Diapos Commentaire de base  I shall speak to you of roundabouts in France, N N ROUNDABOUTS IN FRANCE about safety and some new uses of these intersections a Safety and New Uses a t t i  i o o n n a a Bernard GUICHET

24/05/2005 l l

R R o Every year, more than 1000 new roundabouts in FRANCE In nineteen ninety-four, I counted a little more that twelve thousand roundabouts in France. o u Evolution 1993 - 2004 u n 30000 And fifteen hundred has been built during the year. n France 25000 d d n

i

s 20000 France goes on doing more than one thousand of new roundabouts every year. a a about 15000 b b round 10000 Today, we can be sure that the number is superior to twenty-five thousands … perhaps half of er of

o o b 5000 m u N

0 u all the world. u 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 t t

 C C

o o n That are some examples of varied roundabouts n f f e Rural modern roundabout e r r e

e n n c c e e

2 2 0 0 0 0

High traffic national road 5 5

D D R R A A F F T T

Diapos Commentaire de base Suburban roundabout N N a a t t i i o o n n a a l l

R R o In tourist seaside town o u u n n d d a a b b o o u u t t

C C

o Other urban example o n n f f e e r r e e n n c c e e

2 2 0 Central island is sometime the work of architects 0 0 0 5 5

D D R R A A F F T T Diapos Commentaire de base Mini roundabout N N a a t t i i o o n n a a l l

R R o Double mini roundabout o u u n n d d a a b b o o u u t t

C C

o Triple roundabout o n n f f e e r r e e n n c c e e

2 2 0 Special roundabout for exceptional transport of sailing boat 0 0 0 5 5

D D R R A A F F T T Diapos Commentaire de base Double roundabout in countryside interchange N N a a t t i i o o n n a a l l

R R o Double roundabout in suburban interchange o u u n n d d a a b b o o u u t t

C C

o This is actually no finish o n n f f e e r r e e n n c c e e

2 2 0 More roundabouts, but less accidents by roundabout Number of roundabouts is increasing. Normally, number of accidents on roundabout should 0 0 Evolution 1993 - 2002 Roundabouts 0 Accidents 30000 2000 5 grow too. 5 1750

25000 s t

n s e 1500 d D D

bout 20000 1250 acci If we count injury accidents since nineteen ninety-three, we can see that they have been about ry u j

15000 1000 n

rounda  i f R of R o r r e 750 e b

10000 b m

m the same ones for teen years.

500 u nu n

5000 A 250 A 0 0

F 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 F T  How can we explain that ? T Diapos Commentaire de base From 1993 to 2003, in France, In eleven years, total of injury accidents in France decreased by thirty-six percent - total number of traffic accidents fell by 36% N - number of traffic accidents per roundabout fell by 58% During the same time, the number of injury accident on roundabouts decreased by fifty-eight N a a t

percent. t i i o o n n a a l l

R  R o FATAL ACCIDENTS About forty fatal accidents every year o u Number of dead persons in roundabout u

100 n n 2,7 dead persons d 80 d per cent accidents a 60 a b 40  Recently, we have known a spectacular global fall of fatal accident. I don't know the effects on b o 20 o u

roundabouts u 0 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 t t

C C

PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENTS  o The number of pedestrians in roundabout accident is very limited : about seven to eight o 200 n Year 2003 n 112 pedestrians percent f

150 f for 1406 accidents e e

100 r r

e e

50 Year 2003

And the fatal accidents of pedestrian are exceptional n 2 killed pedestrians  n for 1406 accidents c

0 c 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 e e

 2 2 0 Roundabouts and elderly drivers A specific statistic about elderly drivers : the part of drivers 66 years old and more is thirty 0

Part of elderly drivers in accidents 0 0 5 percent lower than in other intersections. 5 age Roundabouts Other intersections

66-75 years 5,46% 7,74% D D > 75 years 4,14% 5,71%  R For a total of drivers 1209 14337 R A A F

Ref. 1999-2003 – Bretagne + Pays de la Loire F T T Diapos Commentaire de base New guidelines has been published  in 1998 and 1999 To help to make better installations, we published two guides N - one for interurban junction, N a a t

- the over for urban junction t i  i o That explain perhaps safety results of roundabouts o n n in english a a l l http://catalogue.setra.equipement.gouv.fr/2_prod/telechargement.shtml

 R You can download the English translation of "Interurban junction design" R o GIRABASE is the French software for calculation of roundabout capacity o u u n The fourth version is available in English as from July in CERTU n d d a a b I developed the first version in 1986. Now , there are more than five hundred users in France b

o o u  and some other countries u Sales Office http://www.certu.fr t t

C C

 o Useful data are : Description of area o n  Geometric design with safety advice n f f e  e

Traffic r  r e e

Results are : capacity reserve with queue length and queuing delay n n c  And also recommendations in the event of too low capacity c e e

 And capacity curve to compare different level of traffic 2 2 0 New use of roundabouts and studies : The second part of my report is the use of roundabouts with trams 0 0 - intersection with tram 0

- near railway level crossing 5 5 - with traffic signals

D  D R R A A F F T T Diapos Commentaire de base Intersection A lot of French cities chose to introduce modern tramways to reduce the proportion of cars in with tram N the town. N a a

t Nantes, Grenoble, Strasbourg, Lyon, Montpellier, Bordeaux ... t i i o o For 10 years,modern tram n has made a broad rise n in large French cities a  One problem is the management of intersections with cars. a l l

R R NANTES LiiggnLniegn 231 e–o 1u1 e99-s1t 2-9-9-81192069993049 o  Let us see the evolution in Nantes The first line was open in nineteen eighty-six. All o u u n intersections are with traffic signals n d  The second line was in ninety-two – ninety three. d a  a b  First roundabouts appeared in the south part. In the north part, they are the majority b o o u

On the new lines, it's the same u t Roundabout t

 Now, I count fifty-two roundabouts with tram C C They are modern roundabouts o with yield to the entries These roundabouts are modern roundabouts with priority of traffic in the circle o n  Advantages are - a better safety for all users (also the pedestrians) n f f e e - U-turn r r e e

- Management of traffic lights more easy n n Advantages of roundabouts for tramway intersections : c

c - better safety e - possibility of U-turn e - easier management of traffic lights 

2 2 0 ¶When a tram arrive, When a tram arrives, traffic is stopped by red light and priority is given to tram 0 0

traffic is stopped by red lights 0 and priority is given to the tram 5 The organization of the signals changed during years. After different tests, we hope to have 5 Flashing red signal are used

on the ring to stop cars D obtained the best solution for simplicity, the safety and the respect of the signals D R  Now we use only red flashing signals on the ring R A This specific signal A is used for trams  A specific signal has been adopted for trams F F T  T

Diapos Commentaire de base That is an example on a recent installation N  We can see the two flashing signals N a a t

just before the tram arriving (five seconds minimum) t i  i o o n n a  a l l

R R o 4 detections order the signals They are four detections o u u LD n RAZb RAZa - LD long distance, eighty meters ore more before the intersection. It give red for cars, n CD d then the green for tram d a a b - CD short distance, just before tram signal, is used in different special situations, such as b LD : (80 - 140m) = red for cars and “green” for tram

o CD : (5 - 10m) = confirmation and safety o RAZa : (5m after) = red for tram u

failure of the first u RAZb : (after roundabout) = black for car  t t

- RAZa, just after tram signal, said that tram is enter, and give the red for an other tram C C

- RAZb, after the intersection, give the green (or black) for cars o o n n Roundabouts close to railway level crossing Recently, a new problem appeared : roundabouts close to railway level crossing. f f e Designers project more and more often roundabout for intersection, sometimes near the level e r r e crossings. e n  n c More and more of roundabouts, c e therefore more often close to level crossings e

2 2 0 0 0 0 5

The French National Railway Company is anxious The SNCF (French National Railway Company) is anxious because there are 5

D risks of crashes between cars and trains D

R Road Directory and Railway Company We are studying this, with the aim of producing a guide of recommendations and of proposing R manage a working group

to plan a guideline with solutions A solutions. A F

F Two various problems are studied … T There are two various problems T  Diapos Commentaire de base First problem: the queue of the level crossing goes up in the roundabout That is the first : N  when the level crossing is close the queue goes up in the roundabout and blocks other entries. N a a t

It's not a safety problem. We are sure that one entry is free, so all will become normal when t i i o the level crossing is open. o n  n a Not a safety problem = less important a In a short time, roundabout is cleared l l

 R R

Second problem: the queue of the roundabout o o goes up on the level crossing The second is : u  u n the queue of the roundabout goes up on the level crossing n d  It's an important safety problem. A train can arrive at high speed, up to a hundred and sixty d a a b kilometres hour. b o (they is no level crossing with TGV) o u  u

A train can arrive at 160 km/h = risk of fatal accident t t

C C Solutions are either preventive, or curative,

o static or dynamic We have selected different solutions. o n They can be preventive, to prevent that a car stops on the rails n f

Various complementary signals f e are tested to avoid the stop on railways e

or curative, to give off a car stopped on the rails, before the arrival of a train. r r e

e

They can be static, with only road signs n n c  or dynamic, with detections and light signals c e e

Here are some examples of preventive solutions 2 2 0 A slip road can give a possibility of release One curative and static solution : 0 to vehicles stopped on the rails 0  0 5 The slip road can give a possibility of release for a car stopped on the railway 5

D D

R  The length and the width of the slip road must be well adapted R A A F F T  T

Diapos Commentaire de base Other curatives solutions used traffic signal The other curatives solutions use traffic signals, At entry of roundabout N Or in the ring of (large) roundabout For little roundabouts, with the preceding entry N a  a t

t i i o And for large roundabouts, in the circulatory carriageway o n  n a a l l

 R R o We propose a formula to calculate o the time of release of the level crossing It's necessary to know how long time is necessary to release the level crossing, u u t(s)=7 + pi*(Rg-La/2)/20 + dPN/4,05 + lPN/2,78  n So we have timed the delay between the detection of a train and the effects for the cars n To validate the various parameters, d d the reaction times were timed on a lot of roundabouts stopped in various places in the queue. a a b  My paper gives details of times b o o u We hope to publish a technical guide next year u t t

 C C A other subject of research :

 o roundabouts with permanent traffic signals We are also studying controlled roundabouts o n Advantage compared to traffic signals intersection are… n f f e  e

Advantages compared to roundabouts are… r r

e e

n  n c AAddvvanantagtageess comcomppararededwiwithth rtorafundfica bosigutnsals : :  A publication perhaps at end of this year ? c

Guideline for area of utilization, design, e

- saf-egtyen foerral pe safdeestyrians with 2 or 3 lanes e - bet-terU-tu caplrpnaacit naniydng ithm, anropo alrtdima snititgns l efsoft …r turounrn dabouts

- qu-eueredu manctioangem speeentd 2 2 0 0 0 0

ROUNDABOUTS IN FRANCE 5 5 Safety and New Uses

D D R R Bernard GUICHET A [email protected] A F F T T