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Mini-roundabout inventor is dead
THE MAN who changed the world's driving habits with a "pimple" in Peterborough has died aged 92.
THE MAN who changed the world's driving habits with a "pimple" in Peterborough has died aged 92.Frank Blackmore is credited with the invention of the mini-roundabout, with the first one in Britain – and probably the world – being placed in Peterborough city centre in 1969.
The roundabout was located on the junction between London Road and Oundle Road, near Peterborough United's stadium.
However, during the redevelopment of the junction in April this year, the roundabout was replaced with traffic lights.
At the time it was installed the roundabout – or pimple as it became known – caused confusion and chaos, with motorists struggling to understand how the system should work.
Even four years after "the pimple's" debut, Evening Telegraph reporter Julie Thompson wrote: "The driver will be baffled by it . . . he might even drive straight over it if he's in a hurry."
However, Mr Blackmore, keen to see his new vision work decided to take to the streets to explain it himself.
As the traffic built up around the new feature, Mr Blackmore stationed himself at the side of the road, and armed with a loud-hailer, started to bellow instructions to the bewildered drivers.
Mr Blackmore created the concept at the Government's Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL), where he realised that the perfect design would be for a small, two to four metre wide island, that minimised the curve for the car driving round it.
It was also felt that safety on the roads would be increased as drivers would approach the island with more caution.
Along with the mini-island, Mr Blackmore is also credited with inventing the "offside priority" at roundabouts – before his campaign, traffic islands were a free for all, and saw many accidents.
Born in February 1916 in Fort National, Algeria, with a British Missionary father and a Swiss-French mother, Mr Blackmore studied engineering at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, before finding a job in engineering in Colchester, Essex, in 1936.
He served as a pilot in the Second World War, before joining the Transport and Road Research Laboratory in 1960, where he developed his interest in junction design
Family holidays were often interrupted by Mr Blackmore stopping to take photographs of various junctions from several different angles.
His work at the TRRL led to the introduction of modern roundabout across the world, including in France, Belgium, Iraq and Thailand.
He received an OBE in 1976, after he was credited with preventing thousands of deaths and injuries on the world's roads.
He married and divorced twice, and had two daughters and a son with his second wife, Eva.
He died on Thursday, June 5 aged 92.
External links:
Swindon's Magic Roundabout - YouTube video.
Obituary: Frank Blackmore: Traffic engineer who invented the mini-roundabout, The Independent.
Obituary: Frank Blackmore, guardian.co.uk.
Frank Blackmore: traffic engineer and inventor of the mini-roundabout, Times Online.
The Evening Telegraph is not responsible for the content of external websites.
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