This South African road is listed as one of the most stressful in the world
A UK survey revealed the most stressful intersections globally, and a South African intersection was listed.
Considering the ongoing taxi strike, today may not be the best day to chat about the busiest street intersections in the world. The strike has affected many commuters around KwaZulu-Natal and continues to cause traffic jams for motorists trying to get to work.
However, it was certainly interesting to hear that one of our beloved streets was included in a global survey of the most confusing and stressful intersections worldwide.
The crazy part about this one is that almost all South African motorists have their version of the most stressful intersection...Ask any learner driver, and they may have several.
The UK survey shared by Scrap Car Comparison asked thousands of drivers to "rate junctions and roundabouts based on four unique metrics: confusion, anxiety, fear, and confidence."
The responses were analysed, creating a unique 'Stress Score'. This revealed which intersections, junctions, and roundabouts caused drivers stress. The location with the highest stress score of 56 was Meskel Square Roundabout in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
"Meskel Square is a major public space in the city, but it also connects some of the major roads in the city, making it one of the busiest junctions. Though it appears chaotic thanks to the lack of road markings, it’s reportedly a surprisingly functional junction, with drivers relying on intuition, eye contact, horn beeping, and a healthy dose of mutual understanding." (Scrap Car Comparison)
Judge Harry Pregerson Interchange, Los Angeles, California, USA, and Arc de Triomphe Roundabout in Paris, France, tied second with a stress score of 51.
Known for its multi-level stacked formation that reaches a height of 40 metres, this junction offers full directional access. Simply put, all the traffic that enters the junction can also use the same junction to leave, which causes so much stress amongst motorists.
While it may look visually aesthetic from an aerial point of view, we can imagine how it might feel to be in a traffic maze.
While many KZN motorists might blame intersections such as the Spaghetti junction as their Achilles heel, the real culprit behind the stress and anxiety was the Merriman Road & Bosman Road Intersection in Stellenbosch.
It seems the stress score here was 33.
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