The organization of traffic at the roundabout in Dreiliņi, also known as the 'mother-in-law's roundabout,' creates dangerous situations as the pedestrian crossings are located too close to the roundabout, reports the program '4th Studio' (LTV). This place has become one of the 'black spots' where numerous traffic accidents occur annually.
The roundabout in Dreiliņi has been nicknamed 'mother-in-law's' because there used to be a café nearby called 'At the Mother-in-law.'
Traffic safety expert from CSDD Oskars Irbitis pointed out that when exiting the roundabout, the driver immediately encounters a pedestrian crossing. If they need to stop before the crossing, all the cars behind them stop in the first lane, resulting in it being blocked.
"Those coming from Jugla, as well as those who were in the second lane and now want to exit the roundabout by merging towards Ulbroka, see that the first lane is occupied, which causes the second lane to be blocked as well. As a result, the traffic jam stretches, and it is even impossible to exit towards Lubānas Street. If the number of pedestrians increases, the entire roundabout will come to a standstill," explained Irbitis.
Board member of the Latvian Bureau of Motor Insurers Juris Stengrevics reported that the roundabout in Dreiliņi ranks third in the number of accidents — about 80 traffic incidents occur there annually.
"It is clear that if so many accidents happen in one place, then something is wrong with the infrastructure," noted Stengrevics.
Irbitis emphasized that the roundabout in Dreiliņi is a place where huge traffic flows converge. Recently, the intensity of traffic at the roundabout has also been affected by repairs on Bauska Highway (A7).
"When planning pedestrian paths, bike paths, and the like, it is advisable to avoid their concentration or access to such major intersections whenever possible. In this case, even shifting the pedestrian crossing slightly to one side or the other will not help, because the traffic intensity is so high that even if it is moved 10 car lengths away, they will immediately appear, and everything will still come to a standstill," explained Irbitis.
In his opinion, the ideal solution would be to create a multi-level interchange.
Experience from other countries shows that at such major intersections, efforts are made to redirect less protected road users. Various solutions are possible — a two-level crossing or a regulated pedestrian crossing located further from the roundabout. At smaller roundabouts, a good solution is considered to be moving pedestrian crossings further away from the roundabout itself.
The need for changes in traffic organization at the roundabout in Dreiliņi is also evidenced by the active residential development in the area, which will lead to an increase in pedestrian traffic in the future.
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