ABSTRACT

This book discusses ten general principles of how to design an adequate road environment. The underlying notion is that a good road design will more or less automatically elicit safe traffic behaviour. The book's viewpoint is that road users do not necessarily intentionally want to engage in unsafe behaviour but that the road environment is designed in such a way that it allows unsafe behaviour. If the road design is suboptimal then mistakes are easily made. It is not the error of the driver; it is an error in the road system that has led to the error of the driver. The design of the roads should not be targeted at the highly capable, young and fit adults, but at those with fewer capabilities who are older and slower. There are principles that are clearly scientifically established and other principles that give a good direction but may be less established.