The dirty secret of why traffic circles reduce accidents? Stoplights feel safer than they actually are, while circles feel more dangerous than they actually are. That nervousness becomes vigilance, which reduces accidents. It’s also why people intuitively hate them. They’re actually right, but also wrong.

Feeling safe is an illusion that governments try to maintain for their people. It’s one of their biggest jobs. But the illusion has dimensions and it’s hard to keep several going at once.