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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Ariane Sohrabi-Shiraz

Life next to Britain's 'most feared' roundabout – as locals brand it 'insane'

All roundabouts are relatively easy to follow right? When you approach one there's usually a sign explaining which exit you need to take, and which lane you need to be in. Simple.

Well, not if you ask most people who have been to Swindon's notorious Magic Roundabout. Opened in September 1972, the complicated circular junction has become an attraction for some – but an annoying part of everyday life for others.

Its unusual design consists of five mini-roundabouts that are arranged around a sixth central, anti-clockwise roundabout. The stuff of nightmares for most motorists.

Residents who live near the Magic Roundabout in Wiltshire claim that it's a dangerous and confusing obstacle, and that accidents are rife.

People find it confusing (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Speaking to The Sun, Wendy Lee, who has lived in the area for more than 40 years, explained: "We hear about accidents, and the reason is the cars go too fast. A lot of people don’t understand what way to go and don't know what they're doing."

The 77-year-old added that people "get confused" by the roundabout, and that police often stop in the area to stop speeding drivers.

Another nearby resident, chiropractor Sally Hobbs, said she herself had been in a crash, but it was with someone who "doesn't know how to use it".

Residents say accidents happen regularly (Calyx/REX/Shutterstock)

Stef Van Eyndhofen, who was visiting from Oxfordshire said it was "incredibly confusing and dangerous".

He continued: "The person who designed this roundabout must have had clinical insanity."

Many residents the publication spoke to blamed "idiots" and people who "don't know how to use it" for the accidents that happen, making it dangerous.

In 2007, the roundabout was voted the seventh most feared road junction in the UK in a survey by the Highway Agency.

Some say accidents only happen because people don't know how to use it (Youtube)

It was designed by engineer Frank Blackmore, of the British Transport and Road Research Laboratory. His min-roundabout design was considered by many traffic management experts to be one of the most cost-effective junction designs of all time.

Blackmore, who sadly passed away aged 92 in 2008, was motivated by a desire to avoid choked-up junctions, which he found incredibly frustrating.

As one of the UK's scariest road junction, its sprawled a fanbase of its own – with t-shirts, postcards, fridge magnets and key rings with the iconic landmark available to buy.

Do you have a story to share? Email us at yourmirror@mirror.co.uk

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