A Kentucky roundabout opened and the footage of Americans using it for the first time is absolute chaos

A Kentucky roundabout that opened in 2021 caused absolute carnage, as drivers using it for the first time turned the road into a free-for-all.

Roundabouts are a very UK concept, and can often be a nightmare due to the flow of traffic around them, or how the lanes are organized.

Generally speaking, UK drivers are fine with them, but in America, they can be a problem, as this one in Kentucky has proven to be.

More than a problem, it became a huge obstacle for drivers, and the video of them navigating would leave UK drivers terrified.

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This is why the Kentucky roundabout caused utter carnage for American drivers

A roundabout is all about making traffic flow as smoothly as possible.

You merge out into them and into your chosen lane.

Then, you peel off at one of the various exits and carry on with your journey.

In the UK, they are a staple part of the roads, and usually, drivers get through them fine.

But a video from Walker Construction showed how one roundabout has confused American drivers.

In the clip, people drive up to it in their chosen lanes.

But painfully, a lot of drivers go around the roundabout the wrong way.

They also pick the incorrect lane and generally get in other people’s way.

The full magnitude of the chaos can only be fully explained via the footage itself.

Why have drivers struggled so much with the traffic circle?

The footage raised questions as to why drivers were struggling so much.

A lot of it seemed to be simply down to road users not knowing what to do.

Some of it also seemed a lack of care, with some cars visibly just going completely the wrong way.

After a truck with a boat goes through, a chain reaction of carnage ensues.

It’s clear that the rules of the road flew out the window, and drivers just went whichever way they fancied.

Walker Construction, which shared the video, said it hoped to educate others as to how not to use the Kentucky roundabout.

Drivers from the UK must be wincing at this footage, given how often they navigate through them.

Perhaps a school for roundabout etiquette is required.

A history of the roundabout

1905 – The First Traffic Circle: Columbus Circle opens in New York City. Designed by William Phelps Eno, it is considered the world’s first circular intersection built to keep traffic flowing in one direction

1907 – Europe Adopts the Circle: Architect Eugène Hénard designs a circular traffic system around the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. This popularized the concept across Europe

1909 – Britain’s First Circular Junction: The UK builds its first traffic circle in Letchworth Garden City. However, early designs gave entering traffic priority, which frequently caused gridlock

1966 – The Birth of the Modern Roundabout: The UK adopts the “give-way” rule, requiring entering vehicles to yield to circulating traffic. This solves the gridlock issue and officially creates the modern roundabout

1970 – The Mini-Roundabout is Invented: UK engineer Frank Blackmore develops the space-saving “mini-roundabout”. This has a painted center, allowing smaller intersections to benefit from extra safety

1990 – Arrival in the United States: After decades of relying on traditional intersections, the United States builds its first modern “give-way” roundabout in Summerlin, Nevada

Present Day – A Global Safety Standard: Tens of thousands of modern roundabouts now exist worldwide. Planners favor them because they drastically reduce fatal T-bone and head-on collisions

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