The UK's Most Dangerous Roundabouts
Roundabouts can be tricky to navigate even for the most experienced drivers. With confusing lane layouts and road signs as well as crawling traffic, you can see why the average number of accidents per roundabout in the UK is nearly 40.
MotorEasy has analysed 482 UK roundabouts and 18,900 thousand incidents recorded on CrashMap between 2010 to 2020 to find out the worst offending roundabouts in the UK for accidents.
We’ve also highlighted the best and worst regions for accidents at roundabouts and provided advice to help keep you safe when using one.
The top 20 most dangerous roundabouts in the UK
Here are the top 20 worst roundabouts in the UK for recorded accidents over the past decade.
1. Hammersmith Flyover
Taking the top spot is the roundabout interchange below the Hammersmith Flyover with 287 recorded incidents. Located in Hammersmith, West London, this busy roundabout connects roads including the A4 and A219 with the Hammersmith London Underground station in the centre.
2. Redbridge Roundabout
Taking the second spot for worst UK roundabout is London’s Redbridge Roundabout with 284 recorded incidents. The roundabout interchange connects the A12 and A406 in the Ilford region of East London.
3. The Crooked Billet
In third place is The Crooked Billet roundabout interchange in East London’s Waltham Forest Borough. With 252 recorded accidents, the roundabout connects the A406, A112 and B179.
4. Staples Corner
With 221 recorded accidents, the Staples Corner roundabout interchange in North West London has two connected roundabouts and flyovers. It links the A406 with the M1 and A5 and takes its name from the Staples Mattress Factory which was on the site for 60 years.
5. Hyde Park Corner
The Hyde Park Corner roundabout on the South East corner of London’s Hyde Park is 5th with 213 recorded incidents. The roundabout connects the A4, A4202 and A302 with the Wellington Arch in the centre.
6. Portsbridge Roundabout
The Portsbridge Roundabout is the first to be featured outside London. The Chichester roundabout in the South West had 205 recorded accidents. It connects the M27 to the A27 along with several other roads.
7. Mar Dyke Interchange
The Mar Dyke Interchange roundabout had 192 recorded incidents from 2010 to 2020. The roundabout interchange is in the East of England in Essex and connects the M25 to the A13 and A282.
8. Bulls Bridge Roundabout
In 8th place is the Bulls Bridge Roundabout in London Borough of Hounslow with 186 recorded accidents. The junction connects the A312 and A437 with Hayes road off the M4 in West London.
9. Bean Interchange
Up next is the Bean Interchange roundabout in Kent with 184 incidents. The roundabout interchange connects the A2 and B255 in the South East of England.
10. Old Street Roundabout
Closing out the top ten is the Old Street Roundabout in central London. This square roundabout connects the A501 and A5201 in North East London with the Old Street station in the middle.
Here’s the full list of the top 20 most dangerous roundabout in the UK:
| Rank | Junction Name | Junction Type | Region | Accidents 2010 to 2020 |
| 1 | Hammersmith Flyover | Roundabout Interchange | London | 287 |
| 2 | Redbridge Roundabout | Roundabout Interchange | London | 284 |
| 3 | The Crooked Billet | Roundabout Interchange | London | 252 |
| 4 | Staples Corner | Roundabout Interchange | London | 221 |
| 5 | Hyde Park Corner | Roundabout | London | 213 |
| 6 | Portsbridge Roundabout | Roundabout | South East | 205 |
| 7 | Mar Dyke Interchange | Roundabout Interchange | East | 192 |
| 8 | Bulls Bridge Roundabout | Roundabout | London | 186 |
| 9 | Bean Interchange | Roundabout Interchange | South East | 184 |
| 10 | Old Street Roundabout | Roundabout | London | 181 |
| 11 | The Great Cambridge Road Roundabout | Roundabout | London | 179 |
| 12 | The Green Man | Roundabout Interchange | London | 174 |
| 13 | Target Roundabout | Roundabout Interchange | London | 153 |
| 14 | Brook Street Interchange | Roundabout Interchange | East | 148 |
| 15 | Chiswick Roundabout | Roundabout | London | 144 |
| 16 | Denham Roundabout | Magic Roundabout Interchange | South East | 140 |
| 17 | Brent Cross Interchange | Roundabout Interchange | London | 138 |
| 18 | The Crooked Billett Roundabout | Roundabout | South East | 138 |
| 19 | Bricklayers Arms | Roundabout Interchange with flyover | London | 137 |
| 20 | White Hart Roundabout | Roundabout | London | 137 |
London has the most accidents at roundabouts
With 14 of the worst roundabouts in the UK, Greater London takes the top spot for the worst region for accidents at roundabouts.
London has some of the busiest roads in the UK thanks to its residents and visitors, with over 3 million registered vehicles. This led to nearly 5.4 thousand accidents occurring from 2010 to 2020 on London’s roundabouts - over ¼ of all incidents.
| Rank | Region | Accident No. |
| 1 | London | 5378 |
| 2 | South East | 4472 |
| 3 | East | 2894 |
| 4 | South West | 1246 |
| 5 | Yorkshire & Humberside | 1184 |
| 6 | East Midlands | 986 |
| 7 | West Midlands | 968 |
| 8 | Scotland | 659 |
| 9 | North West | 384 |
| 10 | North East | 326 |
The South East followed closely with 4.4 thousand incidents recorded. This is largely contributed to by Milton Keynes, a city renowned for its large number of roundabouts. The region also has the most people and subsequently more cars on the roads.
The East of England took the third spot with nearly 2.9 thousand incidents with the Mar Dyke Interchange as the worst offender.
The North East is the safest region for roundabouts
With only 326 incidents recorded, the North East is the safest region in England for roundabouts. The North West wasn’t far behind with only 384 accidents recorded.
Advice for staying safe at roundabouts
Now you’ve seen just how dangerous roundabouts can be, follow the below tips to help you stay safe when navigating one:
● Reduce your speed - make sure you stick to the speed limit or lower when approaching a roundabout, especially if you’re not familiar with it. Make sure you’re able to easily stop if required
● Get into the right lane early - when coming up to the roundabout, use road signs to identify the right lane and move early, checking your blind spots and indicating
● Use your indicators - indicators help to let other drivers know what you’re doing and should be used going on and off a roundabout - not indicating is a leading cause of accidents at roundabouts
● Pay attention - even if you’re in standstill traffic approaching a roundabout, stay vigilant to help you avoid minor bumps and scrapes. Remember, it’s illegal to use your phone, even when stopped and you risk a £200 fine and up to six penalty points
● Give large vehicles room - lorries may struggle to see you so make sure you give them space and stay out of blindspots
● Don’t let other drivers distract you - other drivers can be a huge distraction but stay focussed on what you’re doing rather than letting other people interrupt your attention
Following these tips will help to keep you safe even at the most confusing of roundabouts.
