Signalized Intersections and Roundabouts: An In-Service Safety Performance Evaluation in Abu Dhabi

Abstract

Abstract Intersection crashes have accounted for a large portion of all fatal road crashes worldwide. Much research has been devoted to comparing safety levels among different intersection types, such as signalized intersections and roundabouts. While previous research efforts have been insightful, none have focused on crashes occurring in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This is worth noting because while several states in the United States (US), as well as countries in Europe, have replaced many of their signalized intersections with roundabouts as an attempt to curb severe injuries and improve safety, the UAE appears to be following the opposite trend: replacing many of its long-standing roundabouts with signalized intersections. The objective of this research is to compare the in-service safety performance of signalized intersections and roundabouts in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi (AD), the largest Emirate in the UAE. The study used 6 years’ worth of road crash data. Crash severity levels between the two intersection types were compared, while controlling for factors such as posted speed limit, number of vehicles involved in the crash, and vehicle class. After controlling for previously described factors, the in-service safety performances of signalized intersections and roundabouts in the Emirate of AD are comparable. The authors discuss how future research could focus not only on identifying the factors that might have potentially contributed to the present study’s findings that differ from studies conducted in the past, but also on conducting before-after studies as data becomes available.