Roundabouts are fading from American roads, making way for a new, smarter type of intersection designed to boost safety and streamline traffic. If you’ve ever dreaded tricky left turns or dreaded cross-traffic accidents, this fresh approach could revolutionize the daily drive. The Restricted Crossing U-Turn (RCUT) intersection is gaining momentum nationwide, promising fewer crashes and smoother journeys.
Why roundabouts aren’t always the answer
Many drivers have found themselves stuck in large or complicated roundabouts that do little to improve traffic flow and sometimes even create jams. While roundabouts reduce some collision types, they aren’t a perfect solution—especially on high-speed or heavily trafficked roads where slowing down too much disrupts the main flow.
For example, in Argentina, intersection design challenges are pronounced. According to government road safety data, many crashes occur when vehicles enter or exit main roads from secondary routes, often because of speed differences. Drivers either speed up to merge or brake to turn, which frequently leads to collisions. This reality highlights the urgent need for an intersection design that reduces conflict points and harmonizes speed discrepancies.
What makes RCUT intersections innovative
At its core, the Restricted Crossing U-Turn (RCUT) eliminates the most hazardous maneuvers at intersections: left turns and direct cross-traffic crossings. Unlike traditional intersections or roundabouts, drivers approaching from secondary streets must first turn right onto the main road. They then travel between 500 and 1,300 feet before making a U-turn in a dedicated lane to continue in their desired direction.
This extension may feel unusual at first glance, but it cleverly prevents stopping traffic on the main lanes and significantly reduces collision points. Drivers who want to cross the highway simply complete another right turn after the U-turn, effectively creating a “stretched” roundabout without the congestion.
According to traffic engineer James Rivera, interviewed by the American Traffic Safety Institute, “This system cleverly balances safety and efficiency by removing dangerous crossing paths while maintaining smooth flow on primary roads.”
The proven safety and efficiency benefits
Experts agree: unsafe left turns and perpendicular crossings cause the majority of intersection crashes. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) reports that implementing RCUTs can reduce total crashes by as much as 54%, with injury-related accidents dropping by nearly 70%. This makes the RCUT a game-changer in intersection safety.
Beyond cutting crashes, RCUTs also improve traffic flow. Drivers rarely have to wait long for a gap in traffic because the main lanes remain unobstructed. Several cities in North America have noted a reduction in rush-hour congestion after switching to RCUT-style intersections. This increasing adoption aligns with findings from a 2022 study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which confirms the RCUT’s effectiveness at improving both safety and travel times.
Video: The RCUT intersection explained by Mississippi Department of Transportation
Challenges of implementation and cultural shifts
Switching from familiar roundabouts or standard intersections to the RCUT design requires more than construction. It demands clear signage, public education, and enforcement to ensure drivers understand the new traffic patterns. Without careful communication, some may find the required right-then-U-turn movements confusing at first.
Road engineers emphasize that investment in driver awareness campaigns is critical. Properly informed drivers tend to adapt quickly and appreciate the smoother traffic flow and increased safety. It’s a cultural shift, especially in regions where roundabouts have been a longstanding intersection solution.
In places like Argentina, limited infrastructure means smaller-scale trials exist, but full RCUT implementation is challenging. Drivers often execute risky merges when making left turns, something the RCUT design elegantly addresses by providing dedicated left-turn lanes directly at the intersection. This innovation doesn’t just reduce crashes—it can change driving behavior over time.
A personal account from senior traffic analyst Sarah Mitchell illustrates this well: “Driving through an RCUT intersection felt surprisingly natural and safe. The controlled U-turn movements removed the stress from making tight or blind left turns. Design really does save lives.”
The future of intersection design in America
As urbanization intensifies and traffic volumes climb, innovative intersection designs like the RCUT are poised to become the norm rather than the exception. Engineers and city planners are recognizing the balance of cost-effectiveness, improved safety, and traffic efficiency that RCUT intersections provide.
Drivers are encouraged to learn about these intersections and practice caution and patience during the adjustment period. The initial complexity gives way to significant benefits: fewer accidents, reduced congestion, and a safer overall driving experience.
For those curious to see how RCUTs operate, the Federal Highway Administration offers detailed guides and real-world examples at this official FHWA resource.
What are your experiences with newer intersection designs like RCUTs? Did you find them intuitive or surprisingly smooth? Share your thoughts and stories in the comments below. And if you know someone eager to stay ahead of road safety innovations, pass this article along—they just might thank you for it!
We have had these for some time in michigan. They seem to work the best if that third lane is extended back to the intersection, allowing you to get out of the passing lane as soon as possible. The third lane extension back to the intersection is much safer than placing the turnaround at a further distance.
I had to laugh reading this, first thought was a Michigan Left. We’ve been ahead of the game and didn’t know it!
And where do bicycles and pedestrians fit in this innovation?
They don’t. These are usually stroads, and they over complicate things.
Michigan has been doing that for decades. It’s called the Michigan left
“J turn” is another common term for RCUT intersections. In my rural region of Minnesota, two J-turns were recently placed within 5-10 miles of my home. In each case: These replaced a standard right angle intersection of a rural paved road with a divided 4-lane highway (having a large grassy median). I have since seen few bad accidents there, and I feel safer with those J-turns. Understanding them involved a short learning curve. That also seems true for other drivers (based on my observations).
When you turn on to a two lane or more road, you are supposed to turn into the nearest lane. Your diagram has the blue line not doing that. You are promoting people’s bad habits and even putting them in a position to do it more often and quickly to get to their turn lane.
Well, the law on that actually varies by state, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with turning into farther Lane as long as it doesn’t impede any other vehicles.
How about 18 wheelers will they be able to negotiate the u turn?
No it’s a terrible idea to make trucks make a U-turn
“J turn” is another common term for RCUT intersections. In my rural region of Minnesota, two J-turns were recently placed within 5-10 miles of my home. In each case: These replaced a standard right angle intersection of a rural paved road with a divided 4-lane highway (having a large grassy median). I have since seen fewer bad accidents there, and I feel safer with these J-turns. Understanding them involved a short learning curve. That also seems true for other drivers, based on my observations. I have seen a few drivers go “straight across”– with ample confidence (I am sure they were not “befuddled”).
J turns aren’t always “better”; and they have pros and cons. Here is a major drawback: They are difficult for semis and other long rigs to negotiate (for crossing the highway, for turning left from the main highway). I believe there are good solutions to this problem. Here is a fairly simple one: Add J-turn lanes and signs to an intersection without somehow blocking the original option (standard right angle intersection). Signage and maybe cameras– can then channel drivers to take the appropriate course. For example: “J-turns are required for all, except for long rigs of___ feet or more” (I would pick somewhere in the 40-60 foot range). Better yet: Concrete barricades and deep ditches to force compliance, plus steps to help the long rigs. This could involve an “arrowhead design: having a large “almost straight” crossing region (in which semis can QUICKLY cross the main highway, then gradually merge onto the smaller road). This could also involve: Create or mark alternative routes, which add only 1-2 miles for big rigs.
Works well in Michigan. Good signage is critical to know which way to go in an upcoming intersection. Sometimes you turn right and make the U on the crossing road, sometimes go straight and make the U on the road you’re on and move to the right lane to turn right onto the crossing road. It can be pretty confusing to newcomers.
I don’t think they’re any safer, because now you have to cross over a bunch of lanes to get where you need to go. This is a problem when those lanes are high-speed and traffic is heavy.
absolutely awful for bikes, trucks as well. roundabouts eliminate all left turns and making everything a right, safest form of intersection per volume of any type. can’t image in the wrong way moves that would occur with this arrangement with drunk drivers.
Not friendly for semis and large vehicles
Overall, I have been satisfied with the routes Google Maps provides. I also drive a 2022 Tesla Model 3, whose navigation instructions are mainly the same as those given by Google Maps. I have been complaining, for over 3 years, to both Google and Tesla, imploring them to stop instructing drivers to make left turns onto, or cross, major streets (2 or more lanes in each direction) where I am on the “small” street, facing a stop sign. This is the same type of intersection that your article addresses, offering the RCUT alternative that is much safer. I would love to see RCUT implemented in the Los Angeles area (where I mainly drive), considering that both Google Maps and Tesla obviously have no intention of changing their routing to avoid the dangerous maneuvers we have just discussed!
Jug handle turns are very good, as long as the signage and time of notice are well in advance. Circles are horrible.
Keene, NH could benefit from this. We have a major circle on rt 9/10/12. You hold your breath during rush hours
I am interested in the cost savings, too. The town continues to talk about more roundabouts and I know coming from NJ that as population increased they realized it wasn”,t worki ng anymore . And, yes, it is very hard on tractor trailers. !!!!
It makes sense. I do a form of this already. When I approach a busy left turn at an intersection I just turn right. Drive until I reach a spot where I can reverse my direction safely.
Leave it to the Americans to come up with an even dumber solution than what they already have. Roundabouts have been existence for decades in Europe and it works well in low and high traffic for all vehicle sizes.
Sorry, but I disagree. MICHIGAN LEFTS work great!
I remember these in Detroit in the 1960’s and they still have them today.
If I remember right at rush hour, you couldn’t get across the road to make crossing over 3 lanes of traffic. So you could get on to the right lane to make your right turn. And the cars were backed up on the road. Because people couldn’t make that left Turn when cars just backed up on the road, they were trying to cross over to get on the right lane to make that right turn. then they would get accidents from the cars backing up, at least with a roundabout. You’re usually down to a very slow speed. And you don’t have to really cut across traffic. If you know how to use a roundabout properly, most of the time, you don’t even need to stop.You have to slow right down. But you don’t have to stop unless around a bout is full of cars. this system I don’t think is as good as they think. Also with a roundabout, it doesn’t matter how much the traffic backs up.Somebody’s not going to cut across you with this other use system.So called new your backup traffic to turn left.And you got cars whizzing by them on the right, and then all of a sudden, the left lane, the cars back up.And they’re into the regular traffic now.The cars are backed up into the regular road.Now, you’ve got another accident happened.Then, you’ve got them cutting across three lanes.To make that left, turn, not a good idea.
I have watched someone turning left to make a u turn and a vehicle turning right into that left turning vehicle, with a very close accident bringing both cars to a stop. I hate these things in my city. Especially when I should have turned left , almost a block before my u turn to get to my destination. Now I have to turn left to make a u turn and then get into the right lane to be ready to turn right when I get back to where I was going. These roundabouts are dangerous and so are the u turn things. So are the other weird things being put into the middle of some of our city streets, that jag in the middle of the street with cars almost hitting one another with these narrow whatchi-majiggers! What costly messes we are getting in our streets!!!!!
NEWS FLASH: We have had these in MICHIGAN for 40 years, aka “A MICHIGAN LEFT”… They work!
this layout totally fails and becomes dangerous if there is heavy traffic.. during busy times, there will be a delay for cars trying to cross oncoming traffic to get to the far side merging lane, causing cars to start filling up the turnaround lane.. once that turnaround lane is full, cars wanting to turnaround will slow down and see there is no room in the turnaround lane, which can lead to a dangerous backups on the highway..
That’s a Michigan left, old idea that creates traffic jams, and more side impact wrecks. Not a safe or efficient as roundabout.
I personally hate the ridiculous roundabouts that have popped up everywhere. Give me a standard 4 way stop any day.
Only issue I have with roundabouts, is some people just aren’t quite smart enough to navigate them.
Engineers are dumbest people on earth. Sure it looks good on paper but in real life it works like shit. You can change the design of intersection but you need to change people’s driving for safer streets. People are the problem not the intersection
They have these all over in Brazil, I always thought it was just because of the lack of infrastructure that they had such an inefficient system that would often create traffic blockages for a half mile because people are trying to get over to the left in order to make their u-turn in heavy traffic, and then trying to merge back into heavy traffic, then get to the right to make the right turn in heavy traffic