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Magic Roundabout, Swindon, England, United Kingdom
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In 2005, it was voted the worst roundabout in a survey by a UK insurance company. In September 2007, the Magic Roundabout was named as one of the World's Worst Junctions by a UK motoring magazine. In December 2007, BBC News reported a survey identifying The Magic Roundabout as one of the "10 Scariest Junctions in the United Kingdom". However the roundabout provides a better throughput of traffic than other designs and has an excellent safety record, since traffic moves too slowly to do serious damage in the event of a collision. It is considered one of the 7 urban wonders of the world in the city roads and streets category.
In December 2008, a Christmas tree was added to the centre of the roundabout.
In February 2009 artist/filmmaker Tom White completed the short experimental film, Swindon Roundabouts. The film consists of long hypnotic shots of the roundabout and its surrounding area collaged with interviews of local residents and an unsettling soundtrack. The film is intended as a homage to the late Frank Blackmore, inventor of the mini-roundabout. The film can be seen at the Swindon viewpoint online archive.
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