing here waiting to cross the street. Were you going to stop and yield the right-of-way to us?"

"I would hope so, yes," the woman responded.

"Were you going to, though?" Raczynski asked.

She responded, "Yes."

Raczynski told her, "You know the rate of speed in which you started to come around the corner would indicate to me that you weren't going to though?"

And it's not only problems with pedestrians on Grand Island. Our cameras documented motorists turning right and then cutting back into the circle. We saw a truck make a U-turn to get back into the circle. And a driver was honking the horn at pedestrians, who promptly gave him the middle finger.

And on top of it all are the signs - lots of them - giving drivers a lot to look at without much time to make decisions.

Raczynki said, "Studies have shown that the more signs that you put up, the less people pay attention to them."

Susan Surdej of the NYS DOT said, "There's the onus on the driver, too, to be aware of their surroundings and pay attention to those signs, and pay attention to the driving that they're doing. I don't believe that there's too much signing, and there's also signing that's required with roundabouts."

So how does the Grand Island roundabout stack up when it comes to accidents? According to the State DOT, there were three accidents during the year before the roundabout was installed, and six in the year after it became operational.

"Even though there may be an increase in the number of accidents, the trend is that the accidents are less severe because of the way a modern roundabout operates versus a traditional intersection," Surdej argued.

There are all sorts of factors involved with accidents, such as was the driver paying attention? Impaired? Confused? But one thing is certain: not everyone is doing what they're supposed to be doing.

And State DOT representatives say accidents did not increase at all locations where roundabouts were installed, and some places actually saw a decrease.