>This article makes it sound like traffic lights are more common than roundabouts in the US. That's because they are. And speaking as an American driver: I pr

>This article makes it sound like traffic lights are more common than roundabouts in the US. That's because they are. And speaking as an American driver: I prefer traffic lights. They require no thinking beyond being remotely aware of your surroundings, you can see where you want to go, and there's no thinking involved other than making your way across the intersection when it's your turn. Roundabouts involve far more mental load that I do not care for: I need to gauge if and when I can merge, because there's no traffic light controlling ingress and egress. I need to keep track of the exit I want that I usually can't see until the last moment. I waste my time going around again if I confuse my exit, which can't happen with traffic light intersections. TL;DR: Traffic lights are simpler, easier, and ultimately faster as far as I'm concerned. If the safety of crossing pedestrians is the concern, then I have a simple solution: A bridge over the intersection connecting all four pedestrian corners. Somewhat common sight in Japanese cities.