Delco Roundabouts Help Show Reduction In Crashes, Fatalities

DELAWARE COUNTY, PA — Data from numerous roundabouts, including two in Delaware County, in Pennsylvania show they reduced crashes, fatalities, and injuries, PennDOT said.

According to PennDOT, fatalities, injuries, and crashes decreased overall at 26 roundabouts at 23 locations in the time since they were built, according to department data.

The two Delaware County roundabouts are located at North Newtown Street and St. Davids Road in Newtown Township and Chester Road, Rutgers Avenue, and Fieldhouse Lane in Swarthmore.

The Newtown roundabout opened in 2008 and the Swarthmore roundabout opened in 2014.

"The modern roundabout is simply safer than the traditional intersection," PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian said. "Though not the right option for every intersection, data shows that when installed, roundabouts save lives and reduce crash severity."

PennDOT recently reviewed data for 26 roundabouts on state routes at intersections that were previously stop or signal controlled.

These roundabouts were selected based on having at least three years of crash data available before and after the roundabouts were built.

Department data based on police-submitted crash reports spanning the years 2000 through 2020 shows that fatalities at these locations were reduced by 100 percent and the total number of crashes decreased by 22 percent.

Additionally:

• Suspected serious injuries were reduced by 81 percent;
• Suspected minor injuries were reduced by 36 percent;
• Possible/unknown severity injuries were reduced by 76 percent; and
• Property damage-only crashes increased by 13 percent.

In addition to the 26 roundabouts meeting the selection criteria, 36 other roundabouts have been built on state routes with 19 more in construction and 20 in final design.