Look, I get it. Roundabouts are, to most UCA students, otherworldly and terrifying. Most of us learned to drive on slim back roads and two-lane highways running through our tiny hometowns. Based on the number of accidents and the number of students almost hit by cars on this campus, I’d be willing to bet my firstborn that most of you didn’t actually touch a steering wheel until freshman move-in day.

I want to tell you that roundabouts are far from evil and they aren’t working against you. In reality, it’s the traditional four-way intersection that should warrant fits of anxiety-induced sobbing.

According to the Florida Department of Transportation, not only do roundabouts lower the risk of crashes, but they save money, save time and reduce pedestrian and bicycle crashes. 

For all of the hippies out there, you’ll be glad to hear that it even lowers the rate of car emissions, too.

So, why do they get so much hate? Is it because you don’t like the construction required to build them?

If so, I hope someone has told you that roundabouts don’t stay under construction forever.

If it’s sheer unfamiliarity that freaks you out, you may just be scared of the unknown. If that’s the case, I’m afraid you likely have some untapped, deep-seated internal conflicts that you should unpack on your own time.

I understand the fear of roundabouts that utilize more than one or two lanes of traffic, but many roundabouts in Conway don’t even have a secondary lane.

In the four years I’ve spent living and driving in this city, I can’t recall a time when good things were said about roundabouts. I hear a lot of complaints and whining and bashing of the city officials who initiate the construction of new ones.

I’ll admit, when I first got to Conway I was scared of roundabouts, too. I mocked them and complained just like most of the Conway residents do. In a way, it felt like some strange method of fitting in.

In hindsight, it’s actually kind of embarrassing to so proudly announce that you have beef with literal pavement.

The first step to maturity as a UCA student is realizing that roundabouts are far from foes. I’m not going to beg you to advocate for them because quite frankly, I don’t beg. However, I think if we all took a moment to think about what makes roundabouts so bad, you’d find little to complain about.

Yes, construction has never been a highlight of anyone’s daily commute, but perhaps thinking of roundabouts as lifesaving and incredibly efficient bits of city infrastructure can inspire you to become a roundabout lover.

You could even use all that spared energy normally spent on anger to pick fights with things that can at least argue back.