Jersey’s jughandles — Bane or boon?

As frustrating (and unique) as New Jersey’s jug handle intersections can be, many experts say they are actually safer than left turn intersections. The NJ DOT claims there are over 600 jug handles in New Jersey. An article in New Jersey Monthly a few years ago says there are a couple of reasons why jughandles are superior: traffic flow and safety.

Since motorists going straight don’t have to wait for left turn lights to cycle through red lights, traffic flows better with shorter wait times at lights. As far as safety goes, the Asbury Park Press says that federal highway studies reveal that jug handle intersections have 26% fewer fatal accidents than left turn intersections that can require motorists to turn in front of 4 or 5 lanes.

The bane part comes in with the age of the jughandles. In the APP story, the lifespan of a jughandle is about 20 years. After that, they tend to not be able to handle increased traffic volume. The jughandle dates back to the 1930s. With the tradition of jug handles, their improved traffic flow, and improved safety, there is little doubt that they will be around for a long time. Plus, it’s fun to confuse out-of-staters.

More from New Jersey 101.5