OHIO — Ohio is now investing millions of dollars on road safety as Gov. Mike DeWine recently announced that more than $130 million dollars are going on building new traffic safety projects. Among them 26 new roundabouts across the state.

For some drivers, it can be daunting when driving inside a roundabout. For others, it makes their drive easier.

“I just worry that I’m not going to see somebody, or somebody is in the wrong lane and they’re going to try and cut over in front of me,” said Rachel DeLucia, a driver in Columbus. “Or I’m not going to be in the right place and I’m going to end up going through a different exit than I want to go through.”

But for other drivers, a roundabout means getting to their destination on time.

“I feel like it’s going to be faster,” said Kim Perez another driver in Columbus. “I like them.”

Driver Patrick Achoebel said he prefers them over crossroads.

“They avoid intersections,” Achoebel said. “So, you don’t have like a light or anything else like that, so you can just go right through them.”

Still, many say they would choose a crossroads with traffic lights over a roundabout.

“I just feel like it’s safer,” DeLucia said. “And I feel like it is more clear on what to do.”

Officials say roundabouts are safer than a traditional crossroads with traffic lights.

Matt Bruning, press secretary from the Ohio Department of Transportation said roundabouts have helped traffic deaths drop over the last three years.

“Without getting too technical, there are 32 conflict points at a traditional intersection, so 32 locations within that intersection where traffic crosses over each other and can potentially crash, with a roundabout there are only eight,” Bruning said. “Roundabouts, by the design of them, you have to slow down and so crashes that do occur at roundabouts typically are crashes that are fender benders and crashes that you walk away from.”

Bruning said single lane roundabouts decreased injury crashes 69% within a full year.

Multilane roundabouts saw a 25% decrease in crashes.

Yet, a reminder Bruning said of the rules is important.  

“The driver that’s inside the roundabout has the right of way,” Bruning said. “Drivers entering the roundabout must yield to any driver that’s inside the roundabout to their immediate left.”

As for drivers’ preferences, those vary.

“I like the safety, and I like the speed,” Perez said.

Besides road projects, the governor’s announcement included 22 projects that will improve pedestrian safety as well. The plan is to build new sidewalks or to improve them.

When it comes to spending millions of dollars on road safety, many are on board.

“Everybody uses a road,” DeLucia said. “No matter if you’re riding a bus or you’re in a car or you’re just even riding your bike, I feel like making the road safer is perfectly fine to spend the money on.”