“It’s not me, it’s all those ‘other drivers’”!
Posted on September 24, 2021 9:00 AM by Admin
“It’s not me, it’s all those ‘other drivers’”!
First and foremost, thank you to those who shared their time and thoughts in the online survey we published in the last article. The purpose of the survey was to get a snapshot of who has what level of experience with roundabouts. So, here is what our 59 survey respondents said:
Question 1 – To help us with knowing your level of experience as a driver, please tell us your age.
| Age Group |
Responses |
Percentages |
| Under 20 |
0 |
0.0% |
| 21-25 |
1 |
1.7%
|
| 26-35 |
3 |
5.1% |
| 36-45 |
23 |
39.0% |
| 46-55 |
19 |
32.2% |
| 56-65 |
7 |
11.9% |
| Over 65 |
6 |
10.2% |
| |
|
|
| Totals |
59 |
100.0% |
Question 2 – What is your overall experience with driving through roundabouts?
| Overall Experience |
Responses |
Percentages |
| I do not recall ever driving through a roundabout |
0 |
0.0% |
| I have only driven through roundabouts in foreign countries or states other than Texas |
1 |
1.7% |
| I have driven through roundabouts only a few times |
10 |
16.9% |
| I have driven through roundabouts many times |
8 |
13.6% |
| I have driven through roundabouts many times including multilane roundabouts |
40 |
67.8% |
| Totals |
59 |
100.0% |
The first question reveals that most respondents should have significant driving experience, so they should be able to readily see, perceive and interpret the correct course of action when they encounter complex or sudden driving situations. The second question’s responses suggest that a strong majority of the driving population has a significant experience skillset with roundabouts.
The next two questions asked how people felt when they drove through a roundabout for the first time, and then how they felt the most recent time they drove through one. The scale assigned was one to five, with one being “Very Uncomfortable” and five being “Very Comfortable”:
Question 3 - Regarding the first time you drove through a roundabout, what was your comfort?
| Level of Comfort |
Responses |
Percentages |
| 1 |
21 |
35.6% |
| 2 |
13 |
22.0% |
| 3 |
10 |
16.9% |
| 4 |
9 |
15.3% |
| 5 |
6 |
10.2% |
| Totals |
59 |
100.0% |
Question 4 - Regarding the most recent time you drove through a roundabout, what was your level of comfort?
| Level of Comfort |
Responses |
Percentages |
| 1 |
4 |
6.8% |
| 2 |
4 |
6.8% |
| 3 |
9 |
15.3% |
| 4 |
17 |
28.8% |
| 5 |
25 |
42.4% |
| Totals |
59 |
100.0% |
These results make sense to me. As drivers encountered roundabouts over time, their level of comfort increased. While about 75% indicated a level of comfort of three or less during their first encounter, over 86% said they felt a three or greater level of comfort during their most recent experience. This supports the results of Question 2.
The last two questions asked respondents to assess their own skills and those of other drivers regarding the ability to successfully travel through a roundabout. A scale of one to five was used, with one being “Not Confident” and five being “Very Confident”:
Question 5 - How would you rate your ability to successfully drive through a roundabout?
| Level of Confidence |
Responses |
Percentages |
| 1 |
2 |
3.4% |
| 2 |
2 |
3.4% |
| 3 |
4 |
6.8% |
| 4 |
17 |
28.8% |
| 5 |
34 |
57.6% |
| Totals |
59 |
100.0% |
Question 6 - How would you rate the ability of other drivers to successfully drive through a roundabout?
| Level of Confidence |
Responses |
Percentages
|
| 1 |
10 |
16.9% |
| 2 |
15 |
25.4% |
| 3 |
24 |
40.7% |
| 4 |
10 |
16.9% |
| 5 |
0 |
0.0% |
| Totals |
59 |
100.0 |
The results of the last two questions are most revealing. Over 93% of respondents gave themselves a rating of three or better but gave about 83% of other drivers a rating of three or less. In other words, the responses suggest, “I know what I am doing, but other drivers do not.”.
Well, guess what? We are “the other driver” to other drivers.
By Gary W. Schatz, P.E., PTOE, PTP
8/11/2021
