Why are Warren and Butler (OH) County Officials Enamored with Roundabouts?

An interesting story this morning in the Dayton Daily News about interest in roundabouts on the part of Warren and Butler County officials.  Among other things, the reasoning is that if the Federal Government advocates the construction of roundabouts, then we should take notice.

I have experienced plenty of roundabouts while driving in Germany.  Yes, they can be confusing at first. But I think the real issue is how do roundabouts fare when traffic gets congested.  Are they really more effective than signaled intersections when traffic is heavy.  My sense is when there is light traffic, on county roads, roundabouts can work if drivers are accustomed to seeing them.  But Warren County is one of the fastest, if not the fastest growing county in Ohio.  In the long run, will the roundabouts be able to take additional traffic 10 years from now?  We have plenty of drunk and drugged drivers out there, and also distracted ones on cell phones. Are roundabouts easier for hampered drivers to traverse without incident?

You tell me!

Looks good when there are 4 cars entering the roundabout from the same direction!