Tuesday 25 October 2011

British roundabouts: opposed to the psyche of our modern society?



Rotondas británicas: ¿Opuestas al psiquis de la sociedad moderna?

Jim Brainard is the Mayor of Carmel, Indiana, a city which according to himself, has more roundabouts than any other city in the US. Besides the aesthetic advantages and the saving of fuel claimed by Mayor Brainard, his revolution is supported quoting, among others, a study of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which suggests that the implementation of roundabouts in place of traffic intersections would mean an average decrease of 40% in all traffic accidents and a 90% drop in fatal ones. Some drivers see the implementation of roundabouts as awesomebeautiful, whereas some others resist to them because they are confusing. Of course, to be for or against is a democratic right; however, which  captured my attention where the comments from those pedestrians interviewed which claimed that British roundabouts are opposed to the American psyche. Literally, those comments claim that this
(the American) is a culture predicated on freedom and
individualism, where spontaneous co-operation is difficult and regimentation is resisted; Americans tend to be orthogonal in their thinking and behavior; though faster for the group, may require an individual to slow down.

I am not an expert in urban planning, but I just wonder...as the cities grow and the people get busier, people´s psyche may tend to become Americanized (no offense to my fellow Americans). Would it be the end of the roundabouts? Would the evolution of our society put an end or modernize on other elements in our cities?

With this short entry I do not intend to offense my fellow Americans, and if I do, just consider forgiving me because the material cited has been extracted from the press article "Is the British roundabout conquering the US?", published on the BBCnews early in July this year.

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