(WWJ) Love them or love to hate them, roundabouts are popping up more and more all around metro Detroit.
But do they truly improve traffic safety?
In compiling its annual list of the "Most Dangerous Intersections in Michigan," Michigan Auto Law — which uses data from State Police — found four of the top five intersections with the most crashes in 2019 were roundabouts.
Read more from Michigan Auto Law on the topic, and see more data, HERE.
Something to keep in mind, however: The Road Commissions for Oakland County says these lists should be taken with a grain of salt.
Spokesman Craig Bryson tells WWJ Newsradio 950 the problem is that looking at just the raw data on the total numbers of crashes provides an "incomplete and misleading picture of the situation."
When you look just at totals, he said, the high-volume intersections will always appear more dangerous. However, if you look at crash severity, he said, you will find that high volume intersections always have more total crashes, simply because they have more traffic, but that most of those crashes are minor “fender benders” without human injury.
In fact, roundabouts were credited with reducing fatal crashes in Oakland County in 2018.