Tournabouts Are Great!

Last updated on: July 31, 2015 at 5:57 pm by Kermit Zarley

Tournabouts Are Great! 2015-07-31T17:57:26-07:00 Kermit Zarley

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I love tournabouts. I live in Phoenix metro, Arizona, and we have a new tournabout near where I live. I first drove on tournabouts in New England while playing the Senior/Champions Tour in the 1990s. I liked them right from the start. Tournabouts replace traffic intersections. They are a circle that usually has four accesses from two roads that would crisscross.

According to today’s New York Times, tournabouts first came to the U.S. in the early 1990s. Now, there are about 5,000 of them, and they are spreading quickly.

Modern tournabouts started in France and Great Britain. But I think they may sort have existed in ancient times when roads from different directions converged in some town squares.

When tournabouts are first introduced, it seems that at first the majority of drivers oppose them. That has happened where I live. And that’s why some politicians vote against proposals for them and sometimes are successful in doing so. But I think that’s mostly because drivers are not used to them and that most of them change their viewpoint after driving on them for a while. I think once drivers get used to them, most will love them. And heh, if you don’t know where you’re going, you can just keep driving around in the circle for a while until you make up your mind!

Traffic engineers, policemen, and lots of city councilfolks like roundabouts. Their initial construction costs are a little higher than those for intersections with traffic lights or stop signs. But tournabouts have virtually no maintenance costs whereas traffic signal intersections do, and they have some ongoing expenses such as electricity, lights, etc.

Another obvious benefit of tournabouts is that they save time driving and save fuel. That, alone, should convince drivers. When you drive up to a tournabout, you just slow down to about ten miles per hour and enter it. You rarely have to stop your car. And if you do, it’s only for five or ten seconds. How’s that compared to waiting two minutes or more at a traffic light. With tournabouts, you usually keep moving without stopping.

Experts say another benefit from tournabouts is that they reduce road rage. We sure need that here in Arizona. Donald Trump was here a few days ago, giving a speech on immigration and at the same time trashing Hilary Clinton as well as his Republican opponents running against him for the Republican nomination for president. Our U.S. Senator John McCain said afterwards that Trump was “stirring up the crazies in Arizona.” Believe me, we’ve got a few.

But the best part about tournabouts is that they greatly reduce major traffic infuries and fatalities compared to intersections with stop signs or traffic signals. Tournabouts have no head-on collisions. About the only traffic accident that occurs at a tournabout is a sideswipe at ten miles per hour or a little more. That doesn’t hardly even shake anybody up. Tournabouts reduce major traffic injuries and fatalities bout 80% compared to those at intersections with traffic signals or stop signs. That’s a huge difference. Drivers should say “yes” to community decisions about roundabouts just because of that statistic.

A traffice engineer and designer of roundabouts in Santa Barbara, CA, says, “Just because people have drivers’ licenses does not make them traffic engineers.” Well said.

I think tournabouts are the future. Skeptical drivers, get used to it. Tournabouts are a no-brainer.

Current Events

Tournabouts

Traffic fatalities

Previous Post

July 26, 2015

Which Foot Was It, Donald?

Next Post

August 1, 2015 Trinity or Unity: Caught Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Angels Billy Graham Blog Description Book Reviews Christian Living Christianity Christology Church History Current Events Deity of Christ? Disarmament Eschatology Evangelicalism Ezekiel 38-39 Film Reviews God Golf Gospel Harmonization Health History Holy Spirit Incarnation? Interview Islam Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Jesus Last Empire Literary Announcements Major Championship Winners Masters Monotheism My Books New Testament Old Testament Politics Primitive Weapons Ryder Cup Science Society of Biblical Literature The Bible The Restitution of Jesus Christ Trinitarianism Trinity? Uncategorized Unconditional Love? War on Terrorism

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

True or False: Jonathan was David's best friend and King Saul's son.

Select your answer to see how you score.

TRUE FALSE

Books by This Author Books by Kermit Zarley Blog

See All Titles »