- UK's most stressful roundabouts revealed
- Ranked according to no. of lanes, layout, speed limits and accident stats
- Brook Street Interchange in Brentwood, Essex, tops list of stress
- A470 Abercynon roundabout, South Wales, most confusing outside Greater London
Roundabouts drive you round the bend? This list of the most confusing and stress-inducing roundabouts in the UK, as ranked by Select Car Leasing, might have you sitting nervously behind the wheel.
The UK is home to more than 25,000 roundabouts, with some of those circular junctions more straightforward than others.
Not making effective observations at junctions is the number one reason learners fail their driving test, with 'entering a roundabout with a vehicle approaching from the right' one of the most common faults.
Even seasoned motorists can find certain roundabouts confusing, anxiety-inducing, overwhelming, and in some cases unfathomable.
Many factors can add to the pressure; multiple lanes, numerous entry or exit points, whether the roundabout is controlled by traffic lights, or whether it's situated near major roads with high speed limit.
To find out which roundabouts in the UK are the most stressful and confusing, we analysed recorded incident data, the complexity of each layout, and the maximum speed limits of entry roads, before giving each one a unique Select Car Leasing stress score out of 60.
How did we rank the most stressful roundabouts?
Roundabouts across the UK were scored based on several key factors to assess how stressful they are to navigate.
Referring to data from the website CrashMap, we were able to analyse the number of recorded incidents on each roundabout over the past 25 years, including slight, serious, and fatal accidents. CrashMap gathers this information from the Department for Transport’s records of personal injury accidents.
In addition to this, we conducted our own analysis of each roundabout’s layout. We assigned a weighted score out of 10 for various elements such as the maximum number of lanes, number of exit points, overall complexity, and whether the roundabout is traffic light controlled.
We also considered the maximum speed limit of each roundabout’s entry points to evaluate how speed might contribute to the risk and stress levels.
Each factor was scored out of 10, with the layout analysis using weighted criteria. These individual scores were combined to give each roundabout an overall stress score out of 60.
Brook Street Interchange in Essex claims the title as the UK’s most stressful roundabout
Leading the way with an overall score of 53.43/60 is Brook Street Interchange in Brentwood, Essex.
Data from CrashMap shows the roundabout has 217 recorded incidents over the past 25 years, including 186 slight, 27 serious, and 4 fatal.
The roundabout connects two major routes, the M25 and the A12, it’s no surprise it’s such a hotspot with speed limits of up to 70 mph, which may contribute to it being a high-risk area for accidents.
With so much fast-moving traffic coming from all directions, it can be a stressful junction to navigate, especially during peak hours. It’s a clear example of how busy interchanges can quickly become accident-prone if drivers aren’t extra cautious.
Hammersmith Flyover, West London flows into second place
Appearing in second place is the Hammersmith Flyover in Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, with an overall score of 47.84/60.
This roundabout has the highest number of recorded incidents in our study, with 402 in total. This comprises 330 slight, 70 serious, and 2 fatal collisions.
It's located beneath the Hammersmith Flyover and surrounds a major transport hub, including Hammersmith underground station, which means it sees a constant flow of vehicles, buses, cyclists, and pedestrians.
The sheer volume and variety of road users likely contribute to the high accident rate, with congestion and complex lane layouts making it a particularly challenging area to navigate safely.
Crooked Billet Interchange, East London merges into third place
Completing the top three is the Crooked Billet Interchange in Walthamstow, East London. The roundabout achieved an overall score of 43.96/60 in our ranking.
Similar to the top two hotspots, this roundabout has a notably high number of recorded incidents, with 229. These include 206 slight, 20 serious, and 3 fatal.
Connecting key routes such as the A112, A406, and B179, the interchange sees a constant stream of traffic from all directions. As there are several major roads feeding into the roundabout, the pressure on drivers can be intense, particularly during peak hours when decision-making needs to be quick and precise.
Mar dyke Interchange and Hyde Park Corner complete the top 5.
Mar dyke Interchange in Aveley, Essex is fourth overall with a score of 41.21/60. Following close behind in fifth place is the notoriously busy Hyde Park Corner in the City of Westminster, London with a score of 41.01/60.
Where are the most stressful roundabouts outside the Greater London area?
We've previously mentioned Essex's Brook Street Interchange and Mar dyke Interchange - which feature prominently in the overall Top 10 most stress-inducing roundabouts.
Both of those sit just beyond what might be thought of as the Greater London area.
But what about confusing roundabouts well away from the capital?
The A470 Abercynon roundabout in south Wales is a strong contender, amassing a sweaty-palmed score of 32.32 out of 60.
Fishbourne Roundabout located in Chichester, West Sussex also scored highly in our report, ranking as the fourth most stressful roundabout outside of London with an overall score of 31.18/60.
The Fishbourne roundabout connects the Chichester Bypass with the A2, two key roads that see plenty of traffic with speeds of up to 50 mph. With 163 recorded incidents, including 140 slight and 23 serious, it’s clear that the high volume of vehicles travelling through the area is a contributing factor to its stress score.
The Great Cambridge Road Junction in Cambridge ranked in fifth place outside Greater London, with an overall score of 28.44/60. The roundabout also has a high incident number of 97, consisting of 84 slight and 13 serious and entry roads with speeds of up to 60 mph.
Which roundabouts in the UK have the most confusing layouts?
According to our report, Bulls Bridge Roundabout in Hounslow, West London officially has the most confusing layout, with a weighted score of 9.67/10. It features five entry and exit points and up to seven lanes at certain sections, making merging, entering, or exiting particularly difficult. Its location near industrial areas and retail parks also means it frequently experiences heavy congestion.
Hammersmith Flyover in Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, appears as the second most confusing roundabout, with a weighted score of 9.14/10 in our analysis. It has six entry and exit points and up to four lanes in parts. The combination of high traffic volume, complex lane arrangements, and regular congestion all contribute to its confusing layout score.
Park Square Roundabout in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, ranks as the third most confusing, with a weighted score of 9.10/10. It includes five entry and exit points and up to five lanes, making navigation difficult. The presence of tram lines crossing the roundabout can further add to driver uncertainty.
Rounding out the top five roundabouts with the most confusing layouts are Staples Corner in Brent, North West London, in fourth place with a weighted score of 8.48/10, and Hardwicke Circus in Carlisle, Cumbria, in fifth place with a score of 8.14.
Methodology:
Based on a number of criteria, this study was conducted to identify the roundabouts in the UK that cause the most stress:
- The number of slight, serious, and fatal incidents over the past 25 years from CrashMap which gathers its data from the Department for Transport and personal injury accidents records
- The traffic index of the surrounding area
- Layout analysis including the maximum number of lanes, the number of exit points, stress factors, and whether they are traffic light operated
- The maximum speed limit of entry points
- Each data point was assigned a score out of 10, with the layout analysis receiving a weighted score for each factor to achieve an overall stress score out of 60. The higher the total score, the more stressful the roundabout.
How the layout analysis weighted score was calculated:
A weighted score out of 10 was assigned to each roundabout based on four important factors:
- The number of lanes (20%) and exit points (20%) were scored relative to the maximum observed values to reflect navigational complexity.
- Stress factors (40%) were analysed based on keywords (e.g. high traffic, congestion, complex layout) found in descriptions, indicating potential driving difficulty.
- Traffic Light Operation (20%): added points if the roundabout was signal-controlled, suggesting higher traffic volume and complexity.
- These components were scored on a 0–10 scale and combined to give an overall layout complexity score.
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