Lucas County Engineer's Office, Toledo-Lucas County Health Department help over a dozen drivers with multi-lane roundabouts
Credit: Kurt Steiss, The Blade, October 24, 2024
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VILLAGE OF HOLLAND, Ohio - Over a dozen drivers from Lucas County went home feeling optimistic and more confident about tackling roundabouts and more specifically, multi-lane roundabouts, after a roundabout road-training session Thursday. This was the third roundabout-centric training event organized by the Lucas County Engineer's Office, Toledo-Lucas County Health Department's Traffic Safety Program and Toledo Driving Schools.
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The event started at Wonder Ministries on Angola Road in the village of Holland. Drivers were paired up with an instructor and taken on a pre-planned route through the local area that took them through over half-dozen roundabouts, including the group of multi-lane roundabouts along the Dorr Street interchange.
10 people signed up in advance and two people showed up as walk-ins during the three-hour event. Participants were screened before the training on what their opinion of roundabouts were on a scale of "Love them" to "Hate them, avoid them at all costs." All but one participant who either saw them in a disfavorable or neutral way before the training, changed their view to neutral or favorable after the training.
"I learned a lot more about the signage that goes with all roundabouts," Toledo participant Pamela Lawrence said. "Now that I feel like I know where and what the signs are, I feel more comfortable if I come up to a roundabout."
Debbie Schaefer, who listed her opinion as "hate them" said she believed the single-lane roundabouts are simple enough but the multi-lane roundabouts were more complicated. After the training event, she said she wants to practice more now and feels more confident.
"The instruction was great and I definitely would come back for another training," Schaefer said. "I know more of these are popping up and I don't want to be afraid and want to learn to drive them with ease."
LCEO public information officer Michael Tatar, who helped organize the event and served as an instructor, said that most of the participants were senior drivers over the age of 55.
"Each of them did very well and all came with an attitude of wanting to learn and get better," Tatar said. "Some were more skeptical than others but each by the end felt like they weren't scared anymore. If we can change the dynamic and mindset of those who are scared of them and those that hate them for no reason other than they're different, to confident about them and tolerate and understand they work, respectively, I think that's a win."
Tatar added that he believes his office is being very pro-active in the community and doesn't know of any other county engineer or road agency in the state that is offering this kind of training.
LCEO plans to organize another roundabout training session next spring to continue hands-on roundabout education for the community. You can find more resources on roundabouts on our website and on our Facebook page.
10 people signed up in advance and two people showed up as walk-ins during the three-hour event. Participants were screened before the training on what their opinion of roundabouts were on a scale of "Love them" to "Hate them, avoid them at all costs." All but one participant who either saw them in a disfavorable or neutral way before the training, changed their view to neutral or favorable after the training.
"I learned a lot more about the signage that goes with all roundabouts," Toledo participant Pamela Lawrence said. "Now that I feel like I know where and what the signs are, I feel more comfortable if I come up to a roundabout."
Debbie Schaefer, who listed her opinion as "hate them" said she believed the single-lane roundabouts are simple enough but the multi-lane roundabouts were more complicated. After the training event, she said she wants to practice more now and feels more confident.
"The instruction was great and I definitely would come back for another training," Schaefer said. "I know more of these are popping up and I don't want to be afraid and want to learn to drive them with ease."
LCEO public information officer Michael Tatar, who helped organize the event and served as an instructor, said that most of the participants were senior drivers over the age of 55.
"Each of them did very well and all came with an attitude of wanting to learn and get better," Tatar said. "Some were more skeptical than others but each by the end felt like they weren't scared anymore. If we can change the dynamic and mindset of those who are scared of them and those that hate them for no reason other than they're different, to confident about them and tolerate and understand they work, respectively, I think that's a win."
Tatar added that he believes his office is being very pro-active in the community and doesn't know of any other county engineer or road agency in the state that is offering this kind of training.
LCEO plans to organize another roundabout training session next spring to continue hands-on roundabout education for the community. You can find more resources on roundabouts on our website and on our Facebook page.
