ABSTRACT
The ‘Safe System’ approach has generally been adopted worldwide. It is based on the Swedish ‘Vision Zero’ and the Dutch ‘Sustainable Safety’ and is built on the ethical basis that no one should be seriously injured or killed in his or her use of the road. Road authorities should thus strive to eliminate fatal and serious injury crashes by adopting a holistic systems approach. This system should recognise that people can and do make mistakes and that the
CONTENTS
13.1 Introduction ............................................................................... 319 13.2 Road safety audits and assessments ........................................... 321
13.2.1 Introduction ................................................................. 321 13.2.2 The benefits derived from RSAs ................................... 322 13.2.3 The stages of an RSA.................................................... 323
13.2.3.1 Basic planning .............................................. 324 13.2.3.2 Draft design ................................................. 324 13.2.3.3 Detail design ................................................ 325 13.2.3.4 Work zone traffic management .................... 325 13.2.3.5 Preopening ................................................... 326 13.2.3.6 Checklists ..................................................... 326
13.3 Roadside barriers ....................................................................... 327 13.3.1 Introduction ................................................................. 327 13.3.2 The assessment of need ................................................. 327 13.3.3 Performance requirements ............................................ 329 13.3.4 Types of barriers ........................................................... 331
13.3.4.1 Flexible barriers ........................................... 331 13.3.4.2 Semirigid barriers ......................................... 333 13.3.4.3 Rigid barriers ............................................... 333 13.3.4.4 Barrier terminals .......................................... 334
13.3.5 Median barriers ............................................................ 338 13.4 The clear zone concept ...............................................................340 13.5 Impact attenuation ..................................................................... 341 13.6 Traffic calming ........................................................................... 342 13.7 Arrestor beds ............................................................................. 345 13.8 Elderly drivers ............................................................................ 348 13.9 Provision for motorcyclists ......................................................... 349
human body is frail and can absorb only a limited amount of energy before it is seriously hurt.
