Traffic Roundabouts are up to 30% more fuel efficient than stoplights according to a study by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety.  It all comes down to basic principles of hypermiling.  If you’re stopped and sitting around waiting for a light to turn from red to green, you’re burning much more gas - and going nowhere while doing so - than the efficient traffic funneling system of a roundabout, at which you can move as soon as traffic is clear.

But what about those more timid drivers who seem to have a crisis of paralyzation every time they come upon a traffic circle you ask?  Obviously they’re not getting as good of gas mileage as they would if they just took the plunge into the circle (already), but the study took those drivers into account as well, which means even with the less adventurous gumming up the works, roundabouts are still saving fuel for all involved.  You can takepart in finding out more about hypermiling by logging onto hypermiling.com.

LINKS:

TakePart: Top 5 Hypermiling Techniques

NY Times: Green Inc: Roundabouts: Energy efficient or annoying?

Courier Times: Going roundabout over gas mileage